Tag: sam farr

With help from a federal grant, work is set to begin on a project to improve the storm water drainage at the Hollister Municipal Airport in November with plans to complete construction before the fire season begins next spring.

At Tuesday's San Benito County Board of Supervisors a handful of residents talked about items not on the agenda. One called for the supervisors to work with Congressman Sam Farr on reopening Clear Creek. Another talked about "new" revenue for San Benito County in the form of unclaimed property held at the state controller's office. Others talked about the importance of the CDBG grant funding and remembered 9/11 on the 11th anniversary of the tragedy.

During the Aug. 21 meeting of the county board of supervisors, four residents spoke during the public comment period in which they could comment on items not on the agenda.

During the Aug. 14 San Benito County Board of Supervisors, two members of the public who support the reopening of Clear Creek to off-road vehicles thanked the supervisors for their support of the effort through the years since the park was closed to off-road uses.

While they have fought against a federal agency for years, advocates pushing for Clear Creek Management Area’s reopening might get a chance to sidestep their foe at the Bureau of Land Management through newly introduced legislation. And while the door is now cracked open for long-dormant motorized vehicle use – supporters hope sometime in 2013 – the bill also appears to target an expansion to Clear Creek’s current boundaries comprising 63,000 acres.

The House of Representatives today passed Congressman Sam Farr’s (D-Carmel) bill to elevate the 26,000 acres of Pinnacles National Monument to a National Park. The bipartisan bill, H.R. 3641, the Pinnacles National Park Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), recognizes and preserves the diverse ecosystems, geology and cultural history of the area by conferring National Park status. Additionally, the bill renames the Pinnacles Wilderness as the Hain Wilderness.

People ask Sheriff Darren Thompson all the time if the county deports illegal immigrants who are arrested.

If John Muir were still alive, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns surmised the pioneering environmentalist would argue that Pinnacles National Monument is a “grand geological library” that deserves the same level of recognition as the country’s most renowned parks.

San Benito County Supervisor Jerry Muenzer said his short time in Washington, D.C. last week to testify before a legislative subcommittee on the benefits of making Pinnacles National Monument a national park was “very worthwhile.”