Tight credit is creating an additional challenge in the creation of affordable housing in Sonoma County.

John Lowry (right), Executive Director of Burbank Housing Development,  says the federal stimulus package may hold some help for his agency, but it will apply almost exclusively to rental projects.

The timeline for completing Burbank Housing's current projects, including Sequoia Village (seen nearing the end of construction  at left), is being directly affected by the present credit limits, which Lowry says will affect future developments even more.

You can find more information about co-housing in Northern California here.

A Sebastopol-based non-profit has gotten a big boost from the MacArthur Foundation.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded the Conservation Strategy Fund  $400,000  over the next three years in support of their efforts to build natural resource economics skills to sustain biodiversity conservation in the Southern Tropical Andes, an area that spans southeastern Peru and northern Bolivia.

John Reid is the founder and president of the 10 year old Conservation Strategy Fun. The North Bay Report previously focused on CFS in December of last year.

Western concepts of property rights don't mesh well with the nomadic lifestyle of East African tribes like the Masai -but it's possible that eco-tourism can.

Elias Morandot and his wife, Mary, have been visiting California and reporting on the circumstances that face their Masai people as guests of Global Partners for Development, a Rohnert Park based non-profit that provides heath, educational and economic development assistance to small rural communities in East Africa, including Morandot's villagage of Arkaria (seen below.)

A more detailed analysis of the Maasai tribal land rights issue can be read here.

Ngorogoro Crater is one of the most popular destinations for tourists to see African wildlife within the Masai people's traditional territory. Two others are Seregeti National Park and the MasaiMara National Reserve.

Some creative new measures have helped Sebastopol's Palm Drive hospital climb back out of bankruptcy.

Providing outpatient medical services to the inmates of San Quentin prison has become a helpful additional source of revenue for Palm Drive. Getting that program started with the California Department of Corrections (CDC) mostly required a little extra entreprenurial initiative, according to hospital CEO Jim Russel (below).

Palm Drive is also  trying something new by having psychologist Dr. David J. Murphy (below) on call to assist with mental health crises in the hospital emergency room.

By assisting and intervening as the individuals are admitted, he is often able diffuse volatile situations,and avoid the involvement of law enforcement personnel.This both reduces costs at county facilities, and enables the patients to receive treatment closer to home. 

The Petaluma River has a long and interesting history, and some new Friends who want to make that history better known.

David Yearsley is a co-founder and  Executive Director of the Friends of the Petaluma River, which has the following mission and goals:

Mission: To promote stewardship of the Petaluma River. We work throughout its watershed; providing access opportunities, educational materials, and conservation programs. We also provide a voice for the River's inhabitants and resources in public affairs.

Goals: Access, Education, and Conservation

• To establish a permanent presence in the watershed; becoming the first non-government organization to work fulltime for the betterment of the Petaluma River and its inhabitants
• To pursue outreach and educational activities that will foster enthusiasm and commitment in the watershed for long term sustainable stewardship.
• To monitor conditions and engage in activities that will reduce or prevent pollution and lessen other harmful impacts on the River and its wetlands.
• To create a River Heritage Center as a community resource. A place to archive information, host events, administer programs, and coordinate river related activities

 

For people who want to get a close-up look at the Petaluma River,  Dolphin Charters will again offer their 3 hr. River tours on April 5th, 6th, 11th & 12th aboard the Delphinus (seen at left). To learn more about them, visit Dolphin Charters’ website.