The owner of gas stations in Sonoma and several other Bay Area counties has been ordered to pay $500,000 to settle allegations that the corporation failed to follow state environmental laws. In Sonoma County, the judgment affected the Chevron gas station on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Charles Smiley’s ruling… Keep Reading
Geof Syphers is highly charged when he talks clean energy. As CEO of Santa Rosa-based Sonoma Clean Power, Syphers has a personal and professional mission to get more people to use renewable energy, while being as carbon-free as possible. Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) provides residential and commercial service to Sonoma and Mendocino counties. As a… Keep Reading
In a deep muddy creek near Silicon Valley’s busiest freeway, a large furry head pokes up. And then quickly submerges. The brief sighting, along with a growing collection of video footage, confirms something remarkable: After being hunted to extinction in the 1800s, the North American beaver is returning to the creeks of the San Francisco… Keep Reading
A delegation of mayors, climate scientists, water officials and energy leaders from Sonoma County are representing the Bay Area at this year’s annual U.N. climate conference, known as COP27, underway in Egypt. They are touting Sonoma County as one of the world’s testing grounds for big climate change solutions — including water-saving ideas and clean… Keep Reading
Sonoma County Regional Parks has acquired 120 acres on the western flank of Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve above the Sonoma Valley, a strategic expansion that will preserve scenic views and wildlife habitat, offer new recreation opportunities, and support future wildfire defense. Known as Cougar Landing, the property is surrounded on three… Keep Reading
We’ve gotten a lot of rain lately. A lot. Underline that sentence there: A lot. I mean, we’re still getting it. No one would ever dare think or whisper or say that it’s been too much rain. At least, I don’t think. I think it’s been glorious. The Russian River is plump again, running like… Keep Reading
When Erin Babnik awoke on the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, in Paradise, California, she thought the reddish glow outside was a hazy sunrise. But the faint light soon gave way to darkness as smoke from the burgeoning Camp fire rolled in. “The whole sky turned completely black, and there were embers flying around,” Babnik… Keep Reading
SANTA ROSA, CA — A vegetation fire that burned more than 3 acres Tuesday on a rural piece of property owned by the city of Santa Rosa was determined to be human-caused, the Santa Rosa Fire Department said. The fire was reported at 3:49 p.m. by multiple callers who said they saw smoke in the… Keep Reading
An adventurous spirit is taking hold this summer, as we see our landscapes with fresh eyes. Meet five Sonoma locals who explore our wild spaces in bold ways—from fishing the coast in a kayak to foraging for wild foods to mountain biking the craggiest ridgetops. Kayak Fisher Kyle Monte Standing on the beach at Fort… Keep Reading
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) — Sonoma County health officials posted ‘Toxic Algae Alert’ signs along Salmon Creek Tuesday, warning swimmers and fishermen of the potential dangers hidden below the waterway. The State Water Resources Control Board said its staff responded to recent sightings of suspected harmful algal blooms in the Russian River, Salmon Creek and… Keep Reading
