New: California's snowpack measures 108% of average in the state's first snow survey of the season. Most of the cold December storms hit up north. (Some cities in SoCal have seen almost no precipitation the past six months) sfchronicle.com/california/art…

New: President Biden just established the new 224,000-acre Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California. If you haven't been there yet, here's a preview... sfchronicle.com/california/art…

Big news at Point Reyes National Seashore... Park service seeks to get rid of cattle as environmentalists pay millions to buy out ranchers sfchronicle.com/california/art…

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon has announced that she is stepping down at the end of next month, leaving a hole in the management at one of the nation’s top parks. trib.al/Bq5n8PS

New: Trump administration halts funding for the captive breeding program for delta smelt. The move follows the president's criticism of the fish, linking smelt to the lack of water for fighting the Los Angeles fires sfchronicle.com/california/art…

“People think these parks are just protected natural areas that don’t need management,” said Beth Pratt, National Wildlife Federation , who lives outside Yosemite. “But the parks do require people to keep the landscape and the wildlife safe.” Kurtis Alexander sfchronicle.com/california/art…

New: The Trump administration has appointed a new head for the EPA's Region 9 office in San Francisco... Josh F.W. Cook sfchronicle.com/climate/articl…

Snow is melting fast in the mountains Yosemite recorded 85% of average snowpack at this year’s April peak. Plenty good for rivers and waterfalls

Pretty cool discovery... Jeffrey pines were found growing higher than any other known California tree (12,500 feet plus) Birds and climate change are believed to have moved the trees uphill, sometimes thousands of feet, per UC Davis Research sfchronicle.com/climate/articl…

Decades ago, the Kern River flowed through Bakersfield. Now it is dry — but some residents are dreaming of its return. trib.al/k1H49lt

Boulder Creek's rare white peacock was a symbol of resilience and peace. He was killed by a mountain lion. But he won't be forgotten. Great piece by Julia Prodis Sulek at Mercury News mercurynews.com/2025/04/21/alb…

New: After months of uncertainty, Yosemite National Park announces that its day-use reservation requirement is back for summer Reservations go on sale May 6 sfchronicle.com/outdoors/artic…

Good news! California’s biggest reservoir reaches capacity for third straight year sfchronicle.com/california/art…

Pretty cool... California wildlife officials just unveiled a map showing real-time locations of wolves sfchronicle.com/california/art…

The tree die-off that has withered California forests for a decade appears to be easing. New Forest Service data shows tree mortality at a 10-year low sfchronicle.com/california/art…

Just in: Tioga Pass at Yosemite National Park (Hwy 120) will open Monday sfchronicle.com/outdoors/artic…

Last year, after the historic removal of four dams on the Klamath River, thousands of salmon rushed upstream. Then they hit a barrier: the 41-foot-tall Keno Dam in southern Oregon. #cawater via San Francisco Chronicle Kurtis Alexander sfchronicle.com/california/art…

New: Cotoni-Coast Dairies national monument near Santa Cruz will open Aug. 15. (President Obama designated it a monument in 2017, but it's taken some time to prepare) sfchronicle.com/california/art…

EXCLUSIVE: Owner of fireworks company linked to deadly explosion was denied federal license By Matthias Gafni and Kurtis Alexander sfchronicle.com/california/art…

Grand Canyon Lodge was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and constructed of local kaibab limestone and timber as a premium example of rustic american “parkitecture.” the lodge burned down once before and was rebuilt in the 30s. I have no doubt that it will be rebuilt again.