North Bay Report

After decades of failure, it looks like the annexation of Roseland and some nearby areas into Santa Rosa is on the fast track.

If you live in Santa Rosa, you probably know that chunks of land there – dominated by the 620 acres of the Roseland neighborhood – are not part of the city. These unincorporated islands are served by a patchwork of agencies providing municipal services. As Steve Mencher reports, that problem may soon be solved if Roseland and four smaller islands come under the city’s wing through annexation.

Find links to resources about the annexation and a KRCB video about Roseland parents, on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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One West Marin creamery is closing the loop on climate change.

Straus Family Creamery in West Marin has for years been a leader in sustainable and organic farm practices in California. Now, what was a wild idea eight years ago has finally been realized: To power the machinery that feeds the dairy cows…with their own manure! KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports.

See photos of Straus Creamery’s farm and new electric feed truck – and find links to other stories on sustainable farming – on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Mountain lions roam nearby hills, and we can all just get along, if we learn more about them and work to conserve their dwindling habitat.

Yesterday, we talked with a researcher about his studies of local mountain lions. Today, we’ll dig deeper into how mountain lions and humans coexist. Are they a danger to us or to our livestock? Bruce Robinson reports on the lives of these cats in the Mayacamas mountains.

Dr. Quinton Martins will talk about studying our local mountain lions in a presentation at Laguna Environmental Center Thursday night. Find links and more information on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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We know there are mountain lions here in the North Bay’s mountains. But they see us more than we see them.

In the wilder, wide open uplands of the North Bay, mountain lions remain a steady if elusive presence. But just how many are out there? Bruce Robinson reports on a current study of the big cats that tracks their activity with GPS collars.

More details about the Mountain Lion Study, and a link to a presentation by Dr. Quinton Martins at the Laguna Environmental Center Thursday night, are on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Unruly drunks, rocky roads and roving dogs were just some of the reasons why Petaluma became Sonoma County’s first incorporated city in the 19th century.

In the mid 19th century, pioneers from across the country came to Northern California to strike it rich in the Gold Rush. And some began settling in the North Bay, in places like Petaluma. A new exhibition at the Petaluma Historical Museum takes a look at what life was like for early Petalumites…and what it took to get the budding Sonoma County town incorporated. KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports.

Find out more and see historical photos of 19th century Petaluma on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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North Bay dairy farmers are trying innovative ways to reduce methane – a potent greenhouse gas.

Earlier this week we visited the orchards of Torrey and Lucy Olson with a group of legislators and aides and conservation district leaders. Today, the group visits a local dairy farm where one farmer is managing manure with simple and effective techniques, as Steve Mencher reports.

We link to our tour guides from the California Climate and Agriculture network, and to stories like this from our North Bay Bountiful project on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Carbon farming—boosting fertility and yield by increasing biomass in soils—is making some old practices new again.

Carbon is essential to all living things—even dirt. Which is why concentrated efforts to get more carbon out of the air and into the soil is an accelerating trend in California agriculture.

Find out more about carbon farming practices in a video from KRCB’s North Bay Bountiful. You’ll find it on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Local farmers are working together to share news of best practices that fight climate change.

It doesn’t take a huge farm to make a big difference for the climate. Reporter Steve Mencher visited an orchard in Sebastopol recently on a tour organized by the California Climate and Agriculture Network – CalCAN. The idea was to witness how initiatives developed in Sacramento are changing practices on the ground in Sonoma County.

This story is part of our North Bay Bountiful initiative. Find out more on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Last week provided some insight into President Trump’s policies on LGBTQ rights.

Last week was a tough week for the LGBTQ community. President Trump’s tweets appeared to withdraw the welcome mat from transgender service members; a Justice Department brief asserted that the LGBTQ community is not covered by certain anti-discrimination protections. Local activists were left wondering what their role should be going forward. Steve Mencher talks with a Santa Rosa lawyer and rights advocate.

Let us know what you’re thinking about this issue on our North Bay Report Facebook Page. Find out more on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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You may be surprised to learn that American Badgers don’t cause trouble or have a bad attitude.

Tomorrow at the Laguna Environmental Center in Santa Rosa, naturalist Susan Kirks will talk about why badgers are great for the land, contradicting their reputation as troublemakers. Reporter Steve Mencher met Kirks in an open field, where she’d been called to investigate possible badger activity.

You can see American Badgers, and find links to Susan Kirks’ Saturday presentation at the Laguna Foundation – on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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