Sunday Reads: Stronger protections for mountain lions; county’s extreme weather shelters

Big cats, bigger protections: Santa Cruz County mountain lions now listed as threatened

Mountain lions in Santa Cruz County recently gained new protections under the California Endangered Species Act after years as candidates for listing. Protecting six distinct puma populations around the state is a win for many dedicated researchers, but the move heightens the concerns about potential land-use and livestock impacts for developers, ranchers and farmers. Read more from Cassidy Beach.

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OPINION: Santa Cruz County failed our most vulnerable during extreme weather

Santa Cruz County failed its unhoused residents during weeks of severe winter storms by not activating its extreme weather shelters, despite having staff, supplies and facilities ready, writes Sara Coon, an overnight site manager for the extreme weather shelter hosted by People First of Santa Cruz County. She believes narrow policies ignored the deadly risk of prolonged exposure to cold, rain and flooding, leaving people without dry clothing or warmth and contributing to preventable deaths. This was not a lack of resources, she writes, but a failure of leadership that demands immediate reform. Read her Community Voices op-ed here.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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