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Regulations for California's popular red abalone sport fishery have changed in 2017.
Due to concerns about the declining population, the season will be shortened and the take limit reduced.
The 2017 season will be shortened by two months, with the traditional opening date of April 1 now delayed until May 1. The fishery will also close a month earlier than usual, on Oct. 31.
The annual (calendar year) limit is changing from 18 abalone to 12. As in the past, no more than nine abalone may be taken south of the boundary between Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
The red abalone catch is being reduced because surveys conducted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) found that red abalone populations in deeper waters are on the decline due to unfavorable environmental conditions.
Over the past three years, growth of kelp – a major food source for abalone – has declined significantly.
Dramatic increases in purple sea urchin populations have further reduced the food available for abalone. Details can be found at https://cdfwmarine.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/perfect-storm-decimates-kelp/ .
Other regulations relative to abalone remain unchanged. Fishing for abalone will be allowed from 8 a.m. to one half-hour after sunset in waters north of San Francisco Bay. People may travel to fishing locations before 8 a.m. but may not actively search for or take any abalone before that time. The daily bag and possession limit remains at three.
Parts of Fort Ross State Historical Park remain closed to the take of abalone. A map of the closed area can be found online at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=42101&inline=true .
Northern California's recreational red abalone fishery is enjoyed by tens of thousands of divers along the Sonoma and Mendocino coast.
A recent CDFW study estimated that approximately 31,000 abalone divers derived between $24 million and $44 million per year of recreational value from the fishery.
The value of this fishery declined nearly $12 million after stricter regulations were imposed in 2014 following a harmful algal bloom that killed thousands of abalone in Sonoma County.
Information about the study can be found at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=136510 .
The changes to the abalone regulations were approved by the Fish and Game Commission at their Dec. 7 meeting, under emergency rulemaking provisions that allow fast-tracking of the approval process when there is an urgent need for regulatory change.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Members of Soroptimist International of Clear Lake, or SICL, were busy over the holidays with many projects to support women and girls.
They made 88 blankets and supplied 21 sleeping bags for “Totes for Teens,” and held an ugly sweater event for the teen moms at the Nest in Lakeport a long-term residential program for homeless pregnant and parenting youth ages 18 to 21.
The group also raised money at the president's appeal luncheon to donate to the women of Nepal, and presented funds to enable three students whose homes were lost in the Clayton fire to attend and participate in a choir trip to Disneyland to work with the Disney director, choreographer and conductor. The funds for the choir trip were made possible with the help of donations for fire victims from a sister club, Soroptimist International of Calistoga.
Soroptimist is an international organization for women who volunteer to work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and in the world.
More than 80,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories contribute time and financial support to community based and international projects to benefit women and girls.
The group meets for lunch on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in Clearlake.
The group will next gather for a luncheon business meeting on Thursday, Jan. 12. The group meets at 11:45 a.m. at Howard's Grotto in Clearlake. The cost for lunch is $13 and can be paid at the door.
Membership is open to anyone (male of female) with the desire to help women and girls locally, nationally and internationally.
For more information about joining the group or to make a reservation for the luncheon, please contact Membership Chair Wanda Harris at 707-225-5800 or
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Local advocates are urging the Bureau of Land Management to continue its strong tradition of conservation in Northwest California as they draft a blueprint for the future management of public lands in the region.
The BLM Field Offices in Arcata and Redding are currently revising a guiding plan that will determine how they care for public lands for the next decade or more.
This effort will address approximately 396,000 acres of public lands that BLM stewards in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, and Butte Counties.
The BLM will gather input on this process at a series of upcoming public meetings throughout the region.
“We encourage our community to get involved in this important public process,” said Ryan Henson, senior policy director for CalWild. “Many issues will be addressed, including protecting sources of clean water and important habitats for wildlife, planning for recreational opportunities, and conserving cultural and historic sites important to Native American tribes. If you care about public lands in this region, come make your voice heard.”
These public meetings include the following (please note that all meetings will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.):
• Weaverville: Tuesday, Jan. 10, Veterans Memorial Hall, 103 Memorial Drive.
• Eureka: Wednesday, Jan. 11, Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, 921 Waterfront Drive.
• Garberville: Thursday, Jan. 12, Mateel Community Center, 54 Rusk Lane, Redway.
• Willits: Tuesday, Jan. 17, Willits City Hall Community Center, 111 Commercial St.
• Chico: Wednesday, Jan. 18, Oxford Suites, 2035 Business Lane.
• Yreka: Thursday, Jan. 19, Miner's Inn, 122 E Miner St.
In this region, the BLM manages public lands from the North Coast to the Central Valley and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
These lands include isolated redwood groves, oak woodlands, rivers and streams, and are home to bald eagles, marbled murrelet, western snowy plover, salmon and steelhead, and sandhill cranes.
“Our public lands are a beacon of hope for our future – if we take care of them, they will take care of us,” said Shiloe Braxton, district manager for Trinity County Resource Conservation District. “We urge BLM to continue working with the public to build strong partnerships with the public, like the one we formed together to turn 13,000 acres of federal land into the Weaverville Community Forest. The more we work together to build and strengthen these special places, the more we strengthen the fabric of our community.”
These lands offer the opportunity to experience the wild solitudes of California. For example, the Lacks Creek area of Humboldt County offers remote trails for hikers and cyclists within an hour’s drive of Arcata and Eureka, while the Clear Creek Greenway in Shasta County effectively functions as a city park for the communities of Anderson and Redding, with thousands of people enjoying its trails every year.
Recreation is not the only value of these lands. Mendocino County’s English Ridge is made up of forested slopes covered with ancient Douglas firs and some the greatest diversity of oak trees in the state – nearly a dozen species in total.
In northwest Trinity County, the North Fork Trinity Watershed holds a deep connection to Gold Rush history with the ghost town of Helena located nearby. The watershed is home to bald eagles, osprey, river otters, beavers, and migratory birds.
Wilderness areas included in this planning effort include Elkhorn Ridge, South Fork Eel River, Yolla Bolly Middle Eel, Ishi and Yuki Wilderness Areas.
These public lands provide important habitat corridors and are among the most untouched in the region. The surrounding areas have suffered a long history of logging, mining, road construction and other development activities.
“Protecting and conserving public lands is critical for threatened species like salmon that depend on cool water refugia and functioning watersheds,” said Dana Stolzman, executive director of the Salmonid Restoration Federation. “Management plans must take into account that public lands provide lasting resources and unimpaired habitat for species that are at risk of extinction within our lifetimes.”
All of these BLM lands are managed according to documents known as Resource Management Plans, or RMPs. The Arcata and Redding Field Offices’ current RMPs are more than 20 years old and must be updated.
The BLM is calling this revision process the “Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan” or NCIP. A draft management plan will be created taking into account the input provided at the public meetings and submitted comments.
Under BLM’s local leadership, communities in Northwest California have benefitted from many successful efforts to protect public lands and manage sustainable recreation. Local advocates hope this legacy will continue for decades to come and that this tradition of conservation will be reflected in the BLM’s updated blueprint.
To learn more about the NCIP or to get information on how to submit public comment, visit BLM’s Land Use Planning Register.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The continued wet weather on Tuesday led to more road-related issues in Lake County and across the North Coast region.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Lake County Public Works Department reported new closures in the Cobb area, specifically, Big Canyon Road from Ettawa Springs to Harbin Road due to multiple mudslides, as well as a slipout on Socrates Mine Road at mile post marker 3.8, where the roadway has only one lane open.
Below is the latest roundup of Lake County road closures as well as major closures in Napa and Sonoma counties that may affect commuters.
The road information, updated as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, is compiled from agencies including the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Public Works, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Napa County Sheriff's Office and the town of Yountville.
Updates will be added as they become available.
LAKE COUNTY
COBB
Big Canyon Road: From Ettawa Springs to Harbin Road due to multiple mudslides.
Socrates Mine Road: Road slipout at mile post marker 3.8. Down to one lane in that area.
KELSEYVILLE
Adobe Creek Road: Tree across the roadway half a mile south of Bell Hill Road.
Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek Low Water Crossing due to flooding.
Chaparral Lane: Closed at Riviera West Drive due to downed tree into power lines and across the roadway.
Clark Drive: Closed from Gaddy Lane to Soda Bay Road due to flooding.
LAKEPORT
Hartley Street: Flooded at 16th Street.
Hendricks Road: Flooding across the roadway at the packing sheds.
Highland Springs Road: Flooding across the roadway at multiple locations from Hgihway 29 to Merritt Road.
Hill Road: Hill Road, between Sutter Lakeside Hospital entrance and Lakeshore Blvd due to mudslides across the roadway.
Mathews Road: Mathews Road is closed at Highway 175 due to a bridge replacement project.
Martin Street: Flooded in both directions and closed to all vehicular traffic from Russell Street to Forbes Street. Use Armstrong Street as the detour. Closed until further notice.
Soda Bay Road: Closed to through traffic between Big Valley Road and Highway 175/S. Main Street due to flooding.
Tenth Street: Flooded from North Street to Brush Street.
MIDDLETOWN
Highway 175: Closed from four miles west to 1.5 miles west of Middletown due to flooding.
UPPER LAKE
Bartlett Springs Road: Four-wheel drive recommended; mudslide partially blocking the roadway at mile post marker 4.0.
Elk Mountain Road: Roadway closed at mile post marker 29.6 due to road washout; no estimate of when road will be reopened. four-wheel drive recommended from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury.
Laurel Dell Road: Closed at Mid Lake Road due to flooding.
Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Hendricks Road to Highway 20 due to flooding.
NAPA COUNTY
Deer Park Road: From Silverado Trail to Highway 29 is closed due to flooding. Alternate route is Bale Lane.
Mund Road: Closed 110 yards west of Deer Park Road until further notice due to road damage. Please avoid the area.
Silverado Trail: Closed at Pratt Street due to a rockslide; closed between Deer Park and Pope Street due to a rockslide.
Spring Mountain Road: Open to residents only. Sonoma County side of Spring Mountain Road will be closed until further notice.
Yountville area: Numerous road closures reported due to the storms. Update posted here: http://www.townofyountville.com/Home/Components/News/News/856/32?backlist=%2f .
Yountville Cross Road and Oakville Cross Road: Both roads closed due to flooding. Please avoid these areas until further notice.
SONOMA COUNTY
Highway 128: Closed between Chalk Hill and Calistoga due to large mud slides and downed trees near mile post marker 16.582. Currently the scene is unsafe to clear due to the continuously moving hillside. It is unknown at this time when the roadway; could be closed for two to three days.
Rohnert Park Expressway: Closed between Stony Point and Rancho Verde due to flooding. Do not attempt to pass.
Santa Rosa Avenue (Guerneville): Impacted by mudslide, along with Duncan Road and Old Monte Rio Road.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 4 P.M. ADDITIONS ARE UNDERLINED.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Tuesday's rain continued to cause issues on roadways in Lake County and elsewhere around the region, as water crossed roads and, in some areas of Napa and Sonoma counties, hillsides gave way.
Officer Kory Reynolds of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office said the main issue on state highways in Lake County on Tuesday was the temporary closure of Highway 29 at the Napa County line near Middletown due to a tree that had fallen and was blocking the highway.
The CHP said the road was cleared and reopened just before 3 p.m.
Reynolds said the storms also have left a lot of debris on roadways.
Elsewhere, areas like Scotts Valley Road near Highway 20 remained underwater, and in the city of Lakeport Martin Street had once again flooded.
Below is a roundup of local road closures as well as major closures in Napa and Sonoma counties that may affect commuters.
The road information, updated as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, is compiled from agencies including the California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Public Works, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Napa County Sheriff's Office and the town of Yountville.
LAKE COUNTY
KELSEYVILLE
Adobe Creek Road: Tree across the roadway half a mile south of Bell Hill Road.
Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek Low Water Crossing due to flooding.
Chaparral Lane: Closed at Riviera West Drive due to downed tree into power lines and across the roadway.
LAKEPORT
Hartley Street: Flooded at 16th Street.
Hendricks Road: Flooding across the roadway at the packing sheds.
Highland Springs Road: Flooding across the roadway at mile post marker 1.84.
Hill Road: Hill Road, between Sutter Lakeside Hospital entrance and Lakeshore Blvd due to mudslides across the roadway.
Mathews Road: Mathews Road is closed at Highway 175 due to a bridge replacement project.
Martin Street: Flooded in both directions and closed to all vehicular traffic from Russell Street to Forbes Street. Use Armstrong Street as the detour.
Soda Bay Road: Closed to through traffic between Big Valley Road and Highway 175/S. Main Street due to flooding.
Tenth Street: Flooded from North Street to Brush Street.
UPPER LAKE
Bartlett Springs Road: Four-wheel drive recommended; mudslide partially blocking the roadway at mile post marker 4.0.
Elk Mountain Road: Roadway closed at mile post marker 29.6 due to road washout; no estimate of when road will be reopened. four-wheel drive recommended from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury.
Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Hendricks Road to Highway 20 due to flooding.
NAPA COUNTY
Larkmead Lane: Closed due to downed power lines.
Lodi Lane: Closed from Highway 29 to Silverado Trail due to flooding.
Silverado Trail: Closed at Pratt Street due to a rockslide; closed from Dunaweal Lane to Larkmead Lane due to flooding; closed northbound at Lincoln Ave due to water in roadway; closed at Hagen Road because of a downed tree; closed between Deer Park and Pope Street due to a rockslide.
Spring Mountain Road: Completely closed from the city limits of St. Helena to the Sonoma County line due to mud slides and downed trees.
Yountville area: Numerous road closures reported due to the storms. Update posted here: http://www.townofyountville.com/Home/Components/News/News/856/32?backlist=%2f .
SONOMA COUNTY
Highway 128: Closed between Chalk Hill and Calistoga due to large mud slides and downed trees near mile post marker 16.582. Currently the scene is unsafe to clear due to the continuously moving hillside. It is unknown at this time when the roadway; could be closed for two to three days.
Santa Rosa Avenue (Guerneville): Impacted by mudslide, along with Duncan Road and Old Monte Rio Road.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the storms continuing, local businesses continue to offer sand and sandbags for sale, and are bringing in more supplies as they're able.
This list below, compiled by Lake County News, includes locations where sand, sandbags or both are available. In some cases, where they are out of sandbags, we have included information on when more are due to arrive.
The biggest change to sandbag availability on Tuesday was the arrival at Kelseyville Lumber of eight pallets of filled sandbags, costing $2.98 each. The store also has plenty of empty bags and sand for those who want to fill the bags themselves for $1.49 per bag.
The list is being updated as new information is received. If we've missed something, email us at
LAKE COUNTY SANDBAG REPORT
As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10.
CLEARLAKE
City of Clearlake Corporation Yard, next to Pierce Field airport
(Access off of Old Highway 53, between storage and Valley Glass)
Sand available, no sandbags.
Four Corners Builders Supply
14975 Olympic Drive
Telephone: 707-994-6277
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Out of sandbags as of Monday; reordering, more expected to arrive by Thursday.
Mendo Mill, Clearlake
5255 Old Highway 53
Telephone: 707-994-1014
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Out of sandbags as of Monday; reordering, more expected to arrive by Wednesday.
CLEARLAKE OAKS
Clearlake Lava
14572 E. Highway 20
Telephone: 707-998-1115
Hours: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Sand only; cost is $14/yard
KELSEYVILLE
Kelseyville Lumber
3555 N. Main St.
Telephone: 707-279-4297
Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Both sand and sandbags available.
Eight new pallets of filled sandbags arrived on Tuesday, selling for $2.98 each.
There is still plenty of sand and empty bags for those who want to fill the bags themselves; to fill your own sandbag, the cost is $1.49 each.
LAKEPORT
Mendo Mill, Lakeport
2465 S. Main St.
Telephone: 707-263-8400
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Out of sand and sandbags; attempting to locate more.
Rainbow Agricultural Services
1975 Argonaut Road, Lakeport
Telephone: 707-279-0550
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Plastic bags: $0.49 each.
No sand.
RB Peters
78 Soda Bay Road
Telephone: 707-263-3678
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Sand only: $35/yard or $1/five-gallon bucket
MIDDLETOWN
Hardesters
21088 Calistoga St.
Telephone: 707-987-2325
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday
Providing bulk sand along Young Street by the lumberyard free of charge. Currently out of sand bags until Thursday. Bring a shovel and gloves. Many are using contractor bags. The store thanked Kevin Smith for delivering the sand.
NICE
Lake Builders Supply
3694 E. Highway 20
Telephone: 707-274-6607
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Limited amounts of “play sand” left; 50 pound bag – $6, 100 pound bag – $12.49.
Out of sandbags; no estimate of when more will be available.