Alex Darocy Photography

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on February 7 its decision to maintain the classification of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM, Epiphyas postvittana) as a quarantine-significant pest. The APHIS stated that by maintaining this classification it is, "seeking to minimize the further spread of the moth in the United States and maintain foreign trade markets for our producers." The classification and management of the moth as a pest by the government has been of particular concern to those in California, where large residential areas in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties were sprayed aerially with pesticides in an effort to eradicate the LBAM in 2007. CDFA map of the portions of the City of Santa Cruz sprayed with pesticides as part of the state's LBAM eradication program in November of 2007 The APHIS claims that if the moth were to be reclassified as a non-actionable pest and APHIS' regula...

On February 17, community members in Santa Rosa marched downtown then made their way to the police department to demand the release of the Andy Lopez investigation findings. In an event announcement for the march, community members say they want District Attorney Jill Ravitch, and the Santa Rosa Police Department to: 1. Provide the People with a copy of an unaltered, SRPD Report 2. Indict Erick Gelhaus with the crime of murder 3. I.D. the "unnamed deputy" who was in the patrol car when Erick Gelhaus murdered Andy Lopez 4. Disqualify the Sonoma County D.A.'s office It has been four months since Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy Erick Gelhaus shot and killed 13-year-old Andy Lopez, and the public has yet to receive any major information from the authorities about the circumstances. Gelhaus shot Andy on October 22, stating later that day he thought the boy was carrying a rifle. The "rifle" turned out to be a toy replica. Andy...

Community members in downtown Santa Cruz took to the streets on February 11 to parade in support of the final four Santa Cruz Eleven defendants, whose trial begins on March 4. They were charged in association with the 2011 occupation of the vacant bank building located at 75 River Street, which occurred during the height of the Occupy movement. Parading past 75 River Street The parade traveled down Pacific Avenue and made brief stops at the Town Clock and City Hall. The group passed by 75 River Street at one point. The bank building that was occupied in 2011 still sits vacant today. A large number of supporters held signs and wore shirts printed with the statement, "I was in the building." Hundreds if not over a thousand people entered an exited the building over the course of the three day occupation in November and December of 2011. Eleven people were first singled out for prosecution in February of 2012, but by January of 2013 that number facing charges was reduced...

On February 3 at the Santa Cruz Town Clock, community members joined individuals in over 300 hundred other cities to call on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline following the release of the State Department’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. At the demonstration, 350 Santa Cruz was joined by the Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network, Center for Biological Diversity, and other groups to send the message: "Keystone XL is a climate disaster, and President Obama should not approve it."  The Keystone XL carries synthetic crude oil (syncrude) and diluted bitumen (dilbit) from the oil sands of Canada, and the pipeline also carries light crude oil from from the Williston Basin (Bakken) region in Montana and North Dakota. Three segments of the pipeline are in operation and the fourth has been awaiting U.S. government approval. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the Keystone Xl pipeline could have the following impacts on the env...