The slow pace of getting environmental permits has caused county parks officials to delay and scale back plans for a long-awaited pedestrian and bike trail through the community of Bodega Bay.

The fate of the aging and underutilized community center in Occidental has spawned a bitter controversy that has split neighbors over questions of how best to use public lands — and about the limits of government power.

Sonoma County officials are crafting long-range plans to renovate the aging public marinas at Bodega Bay.

A 1,500-foot-long boardwalk in Bodega Bay is the centerpiece of an ambitious 3.4 mile trail from Salmon Creek to Doran Beach. The $6.2 million project would make tiny Bodega Bay a safer place to walk and potentially be a boon to tourists and merchants.

The California Coastal Commission is considering an appeal by a Bodega Bay group that is trying to stop the local water district from drilling a new well in what may be an environmentally sensitive area. The state’s action suspends the approval by Sonoma County of plans by the Bodega Bay Public Utility District for a 100-foot well and chlorination facility at the north end of Bodega Bay.

Five Sonoma County communities held elections on Tuesday. Voters in Bodega Bay overwhelmingly passed a fire district tax measure, while other communities elected park, fire and school board members. Get the rundown here.

Expanding offshore oil drilling increases the risk of a devastating accident while doing nothing to lower the price of gas at the pump, says Richard Charter, a senior policy adviser with Defenders of Wildlife. He wants the public to link hands on Saturday at Bodega Bay to signal support for policies that encourage the growth of clean and renewable energy sources in place of oil and coal.

State Sen. Noreen Evans has introduced a bill that many North Coast fishermen hope will lead to a limit on the amount of traps fishermen can set in the waters for Dungeness crab. Local crab fishermen complain that larger boats are coming down from the North and scooping up vast quantities early in the season, leaving less for the smaller boats to catch.