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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Water Resources on Thursday conducted the second Phillips Station snow survey of 2019.
The manual survey recorded 50 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent, or SWE, of 18 inches, which is 98 percent of average for this location. Statewide, the Sierra snowpack is 100 percent of average.
By comparison, on Feb. 1, 2018, measurements at Phillips Station revealed a SWE of 2.6 inches, only 14 percent of the early-February average. And last year at this time, measurements at this location were at 30 percent percent of average.
“The snowpack across California is on par with the historical average for this time of year, thanks in no small part to an atmospheric river that brought heavy snowstorms to the Sierra Nevada. Typically, California relies on a handful of large storms like we saw earlier this year.” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “It’s a start, but the next two or three months will determine what it means for our reservoirs and overall water supply.”
Results from snow surveys like the one conducted Thursday at Phillips Station are critical to the management of California’s water. More than 50 local, state, and federal agencies work together as part of the Cooperative Snow Surveys Program to collect data from more than 300 snow courses throughout California.
“The data we collect allows us to forecast how much snowmelt will run off into our streams and reservoirs,” said John Paasch, chief of DWR’s Hydrology and Flood Office. “Snowpack is an important factor in determining how DWR manages California’s water resources each year to sustainably meet demands.”
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs as it melts in the spring and early summer to meet water demands in the summer and fall.
DWR has conducted manual snow surveys at Phillips Station since 1964, recording both depth and snow water equivalent. Snow water equivalent is the depth of water that theoretically would result if the entire snowpack melted instantaneously. That measurement allows for a more accurate forecast of spring runoff.
DWR conducts five snow surveys each winter – near the first of January, February, March, April and May – at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada just off Highway 50 near Sierra-at-Tahoe.
The Phillips snow course is one of hundreds that will be surveyed manually throughout the winter. Manual measurements augment the electronic readings from about 100 snow pillows in the Sierra Nevada that provide a current snapshot of the water content in the snowpack.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Sunday, Feb. 3, football fans will join with friends and family to watch Super Bowl LIII.
The California Highway Patrol is teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind motorists to designate a sober driver or use a rideshare service if their plans include alcohol.
“Impaired driving is not only irresponsible, but it can also destroy lives,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Choosing to get behind the wheel while under the influence can result in arrest, injury, or death. If you drink or use other impairing substances, do not drive.”
According to preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, last year on Super Bowl Sunday, seven people were killed in alcohol-involved collisions and 134 others were injured on California’s roadways.
The same day, there were 352 arrests made by the CHP for driving under the influence, the CHP reported.
Consequences of a DUI arrest are jail time, the loss of a driver license, higher insurance rates, court fees, car towing and repair, and lost wages from time off work.
“Have a plan in place before the game,” Commissioner Stanley added. “If you will be consuming alcoholic beverages or using other substances that may affect your ability to safely operate a vehicle, make the smart choice to use public transportation, a designated driver, or a rideshare service to get home.”
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, be a team player and help keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel. Have non-alcoholic choices for the designated drivers and ask guests to make proper arrangements and designate a sober driver before the big game begins.
The public can help by calling 9-1-1 if they suspect an impaired driver. Callers should be prepared to give the vehicle’s description, location, license plate number, and direction of travel.
The California Highway Patrol is teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind motorists to designate a sober driver or use a rideshare service if their plans include alcohol.
“Impaired driving is not only irresponsible, but it can also destroy lives,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Choosing to get behind the wheel while under the influence can result in arrest, injury, or death. If you drink or use other impairing substances, do not drive.”
According to preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, last year on Super Bowl Sunday, seven people were killed in alcohol-involved collisions and 134 others were injured on California’s roadways.
The same day, there were 352 arrests made by the CHP for driving under the influence, the CHP reported.
Consequences of a DUI arrest are jail time, the loss of a driver license, higher insurance rates, court fees, car towing and repair, and lost wages from time off work.
“Have a plan in place before the game,” Commissioner Stanley added. “If you will be consuming alcoholic beverages or using other substances that may affect your ability to safely operate a vehicle, make the smart choice to use public transportation, a designated driver, or a rideshare service to get home.”
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, be a team player and help keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel. Have non-alcoholic choices for the designated drivers and ask guests to make proper arrangements and designate a sober driver before the big game begins.
The public can help by calling 9-1-1 if they suspect an impaired driver. Callers should be prepared to give the vehicle’s description, location, license plate number, and direction of travel.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and Cal Fire are moving forward with crafting an updated that is meant to increase protections against wildland fire, as directed by former Gov. Jerry Brown.
On Tuesday, Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Chair Dr. Keith Gilless and Cal Fire Director Thom Porter announced plans to initiate preparation of the new California Vegetation Treatment Program Environmental Impact Report, or CalVTP.
The agencies said CalVTP represents more than a decade of board work analyzing potential environmental effects associated with vegetation management aimed at reducing wildland fire risk across the state.
“This has been a long-lived effort,” Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Matt Dias told Lake County News.
The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s mission is to lead California “in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.”
The reintroduced CalVTP, Dias explained. “is built off the work that has been conducted by the board over the past decade.”
Due to the new objectives for increased pace and scale established by the state, Dias said the board has taken all past comments on the plan and some more contemporary science and used them in revamping the CalVTP.
He said they’re moving forward “in an expeditious manner” to get the new plan updated and published. It’s expected to be circulated for public comment in either May or June.
The process of preparing the plan must adhere to the provisions laid out in the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, which Dias said mandates that the minimum public comment period is 45 days.
“In the past the board has exercised its discretion to allow some additional time to that minimum given the scope of the document,” he said.
He said he’s not sure what the board will do this time. “They have made clear that they want to move forward rapidly.”
The goal is to have the plan online by the end of this year, Dias said.
Explaining the state directive for increased scale, Dias said that the new goal is to increase the acreage of projects focused on wildland fire prevention from its current size of 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres annually.
Such vegetation management projects can range from timber harvest to prescribed fire, mastication and pile burning, he said.
That impetus comes from a directive issued last year as part of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Executive Order 52-18.
The four-page executive order states, under the heading, “Improving Forest Management and Restoration,” that, “The Natural Resources Agency shall take all necessary steps to double the total statewide rate of forest treatments within 5 years to at least 500,000 acres per year. To accomplish this goal the Agency will work with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Water Resources Control Board, State Conservancies, and all other relevant agencies.”
Dias said that directive came in response to the increased number of wildland fires across California, fires which also have grown larger in size, scope and damage – both in lives lost and property destroyed.
He said the analysis covers the State Responsibility Area, the 31 million acres in the state “where the State of California has the primary financial responsibility for the prevention and suppression of wildland fires,” according to the Cal Fire Web site.
The environmental analysis that the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and Cal Fire are conducting as part of the updated CalVTP is for vegetation treatment projects on 23 million of that overall State Responsibility Area, Dias said.
The board said the CalVTP program plays a critical role in assisting Cal Fire in increasing the pace and scale of vegetation management while also maintaining California’s diverse vegetation and habitats.
“While the impacts of wildland fires have always been a concern for California, the associated impacts to public health, welfare, and natural resources over the last several years demand that the board play an increasingly active role in supporting wildland fire prevention activities,” said Dr. Gilless.
Upon certification, the CalVTP will facilitate timely implementation of wildland urban interface vegetation reduction projects, fuel breaks to assist in wildland fire suppression efforts and support ecological restoration projects, officials said.
“The CalVTP will provide Cal Fire with an essential opportunity to support timely implementation of wildland fire prevention activities, such as prescribed burning and mechanical treatment of hazardous vegetative fuels. Cal Fire is in full support of the board’s effort on this project,” said Director Porter.
The gravity of last five years has spoken. “We need to act now,” said Dias.
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.
On Tuesday, Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Chair Dr. Keith Gilless and Cal Fire Director Thom Porter announced plans to initiate preparation of the new California Vegetation Treatment Program Environmental Impact Report, or CalVTP.
The agencies said CalVTP represents more than a decade of board work analyzing potential environmental effects associated with vegetation management aimed at reducing wildland fire risk across the state.
“This has been a long-lived effort,” Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Matt Dias told Lake County News.
The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s mission is to lead California “in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.”
The reintroduced CalVTP, Dias explained. “is built off the work that has been conducted by the board over the past decade.”
Due to the new objectives for increased pace and scale established by the state, Dias said the board has taken all past comments on the plan and some more contemporary science and used them in revamping the CalVTP.
He said they’re moving forward “in an expeditious manner” to get the new plan updated and published. It’s expected to be circulated for public comment in either May or June.
The process of preparing the plan must adhere to the provisions laid out in the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, which Dias said mandates that the minimum public comment period is 45 days.
“In the past the board has exercised its discretion to allow some additional time to that minimum given the scope of the document,” he said.
He said he’s not sure what the board will do this time. “They have made clear that they want to move forward rapidly.”
The goal is to have the plan online by the end of this year, Dias said.
Explaining the state directive for increased scale, Dias said that the new goal is to increase the acreage of projects focused on wildland fire prevention from its current size of 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres annually.
Such vegetation management projects can range from timber harvest to prescribed fire, mastication and pile burning, he said.
That impetus comes from a directive issued last year as part of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Executive Order 52-18.
The four-page executive order states, under the heading, “Improving Forest Management and Restoration,” that, “The Natural Resources Agency shall take all necessary steps to double the total statewide rate of forest treatments within 5 years to at least 500,000 acres per year. To accomplish this goal the Agency will work with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Water Resources Control Board, State Conservancies, and all other relevant agencies.”
Dias said that directive came in response to the increased number of wildland fires across California, fires which also have grown larger in size, scope and damage – both in lives lost and property destroyed.
He said the analysis covers the State Responsibility Area, the 31 million acres in the state “where the State of California has the primary financial responsibility for the prevention and suppression of wildland fires,” according to the Cal Fire Web site.
The environmental analysis that the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and Cal Fire are conducting as part of the updated CalVTP is for vegetation treatment projects on 23 million of that overall State Responsibility Area, Dias said.
The board said the CalVTP program plays a critical role in assisting Cal Fire in increasing the pace and scale of vegetation management while also maintaining California’s diverse vegetation and habitats.
“While the impacts of wildland fires have always been a concern for California, the associated impacts to public health, welfare, and natural resources over the last several years demand that the board play an increasingly active role in supporting wildland fire prevention activities,” said Dr. Gilless.
Upon certification, the CalVTP will facilitate timely implementation of wildland urban interface vegetation reduction projects, fuel breaks to assist in wildland fire suppression efforts and support ecological restoration projects, officials said.
“The CalVTP will provide Cal Fire with an essential opportunity to support timely implementation of wildland fire prevention activities, such as prescribed burning and mechanical treatment of hazardous vegetative fuels. Cal Fire is in full support of the board’s effort on this project,” said Director Porter.
The gravity of last five years has spoken. “We need to act now,” said Dias.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Clearlake woman arrested last year for grand theft and conspiracy for submitting a fraudulent claim to the Rotary Fire Fund has been sentenced to probation and jail time for that case as well as for another in which she was ordered to pay nearly $40,000 in restitution to Lake County Social Services.
Sabrina Deann Rich, 30, appeared before Lake County Superior Court Judge Michael Lunas for sentencing on Wednesday morning.
Rich and her boyfriend, Ralph Gordon Darting, were arrested by District Attorney’s Office investigators during a sting operation in January 2018 for grand theft and conspiracy to defraud the local Rotary’s 5130 Fire Relief Fund, as Lake County News has reported.
Investigators said that in December 2017 Darting and Rich submitted an online application to Rotary claiming they had lost $2,900 in roofing materials and $900 in roofing tools in the Sulphur fire.
Rotary officials were suspicious of the claim and contacted the District Attorney’s Office, resulting in the investigation, which found that no construction was going on at the location where Darting and Rich said the lost materials had been located.
In December 2017, District Attorney’s Office investigators who were posing as Rotary officials met with Darting and Rich, who gave additional false information.
The following month, the couple met with Rotary officials and district attorney investigators at Austin Park in Clearlake where Chief Investigator Bruce Smith presented them with a check from Rotary for $5,000. After accepting the check, the pair was arrested.
Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson said both Darting, a roofer, and Rich, a stay-at-home mom, were charged with committing fraud and grand theft in the Rotary case.
In addition, Rich was charged with a county of perjury in an unrelated welfare fraud case. Abelson said that case involved Cal Fresh – formerly known as food stamps – and cash aid, or Cal Works. Rich was prosecuted for welfare fraud because she did not report that Darting was living in the same home and that she had income.
In April, Darting pleaded to the count and was sentenced to a two-year local county jail prison sentence on April 16. Abelson said he has since served his jail time and been released, and was in court on Wednesday for Rich’s sentencing.
Abelson said Rich pleaded to the same charges as Darting did in the Rotary case as well as the perjury charge in her separate welfare fraud case.
Rich entered a plea last year at about the same time as Darting, but there was a dispute about the total restitution amount that Abelson said was finally resolved this week.
“We decided to put off sentencing so we could deal with restitution at the same time,” Abelson said.
On Wednesday, Judge Lunas sentenced Rich to formal felony probation and 180 days jail in each case to be run concurrent. She was also ordered to pay the Lake County Department of Social Services restitution in the amount of $39,690, Abelson said.
Rich’s attorney, Dana Liberatore, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
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.
Sabrina Deann Rich, 30, appeared before Lake County Superior Court Judge Michael Lunas for sentencing on Wednesday morning.
Rich and her boyfriend, Ralph Gordon Darting, were arrested by District Attorney’s Office investigators during a sting operation in January 2018 for grand theft and conspiracy to defraud the local Rotary’s 5130 Fire Relief Fund, as Lake County News has reported.
Investigators said that in December 2017 Darting and Rich submitted an online application to Rotary claiming they had lost $2,900 in roofing materials and $900 in roofing tools in the Sulphur fire.
Rotary officials were suspicious of the claim and contacted the District Attorney’s Office, resulting in the investigation, which found that no construction was going on at the location where Darting and Rich said the lost materials had been located.
In December 2017, District Attorney’s Office investigators who were posing as Rotary officials met with Darting and Rich, who gave additional false information.
The following month, the couple met with Rotary officials and district attorney investigators at Austin Park in Clearlake where Chief Investigator Bruce Smith presented them with a check from Rotary for $5,000. After accepting the check, the pair was arrested.
Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson said both Darting, a roofer, and Rich, a stay-at-home mom, were charged with committing fraud and grand theft in the Rotary case.
In addition, Rich was charged with a county of perjury in an unrelated welfare fraud case. Abelson said that case involved Cal Fresh – formerly known as food stamps – and cash aid, or Cal Works. Rich was prosecuted for welfare fraud because she did not report that Darting was living in the same home and that she had income.
In April, Darting pleaded to the count and was sentenced to a two-year local county jail prison sentence on April 16. Abelson said he has since served his jail time and been released, and was in court on Wednesday for Rich’s sentencing.
Abelson said Rich pleaded to the same charges as Darting did in the Rotary case as well as the perjury charge in her separate welfare fraud case.
Rich entered a plea last year at about the same time as Darting, but there was a dispute about the total restitution amount that Abelson said was finally resolved this week.
“We decided to put off sentencing so we could deal with restitution at the same time,” Abelson said.
On Wednesday, Judge Lunas sentenced Rich to formal felony probation and 180 days jail in each case to be run concurrent. She was also ordered to pay the Lake County Department of Social Services restitution in the amount of $39,690, Abelson said.
Rich’s attorney, Dana Liberatore, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra reminds California businesses to post notices informing the public and trafficking victims of resources available to help combat slavery and human trafficking.
Up-to-date digital copies of these notices are available for free on the Attorney General’s Web site.
“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it’s happening right here in our backyard,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These notices help empower Californians to report trafficking and direct survivors towards critical resources.”
Human trafficking is a crime that involves forcing a person to provide labor or services or to engage in commercial sexual acts. It is a form of modern-day slavery that exploits the most vulnerable members of our society.
California law requires certain businesses and establishments to post a notice with information and resources for victims and the public regarding slavery and human trafficking. Notices must be posted in English and Spanish.
Posting in a third language is required in certain counties that are subject to the language assistance provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act. A list of these counties is available here.
Changes to California’s law took effect on January 1, 2019. As of that date, the notice must contain a number where people can send text messages as well as a number to call.
The list of establishments that must post a notice has been updated to include hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns. The full list of establishments that are required to post a notice can be found at California Civil Code § 52.6(a).
If your business or establishment is required to post a notice, you do not need to pay for a poster or notice. You can download and print up-to-date model notices for free on the Attorney General’s Web site at https://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking/model-notice. The notices are available in English, Spanish and 22 other languages.
The California Department of Justice is committed to combatting human trafficking wherever it occurs.
In 2018, Attorney General Becerra brought down the world’s largest online brothel, Backpage.com. DOJ has also fought to protect juvenile victims of trafficking, bringing 54 felony charges against the alleged operators of a statewide sex trafficking ring in 2017, where minors were among the victims.
DOJ’s efforts to fight against human trafficking have included taking on labor exploitation. In particular, DOJ charged the alleged operators of Rainbow Bright, a California adult residential and child care company, with 59 criminal counts for human trafficking and other labor-related violations.
Up-to-date digital copies of these notices are available for free on the Attorney General’s Web site.
“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it’s happening right here in our backyard,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These notices help empower Californians to report trafficking and direct survivors towards critical resources.”
Human trafficking is a crime that involves forcing a person to provide labor or services or to engage in commercial sexual acts. It is a form of modern-day slavery that exploits the most vulnerable members of our society.
California law requires certain businesses and establishments to post a notice with information and resources for victims and the public regarding slavery and human trafficking. Notices must be posted in English and Spanish.
Posting in a third language is required in certain counties that are subject to the language assistance provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act. A list of these counties is available here.
Changes to California’s law took effect on January 1, 2019. As of that date, the notice must contain a number where people can send text messages as well as a number to call.
The list of establishments that must post a notice has been updated to include hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns. The full list of establishments that are required to post a notice can be found at California Civil Code § 52.6(a).
If your business or establishment is required to post a notice, you do not need to pay for a poster or notice. You can download and print up-to-date model notices for free on the Attorney General’s Web site at https://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking/model-notice. The notices are available in English, Spanish and 22 other languages.
The California Department of Justice is committed to combatting human trafficking wherever it occurs.
In 2018, Attorney General Becerra brought down the world’s largest online brothel, Backpage.com. DOJ has also fought to protect juvenile victims of trafficking, bringing 54 felony charges against the alleged operators of a statewide sex trafficking ring in 2017, where minors were among the victims.
DOJ’s efforts to fight against human trafficking have included taking on labor exploitation. In particular, DOJ charged the alleged operators of Rainbow Bright, a California adult residential and child care company, with 59 criminal counts for human trafficking and other labor-related violations.
On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), who chairs the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, lauded the announcement that a hearing will be held next week on preventing gun violence.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerold Nadler (NY-10) announced that the committee would hold a hearing entitled “Preventing Gun Violence: A Call to Action” next Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m.
This is the first hearing on this topic in nearly a decade and since the Democrats retook the majority in the House of Representatives.
“The U.S. House of Representatives is finally taking action to prevent gun violence – our new majority is answering the call of the American people,” said Thompson. “For six years, our Task Force implored the previous majority to hold hearings and we were denied. This is a new day – we will have a hearing and we will get results. I am deeply grateful to Chairman Nadler for his leadership on this issue. This is just the beginning and I look forward to having a vote on H.R. 8, my Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, and taking action the American people have been demanding. No longer will Congress be silent on this issue.”
The hearing is expected to be livestreamed online; that link will be published once it’s confirmed.
Thompson is the lead author of H.R. 8, a bipartisan bill that expands background checks on all gun sales.
The bill currently has 229 cosponsors, including five Republicans.
To learn more about H.R. 8, click here.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was established after the tragedy at Sandy Hook and has grown to a membership of more than 165.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerold Nadler (NY-10) announced that the committee would hold a hearing entitled “Preventing Gun Violence: A Call to Action” next Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m.
This is the first hearing on this topic in nearly a decade and since the Democrats retook the majority in the House of Representatives.
“The U.S. House of Representatives is finally taking action to prevent gun violence – our new majority is answering the call of the American people,” said Thompson. “For six years, our Task Force implored the previous majority to hold hearings and we were denied. This is a new day – we will have a hearing and we will get results. I am deeply grateful to Chairman Nadler for his leadership on this issue. This is just the beginning and I look forward to having a vote on H.R. 8, my Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, and taking action the American people have been demanding. No longer will Congress be silent on this issue.”
The hearing is expected to be livestreamed online; that link will be published once it’s confirmed.
Thompson is the lead author of H.R. 8, a bipartisan bill that expands background checks on all gun sales.
The bill currently has 229 cosponsors, including five Republicans.
To learn more about H.R. 8, click here.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was established after the tragedy at Sandy Hook and has grown to a membership of more than 165.