- Hearst Castle waived more than $600,000 in private event entry fees to select groups and the politically connected as state parks crushed with budget shortfalls. [California Watch]
- California medical pot growers are largely unregulated, creating so much environmental damage that the state is doing aerial surveys to assess the scale of the problem. [Sacramento Bee]
- Backlash against San Jose plan to place fees on developers for projects affecting endangered species. [Peninsula Press]
- Work begins on Dry Creek restoration project in Sonoma County to rebuild habitat for coho salmon. [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
- “Boom-badda-boom.” A rock from last weekend’s meteor showers slams into Novato home. [Marin Independent Journal]
- The San Francisco parks department has launched its first smartphone app, making it possible to rent picnic tables, find park info with a swipe of fingers . [San Francisco Examiner]