How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office and Friends of Cow Mountain are inviting volunteers to come help repair fire-damaged recreation facilities and trails in the South Cow Mountain OHV Management Area on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day.
The OHV area has been closed since July 2018, being heavily damaged by the Mendocino Complex fires.
Helping hands are needed to install trail markers, signage, culverts and erosion control features; construct barriers; repair and maintain trails and complete trail surveys.
The work will require hiking, digging, and hauling and moving rocks and heavy material. The BLM will provide all necessary tools and materials.
Volunteers should check-in at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, at the Westside Staging Area on South Cow Mountain. It is recommend that participants wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, sturdy footwear and bring sunscreen and gloves. Volunteers should also bring a lunch and plenty of water. All volunteers are welcome, whether they can help both days, just one day or only part of the day.
Tent camping will be available for volunteers at the Red Mountain Campground. Please bring a tent, camping equipment and enough food for both days if volunteers plan to stay overnight.
More than 80,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands within the Ukiah Field Office jurisdiction burned last summer.
The BLM requested the assistance of the Department of the Interior’s Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response team to assess the damage from the Ranch and River fires that formed the Mendocino Complex.
Read the team’s story map regarding these fire at https://bit.ly/2Dp9pM4 .
As stewards the BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation in our pursuit of our multiple-use mission.
For more information, or reasonable accommodations to participate, please contact the Ukiah Field Office at 707-468-4000.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County, like California overall, showed a minor rise in unemployment in March, while the nationwide rate remained unchanged, according to the state’s latest jobless report.
The California Employment Development Department said that Lake County’s March unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, compared to 6.1 percent in February. The year-ago rate was 5.7 percent.
California’s unemployment rose from 4.2 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March, and also was 4.3 percent in March 2018, according to the report.
The Employment Development Department said California’s employers added 24,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, for a total gain of 3,163,900 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent in March; it was 4 percent in March 2018. The nation’s employers added 196,000 nonfarm payroll jobs.
In Lake County in March, the civilian workforce totaled 29,570 individuals, up slightly from February, when 29,550 were reported, and March 2018, when the workforce totaled 29,560 people, according to state data.
Lake County’s unemployed residents numbered 1,840 in March, up from 1,810 in February and 1,700 in March 2018, the state reported.
Total farm jobs showed the largest industry job increase in Lake County last month, with 29.7 percent, followed by professional and business services, 1.7 percent.
Losses were reported in the federal government, -6.7 percent; transportation, warehousing and utilities, 1.9 percent; and mining, logging and construction, -1.2 percent.
Lake County’s March unemployment rate earned it a statewide ranking of No. 31.
Neighboring county jobless rates and rankings in March are as follows: Colusa, 20.6 percent, No. 58; Glenn, 8.2 percent, No. 44; Mendocino, 5.2 percent, No. 28; Napa, 3.5 percent, No. 9; Sonoma, 3.3 percent, No. 6; and Yolo, 5.3 percent, No. 29, the report said.
A look at California’s numbers
California’s unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 households. That survey estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 18,742,000, a decrease of 17,000 from February and up 274,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
A survey of 80,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. It counted nonfarm payroll jobs in California at 17,353,500 in March, a net gain of 24,500 jobs from February. This followed a revised gain of 20,900 jobs in February.
The year-over change from March 2018 to March 2019 shows an increase of 238,500 jobs, or a 1.4-percent increase.
The report said the number of unemployed Californians was 838,500 in March – an increase of 14,300 over the month and up by 5,200 compared with March of last year.
The following is a snapshot of what California industries showed gains and losses in March, according to the Employment Development Department report.
Month-over job gains: Nine of California’s eleven industry sectors added a total of 30,400 jobs in March. Construction reported the largest increase with a gain of 9,400 jobs. Other sectors adding jobs over the month were professional and business services, manufacturing, educational and health services, information, other services, leisure and hospitality, government, and mining and logging.
Month-over job losses: Two of California industries reported job losses over the month. Trade, transportation, and utilities reported the largest decrease with a loss of 5,800 jobs while financial activities had a loss of 100 jobs.
Year-over job gains: In a year-over-year comparison (March 2018 to March 2019), nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 238,500 jobs, a 1.4-percent increase. Ten of California’s 11 industry sectors added a total of 242,700 jobs over the year. The largest job gains were in professional and business services, up 65,900, a 2.5-percent increase, and educational and health services, up 64,100 jobs, or a 2.4-percent increase. Other sectors adding jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality, government, construction, manufacturing, information, trade, transportation and utilities, other services, and mining and logging.
Year-over job losses: The only industry that posted a year-over decline was financial activities with a job loss of 4,200.
The Employment Development Department also reported that 387,767 people received regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 389,449 in February and 403,184 in March of last year.
New claims for Unemployment Insurance were 39,965 in March, compared with 34,593 in February and 39,330 in March of last year.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The California Employment Development Department said that Lake County’s March unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, compared to 6.1 percent in February. The year-ago rate was 5.7 percent.
California’s unemployment rose from 4.2 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March, and also was 4.3 percent in March 2018, according to the report.
The Employment Development Department said California’s employers added 24,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, for a total gain of 3,163,900 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent in March; it was 4 percent in March 2018. The nation’s employers added 196,000 nonfarm payroll jobs.
In Lake County in March, the civilian workforce totaled 29,570 individuals, up slightly from February, when 29,550 were reported, and March 2018, when the workforce totaled 29,560 people, according to state data.
Lake County’s unemployed residents numbered 1,840 in March, up from 1,810 in February and 1,700 in March 2018, the state reported.
Total farm jobs showed the largest industry job increase in Lake County last month, with 29.7 percent, followed by professional and business services, 1.7 percent.
Losses were reported in the federal government, -6.7 percent; transportation, warehousing and utilities, 1.9 percent; and mining, logging and construction, -1.2 percent.
Lake County’s March unemployment rate earned it a statewide ranking of No. 31.
Neighboring county jobless rates and rankings in March are as follows: Colusa, 20.6 percent, No. 58; Glenn, 8.2 percent, No. 44; Mendocino, 5.2 percent, No. 28; Napa, 3.5 percent, No. 9; Sonoma, 3.3 percent, No. 6; and Yolo, 5.3 percent, No. 29, the report said.
A look at California’s numbers
California’s unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 households. That survey estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 18,742,000, a decrease of 17,000 from February and up 274,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
A survey of 80,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. It counted nonfarm payroll jobs in California at 17,353,500 in March, a net gain of 24,500 jobs from February. This followed a revised gain of 20,900 jobs in February.
The year-over change from March 2018 to March 2019 shows an increase of 238,500 jobs, or a 1.4-percent increase.
The report said the number of unemployed Californians was 838,500 in March – an increase of 14,300 over the month and up by 5,200 compared with March of last year.
The following is a snapshot of what California industries showed gains and losses in March, according to the Employment Development Department report.
Month-over job gains: Nine of California’s eleven industry sectors added a total of 30,400 jobs in March. Construction reported the largest increase with a gain of 9,400 jobs. Other sectors adding jobs over the month were professional and business services, manufacturing, educational and health services, information, other services, leisure and hospitality, government, and mining and logging.
Month-over job losses: Two of California industries reported job losses over the month. Trade, transportation, and utilities reported the largest decrease with a loss of 5,800 jobs while financial activities had a loss of 100 jobs.
Year-over job gains: In a year-over-year comparison (March 2018 to March 2019), nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 238,500 jobs, a 1.4-percent increase. Ten of California’s 11 industry sectors added a total of 242,700 jobs over the year. The largest job gains were in professional and business services, up 65,900, a 2.5-percent increase, and educational and health services, up 64,100 jobs, or a 2.4-percent increase. Other sectors adding jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality, government, construction, manufacturing, information, trade, transportation and utilities, other services, and mining and logging.
Year-over job losses: The only industry that posted a year-over decline was financial activities with a job loss of 4,200.
The Employment Development Department also reported that 387,767 people received regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 389,449 in February and 403,184 in March of last year.
New claims for Unemployment Insurance were 39,965 in March, compared with 34,593 in February and 39,330 in March of last year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A week after it resolved issues over proposed letters to the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding the Big Valley Rancheria’s fee to trust land applications, the Board of Supervisors will consider responses to the BIA for a trust application submitted by the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
At 9:15 am., the board will consider responses to the Bureau of Indian Affairs invitation to provide comment on the Habematolel Pomo’s land acquisition application.
Based on the parcel number given in the BIA letter, the property in question is the tribe’s community center at 9470 Main St., the former Westamerica Bank Upper Lake branch. The bank donated the property to Hospice Services of Lake County, which in turn sold it to the tribe in 2016.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson’s report to the board explains that on April 1 the county received a notice from the BIA inviting comment on the Habematolel Pomo’s application to move the parcel into trust. She said the BIA requested information on property taxes, assessments, government services provided, and potential zoning consistency.
“Staff’s comments are intended to ensure that any potential demands on infrastructure and services will continue to be met for constituents throughout the area. The Bureau’s recent invitation to comment represents the first, and possibly only, opportunity for the County to address potential concerns,” Huchingson wrote.
She continued, “After careful review by staff, the County does not foresee any significant impact beyond a loss of revenue. The notice received indicates that the Tribe’s intention is to retain the existing use of the property. This use is described as housing Tribal government and related programs. No further development is planned, preserving the existing character of the area. Based off this assertion, with the Main Street area in Upper Lake being zoned Commercial, the use described appears to be consistent with current zoning and land uses.”
The county last week completed submitting comments to BIA regarding Big Valley Rancheria’s applications to move 21 parcels totaling about 51 acres into trust.
Also on Tuesday, at 9:09 a.m. the board will consider continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident and consider an anti-gouging ordinance.
In other business, in an item timed for 9:20 a.m., the board will hold a public bid opening for a property located at 8695 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.
In closed session, the board will interview candidates in the second recruitment for the registrar of voters job.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve the minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Dec. 18, 2018, and Jan. 8, 2019.
5.2: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the family stabilization program provided at The Nest for Fiscal Year 2018-19 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.3: Adopt the resolution approving the memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Partnership Health Plan of California and Authorize the Behavioral Health Services administrator to sign the memorandum of understanding.
5.4: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Restpadd Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient hospitalizations for Fiscal Year 2018-19 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
5.5: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement for construction management services for Robinson Creek bridge at Mockingbird Lane with MGE Engineering Inc. in the amount of $20,956.46 with a new contract not-to-exceed total of $261,943.36 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2019/2020 pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, or SB1.
5.7: Approve letter of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $210,000 for the period Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019; and authorize the sheriff to sign the agreement and chair to sign workplace certifications and grant assurances.
5.8: Approve (a) waiver of the 900 hour extra help limit for Law Enforcement Records Technician Von McPherson and (b) Deputy Sheriff’s Oliver Everhart and Michael Moore.
5.9: Approve contract between the county of Lake and People Services for yard maintenance in the amount of $9,234.33 annually, terminating June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to an atmospheric river event 2019.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
6.4, 9:08 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire.
6.5, 9:09 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident; and (b) discussion and consideration of anti-gouging ordinance.
6.6, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.
6.7, 9:11 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm 2017.
6.8, 9:12 a.m.: Consideration of continuing the declaration of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation, and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.
6.9, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of responses to the Bureau of Indian Affairs invitation to provide comment on the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake’s land acquisition application.
6.10, 9:20 a.m.: Public bid opening, consideration of bids to purchase the property located at 8695 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville, California (APN 009-002-430).
6.11, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of appeal (AB 19-01) of the Planning Commission's approval of major use permit (UP 18-01) and adoption of mitigated negative declaration, based on initial study (IS 18-06) for the construction and operation of an unmanned 85 foot tall broad leaf mono-tree wireless telecommunication tower able to accommodate up to four wireless communication carriers; project located at 9475 Mojave Trail, Kelseyville (APN 009-004-21). Project applicant is Horizon Tower, LLP; appellant is Aurelia Johnson.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, consideration of the reappointment of James Harvey, public member, to the Lake County Air Quality Management District Hearing Board for a three-year term pursuant to Health and Safety Code.
7.3: Consideration of the award of bid for the Upper Lake Pedestrian Improvements for Upper Lake, Bid No. 18-11, State Project No: ATPL-5914(103) to Darren Taylor Construction of Anderson, California, in the amount of $411,328.09 and authorize the chair to execute the agreement and notice of award.
7.4: Consideration of temporary fee waiver of construction traffic impact fees for homes damaged or destroyed by 2018 Mendocino Complex Fires.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): (a) Interviews of registrar of voters (b) appointment of registrar of voters.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
At 9:15 am., the board will consider responses to the Bureau of Indian Affairs invitation to provide comment on the Habematolel Pomo’s land acquisition application.
Based on the parcel number given in the BIA letter, the property in question is the tribe’s community center at 9470 Main St., the former Westamerica Bank Upper Lake branch. The bank donated the property to Hospice Services of Lake County, which in turn sold it to the tribe in 2016.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson’s report to the board explains that on April 1 the county received a notice from the BIA inviting comment on the Habematolel Pomo’s application to move the parcel into trust. She said the BIA requested information on property taxes, assessments, government services provided, and potential zoning consistency.
“Staff’s comments are intended to ensure that any potential demands on infrastructure and services will continue to be met for constituents throughout the area. The Bureau’s recent invitation to comment represents the first, and possibly only, opportunity for the County to address potential concerns,” Huchingson wrote.
She continued, “After careful review by staff, the County does not foresee any significant impact beyond a loss of revenue. The notice received indicates that the Tribe’s intention is to retain the existing use of the property. This use is described as housing Tribal government and related programs. No further development is planned, preserving the existing character of the area. Based off this assertion, with the Main Street area in Upper Lake being zoned Commercial, the use described appears to be consistent with current zoning and land uses.”
The county last week completed submitting comments to BIA regarding Big Valley Rancheria’s applications to move 21 parcels totaling about 51 acres into trust.
Also on Tuesday, at 9:09 a.m. the board will consider continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident and consider an anti-gouging ordinance.
In other business, in an item timed for 9:20 a.m., the board will hold a public bid opening for a property located at 8695 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.
In closed session, the board will interview candidates in the second recruitment for the registrar of voters job.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve the minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Dec. 18, 2018, and Jan. 8, 2019.
5.2: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the family stabilization program provided at The Nest for Fiscal Year 2018-19 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.3: Adopt the resolution approving the memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Partnership Health Plan of California and Authorize the Behavioral Health Services administrator to sign the memorandum of understanding.
5.4: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Restpadd Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient hospitalizations for Fiscal Year 2018-19 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
5.5: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement for construction management services for Robinson Creek bridge at Mockingbird Lane with MGE Engineering Inc. in the amount of $20,956.46 with a new contract not-to-exceed total of $261,943.36 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2019/2020 pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, or SB1.
5.7: Approve letter of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $210,000 for the period Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019; and authorize the sheriff to sign the agreement and chair to sign workplace certifications and grant assurances.
5.8: Approve (a) waiver of the 900 hour extra help limit for Law Enforcement Records Technician Von McPherson and (b) Deputy Sheriff’s Oliver Everhart and Michael Moore.
5.9: Approve contract between the county of Lake and People Services for yard maintenance in the amount of $9,234.33 annually, terminating June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to an atmospheric river event 2019.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
6.4, 9:08 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire.
6.5, 9:09 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident; and (b) discussion and consideration of anti-gouging ordinance.
6.6, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.
6.7, 9:11 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm 2017.
6.8, 9:12 a.m.: Consideration of continuing the declaration of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation, and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.
6.9, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of responses to the Bureau of Indian Affairs invitation to provide comment on the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake’s land acquisition application.
6.10, 9:20 a.m.: Public bid opening, consideration of bids to purchase the property located at 8695 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville, California (APN 009-002-430).
6.11, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of appeal (AB 19-01) of the Planning Commission's approval of major use permit (UP 18-01) and adoption of mitigated negative declaration, based on initial study (IS 18-06) for the construction and operation of an unmanned 85 foot tall broad leaf mono-tree wireless telecommunication tower able to accommodate up to four wireless communication carriers; project located at 9475 Mojave Trail, Kelseyville (APN 009-004-21). Project applicant is Horizon Tower, LLP; appellant is Aurelia Johnson.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, consideration of the reappointment of James Harvey, public member, to the Lake County Air Quality Management District Hearing Board for a three-year term pursuant to Health and Safety Code.
7.3: Consideration of the award of bid for the Upper Lake Pedestrian Improvements for Upper Lake, Bid No. 18-11, State Project No: ATPL-5914(103) to Darren Taylor Construction of Anderson, California, in the amount of $411,328.09 and authorize the chair to execute the agreement and notice of award.
7.4: Consideration of temporary fee waiver of construction traffic impact fees for homes damaged or destroyed by 2018 Mendocino Complex Fires.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): (a) Interviews of registrar of voters (b) appointment of registrar of voters.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s real estate sales so far this year are indicating reductions in property prices and overall transactions.
The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported that the 2019 first quarter median sales price and number of sales in Lake County declined when compared to 2018 first quarter results.
The Lake County median sales price for Q1, 2019 was $250,00 down by 3.2 percent from Q1, 2018’s median of $258,250.
The March 2019 median sales price was $249,000 compared to $257,275 in February and $234,500 in January.
On a quarterly basis the number of sales was down 14.3 percent in Q1, 2019 versus Q1, 2018. There were 144 sales in Q1, 2019 and 168 sales in Q1, 2018. The number of sales in March was 51, in February 61 and 32 in January.
“The trends in Lake County are similar to the statewide market,” said Mary Benson, 2019 LCAOR president. “On the up side, interest rates are the lowest they have been in more than a year, which should make homes more affordable to prospective buyers.”
A variety of financing was used in March which included 23.5 percent of the deals being financed with cash, 35.3 percent financed with conventional loans, 21.6 percent through FHA loans, 5.9 percent with USDA loans and 3.9 percent via VA loans.
The California Association of Realtors reported existing, single-family home sales in California totaled 397,210 in March on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 0.2 percent from February and down 6.3 percent from March 2018.
March’s statewide median home price was $565,880, down 5.9 percent from February and up 0.2 percent from March 2018.
The unsold inventory index for the state was 3.6 months in March. Lake County’s unsold inventory index for the same period was 6.6 months.
The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 4.27 percent in March, down from 4.44 percent in March 2018, according to Freddie Mac.
The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate rose in March to an average of 3.83 percent up from 3.65 in March 2018.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
March 2019
Median price: $249,000
Units sold: 51
Median days to sell: 69
February 2019
Median price: $257,275
Units sold: 60
Median days to sell: 79
March 2018
Median price: $279,500
Units sold: 66
Median days to sell: 42
The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported that the 2019 first quarter median sales price and number of sales in Lake County declined when compared to 2018 first quarter results.
The Lake County median sales price for Q1, 2019 was $250,00 down by 3.2 percent from Q1, 2018’s median of $258,250.
The March 2019 median sales price was $249,000 compared to $257,275 in February and $234,500 in January.
On a quarterly basis the number of sales was down 14.3 percent in Q1, 2019 versus Q1, 2018. There were 144 sales in Q1, 2019 and 168 sales in Q1, 2018. The number of sales in March was 51, in February 61 and 32 in January.
“The trends in Lake County are similar to the statewide market,” said Mary Benson, 2019 LCAOR president. “On the up side, interest rates are the lowest they have been in more than a year, which should make homes more affordable to prospective buyers.”
A variety of financing was used in March which included 23.5 percent of the deals being financed with cash, 35.3 percent financed with conventional loans, 21.6 percent through FHA loans, 5.9 percent with USDA loans and 3.9 percent via VA loans.
The California Association of Realtors reported existing, single-family home sales in California totaled 397,210 in March on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 0.2 percent from February and down 6.3 percent from March 2018.
March’s statewide median home price was $565,880, down 5.9 percent from February and up 0.2 percent from March 2018.
The unsold inventory index for the state was 3.6 months in March. Lake County’s unsold inventory index for the same period was 6.6 months.
The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 4.27 percent in March, down from 4.44 percent in March 2018, according to Freddie Mac.
The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate rose in March to an average of 3.83 percent up from 3.65 in March 2018.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
March 2019
Median price: $249,000
Units sold: 51
Median days to sell: 69
February 2019
Median price: $257,275
Units sold: 60
Median days to sell: 79
March 2018
Median price: $279,500
Units sold: 66
Median days to sell: 42
BERKELEY, Calif. – While state and federal officials are looking ahead and worrying about the coming fire season and how to more quickly get in front of fast-moving blazes, a University of California, Berkeley, professor argues that the tools for rapid detection are already here.
A weather satellite, GOES 17, or GOES West, sits above California taking photos every five minutes that can show hot spots throughout the West. If visible light and infrared data from this geostationary satellite are downloaded quickly enough, a computer program could easily be written to search for hot spots and alert emergency responders within as little as 15 to 30 minutes.
Wildfire early warnings could even be delivered via a mobile phone app, just as apps today deliver weather alerts and, someday soon, earthquake early warnings.
“You could build today a fire warning app that would wake you up in the event of a nearby fire and help you decide if you need to flee,” said Jeff Chambers, a UC Berkeley professor of geography. “You could create an algorithm that would bring in all the data, detect the fire, calculate the direction it is moving and project what the fire is burning toward, maybe 30 minutes or an hour or two out. There is nothing to inhibit us from building that now.”
Chambers and a group of graduate students downloaded GOES 17 data days after the Camp fire devastated the town of Paradise on Nov. 8, 2018, and were able to reconstruct the fire’s advance every five minutes for four hours after ignition.
The images are low-resolution – each pixel is 2 kilometers square – but they could be used to quickly spot and track the spread of a large blaze almost in real time.
Another Earth-orbiting satellite, Landsat 8, takes photos of the Western United States every 16 days and just happened to snap a photo of the Camp fire four hours after ignition, which by that time had burned halfway through Paradise.
Chambers later downloaded those images, as well, and, with the help of Google Earth Engine and the algorithms he wrote, he could clearly identify the buildings that had already burned and see the rapidly leapfrogging flames.
“At the time of the Camp fire, we hadn’t yet built the tools to quickly synthesize all these data streams into a single application, but we’re there now,” he said.
Today’s wildfires move quickly – at one point, the leading edge of the Camp fire was advancing over an area of 200 football fields every minute – so a 15- to 30-minute delay in accessing and analyzing satellite data would be too long to forewarn those near the fire front.
But 30 minutes of advance warning could jump-start fire and police response and allow those downwind of the fire to evacuate much earlier, Chambers said.
Even better, he said, would be a geosynchronous land observation satellite dedicated to wildland fire detection, ideally with higher resolution than GOES.
A dedicated fire satellite would not only enhance wildfire detection and monitoring, but could also track drought impacts, contribute to agricultural optimization efforts and assist with observation of land use and biomass change for carbon accounting, he said.
Such a platform could help reduce impacts to the built environment and communities, while expanding the technology available to address today’s complex ecological and environmental challenges.
A UC Berkeley team proposed just such a satellite five years ago, dubbing it Fire Urgency Estimator on Geosynchronous Orbit, or FUEGO.
That group, led by astrophysicist Carl Pennypacker, estimated a cost of more than $200 million, high enough to require state and/or federal assistance or private investment.
Chambers’ analysis of the Landsat 8 and GOES satellite data from the Camp fire clearly showed a fast-moving wildland fire, but not a forest fire, he said.
Many trees survived the fire and looked green and healthy in satellite images taken weeks later, whereas chaparral and grasslands were completely consumed by the fire.
“This fire was moving so fast through the city that, in many cases, it burned right through the understory, and there wasn’t enough contact to get the flames up into the crowns of trees,” he said.
Any home or business surrounded by dry vegetation or downed or dead trees or that had gutters full of dry pine needles or leaves was vulnerable to catching fire, however. More than 10,000 structures burned in the Camp fire.
In an article posted online today and submitted to PeerJ, Chambers described the sources of data that he employed to study the Camp fire and that could assist in detecting future fires, now that the data analysis tools are available.
“Just months ago, this was not possible,” he said. “These tools are enabling science we couldn’t have done before, making fire information an important part of the news cycle. Part of our goal as scientists is to provide useful information to the public using available data streams and analysis tools.”
Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
A weather satellite, GOES 17, or GOES West, sits above California taking photos every five minutes that can show hot spots throughout the West. If visible light and infrared data from this geostationary satellite are downloaded quickly enough, a computer program could easily be written to search for hot spots and alert emergency responders within as little as 15 to 30 minutes.
Wildfire early warnings could even be delivered via a mobile phone app, just as apps today deliver weather alerts and, someday soon, earthquake early warnings.
“You could build today a fire warning app that would wake you up in the event of a nearby fire and help you decide if you need to flee,” said Jeff Chambers, a UC Berkeley professor of geography. “You could create an algorithm that would bring in all the data, detect the fire, calculate the direction it is moving and project what the fire is burning toward, maybe 30 minutes or an hour or two out. There is nothing to inhibit us from building that now.”
Chambers and a group of graduate students downloaded GOES 17 data days after the Camp fire devastated the town of Paradise on Nov. 8, 2018, and were able to reconstruct the fire’s advance every five minutes for four hours after ignition.
The images are low-resolution – each pixel is 2 kilometers square – but they could be used to quickly spot and track the spread of a large blaze almost in real time.
Another Earth-orbiting satellite, Landsat 8, takes photos of the Western United States every 16 days and just happened to snap a photo of the Camp fire four hours after ignition, which by that time had burned halfway through Paradise.
Chambers later downloaded those images, as well, and, with the help of Google Earth Engine and the algorithms he wrote, he could clearly identify the buildings that had already burned and see the rapidly leapfrogging flames.
“At the time of the Camp fire, we hadn’t yet built the tools to quickly synthesize all these data streams into a single application, but we’re there now,” he said.
Today’s wildfires move quickly – at one point, the leading edge of the Camp fire was advancing over an area of 200 football fields every minute – so a 15- to 30-minute delay in accessing and analyzing satellite data would be too long to forewarn those near the fire front.
But 30 minutes of advance warning could jump-start fire and police response and allow those downwind of the fire to evacuate much earlier, Chambers said.
Even better, he said, would be a geosynchronous land observation satellite dedicated to wildland fire detection, ideally with higher resolution than GOES.
A dedicated fire satellite would not only enhance wildfire detection and monitoring, but could also track drought impacts, contribute to agricultural optimization efforts and assist with observation of land use and biomass change for carbon accounting, he said.
Such a platform could help reduce impacts to the built environment and communities, while expanding the technology available to address today’s complex ecological and environmental challenges.
A UC Berkeley team proposed just such a satellite five years ago, dubbing it Fire Urgency Estimator on Geosynchronous Orbit, or FUEGO.
That group, led by astrophysicist Carl Pennypacker, estimated a cost of more than $200 million, high enough to require state and/or federal assistance or private investment.
Chambers’ analysis of the Landsat 8 and GOES satellite data from the Camp fire clearly showed a fast-moving wildland fire, but not a forest fire, he said.
Many trees survived the fire and looked green and healthy in satellite images taken weeks later, whereas chaparral and grasslands were completely consumed by the fire.
“This fire was moving so fast through the city that, in many cases, it burned right through the understory, and there wasn’t enough contact to get the flames up into the crowns of trees,” he said.
Any home or business surrounded by dry vegetation or downed or dead trees or that had gutters full of dry pine needles or leaves was vulnerable to catching fire, however. More than 10,000 structures burned in the Camp fire.
In an article posted online today and submitted to PeerJ, Chambers described the sources of data that he employed to study the Camp fire and that could assist in detecting future fires, now that the data analysis tools are available.
“Just months ago, this was not possible,” he said. “These tools are enabling science we couldn’t have done before, making fire information an important part of the news cycle. Part of our goal as scientists is to provide useful information to the public using available data streams and analysis tools.”
Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
Monday, April 22, is the 49th annual Earth Day and the 2019 theme is "Protect Our Species."
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife works to protect our state's native species every day of every year.
CDFW performs and oversees wildlife habitat conservation and restoration to maintain healthy ecosystems throughout the state. No matter where a native plant, fish or animal lives-in a marine, brackish or fresh water environment, on land, in trees or underground-all living things need clean, healthy habitats.
Some people see a wetland, grassland, desert or any undeveloped landscape and think, "There's nothing there." But there are numerous plant, animal and fish species living there, hidden underwater, underground, under rocks and in rock crevices. Those "unused" spaces are home to many species that are part of the elaborate web of life on which all living things depend.
In the past, people thought natural resources-like fresh, potable water-were unlimited. We know better now, yet still produce millions of tons of garbage each year and often dispose of it in ways that harm wildlife. With more than seven billion people on the planet, such a careless lifestyle causes irreparable damage to the very ecosystems all forms of life need to live.
It's easy to reduce, reuse and recycle the products we use each day. And when we do, our behavior benefits wildlife as much as it does ourselves.
Californians have been celebrating Earth Day with festivals, learning opportunities, and activities such as trail and habitat clean-up and restoration since 1970. It's a day to think about how each of us affects our world's limited natural resources, and what we can do as individuals or as groups to tread lightly on the Earth, make up for past damage and restore what we can.
For links to environmentally healthy living suggestions, Earth Day festivals and other activities throughout California, visit CalRecycle's Earth Day webpage.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife works to protect our state's native species every day of every year.
CDFW performs and oversees wildlife habitat conservation and restoration to maintain healthy ecosystems throughout the state. No matter where a native plant, fish or animal lives-in a marine, brackish or fresh water environment, on land, in trees or underground-all living things need clean, healthy habitats.
Some people see a wetland, grassland, desert or any undeveloped landscape and think, "There's nothing there." But there are numerous plant, animal and fish species living there, hidden underwater, underground, under rocks and in rock crevices. Those "unused" spaces are home to many species that are part of the elaborate web of life on which all living things depend.
In the past, people thought natural resources-like fresh, potable water-were unlimited. We know better now, yet still produce millions of tons of garbage each year and often dispose of it in ways that harm wildlife. With more than seven billion people on the planet, such a careless lifestyle causes irreparable damage to the very ecosystems all forms of life need to live.
It's easy to reduce, reuse and recycle the products we use each day. And when we do, our behavior benefits wildlife as much as it does ourselves.
Californians have been celebrating Earth Day with festivals, learning opportunities, and activities such as trail and habitat clean-up and restoration since 1970. It's a day to think about how each of us affects our world's limited natural resources, and what we can do as individuals or as groups to tread lightly on the Earth, make up for past damage and restore what we can.
For links to environmentally healthy living suggestions, Earth Day festivals and other activities throughout California, visit CalRecycle's Earth Day webpage.