Senior Chapter Director

2004 is over. We have come through a very difficult and hard-fought presidential election. Most of us are dismayed at the prospect of another four years of an administration dedicated to favoring corporate profits over national parks. Environmental laws have been dismantled and ignored under the Bush administration, and there is no reason to think his second term will be any different.

Ten years ago on Oct. 31, 1994, a small group of Californians gathered in the Oval Office as President Bill Clinton signed into law the California Desert Protection Act, the largest land bill passed in that decade. Like most such events, this represented the culmination of years of effort by hundreds of people. On this anniversary, it is worthwhile to look briefly on how it all came together.

The issue of genetically engineered (GE) agriculture has finally caught up with California. California is not a major producer of the primary U.S. GE crops-corn, cotton, soybeans and canola, but GE rice, alfalfa, grapes, and trees are in the commercial pipeline. If grown in California, all would impact major California crops and natural resources.

On Nov. 2, 2004, voters in Marin County chose to ban the production of genetically modified crops and animals. Similar initiatives in Butte, San Luis Obispo, and Humboldt counties, however, were defeated.

Video camera wanted

Do you have a video camera or digital camera you could lend or donate to high school students to publicize their coastal conservation community education project? These youth have volunteered to complete a series of six Orange County Inner City Outings field trips in 2005 and teach elementary school students and other community members how inland activities affect our coast. Please call Lisa Hellman 714-964-4488 for more information on how you can support this program.