A U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday gave federal wildlife officials until September to come up with a new plan to protect the threatened delta smelt while still providing water to about 25 million Californians and thousands of acres of farmland around the state. U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ruled that until they come up with a permanent plan, water managers must limit pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta this year as early as Dec. 25, when the fish typically spawn, until June 20 when the young fish have moved pass the pumps. Fresno Bee 12/12/07
State and federal wildlife officials will unveil an ambitious wetlands restoration plan Wednesday that promises strong levees around South Bay homes and businesses, new bayside trails for hikers and more places for bird watchers to spot shorebirds and ducks. The plan is the first phase of a $1 billion, 50-year effort to restore thousands of acres of former Cargill Inc. salt ponds purchased by the government four years ago. Today's plan favors converting 90 percent of the former ponds to tidal marsh. SF Chronicle 12/12/07
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Tuesday that he will decide early next year whether to impose mandatory curbs on water usage in Los Angeles. LA Times 12/12/07
The Senate rejected an overhaul of farm subsidies Tuesday, with a 37-58 vote. More key votes to whittle away subsidies for programs such as organic and food education are expected, starting Wednesday. An analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief economist that found a radical overhaul of farm programs would greatly benefit California farmers, 91 percent of whom are ineligible for current crop subsidies because they grow fruits, nuts or vegetables. SF Chronicle 12/12/07
Dwindling snowpack, earlier stream flow and rising temperatures in the western United States can be attributed directly to human activity and will seriously affect California's water supply, perhaps in a matter of decades, according to new research. Since 1950, the Sierra snowpack has decreased by about 20 percent, the temperature in the Rocky Mountains has gone up 3 degrees, and spring water flow in the Columbia River has decreased significantly. Researchers claim only adding past human greenhouse gas emissions into the equation accounts for the models they have recorded. CC Times 12/12/07
A reader reviews Alice Water’s new cookbook, “The Art of Simple Food,” in the CC Times. 12/12/07
There is one licensed child care slot for about every four children with working parents in California, according to a report to be released Wednesday, which says that San Francisco fares better than any other Bay Area county in terms of child care. In San Francisco County, licensed care is available for 43 percent of children with working parents, according to the 2007 California Child Care Portfolio, a county-by-county report that looks at child-care supply, demand and costs. SF Chronicle 12/12/07
Last month the White House said new rules would soon make it easier for people with HIV/AIDS to travel to the United States. Gay rights advocates have long opposed a 1993 federal law that strictly restricts travel and immigration to the U.S. by HIV-positive people. The rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security would allow short-term visas to be granted to HIV-positive people by U.S. consulates in their home countries. What angers critics, however, is that applicants would have to agree to certain conditions, including giving up the right to apply for a longer stay or permanent residency in the U.S. Fresno Bee 12/11/07
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