The conservative Pacific Legal Foudation has launched a lawsuit challenging the critical habitat designations for 48 listed species of California plants and animals, according to the Mercury News. One species native to coastside, the Western Snowy Plover, is on the list [PDF].

The PLF says the suit builds on a victory that invalidated the designation of thousands of acres of land as critical habitat for the Alameda whipsnake. The PLF argues that critical habitat designations throughout California violate the ESA because the federal agencies did not adequately identify the areas that are essential to species conservation and routinely relied on inadequate economic analyses in evaluating the social impact of designations as required under the act.

The press release quotes PLF attorney Reed Hopper, whose name sounds like that of an endangered species, as saying "This lawsuit will promote species recovery by forcing the federal government to set goals and meet clear standards in designating critical habitat. It’s a win-win for everyone."

The Merc quotes Kieran Suckling, of the Center for Biological Diversity, which has appealed the whipsnake case, as saying "Only the Pacific Legal Foundation is cynical enough to argue that taking away habitat protection will help endangered species."

The lawsuit is on behalf of the Home Builders Association of Northern California, the Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California State Grange, and the Greenhorn Grange.

Thirty excited Cub Scouts from Farallone View’s pack 255 and 20 equally excited chaparones departed Montara last Friday night for a overnight trip to WWII submarine USS Pompanito. Docked at Pier 45 at Fishermans Warf, the USS Pampanito is a World War II submarine museum and memorial open for visitors daily. Each year the Pompanito hosts over 15,000 kids, but not everyone gets to spend the night on a real submarine.

The leaders of this pack do a remarkable job all year of teaching these kids about the world around them, while keeping it fun.  But an overnight on a submarine poses special challenges. As a mother, I have a hard time coordinating the pandemonium that ensues when my three children are in the same room. So I was impressed with how organized this event was.  The scouts, ranging in age from 6 to 10, worked with the parents to load 10 carloads of supplies onto the sub and unpack and settle the goup into tiny sleeping quarters. 

When den leader Gary Smith told me this was an overnight, I had visions of a nice tour, followed by pizza and lights out at 11.  I had no idea that he meant a full 12 hours straight of activities supervised by rotating teams of adults that ran the gamut from videos in the torpedo bay to fire drills, to challenges of "who can stay awake all night?", and "look how many cupcakes I can eat at one time!". What an eye opener!

The staff of the Pompanito kicked off the event with a guided tour of the sub, including a special foray in the conning tower, which houses the fully-functioning periscope and (unloaded) main deck gun. Popanito staff members were exceptional with the scouts, driling them on submarine safety (don’t touch that), tour ettiquite (don’t touch that either) and World War II history.

The next morning, the boys had the privilege of conducting a flag-raising ceremony on the deck of the Pompanito, followed by a group picture with the original ship’s flag on the deck. 

The boys had a great time, and exemplified the values that their Scout leaders have been teaching them all year.  The boys were trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, curteous, kind, obedient, and most of all brave and reverent.  Thank you to all the scouting leaders and volunteers who dedicate so much time and energy to making this an unforgettable experience for our boys.

Neri Sanchez Gomez, who killed Ernest Elliot, 53,, and injured his 40-year-old wife Nancy, in a hit-and-run accident on Highway 1 near Pescadero last year, was sentenced Friday to 364 days in jail. The Daily Journal reports that this was a day short of the one-year term which would ensure his deportation. The Mexican national still faces federal charges for fake US identity documents. He was released on Friday, having received credit for time served.

A ten-wheel dump truck reportedly hauling 12 tons of rock fell through a privately-owned bridge in the 7000 block of Hwy. 84 in La Honda at 8:52 this morning.

When La Honda Volunteer Fire Fighters first arrived they found the driver uninjured and the truck leaking diesel fuel into San Gregorio Creek. Firefighters placed floating booms across the creek, ahead of the spill in an effort to contain the expanding spill.

A special crane will be brought in to remove the truck Tuesday morning. Traffic may need to be controlled on Highway 84 during this operation.

Wavecrest’s owners attempted to disk the site of their proposed development on Friday.  They didn’t get very far before a letter from the California Coastal Commission stopped the disking.

The property has been under review since late August, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service found endangered frog habitat on it. The Coastal Commission removed Wavecrest from its September agenda on after the US Fish and Wildlife Service said the development would result in a "taking" of an endangered species. The Fish and Wildlife Service is working to determine what should be done next.

Julie Baigent, attorney for property owners Concar Enterprises, says that the mowing and disking is a return to the agricultural use of the property,  "The owner had entered into a lease with a farmer. The land was being farmed as it had been in the past."  The property has been traditionally used to grow hay. "It hasn’t been farmed in a couple of years. But it has been taking longer than anticipated to get the permits to build," said Baigent. Baigent says the owners tried to be sensitive to the habitat:  "We had a biologist survey the land and he was there the entire time to avoid killing frogs. We were trying to be extra-specially careful."

But the disking was a surprise to the city of Half Moon Bay and the Coastal Commission. In a letter to the developer [PDF] that was copied to the school district, city planning director Jack Liebster, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game the Commission said:

Commission staff is concerned that disking this site at this time could compromise future habitat assessment by damaging or removing existing habitat. In addition, disking may result in direct mortality of the frog and/or snake, both of which are more likely to be active at this time due to the substantial rainfall that has occurred over the past several days. As such. we request that you delay any further actions that may result in damage or removal of environmentally sensitive habitat on the Wavecrest site pending review of these activities with the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Commission’s staff biologist. I have left messages for you on your office and cell phones stating these concerns, and we have contacted the USFWS and CDFG staff. Please call me at (831) 427-4863 to discuss this matter as soon as possible.

Baigent says, "When we received a call from the city attorney, we called the farmer and asked him to stop."

Because the area being disked is the projected site of the new middle school, I talked to Deputy Superintendent B.J. Mackle at the Cabrillo Unified School District today.  She was with Superintendent Bayless on Friday and is covering for him while he is out of the office this week. Neither she nor the superintendent knew of the disking or the letter from the Coastal Commission on Friday and she had not see the letter from the Commission as of this morning.

It’s unclear how this incident will affect the review process that is still underway at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the city’s endorsement of Wavecrest to the Coastal Commission, or the Commission’s eventual review of the development.

From a distance, the light looks oddly constant without the normal sweeping action.  The lamp in the slowly rotating Fresnel lens creates many rays that gleam up close under clear skies, and during periods of mistiness in the air, you can see little puffs of fog along each beam of light.  From the ocean deck underneath the lighthouse, the effect is like spokes in a wheel.  24 rays is the number that comes from a neighbor. 

The 133rd lighting next year, according to one of the docents, is going to be quite special.  With the repairs complete as anticipated, it will also be possible to climb the stairs and see the light up close.

Pillar Point Harbor was a hub of activity Sunday evening as fishermen got ready for the opening of crab season on Monday.  Bright lights, truckloads of crab pots and boats fueling up were all part of the preparation.

The San Mateo Daily Journal has a great story on the state of the crab business from a more local perspective.

The Chronicle has a good story about the opening of crab season in San Francisco, as well as a story about nabbing crab poachers.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel describes preparations for the opening of the crab season on Monday, including in interview with Larry Collins, a Half Moon Bay fisherman. Fresh crab could be available to consumers as early as Monday afternoon.

When prices get too low for crabbers, many at smaller harbors like Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz take their product directly to the dining public.

"If I don’t like the price, I just sell off the boat," Ribeiro said.

Money’s Mushrooms will be closing its operation in Pescadero [map] as well as in Ganges Township, Michigan and Howe, Indiana. The plant has about 220 employees and will be closing on January 8.

The company describes growing mushrooms as an agricultural factory, a laboratory activity set in a farm environment.

There more information about the closings in this article from a Michigan newspaper.

The Oakland Tribune now has an article about the closing of Money’s Pescadero plant.