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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Walker Ridge has been on my plant exploration list for many years.
I had repeatedly heard about the rare plants, serpentine landscape, and epic wildflower displays that could be found along the ridge and in the adjacent Bear Valley.
I was excited to finally explore this place and to locate what has been called the largest stand of McNab Cypress in the world. What I found was something entirely different.
The California endemic McNab cypress (Cupressus macnabiana) favors the arid lowlands of the inner Coast Ranges, Sierran foothill woodlands and chaparral abutting the Central Valley. In this limited distribution, populations are often composed of only a few trees.
Like most California cypresses, are believed to have once had a more far-reaching range, but now survive in only fringe habitat.
By finding refuge on “edaphic islands” refined adaptations ensure that this habitat (which most other more common plant species find inhospitable) coupled with frequent fire return intervals, promote an environment where seedling recruitment is possible generation after generation.
It is estimated that there are as few as 30 groves of McNab Cypress in 12 counties throughout California. What these populations have in common is that they always grow on serpentine soil.
Along with typical chaparral associates like manzanita and ceanothus, McNab Cypress sometimes associates with other conifers including Sargent Cypress.
In fact, McNab and Sargent cypress are the only California cypresses whose ranges overlap.
A good place to see these two together is in the Frenzel Creek Research Natural Area just to the east of Walker Ridge in Colusa County.
The extensive serpentine soils found along Walker Ridge have nurtured a once-vast, now recovering, population of this rare conifer for many thousands of years.
What I was able to find on my first visit to Walker Ridge was once the largest stand of McNab cypress I would have ever seen.
The vast forest, as recently as spring 2008, would have spread its dwarfed-cypress-wings for several square miles across the southeast flanks of the ridgeline.
What I saw were many square miles of burned chaparral with only a few small relic patches of “old-growth” McNab Cypress.
The shift occurred in June 2008 when an off-road enthusiast ignited a fire via metal on serpentine.
The amazing result was a “temporary” consummation of this once-vast stand of trees.
Six years later this once-largest stand has been reduced to 10-inch tall saplings in a race for space with other fire-dependent chaparral species like manzanita and chamise, and this vegetation shift from McNab Cypress to chamise occurred in mere months.
Stand-replacing events such as this are testament to the ecosystem dynamics that can be observed throughout almost all of California’s landscapes and one of the major reasons this is a world biodiversity hotspot.
The questions I had as I drove back to Highway 20 on my way home to Humboldt County were where is the largest stand of McNab Cypress now and how many years will it take Walker Ridge’s cypresses to reclaim the title?
Tuleyome Tales is a monthly publication of Tuleyome, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information about Tuleyome go to www.tuleyome.org . Michael Kauffmann is an author and educator who lives in Humboldt County. He has written two books about conifers: “Conifer Country” and “Conifers of the Pacific Slope.” Copies of these books and other can be ordered from www.backcountrypress.com . Michael is also the author of the blog: Conifer Country ( http://blog.conifercountry.com ).
Under the Statute of Frauds, a land sale agreement must both be in writing and be signed by the person against whom it is being enforced, typically the seller.
Usually this is not a problem. But, problems can easily arise when friends who trust one another make oral land sale agreements or make oral modifications to existing written land sale agreements.
Such situations can fall apart when the seller dies before the transfer of title occurs at which time others less knowledgeable and often less friendly to the buyer step in to administer the now deceased seller’s estate.
Consider, for example, a real property owner who agrees to sell land with buildings in need of much repair to his friend, the buyer, under an installment purchase agreement with a six year term and balloon payment. The original agreement is in writing and is signed by both parties.
However, some years into the purchase agreement, after making many payments and substantial property improvements the buyer tells his friend the seller that he is in financial difficulty making his installment payments and doubts being able to make the upcoming balloon payment.
He requests that they extend the term (i.e., balloon payment date) and that the seller recommit to transferring title into the buyer’s name.
The owner agrees to extend the sale date on condition that the buyer makes higher installment payments.
Six years go by, during which the buyer faithfully makes his installment payment and continues to make substantial improvements to the residence on the real property.
The buyer keeps asking and the seller keeps promising to transfer the title into the buyer’s name.
Unfortunately the seller dies first and title remains in the seller’s name and his estate goes into a probate. Does the buyer have any legal recourse?
Under the Law of Equity, yes. Here the seller can petition the probate court to compel the estate to complete the sale and transfer title to the real property.
But what about the Statute of Frauds? Doesn’t it prevent the enforcement of the oral modification that extended the written contract’s sale date?
Fortunately, California’s probate courts can apply the Law of Equity (that seeks fairness) to fashion equitable remedies where enforcement of the Statute of Frauds would have unconscionable results.
In special circumstances, therefore, the Law of Equity can remove an oral modification from the Statute of Frauds.
Here, given the buyer’s part performance and detrimental reliance on the seller’s promise to extend the original purchase option date and transfer title into his name, the court may prevent the administrator of the deceased seller’s estate from asserting the Statute of Frauds (as a defense to the enforcement of the oral modification).
However, to successfully avail himself of the Law of Equity the buyer must meet his burden of establishing the factual basis for his equitable claims.
In this scenario that means the buyer would need to prove the following factual assertions: (1) that the oral modification to the written sale agreement took occurred; (2) the terms of the oral modification; (3) the amount of his payments; (4) the substantial improvements that the buyer made to the building; and (5) the value of these improvements.
Lastly, if the buyer is unable to make his case for specific performance of the land sale agreement then the court still has the option to award him money for the value of his improvements in order to prevent unjust enrichment to the decedent’s estate.
That is, of course, typically a fallback position and not the buyer’s desired result as the buyer.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. Fordham can be reached by e-mail at
Every 13 months, Earth and Jupiter have a close encounter.
Astronomers call it an “opposition” because Jupiter is opposite the Sun in the sky.
Our solar system’s largest gas planet rises in the east at sunset, and soars overhead at midnight, shining brighter than any star in the night sky.
This year's opposition of Jupiter occurred Feb. 6. It isn't an ordinary close encounter with Earth (approximately 640 million kilometers), but in February 2015, Jupiter is edge on to the Sun.
In a rare coincidence, Jupiter's opposition on Feb. 6 coincided almost perfectly with its equinox on Feb. 5 when the Sun crossed Jupiter's equatorial plane.
It is an edge-on apparition of the giant planet that sets the stage for a remarkable series of events.
For the next couple of months, backyard sky watchers can see the moons of Jupiter executing a complex series of mutual eclipses and transits.
The eclipses have already started.
On Jan. 24, for example, three of Jupiter's moon's – Io, Europa and Callisto – cast their inky-black shadows on Jupiter's swirling cloudtops.
The “triple shadow transit” happened while Jupiter was high in the sky over North America, and many backyard astronomers watched the event.
As Earth's crosses the plane of Jupiter's equator in the weeks and months ahead, there will be many mutual events.
For instance, on Feb. 5, volcanic Io cast its shadow on Mercury-sized Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon.
On Feb. 7, icy Europa, home to what may be the solar system's largest underground ocean, will cast its shadow on Io. Events like these will continue, off and on, until July.
During the last edge-on apparition in 2009, some observers managed to obtain the first resolved time-lapse videos of mutual phenomena.
Experienced amateur astronomers recorded satellites ducking in and out of one another's shadows, moons in partial and total eclipse and multiple shadows playing across the face of Jupiter.
Backyard telescopes have come a long way in the past six years, so even better movies can be expected this time.
You don't have to be an experienced astronomer to experience Jupiter's opposition.
Anyone can see the bright planet rising in the east at sunset. It outshines by far anything else in its patch of sky.
Point a small telescope at the bright light and, voilà! – there are Jupiter's cloud belts and storms, and the pinprick lights of the Galilean satellites circling the gas giant below.
Try it. 640 million kilometers won't seem so far away at all.
Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A storm that moved in from the Pacific brought the first day of rain and wind in some time to Lake County on Friday.
The National Weather Service said the tropical moisture plume is feeding two waves of precipitation and gusty winds that are moving over Northern California from Friday through Monday.
Forecasters said the first system, which arrived on Friday, will continue through Saturday night, with the second, slightly weaker system expected to start impacting Northern California on Sunday morning.
The system over the state on Friday is slower moving, which forecasters said will mean that the stronger winds coming with it are expected to last longer than normal.
Those stronger winds are forecast to lessen and strengthen again through Friday night as bands of energy move through the region.
Rainfall totals from the storm coming in from around Lake County just before 2:30 p.m. Friday showed totals ranging between 0.95 of an inch at Indian Valley Reservoir, 0.98 of an inch near High Glade Lookout above Upper Lake and the same amount at Cache Creek, 1.85 inches near Hidden Valley Lake, 1.87 inches near Lakeport, 2.12 inches on Mt. Konocti and 2.24 inches at Whispering Pines, according to National Weather Service data.
On Friday afternoon, the city of Lakeport reported that there was only localized flooding on Lange Street in front of the schools, with drivers advised to use caution in the area and not to drive around any barricades.
By 2:30 p.m. no road closures had been reported in Clearlake or Lakeport.
At that time, the city of Lakeport issued an update reporting that decreasing precipitation volumes resulted in a stabilization of creek and drainage levels.
If the rain continues at its current rate, there should be no road closures and a decrease in localized flooding, the city reported.
County road crews on Friday afternoon were working to clear debris on an area of Soda Bay Road between Riviera Heights and Buckingham.
Earlier in the day, Lake County Public Works had to clear several downed trees that had temporarily closed Bottle Rock Road between Harrington Flat and Highway 29.
The National Weather Service on Friday issued a wind advisory and a flood watch for Lake County, with a special weather statement for the area also remaining in effect due the storm, expected to continue through the weekend.
The flood watch is active until 4 a.m. Saturday, while the wind advisory remains in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday.
Rainfall totals around most of Lake County are expected to range between 4 to 7 inches, and up to 10 inches in the northern part of the county, according to the updated forecast.
The National Weather Service said the rain is expected to taper off on Saturday, however more heavy rain is expected throughout the day and night Sunday.
Snow levels across Northern California are predicted to be above 7,000 feet, with significant snowfall expected in the higher elevations.
As for winds, forecasters predicted winds ranging between 20 and 30 miles per hour in much of Lake County, with gusts as high as 50 to 70 miles per hour over the county's ridges. Winds are expected to be strongest in the late afternoon and evening.
Clear Lake's level already is benefiting from the first day of the storm.
US Geological Survey records showed that just before 2:30 p.m. Friday the lake's level had risen to 3.03 feet Rumsey from 2.90 feet Rumsey on Thursday.
Lake County News will continue to post updates as new information becomes available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A big winter storm that forecasters have warned would hit the region arrived early Friday morning with winds and heavy rain.
The National Weather Service reported that the storm is expected to continue through the weekend.
The large rainfall totals that forecasters are predicting is attributed to an “atmospheric river” – a plume of concentrated moisture between 250 and 400 miles wide.
Lake County is expected to get around 4 to 5 inches of rain in the lower elevations through Sunday, with higher elevations in the north of the county forecast to get 10 inches or more, based on the National Weather Service forecast.
The storm also is expected to bring winds averaging between 20 and 30 miles per hour – with higher gusts possible – to Lake County.
Meteorologist Scott Mace – who is not with the National Weather Service – told Lake County News that the heavy rain forecast for Northern California this weekend is from two waves of moisture and energy moving in from the Pacific Ocean.
“The first wave is the most intense with the heaviest rain and strongest wind. It's moving into the area early Friday morning with heavy rain through the day,” he said. “Rain will be lighter on Saturday with a few bursts of heavy rain until the evening.”
The second wave, Mace said, is forecast for Sunday morning and looks weaker, but still impressive.
He said Friday will pose the greatest potential for flooding and strong winds of up to 40 miles per hour could cause damage to trees and structures as well.
Isolated thunderstorms also are possible throughout the weekend, which Mace said could produce locally heavier rain and stronger winds.
Lake County News will post updates on the storm throughout the day.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LUCERNE, Calif. – Law enforcement is investigating a fight that occurred earlier this week in which a person was stabbed.
The incident was reported to have occurred on Monday afternoon in the area of Country Club Drive and Cornish Court in Lucerne.
Lt. Steve Brooks with the Lake County Sheriff's Office and Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff confirmed that one person was arrested in connection to the fight.
Silvia Gudino Pulido, 31, of Lucerne was arrested that same afternoon on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with a serious injury, according to her booking sheet.
Hinchcliff said Pulido was released this week, as the District Attorney's Office had rejected the initial filing on the case due to the need for additional evidence.
“There’s an ongoing investigation into the stabbing part of it,” said Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff said one person was stabbed, but it still wasn't clear who had stabbed the individual.
He said the fight involved numerous intoxicated subjects who initially were hitting each other. Then someone pulled a knife.
“It’s unclear who was the aggressor and who was acting in self-defense,” Hinchcliff said, adding that all of the fight's participants claimed they acted in self-defense.
While Pulido was the only person arrested, Hinchcliff said it wasn't alleged that she actually had done the stabbing.
He said if additional information arises to lead authorities to the person who was the aggressor, the District Attorney's Office can file charges in the case.
Anyone with information about the case can call the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which is leading the stabbing investigation, at 707-262-4200.
Email Elizabeth Larson at