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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Fire Protection District Board has approved a contract for repairs to Station 52, damaged by a vehicle crash in the fall.
During a special Tuesday evening meeting, the board voted to authorize Chief Patrick Reitz to enter into a contract with Fort Bragg Electric for repairs to the station, located at 3600 Hill Road East.
Fort Bragg Electric submitted the lowest bid, $203,046. The other qualified bidder was Bridges Construction, which bid the job at $260,000.
The third bidder, which was disqualified because it didn’t include prevailing wage, was Crane of Ukiah, whose proposal said it built Station 52 in 1990.
In recent years, the district has not had enough personnel to staff Station 52.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Nov. 12, a driver traveling at high speed was unable to properly negotiate the Hill Road exit off Highway 29.
The driver lost control of the vehicle, which crossed Park Way, went over a curb and through a grassy area, crashed through a Caltrans highway fence and traveled across Hill Road before hitting Station 52. The driver was uninjured.
Officials at the time said the crash caused significant damage to the structure’s steel framework and bay doors, as Lake County News has reported.
Fort Bragg Electric’s scope of work includes installing new metal columns, doors, water lines, irrigation equipment, lighting and siding.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Symphony Association Wine Club is taking applications for home brewers, winemakers and food and craft vendors for the 2023 Home Wine and Beer Makers’ Festival coming to Library Park on June 10.
Please sign up early to ensure a spot.
Home brewers and winemakers throughout Northern California are invited to participate and supply samples of their product to the public.
They also have a chance to win a coveted “Peoples’ Choice” award for their homemade beverages, voted on by event attendees.
Home winemakers also have the chance to enter their creations for judging by experts the evening before the Winefest.
There is no booth fee for amateur wine and beer makers.
Vendors selling food, arts and crafts, agricultural products, clothing, and other products are a welcome addition to the Winefest and help make it more enjoyable for everyone. Vendor booth fees are $35. Vendors may bring their own canopies or rent one for $25 to provide shade.
Home winemakers, beer makers and vendors wishing to participate should go to https://www.lakecountywinefest.com to download applications for the 2023 Winefest.
For more information, emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Please sign up early to ensure a spot.
Home brewers and winemakers throughout Northern California are invited to participate and supply samples of their product to the public.
They also have a chance to win a coveted “Peoples’ Choice” award for their homemade beverages, voted on by event attendees.
Home winemakers also have the chance to enter their creations for judging by experts the evening before the Winefest.
There is no booth fee for amateur wine and beer makers.
Vendors selling food, arts and crafts, agricultural products, clothing, and other products are a welcome addition to the Winefest and help make it more enjoyable for everyone. Vendor booth fees are $35. Vendors may bring their own canopies or rent one for $25 to provide shade.
Home winemakers, beer makers and vendors wishing to participate should go to https://www.lakecountywinefest.com to download applications for the 2023 Winefest.
For more information, email
Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s ground-breaking legislation to expedite offshore wind development to help meet the Golden State’s long-term electricity demand and extraordinary climate goals passed Tuesday with bipartisan support in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
“If we’re serious about bringing on desperately needed new power generation facilities and meeting the state’s nation-leading climate goals and energy needs — we must move heaven and earth to deploy new green power,” McGuire said.
“This bill will expedite the state-side offshore wind permitting process eliminating three years off of the permitting timeline all while protecting California’s coastal environment and storied fishing fleet, it will deploy resources for offshore wind infrastructure in local communities and help get folks to work through new career training programs,” McGuire added.
SB 286 — the Offshore Wind Expediting Act — will accelerate the state-side offshore wind permitting process through the State Coastal Commission and State Land Commission.
At the same time, it will ensure environmental safeguards will remain in place, California’s storied fishing fleet interests are protected, and the bill will advance resources that benefit communities and develop family-sustaining careers through workforce education programs.
In addition to desperately needed streamlining, this bill also mandates state agencies and key stakeholders come together to collaborate and develop the long-term game plan to deploy offshore wind infrastructure.
SB 286 requires the Coastal Commission to bring the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Lands Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, representatives from the commercial fishing industry, representatives from the offshore wind industry, federal agencies, labor, Native American tribes and other stakeholders together over the next two years.
This stakeholder group will create a statewide standard to ensure offshore wind development is expedited and will develop data-driven strategies to avoid and minimize impacts to ocean fisheries and to the maximum extent possible, mitigate for unavoidable impacts.
SB 286 was approved by a 9-0 vote in Senate Natural Resources Committee and will be heard next in the Senate Energy Committee.
“If we’re serious about bringing on desperately needed new power generation facilities and meeting the state’s nation-leading climate goals and energy needs — we must move heaven and earth to deploy new green power,” McGuire said.
“This bill will expedite the state-side offshore wind permitting process eliminating three years off of the permitting timeline all while protecting California’s coastal environment and storied fishing fleet, it will deploy resources for offshore wind infrastructure in local communities and help get folks to work through new career training programs,” McGuire added.
SB 286 — the Offshore Wind Expediting Act — will accelerate the state-side offshore wind permitting process through the State Coastal Commission and State Land Commission.
At the same time, it will ensure environmental safeguards will remain in place, California’s storied fishing fleet interests are protected, and the bill will advance resources that benefit communities and develop family-sustaining careers through workforce education programs.
In addition to desperately needed streamlining, this bill also mandates state agencies and key stakeholders come together to collaborate and develop the long-term game plan to deploy offshore wind infrastructure.
SB 286 requires the Coastal Commission to bring the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Lands Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, representatives from the commercial fishing industry, representatives from the offshore wind industry, federal agencies, labor, Native American tribes and other stakeholders together over the next two years.
This stakeholder group will create a statewide standard to ensure offshore wind development is expedited and will develop data-driven strategies to avoid and minimize impacts to ocean fisheries and to the maximum extent possible, mitigate for unavoidable impacts.
SB 286 was approved by a 9-0 vote in Senate Natural Resources Committee and will be heard next in the Senate Energy Committee.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Caltrans District 1 has announced free Large Item Dump Day events on Saturday, April 22, to celebrate Earth Day.
These dump day events are made possible through Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to keep roads and waterways free of litter, create thousands of jobs and transform state and local public spaces through beautification efforts.
Large Item Dump Day events will take place at the following locations in Lake County April 22:
C & S Waste Transfer Station: Accepting mattresses and furniture only at 230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
South Lake Refuse & Recycling: Accepting mattresses and furniture only, 16015 Davis St., Clearlake, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
Eastlake Landfill: Accepting mattresses and furniture only, 16015 Davis Ave., Clearlake, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
Free Dump Day collection is limited to the household items listed above. No construction materials, business waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, treated wood waste or asbestos of any type will be accepted.
Caltrans reminds motorists to properly secure and tarp all cargo loads prior to driving. Transporting unsecured loads is unsafe, illegal, and pollutes California's roads and waterways. Loads that are not tied down, enclosed, or secured by tarps or other means will not be accepted.
Tips for securing your load:
• Completely cover loads with tarps or cargo nets. Debris can escape from gaps.
• Remove loose material and trash before driving.
• Don't overload — keep materials level with your truck bed.
• Put light items lower, tie large items to the vehicle for traffic safety.
About the campaign
Since 2021, the Clean California initiative has removed 1.4 million cubic yards of trash, created 3,500 jobs, and awarded $300 million in local grants.
Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about how Clean California is transforming communities and educating the public.
In February, Gov. Newsom announced a new funding round for $100 million in grants for local Clean California projects. There are also a variety of career and job opportunities through Clean California. For more information on this, please visit the jobs section at tinyurl.com/CleanCAHiring.
Caltrans is also in the process of developing the Clean California Community program, in which communities from across the state can seek to earn a designation by meeting criteria centered around preventing and cleaning up litter, promoting recycling, and otherwise greening or beautifying their communities. Incentives will also be offered to encourage communities to earn this designation.
These dump day events are made possible through Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to keep roads and waterways free of litter, create thousands of jobs and transform state and local public spaces through beautification efforts.
Large Item Dump Day events will take place at the following locations in Lake County April 22:
C & S Waste Transfer Station: Accepting mattresses and furniture only at 230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
South Lake Refuse & Recycling: Accepting mattresses and furniture only, 16015 Davis St., Clearlake, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
Eastlake Landfill: Accepting mattresses and furniture only, 16015 Davis Ave., Clearlake, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until capacity is reached. Sponsored by Clean California, County of Lake, South Lake Refuse & Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions.
Free Dump Day collection is limited to the household items listed above. No construction materials, business waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, treated wood waste or asbestos of any type will be accepted.
Caltrans reminds motorists to properly secure and tarp all cargo loads prior to driving. Transporting unsecured loads is unsafe, illegal, and pollutes California's roads and waterways. Loads that are not tied down, enclosed, or secured by tarps or other means will not be accepted.
Tips for securing your load:
• Completely cover loads with tarps or cargo nets. Debris can escape from gaps.
• Remove loose material and trash before driving.
• Don't overload — keep materials level with your truck bed.
• Put light items lower, tie large items to the vehicle for traffic safety.
About the campaign
Since 2021, the Clean California initiative has removed 1.4 million cubic yards of trash, created 3,500 jobs, and awarded $300 million in local grants.
Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about how Clean California is transforming communities and educating the public.
In February, Gov. Newsom announced a new funding round for $100 million in grants for local Clean California projects. There are also a variety of career and job opportunities through Clean California. For more information on this, please visit the jobs section at tinyurl.com/CleanCAHiring.
Caltrans is also in the process of developing the Clean California Community program, in which communities from across the state can seek to earn a designation by meeting criteria centered around preventing and cleaning up litter, promoting recycling, and otherwise greening or beautifying their communities. Incentives will also be offered to encourage communities to earn this designation.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, has an opening for a commissioner and is seeking applicants interested in serving.
LAFCO is a distinct agency created by state legislation to ensure that changes in governmental organization occur in a manner which provides efficient, quality services and preserves open space and agricultural land resources.
The commission is charged with applying the policies and provisions of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 in its decisions regarding annexations, incorporations, reorganizations, and other changes of local government. The LAFCO website is www.lakelafco.org.
LAFCO meets on the third Wednesday of every other month at Lakeport City Hall or at Clearlake City Hall. Commissioners receive a $100 monthly meeting stipend.
The appointment is for a public member who resides anywhere within Lake County, including the territory in the city limits of Lakeport and Clearlake, to sit as a public member or alternate on the commission to complete a four-year term ending in May 2027.
A public member must be able and available to regularly attend commission meetings and/or hearings or otherwise will be removed after absence of three consecutive meetings.
No officer or employee of the county or any city or special district within Lake County is allowed to sit as a public member on the commission.
A public commission member, as are all other commissioners, is required to file an annual statement of economic interest.
If you are interested, send a letter describing your background and reasons for wanting to become the selected public member to serve on the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission no later than Friday, May 5.
For more information, contact LAFCO Executive Officer John Benoit at 707-592-7528 or emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Please send your letter of interest describing your background to Lake LAFCO, P.O. Box 2694 Granite Bay, CA 95746 or email a letter of interest toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
All applicants will be invited to the LAFCO meeting on Wednesday, May 17, for an interview with the commission.
LAFCO is a distinct agency created by state legislation to ensure that changes in governmental organization occur in a manner which provides efficient, quality services and preserves open space and agricultural land resources.
The commission is charged with applying the policies and provisions of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 in its decisions regarding annexations, incorporations, reorganizations, and other changes of local government. The LAFCO website is www.lakelafco.org.
LAFCO meets on the third Wednesday of every other month at Lakeport City Hall or at Clearlake City Hall. Commissioners receive a $100 monthly meeting stipend.
The appointment is for a public member who resides anywhere within Lake County, including the territory in the city limits of Lakeport and Clearlake, to sit as a public member or alternate on the commission to complete a four-year term ending in May 2027.
A public member must be able and available to regularly attend commission meetings and/or hearings or otherwise will be removed after absence of three consecutive meetings.
No officer or employee of the county or any city or special district within Lake County is allowed to sit as a public member on the commission.
A public commission member, as are all other commissioners, is required to file an annual statement of economic interest.
If you are interested, send a letter describing your background and reasons for wanting to become the selected public member to serve on the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission no later than Friday, May 5.
For more information, contact LAFCO Executive Officer John Benoit at 707-592-7528 or email
Please send your letter of interest describing your background to Lake LAFCO, P.O. Box 2694 Granite Bay, CA 95746 or email a letter of interest to
All applicants will be invited to the LAFCO meeting on Wednesday, May 17, for an interview with the commission.
Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and John Sarbanes (MD-03) HAVE led a group of 28 lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretaries Tom Vilsack and Deb Haaland, urging the Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior to undertake a formal rulemaking to protect mature and old-growth forests.
“Mature and old-growth trees play an outsized role in carbon sequestration and storage and provide a host of related benefits, including water quality, recreation, and overall ecosystem integrity,” wrote the lawmakers.
In April 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14072, recognizing mature and old-growth forests as vital to the health, prosperity, and resilience of communities across the nation.
Mature and old-growth trees absorb and store more greenhouse gases than younger trees and are home to greater biodiversity, making them essential to our climate and conservation goals.
In light of this, Executive Order 14072 directed USDA and DOI to define, identify, and complete an inventory of mature and old-growth forests on federal lands by April 22, 2023.
However, the executive order did not direct USDA and the Department of the Interior to initiate a formal rulemaking to provide durable protections.
“We strongly urge you to initiate a formal rulemaking to ensure these crucial actions are not easily overturned in the future.” the lawmakers continued. “And while your agencies work to implement E.O. 14072 and finalize the rulemaking process, we ask that you issue interim guidance as soon as possible to protect against the further loss of existing mature and old-growth forests. These actions are key to accomplishing the Administration’s commitments to protecting our climate and biodiversity and to position the U.S. as an international leader in nature-based solutions.”
The letter has the support of environmental leaders and stakeholders.
“Ecologically intact older forests have a myriad of benefits, with one being increased resilience to climate stressors like wildfire and drought,” said Josh Hicks, senior campaign manager, National Forests Campaign, The Wilderness Society. “Therefore, a policy that retains, restores, and recruits increased old-growth forests is one of the best ways to fight against the increased, uncharacteristic wildfires we’ve seen over the past several years. We are so appreciative of Representatives Matsui, Huffman and Sarbanes for elevating this important issue.”
“From coast to coast, a diverse coalition of stakeholders is calling on the federal government to protect mature and old growths forests from the myriad threats they face, including wildfires, climate change, and reckless logging,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative, Earthjustice. “Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is one of the best nature-based solutions we have for fighting climate change and should be a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy. We thank Reps. Matsui, Huffman, Sarbanes, and dozens of other Congressional members whose districts include forests across the country for recognizing this important issue and leading efforts to urge the federal government to protect our climate forests.”
A copy of the letter is below.
“Mature and old-growth trees play an outsized role in carbon sequestration and storage and provide a host of related benefits, including water quality, recreation, and overall ecosystem integrity,” wrote the lawmakers.
In April 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14072, recognizing mature and old-growth forests as vital to the health, prosperity, and resilience of communities across the nation.
Mature and old-growth trees absorb and store more greenhouse gases than younger trees and are home to greater biodiversity, making them essential to our climate and conservation goals.
In light of this, Executive Order 14072 directed USDA and DOI to define, identify, and complete an inventory of mature and old-growth forests on federal lands by April 22, 2023.
However, the executive order did not direct USDA and the Department of the Interior to initiate a formal rulemaking to provide durable protections.
“We strongly urge you to initiate a formal rulemaking to ensure these crucial actions are not easily overturned in the future.” the lawmakers continued. “And while your agencies work to implement E.O. 14072 and finalize the rulemaking process, we ask that you issue interim guidance as soon as possible to protect against the further loss of existing mature and old-growth forests. These actions are key to accomplishing the Administration’s commitments to protecting our climate and biodiversity and to position the U.S. as an international leader in nature-based solutions.”
The letter has the support of environmental leaders and stakeholders.
“Ecologically intact older forests have a myriad of benefits, with one being increased resilience to climate stressors like wildfire and drought,” said Josh Hicks, senior campaign manager, National Forests Campaign, The Wilderness Society. “Therefore, a policy that retains, restores, and recruits increased old-growth forests is one of the best ways to fight against the increased, uncharacteristic wildfires we’ve seen over the past several years. We are so appreciative of Representatives Matsui, Huffman and Sarbanes for elevating this important issue.”
“From coast to coast, a diverse coalition of stakeholders is calling on the federal government to protect mature and old growths forests from the myriad threats they face, including wildfires, climate change, and reckless logging,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative, Earthjustice. “Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is one of the best nature-based solutions we have for fighting climate change and should be a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy. We thank Reps. Matsui, Huffman, Sarbanes, and dozens of other Congressional members whose districts include forests across the country for recognizing this important issue and leading efforts to urge the federal government to protect our climate forests.”
A copy of the letter is below.
Matsui Letter to Sec. Vilsack and Sec. Haaland on Mature and Oid Growth Forests Rulemaking by LakeCoNews on Scribd