In a battle between conservation groups, the Coastal Commission has permitted the Pescadero Conservation Alliance to renovate a lodge and cabins for up to 63 visitors a day near a marbled murrelet nesting area near Gazos Creek, says the County TImes.

Humans, and the food they bring with them, are known to attract predatory birds such as ravens and Steller’s jays, which steal murrelet eggs and kill their chicks, according to biologists.

It’s difficult to know precisely how many murrelets still exist in Northern California, according to Stacy Martinelli, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. For many years, nobody knew where they nested; the first murrelet was spotted at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in 1974.

On one side was the PCA, the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Coastal Commission staff supported the appeal [PDF of staff recommendation] by the Committee for Green Foothills [CGF article on the issue], the Center for Biological Diversity, Coastside Habitat Coalition, and coastside resident Jim Rourke.  Lennie Roberts, of the CGF, predicts that at least one of the opposing groups will appeal the decision.

Click below to read PCA’s letter requesting support on April 3.

Thursday, Caltrans Geologists rappelled down the side of the cliff to review the rock fall areas, assess slide movement, and assist in mapping the slide.

Caltrans has begun building a temporary road on the top of the cliff above the Slide, so that crews could get to the area where they needed to clear boulders and loose rocks.

Drilling operations are still suspended until loose debris can be removed 300 feet above the work area.  The drilling rig has been moved to another, smaller slide about half a mile north of the Slide itself to drill a 100 foot test hole.

This story is based on Caltrans’s report for Thursday, April 13 [pdf].

Grant Wilcox, Senior Engineering Geologist on the Slide repair project, explains how how the Devil’s Slide geology works, why it is so unstable, how it was repaired in 1995, why Caltrans has temporarily suspended activity on the Slide, and why Caltrans can’t simply build a bridge over the damaged portion of the Slide.

This is the best explanation that we have seen of the geology and dynamics of the slide. If you want to understand what’s happening, you must watch this video.

Wilcox spoke Wednesday night at the Midcoast Community Council.  The full meeting will be cablecast tonight on MCTV, but this is the part you must not miss.

Having problems with our videos?  Coastsider’s videos should work correctly with Mac and Windows.  But they require the most recent version of Quicktime. You can download Quicktime free from Apple.

A minor slide forced the evacuation of an El Granada house on Wednesday afternoon. The house, on the 600 block of Isabella Road, appears to be undamaged.  The County Times reports that "emergency responders diverted mud and water around the house". The Chronicle reports that inspectors will examine the house today.

Tonight’s planned appearance by state senate Mike Nevin at the Midcoast Community Council has been cancelled.  According to an email by organizer and MCC member Geoffrey Davis: "Regretfully Mike Nevin’s campaign manager called me at 13:20 PDT today to cancel their attendance at the MCC meeting this evening.  They are unable to reschedule a date at this particular time."

If you were planning only to see Nevin, you can keep dry. But Caltrans is still scheduled to appear.

NOTE: In all the excitement last week, we didn’t get a chance to post this earlier.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to give MCTV what it has been asking for. At its Tuesday, April 4 meeting, the board voted to approve the extension of the Comcast cable franchise, allocate to MCTV an amount equal to what Coastsiders will pay in franchise fees during the 15 years of the contract, and require Comcast to continue its agreement with MCTV as part of the franchise agreement.

In a press release MCTV president Connie Malach wrote, "These actions by the Board of Supervisors fulfill all the requests that MCTV made to the Supervisors."

Caltrans has put up a sturdy, padlocked gate on Highway 1 and has met with the Park Ranger to get the trails on the Slide closed to hikers, according to a press release on the Caltrans Devil’s Slide website.

Until recently, entry to the Slide was controlled by a fairly flimsy chainlink fence. Many Coastsiders have been visiting the Slide site and there has been increasing interest in checking out the damage from the hiking trails above.

The San Mateo County Transportation Authority is seeking six new public members for its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and would like to have representation from the Coastside.  The Transportation Authority administers the proceeds of a countywide half-cent sales tax (Measure A) for transportation improvements of all kinds.  For example, Measure A funds will be used for the planned 92/Route 1 intersection improvements. 
 
The CAC acts as a liaison between the public and the board of directors of the Transportation Authority.  The CAC is comprised of 15 volunteer members.  Five of the successful candidates will serve three-year terms, while one position will complete a term expiring in May 2007.
The CAC meets on the Tuesday preceding the first Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m. in San Carlos.  Interested persons can download an application at the Transportation Authority’s site, or contact the board secretary at 650-508-6279.  The application deadline is Friday, April 14, 2006 at 5 PM.
 
With the voter’s reauthorization of Measure A last year, the Transportation Authority is now engaged in some very interesting and important long-range planning.  Serving on the CAC for the Transportation Authority is a great opportunity to help create a new regional vision for transportation in San Mateo County.

This committee is distinct from the SamTrans CAC, which is also seeking members.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended a huge cut in the West Coast commercial salmon season Thursday.  While the Council didn’t outright ban fishing, it limited the catch to just 75 per week, which is close to what many can catch in a day, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Commercial fishermen said the truncated season could prove a death blow to hard-hit fleets and communities that count on salmon as an economic and cultural cornerstone. The fish will survive, they said, but the fishing industry may not.

The decision has been forwarded to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for final approval. The service has said it would follow the council’s recommendation.  The Times has a good description of the history that led to this decision and reactions from fishermen.  Although chinook salmon are plentiful right now, the ban applies to all salmon from Northern California and Oregon because it’s not possible to selectively fish for one variety. There is also a good article at the Monterey County Herald.

Click for the Pacific Fishery Management Council press release, which contains extensive information on the decision-making process.