San Francisco Baykeeper

On June 19, the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to name California White Sturgeon as a "candidate" for listing under the CA Endangered Species Act (CESA). Under CESA, candidate species are protected until the state Fish and Wildlife Department completes a status review and recommends whether or not to formally place the fish on the endangered species list. This action was taken in response to a petition by San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Restore the Delta, and The Bay Institute. The groups are also petitioning for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The petition explains that White Sturgeon, North America's largest freshwater fish, are imperiled by unsustainable water diversions from the rivers where they spawn and rear, harmful algal blooms in San Francisco Bay and the Delta that have ravaged the population, and overharvest in the sport fishery. Each of these problems must be solved independently to maintain White Sturgeon viability -- just cutting the fishing season won't stop the decline. (In fact, the petitioners recommended maintenance of a catch-and-release only fishery because White Sturgeon survive catch and release very well). Unfortunately, California is headed in the wrong direction for White Sturgeon. Several state-sponsored water plans (including Sites Reservoir, the Delta Tunnel, and the Governor's "voluntary agreements" for circumventing clean water act regulations) would divert more water from Central Valley rivers, and they would target the high river flows that sturgeon rely on. Proposed plans to reduce nutrient loading in San Francisco Bay are likely to be too little and too late to prevent the kind of harmful algal blooms that killed so many sturgeon in 2022 and 2023. And the state's new White Sturgeon fishing regulations are targeted to attain a harvest rate much higher than the state's own scientists determined would be necessary to maintain a stable population. If White Sturgeon are listed, they would be the 7th population of fish native to San Francisco Bay to be listed as endangered/threatened. Let's hope California's elected officials and agency heads reverse course and prevent looming extinctions of White Sturgeon and other native fishes in the San Francisco Bay estuary.

One of the biggest threats to #SFBay is out of sight along its floor—where private companies have been mining sand for over a century. Sand is a limited natural resource that's being removed from the Bay faster than it's replenished. Unsustainable sand mining means there will be less sand to support creatures like #DungenessCrab. And, crucially, there will be less sand to shore up areas with severe erosion like SF's Ocean Beach, increasing the area's vulnerability to flooding & #SeaLevelRise. Read more about the importance of the Bay's sand--and what we're doing to protect it--at the link below!

The state often claims its proposed Delta Tunnel is not about diverting more water from the Sacramento River — the Newsom administration wants us to believe its all about protection from earthquakes and sea level rise. But they give away their true motives in their recent “cost benefit” analysis for the project. The benefits come from selling more (and more expensive) water — those benefits accrue to water utilities and investors in San Joaquin Valley agribusiness. (Those who eventually pay for that expensive water would probably consider it a “cost”. ) Not mentioned in the report are costs to the general public (& disadvantaged communities in particular) of operating this massive new water diversion. These costs include: closed fisheries, toxic water quality, and extinguished native fish and wildlife populations. Those costs are externalized. This isn’t a “cost benefit” analysis of societal impacts — it’s an advertisement for investors in a $20 billion pipe to divert water. And so continues the oldest story in California water.

Know any recent law school graduates looking for opportunities to work for an important cause? We’re looking for a smart, passionate associate attorney to work on our high-impact legal advocacy to defend the watershed and on our clean water enforcement to hold polluters accountable. Learn more about this new position: https://lnkd.in/gNrE6shb #nowhiring #bayareajobs #legaljobs #environmentallaw #attorney

Some companies take responsibility for their actions. They appreciate that the experts on our staff will work with them side-by-side to reduce their pollution and help them comply with the law. They want to do the right thing. Others know they’re polluting, but they choose to put up one heck of a legal battle to see how much they can get away with. This litigation often gets drawn out and expensive—usually for no reason, since the facts are on Baykeeper’s side. Then there’s the wildcard polluter: We expect local governments to follow the law, look out for the well-being of their residents, and be good Bay stewards. But that’s not always the case.

Want to learn about the latest threats to the health and long-term resilience of SF Bay—and what we’re doing about it? Join us online at 5:30pm on March 13 to hear from our Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh about the current state of the Bay. You’ll also learn how our scientists, field investigators, and lawyers are defending the Bay from harmful algal outbreaks, fossil fuel pollution, and much more. Register today! Participation is free, advance registration is required. #sanfranciscobayarea #sanfranciscobay #sfbay

We're hiring! 📢 Baykeeper's looking for an enthusiastic new Field Investigator to work collaboratively with our scientists, attorneys, volunteers & partners to identify and stop the biggest threats to SF Bay. Learn more about how to apply: https://lnkd.in/gG6iEanS #nowhiring #bayareajobs #greenjobs #sfbayarea #sanfranciscobay

2024 marks Baykeeper's 35th anniversary defending SF Bay from polluters 🎉🎉🎉 Read more about our recent wins & investigations in Sejal Choksi-Chugh's latest column!

Governor Newsom has repackaged existing projects to protect CA salmon and hard-fought victories won by tribes, fishing groups, and environmental non-profits into a “salmon strategy”. Newsom is taking credit for the work of others as a ploy to burnish his image after he: -waived water quality requirements in the Delta that protect salmon for 3 consecutive years, -brokered backroom deals with major water suppliers that would deny relief to salmon & other native fish, -promoted the Delta tunnel project, which the state’s environmental assessment warned could put salmon at risk, and -supported Sites Reservoir, which would take yet more water out of the Sacramento River. The Governor’s newfound concern for salmon belies 5 years of actions that have nearly destroyed the Central Valley’s populations. https://lnkd.in/d92vp4SQ

2023 has been a whirlwind for Baykeeper—we responded to (another) harmful algae bloom, negotiated a cleanup of heavy metals in the shore, took legal action against four industrial facilities, and much more. Read more about our wins over the past year in our new annual report: https://lnkd.in/eTyVaj6j #sanfranciscobay #sanfranciscobayarea #water #waterpollution #bayarea