Eyes and Ears:
Reading and Viewing on Biological Diversity

"Alternatives for Future Urban Growth in California's Central Valley: The Bottom Line for Agriculture and Taxpayers," a report by the American Farmland Trust, evaluates future growth scenarios for 11 Central Valley counties. The study by the national nonprofit farmland conservation group says continued growth, which is expected to triple the valley's population to 12 million in the next 45 years, will cost 1 million acres of farmland and $49 billion in agricultural sales, and create a $24 billion budget deficit for Central Valley cities if it is not managed in more efficient, compact ways. Copies are $10, including shipping and handling, available from the American Farmland Trust, 1920 N Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 20036. Telephone: 800-431-1499. Accessible on-line at http://farm.fic.niu.edu/aft/afthome.html

"California Rivers and Streams: The Conflict Between Fluvial Process and Land Use," by Jeffrey Mount, a geology professor at the University of California, Davis, describes the natural processes that govern the behavior and character of rivers in California, and how various approaches to land use disrupt them, often to the detriment of the rivers and humans. Illustrated by Janice C. Fong. 1995 University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. 37 pages, $50 cloth, $19.95 paper.

CERES, the California Environmental Resources Evaluation System is on-line at http://ceres.ca.gov Access the California Biodiversity Council and California Biodiversity News at http://ceres.ca.gov/biodiversity

"Natural Community Conservation Planning: Innovation in Multi-Species Protection in the Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat of Southern California" is a comprehensive report on the history, nature, and progress of California's most advanced effort in cooperative ecosystem planning. Accessible on CERES at http://www.ceres.ca.gov/CRA/NC../../index.html Contact: California Department of Fish and Game, 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1240, Sacramento, CA, 95814. Telephone: 916-653-6420.

"Access Energy", the California Energy Commission's Internet site, now offers Energy Quest, a new home page with educational materials about renewable energy sources, energy conservation, energy safety, and other materials for students from kindergarten through high school. It is accessed at http://www.energy.ca.gov/energy/education/eduhome.html

"Balancing Act," A 22-minute video, shows how the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) reduces environmental impacts of operation and construction of State Water Project. Copies are $30 for VHS or $40 for 3/4-inch, loaned free to schools, water districts, news media, and public officials. Contact: Alan Arroyo, DWR Office of Water Education, 916-653-4893. "GIS: Geographic Information Systems, Improving Local Decision-making," a video commissioned by the California Biodiversity Council, describes how GIS uses electronic layering of information obtained from satellite images to assist local governments in land-use planning. No charge. Contact: Joanne Cemo, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 1920 20th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Telephone: 916-227-2677, Fax: 916:227:2672, or e-mail, joanne@oak.cdf.ca.gov