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Developed in collaboration with federal and state natural resource agencies, the O&M HCP is an innovative new program that allows for a regional, activity-based approach to comply with the state and federal Endangered Species Act throughout the utility’s northern and central California service area.
“PG&E’s regional mitigation plan is a creative and responsible corporate approach to protecting imperiled species,” said Susan Moore, field supervisor in the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office.
PG&E’s Operations & Maintenance Habitat Conservation Plan is an extension of the utility’s commitment to serve its customers and protect the environment by effectively balancing the utility’s need to maintain existing gas and electric infrastructure, and perform work in a way that avoids and minimizes impacts to protected wildlife and plant species.
“Our extensive network of gas and electric infrastructure spans over 74,000 square miles and is home to wildlife and other important natural resources,” said Steven Kline, vice president, corporate environmental and federal affairs at PG&E. “As we upgrade and maintain our gas and electric facilities to meet California’s growing needs, protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats is critical. PG&E’s new Habitat Conservation Plan will protect more than 175 sensitive wildlife and plant species system wide, and is the latest example of how we are developing innovative solutions to ensure responsible stewardship of these resources while continuing to provide our customers with safe, reliable and clean energy.”
The utility’s new O&M HCP program is designed to ensure the long-term protection of sensitive species through a process that allows PG&E to access and maintain its facilities in a timely manner.
Unlike most HCPs which govern habitat protection for future land development, PG&E’s O&M HCP is the first to be activity-based, addressing protection for existing land uses. Other innovative aspects of the program include the wide range of sensitive species to be covered and the governance of many small-scale operational activities dispersed over a large geographic area.
This approach improves PG&E’s service to customers by avoiding schedule delays associated with acquiring individual, project-by-project permits for threatened and endangered species.
Developed in collaboration with federal and state natural resource agencies, the O&M HCP program also allows PG&E to more effectively partner with local stakeholders and environmental groups in support of habitat and species conservation efforts. As part of the program, PG&E is looking forward to partnering with local, state and federal conservation organizations to protect 15,000 acres of
sensitive habitat.
PG&E’s O&M HCP will first be rolled out to the San Joaquin Valley region in early 2008, the first in a series of six regions that cover PG&E’s service area stretching from Eureka in the north to Bakersfield in the south. Additional regions include the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, North Coast, Central Coast and Sierra Nevada. Recognizing the unique features of each region, PG&E is developing the plans to reflect the species, geography, and operational activities specific to each region. All six regions will roll up into one permit – PG&E’s Operations and Maintenance HCP.
The San Joaquin Valley O&M HCP will cover almost all of the utility’s routine operations, maintenance, and minor new construction activities that occur within the San Joaquin Valley for the next 30 years. It also establishes clear goals and measures for protecting, managing and monitoring 23 wildlife and 42 plant species, including the San Joaquin kit fox, California red-legged frog, vernal pool fairy shrimp and western burrowing owl.
As one of California’s largest landowners, PG&E is committed to protecting California’s natural resources. In addition to PG&E’s Habitat Conservation Plan, the utility has partnered with the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council to permanently protect 140,000 acres of watershed lands associated with the utility’s hydroelectric system – one of the largest individual dedications of private lands to conservation. PG&E’s Land Conservation Commitment protects a broad range of public beneficial uses including natural habitat of fish, wildlife and plants; preservation of open space; and public outdoor recreation, among others.
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Assembly Bills 2149 and 2150 would regulate the use of words or phrases that suggest special expertise in the finances of the elderly.
Under these bills, insurance agents and financial planners would be prohibited from claiming to be a “Senior Financial Expert” or similar title without undergoing state-recognized training on the subject.
“They use these titles to gain seniors’ trust,” said Berg, D-Eureka. “We want to make sure those titles actually mean something.”
Nothing says “trust me” to an older person like the words “Certified Senior Advisor” written in gold letters on a business card.
But too often that trust is not deserved. Too often older people are convinced to buy long-term investment instruments such as annuities that are ill-suited to their needs, but which pay lucrative commissions to the sales agents. And all too often the people who sell these products have little or no legitimate training in managing the finances of older adults.
Elder financial abuse is one of the fastest growing segments of crime. Nearly a quarter million older Californians fall prey to some sort of swindle or abuse each year.
A recent New York Times investigation found that the number of “certified” senior experts in the sales force has increased 78 percent in the last five years. Some of these agents are, of course, legitimate experts, but many either obtain their “credentials” through dubious means, or simply invent a title themselves.
“There are a lot of good people out there doing business with seniors,” said Berg, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care. “This regulation will help the good actors as much as it will hinder the bad ones.”
The bills are sponsored by the California Alliance for Retired Americans and the Congress of California Seniors. The Gray Panthers of California and the Older Women’s League are also in support.
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The number of commercial buildings and manufacturing plants to earn the Energy Star for superior energy efficiency is up by more than 25 percent in the past year, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced has reached an all-time high of more than 25 billion pounds.
"From a historic office tower in the Big Apple to a small manufacturing plant in America's heartland – the Environmental Protection Agency is pleased to see so many organizations offering high-efficiency Energy Star buildings and facilities," said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air & Radiation.
Nearly 4,100 buildings and manufacturing plants have earned the EPA's Energy Star through the end of 2007, with the addition of more than 1,400 in 2007 alone. They include about 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 K-12 schools and 250 hotels.
Here in Lake County, the Lucerne Elementary School is included on a list of Energy Star qualified buildings.
Also, more than 185 banks, financial centers, hospitals, courthouses, warehouses, dormitories and – for the first time – big-box retail buildings earned the Energy Star. More than 35 manufacturing plants such as cement, auto assembly, corn refining, and – for the first time – petroleum refining are also being recognized.
In total, these award-winning commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have saved nearly $1.5 billion annually in lower energy bills and prevented carbon dioxide emissions equal to the emissions associated with electricity use of more than 1.5 million American homes for a year, relative to typical buildings.
Commercial buildings that have earned the Energy Star use nearly 40 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, offering a significantly smaller carbon footprint. About 500 Energy Star buildings use 50 percent less energy than average buildings. Many of these buildings excel due to good energy management practices such as routine energy efficiency benchmarking.
Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption nationwide.
For more than a decade, EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strategic energy management practices. Today, there are Energy Star-qualified facilities in every state across the country. To qualify for the Energy Star, a building or manufacturing plant must score in the top 25 percent using EPA's National Energy Performance Rating System.
Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. In 2006, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $14 billion on their energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million vehicles.
To learn more about Energy Star buildings and facilities: www.energystar.gov/buildings.
To find Energy Star buildings and industrial facilities in your area: www.energystar.gov/LabeledList.
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“It is hard to believe we've been open two years, it has been a whirlwind of toys and games and kids,” said Jennifer Nunn, co-owner of Funtopia.
Added her business partner and husband, Jason Curtis, "But what better reason for having a party!"
To celebrate their two-year anniversary, and to thank the community for supporting their selection of unique toys and games, Funtopia is throwing a party and sale on Saturday, Feb. 23rd, starting at 10 a.m.
And to mark the occasion, the couple will be unveiling a new sign.
“We moved to our new location at 21208 Calistoga St., right in downtown Middletown, 10 months year ago and we've had a temporary sign ever since,” said Curtis. “At our anniversary, though, we will be unveiling our new, hand-painted sign.”
“It is really special," added Nunn. “It was painted by a local artist and friend of ours, JoAnn Robinson. It captures the spirit and whimsy of our toy store and we are excited to unveil it at 1 p.m. for the public to see.”
In addition to the sale – offering between 25 and 50 percent off a large selection of great toys – but they'll also have popcorn and balloons for everyone.
There's also the new “Book Nook” – a newly created space to hold the store's selection of children's books.
"Over the last two years we’ve enjoyed becoming part of the community, working with the schools, and meeting the kids and parents of Lake County,” said Nunn. “We moved here because of the beauty but we've stayed because of the people. And we hope that everyone enjoys our party as much as we've enjoyed becoming part of the community!”
Funtopia, located at 21208 Calistoga St., in Middletown, California, is a locally owned independent toy store, specializing in unique toys and games that enhance play and creativity for children of all ages. Open Tuesday through Sunday, they are the perfect place to find that special birthday gift and have it wrapped for free.
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