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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Members of the Symphony Wine Club are attempting to locate the owners of a friendly cat who they found following the Mendocino Complex evacuation.
When Bill and Melanie Fine returned to their home near Highland Springs Road and Bell Hill Road after the evacuation order was lifted, they were welcomed by a starving young cat, on the roof of their barn, which is usually only visited by fellow members of the Symphony Wine Club.
“This is where we get together to process grapes and make wine for our yearly WInefest that supports the Lake County Symphony,” said Bill Fine.
No club members had visited the barn for a while and it was obvious the cat was yowling with hunger and asking for help, Fine said.
“He was maybe 4 months old and very weak and skinny. We are not sure how long he had been near our place, because we were out of the country when the fires were going on,” Fine explained.
After a good meal, and some ear rubs, it was apparent that this was no feral cat. “He was very friendly and really wanted to be in the house,” said Fine.
They gave him the name “Stripy,“ and waited for someone to come looking for him.
“He is really sweet and someone must be missing him,” said Melanie Fine. “Unfortunately, we cannot keep him. We already have a cat and they do not get along.”
In the meantime, they are feeding Stripy and he has access to the barn for a safe place to sleep.
Stripy’s photograph is posted on the Lakeport Animal Control website with a ”found” date of Aug. 5.
Bill Fine can be reached at 510-375-6171.
On Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation – SB 834 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and AB 1775 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – to block new federal offshore oil drilling along California’s coast, and announced the state’s opposition to the federal government’s plan to expand oil drilling on public lands in California.
“Today, California’s message to the Trump administration is simple: Not here, not now,” said Gov. Brown. “We will not let the federal government pillage public lands and destroy our treasured coast.”
This action comes days before grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders convene in San Francisco for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the Global Climate Action Summit.
SB 834 and AB 1775 block the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling by prohibiting new leases for new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure, such as pipelines, within state waters if the federal government authorizes any new offshore oil leases.
“From the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill to the 2015 Refugio spill, I represent a community that knows all too well the devastation oil spills can bring to our economy and environment. I’m very pleased to see this legislation signed into law, because we’ve always known, that if we don’t drill, it can’t spill,” said Senator Jackson.
The bills also require new public notices and processes for lease renewals, extension amendments or modifications to authorize new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure associated with new federal leases. There has been no federal expansion of oil and gas drilling along California’s coastline for more than 30 years.
“With the signing of AB 1775 and SB 834, California is fighting back against the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling off California’s coast. We are standing up to protect the South Bay in my district and our state’s entire coast from the threat of more offshore oil drilling and ugly oil rigs. I thank Governor Brown for leading the resistance and Senator Jackson for working with me to protect our state’s multibillion dollar coastal economy and beautiful beaches and coastline,” said Assemblymember Muratsuchi.
Separately, late Friday the governor submitted the state’s formal opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to open new public land and mineral estates for oil and gas lease sales.
“It has been more than twenty years since the Bureau of Land Management last expanded the availability of federal public lands and mineral estates for oil and gas leases in the Central Valley and Central Coast of California. Since then, the world’s understanding of the threats of climate change has greatly advanced and, in many cases, these threats have become reality,” said Gov. Brown in his letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. “The Bureau’s proposal to open up new areas of the state to oil and gas production demonstrates an ignorance of these critical developments, and is contrary to the course California has set to combat climate change and to meet its share of the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. The Bureau should abandon this effort and not pursue opening any new areas for oil and gas leases in this state.”
In addition to the governor’s letter, the state also included comments on the proposal from the California Department of Conservation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Air Resources Board and the State Water Resources Control Board.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brown joined Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to condemn the Trump administration’s proposal to expand oil and gas offshore drilling.
The governor has also voiced California’s opposition to this proposal in discussions with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in January and February.
In late 2016, Gov. Brown called on the federal government to use its authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to withdraw federal waters off the coast of California from new offshore oil and gas leasing and guarantee the prohibition of future oil and gas drilling in these waters.
On Saturday, the governor also signed AB 2864 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) which will improve the assessment of damage and restoration and mitigation measures after an oil spill affecting coastal resources.
For full text of the bills signed today, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. The full text of the Governor’s letter, with the state’s comments on the proposal submitted yesterday, can be found here.
“Today, California’s message to the Trump administration is simple: Not here, not now,” said Gov. Brown. “We will not let the federal government pillage public lands and destroy our treasured coast.”
This action comes days before grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders convene in San Francisco for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the Global Climate Action Summit.
SB 834 and AB 1775 block the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling by prohibiting new leases for new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure, such as pipelines, within state waters if the federal government authorizes any new offshore oil leases.
“From the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill to the 2015 Refugio spill, I represent a community that knows all too well the devastation oil spills can bring to our economy and environment. I’m very pleased to see this legislation signed into law, because we’ve always known, that if we don’t drill, it can’t spill,” said Senator Jackson.
The bills also require new public notices and processes for lease renewals, extension amendments or modifications to authorize new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure associated with new federal leases. There has been no federal expansion of oil and gas drilling along California’s coastline for more than 30 years.
“With the signing of AB 1775 and SB 834, California is fighting back against the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling off California’s coast. We are standing up to protect the South Bay in my district and our state’s entire coast from the threat of more offshore oil drilling and ugly oil rigs. I thank Governor Brown for leading the resistance and Senator Jackson for working with me to protect our state’s multibillion dollar coastal economy and beautiful beaches and coastline,” said Assemblymember Muratsuchi.
Separately, late Friday the governor submitted the state’s formal opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to open new public land and mineral estates for oil and gas lease sales.
“It has been more than twenty years since the Bureau of Land Management last expanded the availability of federal public lands and mineral estates for oil and gas leases in the Central Valley and Central Coast of California. Since then, the world’s understanding of the threats of climate change has greatly advanced and, in many cases, these threats have become reality,” said Gov. Brown in his letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. “The Bureau’s proposal to open up new areas of the state to oil and gas production demonstrates an ignorance of these critical developments, and is contrary to the course California has set to combat climate change and to meet its share of the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. The Bureau should abandon this effort and not pursue opening any new areas for oil and gas leases in this state.”
In addition to the governor’s letter, the state also included comments on the proposal from the California Department of Conservation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Air Resources Board and the State Water Resources Control Board.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brown joined Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to condemn the Trump administration’s proposal to expand oil and gas offshore drilling.
The governor has also voiced California’s opposition to this proposal in discussions with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in January and February.
In late 2016, Gov. Brown called on the federal government to use its authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to withdraw federal waters off the coast of California from new offshore oil and gas leasing and guarantee the prohibition of future oil and gas drilling in these waters.
On Saturday, the governor also signed AB 2864 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) which will improve the assessment of damage and restoration and mitigation measures after an oil spill affecting coastal resources.
For full text of the bills signed today, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. The full text of the Governor’s letter, with the state’s comments on the proposal submitted yesterday, can be found here.
One of the key elements of Earth’s climate system is the cryosphere – the many forms of ice found on Earth.
Two new NASA missions use different technologies to help scientists better understand how frozen water is affecting our planet.
Both will continue satellite data records that have greatly improved our understanding of Earth’s frozen regions.
Meet GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO), and ICESat-2.
The GRACE-FO mission, which launched on May 22, 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is a partnership with the German Research Centre for Geosciences.
Like the preceding GRACE mission, which operated from 2002-2017, the pair of GRACE-FO satellites measure minute variations in Earth’s gravitational field to determine how mass is moving around our planet over time.
Dr. Frank Webb, GRACE-FO project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explains, “GRACE-FO’s measurements show the migration of mass from one place on Earth to another - which regions of Earth are gaining mass and which are losing. It is sensitive enough to see small changes in the distribution of ice and water, which allows us to understand the trends and drivers of the water cycle, including the contributions of the ice sheets to sea level rise.”
As ice sheets melt, they lose mass, which slightly alters Earth’s gravity, changing the forces controlling the orbits of the satellites.
The two GRACE-FO satellites orbit ~135 miles (220 km) from one another, with one satellite leading the other. If the lead satellite encounters a change in gravity, its speed changes as does its relative distance to the trailing satellite.
Microwaves and lasers are used to measure the tiny changes in distance between the two satellites in a constant game of cat and mouse.
By taking measurements of multiple passes over the same location, scientists can create maps of that location’s gravitational field.
Over Earth’s frozen regions, this information shows where ice sheets and glaciers are gaining or losing mass.
While GRACE-FO gives a global view of changes in the distribution of mass on Earth, ICESat-2 will provide complementary measurements of ice sheet height.
ICESat-2, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2018, is a single satellite operated out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center that uses its laser to shoot beams of light to Earth. Scientists can determine a location’s elevation by measuring the travel time of these laser pulses.
The original ICESat mission, which operated from 2003-2010, used a single laser beam. ICESat-2 uses 6 beams to improve accuracy and resolution.
Using 6 beams gives scientists multiple points of data within the laser’s footprint, allowing them to measure the slope of an area and then separate static slope data from the area’s changes in elevation over time.
Why is this elevation information important? Dr. Thorsten Markus, chief of the Cryospheric Sciences Lab at Goddard explains, “ICESat-2’s orbit repeats measurements every 90 days, which allows us to see change while also helping to determine the drivers of that change. For example, is melting in one region balanced by snowfall in another?”
Grace-FO and ICESat-2 will be the newest NASA missions being used to study the cryosphere and its role in the Earth system. In addition to their cryospheric objectives, these satellites provide important insight into the behavior of other Earth system components, like changes in underground stored water for GRACE-FO and ecosystem structure for ICESat-2.
The ability of these sensors to address multiple Earth system components is a good example of how NASA treats the Earth as a complex, interacting system.
To learn more about the cryosphere and other cool science topics, visit http://science.nasa.gov.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire that began Saturday afternoon and threatened homes in Napa County has continued to grow, with mandatory evacuations remaining in place.
The Snell fire was up to 1,700 acres and 10-percent contained on Saturday night, according to Cal Fire.
The fire is burning near the Berryessa Estate subdivision, located on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.
It was first reported at 2:29 p.m. and was accessed in the area of Butts Valley and Snell Valley Roads, according to radio and Cal Fire reports.
The fire is burning in grassy oak woodlands with a moderate rate of spread and spotting observed. Cal Fire said conditions are hot and dry, and the fire is in a remote location with difficult access.
There are 180 structures threatened but so far none damaged or destroyed, Cal Fire said.
Authorities called for mandatory evacuations on the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from Pope Creek Bridge to the Lake-Napa County line, Snell Valley Road and all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.
Berryessa Knoxville Road from Putah Creek Bridge north to the County line and Snell Valley Road at the intersection of Butts Canyon Road are closed, Cal Fire said.
An evacuation center has been set up at Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.
Cal Fire said 60 engines, six water tenders, six fire crews, four helicopters, nine bulldozers, 10 air tankers and 382 personnel are assigned to the incident.
The cause remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.
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 Snell fire was up to 1,700 acres and 10-percent contained on Saturday night, according to Cal Fire.
The fire is burning near the Berryessa Estate subdivision, located on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.
It was first reported at 2:29 p.m. and was accessed in the area of Butts Valley and Snell Valley Roads, according to radio and Cal Fire reports.
The fire is burning in grassy oak woodlands with a moderate rate of spread and spotting observed. Cal Fire said conditions are hot and dry, and the fire is in a remote location with difficult access.
There are 180 structures threatened but so far none damaged or destroyed, Cal Fire said.
Authorities called for mandatory evacuations on the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from Pope Creek Bridge to the Lake-Napa County line, Snell Valley Road and all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.
Berryessa Knoxville Road from Putah Creek Bridge north to the County line and Snell Valley Road at the intersection of Butts Canyon Road are closed, Cal Fire said.
An evacuation center has been set up at Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.
Cal Fire said 60 engines, six water tenders, six fire crews, four helicopters, nine bulldozers, 10 air tankers and 382 personnel are assigned to the incident.
The cause remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A wildland fire first reported on Saturday afternoon has begun to spread rapidly and has led to a call for evacuations in and around Berryessa Estates in Napa County.
The Snell fire was first reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. by a resident in the Jerusalem Valley area near Middletown, according to radio reports.
Cal Fire said the blaze is located in the area of Butts Canyon and Snell Valley roads, seven miles southeast of Middletown.
Firefighters accessed the fire off of Butts Canyon Road at Snell Valley Ranch, finding it to be about 10 acres and pushed by a west wind when they first arrived shortly after 2:45 p.m.
Within a half hour, the fire was up to between 20 and 30 acres, with a fast to dangerous rate of spread and more air resource requested.
Several tankers as well as Cal Fire’s Copter 101 and Copter 104 were working the fire according to www.flightradar24.com .
Just after 3:30 p.m. incident command estimated the fire was up to 35 acres and was located three-quarters of a mile northwest of the Berryessa Estates, a subdivision of close to 200 homes on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.
Less than 15 minutes later, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert for a mandatory evacuation of Snell Valley Road, all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.
At 3:50 p.m., the fire was reported to be 200 acres, with spotting ahead of the main fire, according to reports from incident command.
At that point incident command requested 10 four-wheel-drive engines to access the fire and 10 other engines to protect structures in Berryessa Estates.
At 4:20 p.m., incident command reported the fire was holding at 250 acres.
By 5 p.m., incident command reported that the fire was up to 400 acres, it had spotted across Putah Creek and was moving away from Berryessa Estates, with the potential to grow to 5,000 acres.
At 5:15 p.m., the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued an additional evacuation order, this time for the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from the Pope Creek bridge to the county line.
Temporary flight restrictions have been put in effect in the fire area, according to radio reports.
Authorities said Snell Valley Road has been closed to inbound traffic, with one-way traffic outbound only.
The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation center for residents of Snell Valley Road and Berryessa Estates has been set up at the Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.
This story will continue to be updated on an going basis.
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 Snell fire was first reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. by a resident in the Jerusalem Valley area near Middletown, according to radio reports.
Cal Fire said the blaze is located in the area of Butts Canyon and Snell Valley roads, seven miles southeast of Middletown.
Firefighters accessed the fire off of Butts Canyon Road at Snell Valley Ranch, finding it to be about 10 acres and pushed by a west wind when they first arrived shortly after 2:45 p.m.
Within a half hour, the fire was up to between 20 and 30 acres, with a fast to dangerous rate of spread and more air resource requested.
Several tankers as well as Cal Fire’s Copter 101 and Copter 104 were working the fire according to www.flightradar24.com .
Just after 3:30 p.m. incident command estimated the fire was up to 35 acres and was located three-quarters of a mile northwest of the Berryessa Estates, a subdivision of close to 200 homes on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.
Less than 15 minutes later, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert for a mandatory evacuation of Snell Valley Road, all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.
At 3:50 p.m., the fire was reported to be 200 acres, with spotting ahead of the main fire, according to reports from incident command.
At that point incident command requested 10 four-wheel-drive engines to access the fire and 10 other engines to protect structures in Berryessa Estates.
At 4:20 p.m., incident command reported the fire was holding at 250 acres.
By 5 p.m., incident command reported that the fire was up to 400 acres, it had spotted across Putah Creek and was moving away from Berryessa Estates, with the potential to grow to 5,000 acres.
At 5:15 p.m., the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued an additional evacuation order, this time for the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from the Pope Creek bridge to the county line.
Temporary flight restrictions have been put in effect in the fire area, according to radio reports.
Authorities said Snell Valley Road has been closed to inbound traffic, with one-way traffic outbound only.
The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation center for residents of Snell Valley Road and Berryessa Estates has been set up at the Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.
This story will continue to be updated on an going basis.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Coastal Cleanup Day is coming to Clear Lake on Saturday, Sept. 15.
This is the perfect opportunity for Lake County citizen volunteers to help clean shorelines and prevent trash from entering the lake and degrading the aquatic environment.
Coastal Cleanup day involves more than marine beaches, as shorelines exist along any lake or waterbody, such as Clear Lake.
Started in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission, Coastal Cleanup day is one of the largest volunteer events in the US involving more than 60,000 volunteers each year.
Since its inception, Coastal Cleanup day has resulted in the removal of 23 million pounds of trash from public beaches, lakes, and waterways.
Volunteers are encouraged to participate at any of the five shoreline locations within the County.
Materials such as gloves and trash bags will be provided. Kayakers and boaters are also strongly encouraged to participate as trash can be found on land and in the water.
Want to go green? Bring your own bucket or reusable bags to help collect trash and save the landfill from more plastic.
If you or someone you know would like to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day, report to any of the following locations on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Upper Arm
– Keeling County Park, 3000 Carson St., Nice.
– Rodman Slough County Park, 1635 Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, Lakeport.
Lower Arm
– Clear Lake Campground, 7805 Cache Creek Way, Clearlake.
– Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, 14295 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.
– Pomo Elementary School; specific spot is between Vista and Ciwa streets on Arrowhead Road, Clearlake.
This event has been made possible by a partnership between Lake County Water Resources, Citizens Caring for Clear Lake and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, as well as local event supporters C&S Waste Solutions, Caltrans and Lake County Public Services.
If you have questions or need more information please feel free to contact Lake County Water Resources at 707-263-2344,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or message the agency on Facebook @lakecountywater.
This is the perfect opportunity for Lake County citizen volunteers to help clean shorelines and prevent trash from entering the lake and degrading the aquatic environment.
Coastal Cleanup day involves more than marine beaches, as shorelines exist along any lake or waterbody, such as Clear Lake.
Started in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission, Coastal Cleanup day is one of the largest volunteer events in the US involving more than 60,000 volunteers each year.
Since its inception, Coastal Cleanup day has resulted in the removal of 23 million pounds of trash from public beaches, lakes, and waterways.
Volunteers are encouraged to participate at any of the five shoreline locations within the County.
Materials such as gloves and trash bags will be provided. Kayakers and boaters are also strongly encouraged to participate as trash can be found on land and in the water.
Want to go green? Bring your own bucket or reusable bags to help collect trash and save the landfill from more plastic.
If you or someone you know would like to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day, report to any of the following locations on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Upper Arm
– Keeling County Park, 3000 Carson St., Nice.
– Rodman Slough County Park, 1635 Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, Lakeport.
Lower Arm
– Clear Lake Campground, 7805 Cache Creek Way, Clearlake.
– Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, 14295 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.
– Pomo Elementary School; specific spot is between Vista and Ciwa streets on Arrowhead Road, Clearlake.
This event has been made possible by a partnership between Lake County Water Resources, Citizens Caring for Clear Lake and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, as well as local event supporters C&S Waste Solutions, Caltrans and Lake County Public Services.
If you have questions or need more information please feel free to contact Lake County Water Resources at 707-263-2344,