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Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and the chairman of the Yocha Dehe Tribe of Capay Valley on Tuesday testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands on his bill, the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” (H.R.6366).

The legislation, which Garamendi introduced with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), would expand the existing Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include approximately 3,925 acres of adjacent public land administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management in Lake County, known previously as the “Walker Ridge” tract. The legislation would not impact privately owned, state, tribal, or non-federal land in any way.

“Conserving California’s special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as deputy secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Lake County. Walker Ridge is one of those special places, and I am thrilled to continue working in Congress to conserve this unique landscape for future generations of Californians to enjoy,” Garamendi said.

“My ‘Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act’ also ensures that federally recognized tribes are consulted throughout the process to ensure Native American voices play an active role in protecting public lands,” Garamendi continued.

“Thank you to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for allowing me to testify on this critically important legislation, and thank you to my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson, for partnering with me to introduce the ‘Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act.’ We will both work tirelessly to ensure this legislation becomes law,” Garamendi concluded.

Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts also testified on Tuesday before Congress on behalf of protections for the Lake County area currently known as Walker Ridge.

Additionally, H.R. 6366 calls for Walker Ridge to be renamed “Molok Luyuk” (pronounced: `Mo.loke `Loy.uke) which means “Condor Ridge” in Yocha Dehe’s traditional Patwin language.

“With our long history in this area, we have a unique perspective on how this land should be managed, and we are willing to apply our historical practices with modern technologies to ensure that Molok Luyuk is preserved and healthy, a place for all to enjoy,” Chairman Roberts noted in his testimony.

California condors were once a common sight above the ridge and, according to Chairman Roberts, with proper environmental protections they could be reintroduced to the area.

Molok Luyuk is also home to endangered wildlife such as bald and golden eagles, badgers, ringtails, and peregrine falcons. In addition, the area is a recognized wildlife migration pathway for a multitude of species, including deer, elk, mountain lion, black bear, and bobcat.

“Proper management is necessary to preserve these unique lands and protect cultural resources, while also ensuring the availability of recreational opportunities for sightseers, mountain bikers, hikers, off-highway vehicle users, campers, and equestrians,” Roberts said.

Specifically, the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” (H.R.6366) would:

• Modify the boundary of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge.

• Require a map of the National Monument expansion to be publicly available on BLM website.

• Direct the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to complete the management plan within 1 year of enactment. To date, the management planning is still unfinished since the designation of the National Monument in 2015.

• Require federal land management agencies to consult with federally recognized tribes in developing the management plan and its implementation.

• Outline parameters for continued, meaningful engagement with federally recognized tribes for implementation of the management plan.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a diverse group of dogs waiting to be adopted.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

The following dogs are available for adoption.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.

He is dog No. 48443693.

‘Snowball’

“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49159168.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48443128.

‘Priscilla’

“Priscilla” is a female Brittany spaniel mix with a white and copper coat.

She is dog No. 49089138.

‘Fritz’

“Fritz” is a male Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 49278179.

‘Ebenezer’

“Ebenezer” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 49191651.

‘Claire’

“Claire” is a female border collie mix with a short black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

Claire is dog No. 49397880.

‘Chai’

“Chai” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a gray and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49279552.

‘Bear No. 2’

“Bear No. 2” is a male American pit bull mix with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48731556.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48443153.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 48995415.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The day after the Middletown Unified School Board voted to accept the resignation of its superintendent, detectives served a search warrant on an individual who is suspected of having recorded a conversation with that school official without his knowledge.

Tim Gill submitted his resignation as superintendent of Middletown Unified on Monday, with Tuesday being his last day, as Lake County News has reported.

On Wednesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had become aware on Tuesday of an incident involving a parent upset about a school policy who allegedly recorded a private conversation between themselves and the school superintendent without the superintendent’s consent.

Lauren Berlinn, the sheriff’s public information officer, confirmed to Lake County News that the situation involved Middletown Unified.

Authorities said an investigation was initiated and resulted in the issuance of a search warrant that was served on Wednesday.

“Pursuant to the search warrant, several items were seized and will be examined to determine whether or not a crime has been committed,” the sheriff’s office said.

Under California law, “eavesdropping” — recording someone without their knowledge — is illegal, with exceptions for law enforcement investigations.

California Penal Code Section 632, which is part of the Invasion of Privacy Act, states: “A person who, intentionally and without the consent of all parties to a confidential communication, uses an electronic amplifying or recording device to eavesdrop upon or record the confidential communication, whether the communication is carried on among the parties in the presence of one another or by means of a telegraph, telephone, or other device, except a radio, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation, or imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison, or by both that fine and imprisonment.”

Convictions for previous violations can result in a fine of up to $10,000 per violation, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison, or by both that fine and imprisonment, the Penal Code states.

Such cases may be prosecuted either as a misdemeanor or as a felony.

Gill, a veteran educator, had been with the district for only four months when he abruptly resigned this week.

At a special Tuesday night meeting — during which the Middletown Unified School Board voted to accept his resignation — community members and teachers were unanimous in lamenting his departure and lauding him for his work with the district.

While Gill has so far declined to explain why he left his job, speakers at the Tuesday night meeting attributed his resignation to a politically charged, divided and at times abusive environment that has developed in the district, focused primarily on mandates related to COVID-19.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, and, “as with any allegation of criminal activity, there is always a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Deputy Nate Newton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-262-4200.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Lake County due to rain and freezing temperatures in the forecast for the coming days.

The agency said frost and freezing conditions are possible across Mendocino and Lake counties from Saturday through early next week.

Ahead of that, the forecast calls for chances of rain from Thursday through Friday. On Thursday, less than a tenth of an inch is anticipated, to be accompanied by light winds.

Winds are expected to continue on Thursday and increase to more than 25 miles per hour on Friday, with gusts of close to 40 miles per hour.

Temperatures from Thursday through Wednesday will range from the low 40s down into the low 30s at night, and the low 50s to high 60s during the day.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

After a strong start to the water year, California’s snowpack has fallen well behind the seasonal average, state officials reported.

The Department of Water Resources conducted the third snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on Tuesday.

Following a January and February that will enter records as the driest documented in state history, the manual survey recorded 35 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 16 inches, which is 68% of average for this location for March.

The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is 63% of average for this date.

“With only one month left in California’s wet season and no major storms in the forecast, Californians should plan for a third year of drought conditions,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “A significantly below-average snowpack combined with already low reservoir levels make it critical that all Californians step up and conserve water every day to help the state meet the challenges of severe drought.”

Although early season storms helped alleviate some drought impacts, a lack of storms in January and February heightens the need for conservation.

The governor has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15% compared to 2020 levels.

Regionally, the Northern, Central and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 59% to 66% of average for this date, impacting watersheds across the state.

DWR has increased its efforts to improve climate and runoff forecasting by strengthening its collaborations with partner agencies investing in proven technologies to improve data collection and hydrologic modeling.

This includes efforts at the Central Sierra Snow Lab where DWR and its partners regularly test new equipment and sensors to maximize performance when measuring the state’s snowpack.
Forecast improvements and monitoring enhancements increase the reliability of data used to inform water managers about flood risks, allowing opportunities to create more storage in reservoirs ahead of big storms while also ensuring water supply reliability in periods of dry or drought conditions.

“As the world continues to warm, precipitation is pushing toward extremes. Even when we see large storms producing a lot of snow early in the season, all it takes is a few dry weeks to put us below average,” said Jeremy Hill, manager of DWR’s Hydrology and Flood Operations Branch. “This new pattern challenges forecasting efforts that have relied on historical patterns, so DWR has led the charge to adopt new technologies and utilize the best available science to manage water in real time and use forecasts that give us time to make decisions to get the most benefits and minimize the hazards.”

Current water conditions are now available in real time at California Water Watch, a new website launched by DWR.

This website will help Californians see their local hydrological conditions, forecasts, and water conditions down to their address or their local watershed. The site presents data from a variety of sources and allows the public to obtain a quick snapshot of local and statewide water conditions.

“With below average precipitation and snowpack up until this point, our latest statewide snowmelt forecasts are only 66% of average,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. “That is not enough to fill up our reservoirs. Without any significant storms on the horizon, it’s safe to say we’ll end this year dry and extend this drought a third year.”

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) said he is continuing his efforts to ensure that the Californians who did the right thing and installed solar panels do not face an increased tax on them.

The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed to significantly cut the net metering rate and apply a new tax on solar panels, leading to an average of a $90 per month increase while decreasing the financial returns from selling excess energy.

“Climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues our communities are facing, and many Californians have taken a smart step and installed solar panels on their homes to transition towards clean energy,” said Thompson. “However, the combination of decreasing the net metering rate and raising taxes on solar panels would disincentivize the installation of solar panels and penalize Californians who are doing the right thing for our climate. CPUC must reevaluate these proposed changes to protect the solar panel industry and ensure the financial benefits remain for those who transition to solar energy.”

Congressman Thompson led a letter to the CPUC that 25 members of the California delegation signed calling for a reevaluation of the proposed changes.

The text of the letter can be found below.


Dear President Reynolds:

We are writing to share the concerns we have heard from our constituents, small businesses, and many others, regarding the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) proposed decision to significantly reduce the financial benefits of rooftop solar in California. We applaud your decision to postpone this proposal and ask you to use the time to look at options that do not harm existing residential solar adopters while achieving an equitable solution for future adopters as well as all customers.

We are proud that California leads the nation in rooftop solar installations. Net energy metering has made it possible for Californians to plan for and install solar systems based on a known return on investment. One of our main concerns regards changing the rules of the program that many of our constituents planned on when committing to a solar system. The proposed decision would upend the fundamental calculations upon which contracts were presented to our constituents, which were based on regulations the state had in place at the time to incentivize clean energy adoption. Retroactively altering these assumptions would change the expected benefit of installing solar and represent a breach of trust between the state and residents who opted to do the right thing for the environment.

We appreciate that net metering should be updated to reflect new market conditions and state policy goals. However, imposing a tax on solar panels and reducing the rate of solar power exports by as much as 80 percent will label California as a climate straggler, not a climate leader.

We are making great strides in Congress to address the climate crisis by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy technologies. As you know, in November the House of Representatives passed legislation that included a 10-year extension of the federal tax credits for solar energy and storage to maximize deployment over the next decade. We are concerned that the proposed decision runs counter to this policy objective and would reportedly cut California’s rooftop solar market in half by 2024.

We do support the CPUC’s efforts to expand the benefits of solar to more Californians, especially those in disadvantaged communities and communities of color; however, any policy that severely impacts the rooftop solar market will not achieve that policy objective. We are confident that there are better policies to keep solar growing while making it more accessible to underserved communities.

We urge you to consider options that do not harm existing solar users while achieving a forward-looking solution for future adopters and all customers. We look forward to the CPUC issuing a dramatically revised policy that supports rapid renewable deployment and California’s continued climate leadership.