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The inaugural California Invasive Species Action Week is scheduled Aug. 2 through Aug. 10.
The goal of Action Week is to promote public awareness of invasive species issues and to encourage public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with other departments, agencies, organizations and volunteer programs across California to host more than 40 educational and “action” events including invasive species removals, habitat restoration projects, quagga mussel surveys, field outings, public presentations, youth activities and a film festival.
All events are open to the public, although some require registration. To locate an event near you, please view the complete schedule of events on the Action Week Web page at www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/actionweek/ .
The Action Week webpage provides information for individuals wishing to participate independently. For example, people can locate recipes for preparing invasive plants or animals, find out where they can purchase certified “weed-free” project materials or livestock forage, find desirable, native alternatives to certain invasive ornamental plants or learn how to monitor plants and trees for symptoms of infestations or diseases.
People can also volunteer to “inspect” a local waterbody for quagga and zebra mussels and submit their findings to CDFW on its Web site.
Action Week will also include the announcement of the winners of the “Race to Protect Your Favorite Place” youth poster contest, in which youths, grades second through 12th, submitted original posters depicting invasive species which threaten their favorite places and how they can take action to help protect that habitat.
The state of California has announced the release of the Final Safeguarding California Plan for Reducing Climate Risk.
The report can be found at http://resources.ca.gov/docs/climate/Final_Safeguarding_CA_Plan_July_31_2014.pdf .
California is a leader in the global effort to fight climate change. While these efforts will reduce the magnitude of climate change, they will not prevent it from occurring.
California's and the world’s climate are changing, posing dire threats to human health, the economy, and natural resources.
Extreme weather, rising sea levels, changing precipitation and other climate impacts will touch every part of peoples’ lives in the decades to come.
In the near term, Californians must take practical, affordable steps to maintain our water, power and transportation infrastructure, and plan for longer term actions as well.
The Safeguarding California Plan provides policy guidance for state decision makers, and is part of continuing efforts to reduce climate impacts and prepare for climate risks.
State officials said implementation of the Safeguarding California Plan will help foster a vibrant and sustainable future for California.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – County officials reported Wednesday that a Lake County resident has tested positive for West Nile virus.
In addition, 18 mosquito samples and five dead birds have been found infected with WNV this year in Lake County.
“West Nile virus activity is higher than it was a year ago at this time. With the hot days and nighttime lows in the upper 60s, conditions are perfect for the virus to continue multiplying,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of the Lake County Vector Control District.
“Mosquitoes develop faster in the heat, so it’s important for residents to drain any standing water in their yards where the mosquitoes can develop,” Scott said.
Five human cases of West Nile virus infection have been detected in Lake County since 2004; the last human case was in 2012.
Statewide, 35 California counties have detected WNV this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds. Nineteen other human cases have been reported in California this year.
While less than 1 percent of individuals – about 1 in 150 people – infected with West Nile virus will develop severe illness from West Nile virus infection, the disease can cause symptoms that can last for several weeks, and neurologic effects can be permanent.
In some individuals, the infection can be fatal. People over age 50 and diabetics are at risk for the more severe forms of the disease.
“Our goal in Lake County is to keep West Nile Virus illness in humans as close to zero as possible,” said Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait. “Prevention of mosquito bites is how this illness is avoided. People need to consistently take precautions. We are fortunate to have a strong partnership between Public Health and Lake County Vector Control District, which helps us identify and intervene in areas of increased West Nile Virus activity.”
“We are continuing to test mosquitoes and dead birds throughout the county,” said Dr. Scott. “We are looking for standing water where the mosquitoes develop and working with property owners to drain the water when possible, or using mosquito-eating fish or biorational larvicides to prevent new mosquitoes from emerging.”
To reduce your risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus:
- Drain any standing water that may produce mosquitoes.
- Defend yourself and your home by using an effective insect repellent, dressing protectively when outside, and making sure screens on doors and windows are in good condition.
- Contact the District for any additional help controlling mosquitoes around your home.
Common mosquito sources in Lake County include out-of-service swimming pools and spas, animal watering troughs, ornamental ponds, and other sources of standing water.
The district has free mosquito-eating fish to control mosquitoes in these sources.
Residents are encouraged to contact the district to report neglected pools, request service for mosquito problems, or to get mosquito fish at 707-263-4770 or to fill out a service request online at www.lcvcd.org .
For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ .
Information about mosquito repellents can be found on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html .
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) will host a community discussion on concussion identification and prevention on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.
More than 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. Concussions and head injuries are happening with greater frequency across all sports.
At this meeting, athletes, parents and coaches will have the opportunity to speak with experts about how to recognize a possible concussion, how to prevent serious head injuries and how to respond to head injuries when they occur.
Speaking at the event will be former San Francisco 49ers football player; Dr. Robert Nied, a sports medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente; and Nauto Horiquchi, head athletic trainer at the Mendocino College campuses in Lakeport and Ukiah.
Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
Drought conditions have increased the possibility of disease outbreaks in waterfowl, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and property owners are being asked to help track the impacts.
Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes avian botulism in waterfowl, is common in wetlands throughout California.
Toxins from this bacterium affect the central nervous system of waterfowl, ultimately resulting in death.
Outbreaks of avian botulism typically occur when wetland temperatures are very warm and there is rotting vegetation that bacteria can feed upon, decreasing the oxygen level in the water.
Outbreaks can cause substantial localized mortality to waterfowl.
Previous outbreaks of avian botulism in California have been responsible for as many as 46,000 waterfowl deaths in a single event.
Symptoms of avian botulism include involuntary muscle contractions/convulsions; limp wings; limp neck; paralysis; and birds propelling themselves through water with their wings.
During an outbreak there may also be numerous carcasses of waterfowl in the area.
Prompt removal of carcasses often helps to minimize mortality and reduce the spread of disease.
CDFW is asking private landowners to monitor their properties for waterfowl mortality and to report any possible outbreaks to the CDFW Wildlife Investigations Lab at 916-358-2790 or online using the Mortality Reporting Form, www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/WildlifeInvestigations/Monitoring/MortalityReport.aspx .
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Wednesday morning lightning strikes sparked several wildland fires in the Laytonville area.
The Lodge Lightning Complex – composed of a total of three fires – is located in Mendocino County's Wilderness Lodge area on Bell Springs Road, two miles west of Highway 101, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire said the fires were first reported just before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
By the end of the day they had burned about 36 acres in a mix of heavy timber with steep, rugged terrain and difficult access, and oak woodlands, Cal Fire reported.
There was no containment on the two smaller fires, totaling just over 20 acres, on Wednesday, while the largest fire, at 15 acres, is 75-percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
No injuries were reported Wednesday, and Cal Fire said no structures were threatened.
Five engines, eight fire crews, three bulldozers, five air tankers, five helicopters and 180 personnel were assigned to the complex on Wednesday, with Cal Fire reporting that there will be significant augmentation of fire line personnel on Thursday.
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