Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California could soon have an official state slug and crab
A banana slug crawls along a fence beside a pathway at the Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, California.
(
Eric Risberg
/
Associated Press
)
California is close to having two new state symbols — a famous slug and an expensive crab.
UC Santa Cruz students and alums have something to celebrate. Their mascot, the banana slug, is about to become the official state slug.
“Fun fact, banana slugs have more teeth than a shark. Can you imagine?” said Assembly member Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz), who authored the bill. The shell-less terrestrial gastropod molluscs can have up to 27,000 teeth.
You can find the slugs in coastal lowlands, where they have a symbiotic relationship with redwood trees. Banana slugs cut down their competition by eating young shoots of other trees. Redwoods reciprocate by creating a cooler climate on the forest floor.
Support for LAist comes from
But the slug isn’t the only new official state symbol. California will also have a state crustacean — the Dungeness crab.
A California Dept. of Fish and Game officials holds up a crab during the start of the Dungeness crab season off the coastline near Muir Beach, California.
(
Eric Risberg
/
Associated Press
)
In California, the side walking decapods can be found along the northern and central coasts, both on the shore and on many restaurant menus. Ukiah Assembly member Jim Wood made the case for the move.
“So I ask, members, that you don't let this bill get clawed back. It's time to shell-elebrate the importance of the Dungeness crab,” he said to a roomful of groans.
The crabs bring in an average of $57 million annually to the state. Yearly crab landings can vary a lot, though, and climate change is impacting both crabs and the industry built around them.
The bills are now crawling their way to the governor’s desk.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity. -
The landslide is not connected to the greater Portuguese Bend landslide, city officials said. -
Nom. Nom. Nom. The event destroyed the internet when it was first announced — and sold out in minutes. -
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach.
Best of LAist