Genetically modified organisms are not the villain in the newest mystery novel by Susan Arnout Smith. But they play a key role all the same.

{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/3-23-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

Smith says she had a background awareness of the GMO issue, but began to see it in a new light-as potential subject matter-when she witnessed an impassioned public demonstration by concerned activists.

{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/gmos.mp3{/mp3remote}

 

 

 

Some longtime NPR listeners may recognize Smith  (right) from her past work as a regular essayist on Weekend Edition Sunday. That's something she stopped doing a few years ago, as books plays and screenplays demanded all her available time, but she still thinks of her NPR experience fondly.

{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/wesun.mp3{/mp3remote}

 

 

 

Eco-tourism may draw some visitors to the North Bay, but some forward-looking groups are betting that even more travelers can be enticed through the broader approach called Geo-tourism.

{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/3-19-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

 

 Anyone wanting a broader understanding of Geotourism in general or the North Coast initiative specifically can find a wealth of background information here.

 

You can click here to access the online nomination form for places and other resources to be included in the region's geotourism map. Multiple nominations are encouraged.

 

Coastwalk is among the local and regional groups who are submitting their activities  to be included in the interactive geotourism map.  Click here to see what they've got planned  in the coming months, including the annual trek along the Mendocino County "lost coast" seen below.

Just about everyone agrees that preserving California's productive agricultural lands is a good idea, even if there have been some highly charged disagreements over the best means to accomplish that objective. Sidestepping these policy debates, California FarmLink is working directly with farming and ranching families to help them decide what they want to do with their lands from one generation to the next, as reported on today's North Bay Report:

Shrinking real estate values in California are prompting some ag families to re-evaluate their plans for their land. But Steve Schwartz, Executive Director of California FarmLink, says the shifting economic climate also holds some unexpected opportunities for new farmers to get established.
{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/beginners.mp3{/mp3remote}

California Farmlink is hosting a series of regional conferences in Sonoma, Humboldt and San Luis Obispo counties titled Sowing the Seeds of Farm Succession:  Planning the Transition to the Next Generation of Family Farmers. the next session in Sonoma county will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 at SRJC's Shone Farm, 6225 Eastside Road, Forestville. Click here for registration information.

 

It's official.  The drought is back, and mandatory cutbacks in water consumption are imminent. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/2-3-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

Water reserves are at or approaching historic lows in both Lake Mendocino (see at right) and Lake Sonoma. With seasonal rainfall totals  for the year also running well below normal, the outlook is not encouraging.To monitor how conditions are progressing--or not-- you can use this like to see the Sonoma County Water Agency's  graphs of declining water supplies   in Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma(pdf).

Amidst all the agricultural and economic impacts of the drought, Dick Butler of the National Marine Fisheries Service pointed out the obvious--that it is also bad news for fish.

{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/coho.mp3{/mp3remote}

 

To help get a jump on the rationing that is almost certainly coming our way, here are the Sonoma County Water Agency's

Top 10 Water Conservation Tips:

• Reduce outdoor watering by one day a week
• Find and repair leaks now
• Inspect and tune-up your sprinkler system monthly
• Water between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to reduce water loss from evaporation and wind
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway, deck or patio
• Use a bucket and a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle when you wash the car, or take your car to a carwash that recycles
• Cover pools and hot-tubs to reduce evaporation
• Use front-load washing machines
• Run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads only
• Prevent and report water waste

Find more water saving suggestions here.