March 2025

This Month's Issue:

Upcoming BEC Event

BECome a Friend of the Faire

S.O.S. - Save Our Salmon

Oak Way Community Garden

Money Talk and Time is Money

California Resource Guide

Tuscan Water District Update

Good Fire Event Recap

Upcoming BEC Event

Help BEC spread the word about our upcoming wing-raiser!

The fundraiser will be happening from 11am - 11pm, but if you would like to come and hang out with your favorite BEC people, join us from 6 - 7:30 for our monthly Social Hour.

BEC needs at least $500 in sales to receive a donation and this time, alcohol sales are included! Don't forget to mention BEC at checkout. :-)

S.O.S. - Save Our Salmon

Pictured to the left is an image of BEC's Chinook salmon release at the Feather River and pictured to the right is a page from our Nurture's Nature: California's Tribal Tales of Environmental Connection coloring book

(available at the BEC office or electronically by request)

HOW IS BEC SAVING OUR SALMON?

Butte County’s Own Endangered Species

Did you know that Butte County is the ONLY home in the world for Spring Run Chinook Salmon? That’s right: the creeks and rivers in Butte County currently offer the only spawning habitat worldwide for this magnificent species of fish. Part of an intricate eco-web of life, these Chinook salmon support countless other species in our area. And unfortunately, their populations have taken a sharp downturn in recent years. Many people in Butte County don’t know about these unique and endangered salmon. So, united with dozens of families in Butte County, BEC is creating fun and engaging opportunities for the community to learn about them, and hopefully prevent them from going extinct.

By Cara Cannon, BEC Board Member, Board Member of Friends of Butte Creek

Oak Way Community Garden

Monday Drop in the Bucket Food Scraps Pick-Ups 

1. Volunteers will assist with weekly household food scrap pickups, that will be brought to the Oak Way Community Garden to be composted.
2. If you would like BEC to pick up your household food scraps on Mondays, fill out the google form below to be placed on our wait list.

Turning Tuesday

1. Volunteers will learn the basics of composting by turning the compost piles and incorporating food scraps, while participating in mild physical activity!
2. Happens every Tuesday from 9:30-12pm.
3. Bring water, close-toed shoes, snacks, sun protection, and gloves (if able)

Money Talks and Time is Money

We spend thousands of hours surrendering our attention to Mark Zuckerberg, our money to Jeff Bezos, and our health to corporate conglomerates like Nestle, Kellogg's, and Unilever.

What if we invested our resources into our local economy - our time into hyperlocal issues and community growth, our money into local businesses, and our health into farmers markets and local produce? We can’t continue to sit and doom scroll through social media - sweating, crying, and stressing over what is going to happen to our National Parks and Public Lands. 

What we CAN do is show up for the Oak woodland in our beloved Bidwell Park, advocate for the endangered Spring-run Chinook salmon in Butte Creek, and fight for the vernal pools and threatened Fairy shrimp within the Valley’s Edge. We can firescape our houses for the next wildfire, pack a go back for the next flood, and check in on our neighbors to make sure they have food, water, shelter, and the basic human necessities.

We need to continue show up and fight for our basic human rights: fresh, clean, and abundant water resources, strong urban canopies aka trees to shade our communities and feed our local pollinators, Salmon to feed the ecosystem and the beautiful valleys and foothills we call home.

There are several ways to get involved, locally. Find a local nonprofit organization that supports your personal mission, values, and goals. Get engaged by volunteering your time in direct action, sharing resources with people in your communities, attending local district meetings, or by joining a local committee. 

Supporting your local nonprofit not only in a physical way, but also financially, is imperative for these organizations to continue to show up for the people and ecosystems they serve. Environmental nonprofit organizations are the voices that speak up to ensure proper management of public funds for our current and future ecosystems to come.

Economic investments in Community Based Organizations (CBO) are needed now more that ever to continue to be present in groundwater and planning meetings with constructive, fact based comments based on the guidance of general plans, deep diving into the Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) for proposed developments, documenting and representing an inclusive perspective from our population that is being served and affected by decisions being made behind closed doors. 

The time is NOW to start investing into our local economy, ecosystems, communities, friends, and neighbors. Shift our Netflix subscription, daily trips to the coffee shop, or weekly night on the town, into fresh veggies from the farmers market, supporting local CBO's, and OUR community at large. Show up to support in whatever capacity you have, we appreciate any and all engagement, and will continue to represent you as long as we can keep the lights on.

You can find information pertaining to local environmental issues and ways to get involved by going to www.becnet.org. 

California Resource Guide

The California Community Resource Guide provides an easy-to-navigate online directory to search for State services, resources, and assistance. It is designed with the user in mind – to equip trusted messengers with information about accessing basic needs and other state services as we engage with community members.

Filter by individual resources or search by resources, this page includes links to agencies designed to assist.

Tuscan Water District Update

Fig. 1: Map of Tuscan Water District with exclusion of the City of Chico

On January 15, 2025, Proposition 218 passed allowing the Tuscan Water District (TWD) to begin collecting tax revenue from landowners within the district in Butte County. This ballot proposition was undemocratic, as votes were weighted by the number of acres owned - while the district excluded Chicoans. Public comment not related to the agenda was intended to be held after the vote, but ultimately two hours of public upset was expressed before final votes were cast.

The final vote results: 404 ballots voted yes, totaling 342,229.13 acres; 423 ballots voted no, totaling 48,398.53 acres.

If the election had been held in a democratic nature, with one vote per person, the proposition would have failed to pass.

According to the TWD Board, landowners in Butte County began forming the water district seven years ago. The formation of the district was approved by vote earlier last year. Now, with the passing of Prop. 218, this district will begin receiving revenue from landowners, $6.46 per acre annually. Since the district encompasses approximately 100,000 acres, the estimated revenue will be about $646,000 each year. This money will be used for administrative purposes, such as providing for office space and covering legal fees. Ultimately, the TWD will collect money for the governing of water infrastructure projects, potentially pursuing artificial groundwater recharge.

The negative implications behind an organization (district) having control of groundwater are immense, particularly because those who sit on the Board have a personal investment in agriculture. Currently, agriculture is the largest user of groundwater in our subbasin.

This matters because groundwater-dependent ecosystems are at risk - the Tuscan Aquifer could potentially be drained 200% below historical usage. Valley Oaks depend on groundwater to thrive, alongside many other native species in Butte County. The depletion of water in the aquifer will not allow for sustained life in the vegetation that relies upon its resources. For example, the tree canopy in Upper Park, Middle Park, Lower Park and Chinook salmon populations in Butte Creek.

Communities that access water through the Tuscan Aquifer will also be at risk as the council mentioned they are concerned about the quantity of water in the aquifer rather than quality - largely affecting the safety of water that is distributed to those in Butte County.

In past years, the mismanaged governance of groundwater has wiped out groundwater-dependent vegetation in cities such as Fresno. This happened after the Fresno Irrigation District began managing groundwater resources, with their mission statement being nearly identical to the Tuscan Water District’s statement.

Good Fire Event Recap

Pictured above is Day 1 attendees engaged in the process of prescribed pile burns

The Good Fire Weekend of events kicked-off at the Butte Creek Canyon Ecological Preserve (BCCEP) with a sunshiney day and ended at the Lake Concow Campground with a blustery, wet, and unexpected stormy day.

All together, we had over 100 participants came together to learn from and engage with experts practicing land stewardship about good fire practices (controlled, low intensity, intentional, providing more nutrients, promoting plant diversity, and stopping spread of pests) happening throughout our community. Prescribed burns equals less fuel for large wildfires and promotes healthy soil for native plants. Speakers included:

He-lo Ramirez from the Mechoopda Tribe of Chico Rancheria

David Mitchell from the Butte Prescribed Burn Association

Ali Meders-Knight from California Open Lands and TEK Chico

Dewey Barnes with the Mechoopda Tribe of Chico Rancheria

Alice Lincoln-Cook with the Karuk Tribe California Indian Basketweavers' Association

Zeke Lunder of the The Lookout

Kenneth Scherer and Tim Hardar with Biochar Coalition

Matthew Williford with the Konkow Valley Maidu

We are so grateful for the folks who joined us for a day of learning, burning, and repairing our relationship with fire. Participants experienced fire through hands-on experiential learning with prescribed pile burns, Indigenous cultural fire education, a fire ecology nature walk and pyrotherapy, along with a demonstration on how to make biochar. It is our hope that patricipants found their time beneficial, cathartic, and restorative. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

The Good Fire Weekend was hosted in partnership with Neighbor-to-Neighbor, a program of California Volunteers, Office of the Governor - joined by Paradise Recreation and Park District, Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Ecotherapy Program, Camp Fire Restoration Project, Butte County Resource Conservation District, Butte County Prescribed Burn Association, From the Ground Up and The Biochar Coalition.

Butte Environmental Council recognizes the original occupants of what is now referred to as the Butte County area and the descendants who are still living here. They include:

Tyme Maidu Tribe-Berry Creek Reservation

Enterprise Rancheria

Mechoopda Indian Tribe

Mooretown Rancheria 

We acknowledge and are mindful that these first people have a special and sacred relationship with their ancestral lands and the waters that run through these lands, sustaining them for centuries. We strive to learn from their ways and to be considered by the tribes as allies to respect and steward resources in this life-giving place.

Support Butte Environmental Council!

BEC is a grassroots non-profit dedicated to protecting the health of our environment. Our work is made possible by people like you! Your contribution helps us plant trees, clean the creeks, and bring environmental education into the classroom.

BEC is a membership supported organization, we invite all interested parties to become a member today.

Consider becoming a Sustaining Member today for as little as $5/month.