Hero: Score one for the spotted owls. The Marin Audubon Society settled a lawsuit with the Marin County Open Space District and won the nighttime closure of 10 trails to protect the nocturnal birds during their breeding season. As part of a five-year pilot program, the trails will remain closed one hour after sunset until sunrise, from February 1 through July 31. The county will also use passive infrared technology and Bluetooth to collect visitation data at these areas. Don’t worry; the data won’t be used to identify people or issue citations. The closures include Boulder Springs Trail, Willis Evans Trail, Hunt Camp Trail, Haute Lagunitas Trail, Fairway Trail, Octopus Trail, Piedmont Trail, Warner Canyon Trail, Porcupine Trail and Blue Ridge Fire Road. Fly forth and multiply, spotted owls.
Zero: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may soon be targeting undocumented people in Northern California in a major sweep. Though California and Marin County are sanctuary jurisdictions seeking to protect their immigrant residents, thanks to Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions, ICE refuses to honor this status. According to the Marin Rapid Response Network, a local organization that defends the rights of immigrants, if ICE officers are knocking, exercise your Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. Stay silent. Keep your door closed unless they slide a valid warrant to enter, with your name on it, underneath the door. Don’t provide them with any documents or sign anything. Witnesses to an ICE raid should immediately call the Marin Rapid Response Network hotline at 415/991-4545.
