News

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey and other U.S. government agencies project that the rise in ocean height in the next 30 years could equal the total rise seen over the past 100 years.

Coastal flooding will increase significantly over the next 30 years because of sea level rise, according to a new report by an interagency sea level rise task force that includes NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and other federal agencies.

Titled Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, the Feb. 15 report concludes that sea level along U.S. coastlines will rise between 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) on average above today’s levels by 2050.

The report – an update to a 2017 report – forecasts sea level to the year 2150 and, for the first time, offers near-term projections for the next 30 years.

Agencies at the federal, state, and local levels use these reports to inform their plans on anticipating and coping with the effects of sea level rise.

“This report supports previous studies and confirms what we have long known: Sea levels are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, endangering communities around the world. Science is indisputable and urgent action is required to mitigate a climate crisis that is well underway,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA is steadfast in our commitment to protecting our home planet by expanding our monitoring capabilities and continuing to ensure our climate data is not only accessible but understandable.”

The task force developed their near-term sea level rise projections by drawing on an improved understanding of how the processes that contribute to rising seas – such as melting glaciers and ice sheets as well as complex interactions between ocean, land, and ice – will affect ocean height.

“That understanding has really advanced since the 2017 report, which gave us more certainty over how much sea level rise we’ll get in the coming decades,” said Ben Hamlington, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and one of the update’s lead authors.

NASA’s Sea Level Change Team, led by Hamlington, has also developed an online mapping tool to visualize the report’s state-of-the-art sea level rise projections on a localized level across the U.S.

“The hope is that the online tool will help make the information as widely accessible as possible,” Hamlington said.

The Interagency Sea Level Rise Task Force projects an uptick in the frequency and intensity of high-tide coastal flooding, otherwise known as nuisance flooding, because of higher sea level. It also notes that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, global temperatures will become even greater, leading to a greater likelihood that sea level rise by the end of the century will exceed the projections in the 2022 update.

“It takes a village to make climate predictions. When you combine NASA’s scenarios of global sea level rise with NOAA’s estimates of extreme water levels and the U.S. Geological Survey’s impact studies, you get a robust national estimate of the projected future that awaits American coastal communities and our economic infrastructure in 20, 30, or 100 years from now,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who directs the NASA Sea Level Change Team at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“This is a global wake-up call and gives Americans the information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “As we build a Climate Ready Nation, these updated data can inform coastal communities and others about current and future vulnerabilities in the face of climate change and help them make smart decisions to keep people and property safe over the long run.”

Building on a research legacy

The Global and Regional Sea Level Rise report incorporates sea level projections from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment, released by the United Nations in August 2021.

The IPCC reports, issued every five to seven years, provide global evaluations of Earth’s climate and use analyses based on computer simulations, among other data.

A separate forthcoming report known as the Fifth National Climate Assessment, produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, is the latest in a series summarizing the impacts of climate change on the U.S., and it will in turn use the results from the Global and Regional Sea Level Rise report in its analysis. The Climate Assessment is slated to publish in 2023.

NASA sea level researchers have years of experience studying how Earth’s changing climate will affect the ocean. Their work includes research forecasting how much coastal flooding U.S. communities will experience in 10 years, helping to visualize IPCC data on global sea level rise using an online visualization tool, and launching satellites that contribute data to a decades-long record of global sea surface height.

Learn more about sea level and climate change here.

Jane J. Lee works for NASA.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday voted to extend a consulting agreement that it’s hoped will lead to the development of the city’s former airport property as a major commercial center.

City Manager Alan Flora asked the council to consider amending the consulting agreement between the city and Margetich/Sutter Equities in order to extend it through the end of April. The contract cost is $10,000 per month.

Flora’s written report said the agreement created a partnership that’s intended to lead to a master development agreement of the entire Pearce Field property, which includes about 40 acres along Highway 53.

This new partnership has been focusing on determining retail interests and coordinating project planning efforts, Flora explained in his report.

The city has long had a goal of developing a large shopping center at the site. At one point a decade ago the city was ready to move forward on a plan with a developer when it was stopped by a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club.

In the last few years, Flora said the city has been putting a lot of effort into developing the property.

He said the city has been working with Amar Cheema with Sutter Equities for awhile, and it was Cheema who then brought in other partners, including Greg Margetich of Margetich Development.

“They’ve been talking to us about possibly stepping in as master developer of this overall project,” said Flora.

They decided to move forward initially through a 60-day consulting contract to help integrate the development group into what the city has been working on and allow them to begin attracting additional possible tenants to the site, Flora said.

That work has been going on since January. Flora said he believes it’s going well and the partners are interested in continuing to move forward with the city.

He said the new agreement would be for another 60 days. He said the goal is to come back before the end of April with a purchase or option agreement in which it would be turned over to the company to complete the property’s development in partnership with the city.

Margetich and Cheema were on hand to answer questions.

Margetich told the council that other development partners include longtime Lake County business owner Bill Brunetti, and broker Steve Edwards, who specializes in retail.

Margetich said they are excited about the project and appreciate the opportunity.

“We feel like we’ve got a really good opportunity to see this to fruition,” he said, adding that he applauded the city for having the fortitude to move the project forward and commit investment dollars to it.

Councilman Russ Cremer asked Margetich about how he felt about the basic design work.

Margetich said they have spoken with the consulting firm the city hired to do the design.

“These things, they evolve and they change but you have to start somewhere,” he said.

He added, “It’s really a user-driven, tenant-driven project.”

Cremer asked if they would reveal who those users are. Flora said it wasn’t the appropriate forum to discuss it.

Margetich said he would ask, too. Cremer said he asks every week.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked to clarify if the company was looking for a purchase agreement.

“At this point, that’s the goal for both sides,” said Flora.

Cremer moved to amend the agreement, with Councilman Russ Perdock seconding and the council voting 5-0.

Also on Thursday, the council presented proclamations in honor of Black History Month and Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month; met Edgar, one of the city shelter’s adoptable dogs; approved the sale of a city-owned parcel at 3578 Redwood St.; and voted to oppose Voter Initiative No. 21-0042A1, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, which is expected to be harmful to local governments.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino-Lake Community College District recently locked in $12.7 million of savings for local taxpayers by refinancing a portion of its existing general obligation bonds.

The district had previously taken advantage of a similar refinancing opportunity in 2015, saving taxpayers over $36.5 million.

The combined savings from both bond refinancings now totals approximately $49.2 million, which will be realized by district taxpayers in the form of lower property tax bills.

Under the leadership of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees, the district administration chose to take advantage of lower interest rates to refinance bonds from its Measure W authorization without extending the term of those bonds.

The district was able to reduce the interest rates on the prior bonds from an average of 5.13% to 4.23%, reducing the community’s tax bill by a total of $12,680,680 over the life of the bond refinancing.

Prior to the bond sale, the district received a credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service.

In its credit report, Moody’s noted that the rating increase from “A1” to “Aa3” is reflective of “continued solid growth in District tax base,” “steadily improving and strong reserves,” and “prudent fiscal management.”

This high rating allowed the Mendocino-Lake Community College District to attract a broad base of investors which included banks, insurance companies and investment/asset managers.

While the district will not receive any part of the savings, the board of trustees and district administration pursued this opportunity strictly on behalf of local taxpayers as part of their continued support for district students.

“We are thankful to the residents of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District for approving Measure W in 2006," said Superintendent/President Tim Karas.

Karas said bond funds were expended in December 2014 to build the North County Center (Willits), Lake Center (Lakeport), Library/Learning Resource Center (Ukiah) and provide other much needed facility improvements.

“As prudent stewards of public finances, we took action to lower local taxpayer bills,” Karas said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State officials said nearly 30% of the properties in Lake County whose owners enrolled in California's statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program following last year's Cache fire have cleared the entire debris removal process and been returned to county officials to begin the permitting process for reconstruction.

The 24 properties returned to county officials represent 29.6% of the 81 properties in the county that are enrolled in either the full debris removal program or the hazardous trees only element of the program.

Of the 81 properties, 78 are participating in the full debris removal program. The remaining three properties are participating in the program's hazardous trees only element.

Under the program, administered by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, in collaboration with county officials, participating property owners incur no direct costs.

To date, state debris officials have returned 246, or 11.9%, of 2,067 properties statewide participating in the full or hazardous trees only element of the program to their respective county to begin the permitting process.

To date, state-managed crews have completed the removal of burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soil generated by the 2021 wildfires from 1,243, or 72.1% of the 1,724 properties enrolled in the full debris removal program.

Earlier this month, crews finished clearing eligible wildfire debris from all 78 properties in the county participating in the full debris removal program.

Crews also finished removing eligible debris from all 19 properties in Mendocino County whose owners opted into the full debris removal program after the Hopkins fire.

Wildfire survivors had the option to either use their own contractor or enroll in the state-managed program.

Of the properties with damage from the 2021 fires, 1,724 signed up to have the remains of their homes and other structures cleared by the state.

Another 343 property owners chose to participate in the hazardous trees only element of the program.

As California emerges from the Omicron surge, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled the state’s SMARTER Plan, the next phase of California’s pandemic response.

Building on lessons learned over the past two years and the state’s ongoing commitment to equity, the SMARTER Plan will guide California’s strategic approach to managing COVID-19 while moving the state’s recovery forward.

Emphasizing continued readiness, awareness and flexibility, the Plan will ensure California can maintain its focus on communities that continue to be disproportionately impacted, and stay prepared to swiftly and effectively respond to emerging COVID-19 variants and changing conditions.

Read the California SMARTER Plan: The Next Phase of California’s COVID-19 Response here.

“As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, the state is better equipped than ever to protect Californians from COVID-19 with smart strategies that save lives and advance our ongoing recovery,” said Newsom. “Building on proven tools — rooted in science and data — that have been honed over the past two years, we’re keeping our guard up with a focus on continued readiness, awareness and flexibility to adapt to the evolving pandemic. As we have throughout the pandemic, the state will continue applying the lessons we’ve learned about the virus to keep California moving forward.”

The SMARTER Plan’s core pillars and preparedness metrics focus on lifesaving public health measures and strategies the state has successfully used to slow the spread and protect Californians.

Recognizing that each variant brings with it unique characteristics relative to the specific conditions in our neighborhoods and communities, the plan preserves needed flexibility and ensures the state has the resources and capabilities in place to tackle the COVID-19 challenges that lie ahead:

• Shots: Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness. Under the plan, California will maintain capacity to administer at least 200,000 vaccines per day on top of existing pharmacy and provider infrastructure.
• Masks: Properly worn masks with good filtration help slow the spread of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses. The state will maintain a stockpile of 75 million high quality masks and the capability to distribute them as needed.
• Awareness: We will continue to stay aware of how COVID-19 is spreading and evolving variants, communicate clearly how people should protect themselves, and coordinate our state and local government response. California will maintain capability to promote vaccination, masking and other mitigation measures in all 58 counties and support engagement with at least 150 community-based organizations.
• Readiness: COVID-19 isn’t going away and we need to be ready with the tools, resources and supplies that will allow us to quickly respond to protect public health and to keep the health care system well prepared. The state will maintain wastewater surveillance in all regions and enhance respiratory surveillance in the health care system while continuing to sequence at least 10% of positive COVID-19 test specimens. The state will also maintain the ability to add 3,000 clinical staff within 2-3 weeks of need and across various health care facility types.
• Testing: Getting the right type of tests — PCR or antigen — to where they are needed most. Testing will help California minimize the spread of COVID-19. California will maintain commercial and local public health capacity statewide to perform at least 500,000 tests per day — a combination of PCR and antigen.
• Education: California will continue to work to keep schools open and children safely in classrooms for in-person instruction. The state will expand by 25 percent school-based vaccination sites supported by the state to increase vaccination rates as eligibility expands.
• Rx: Evolving and improving treatments will become increasingly available and critical as a tool to save lives. The state will maximize orders for the most clinically effective therapeutic available through federal partnerships, ensuring allocations of effective therapeutics are ordered within 48-hours.

The SMARTER Plan maintains the state’s focus on targeted investments and outreach to tackle COVID-19 health disparities in disproportionately impacted communities.

The plan features a new COVID-19 Assessment and Action Unit to monitor data and front line conditions in real-time.

It also includes building upon a robust, regionally-based wastewater surveillance and genome sequencing network to have early and rapid insights into the changing nature of the virus and early identification of variants.

In collaboration with external partners and the federal government, California will launch the first-in-the-nation impacts of COVID-19 longitudinal cohort study to examine the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and communities over time.

Under the plan, the state is pursuing a public-private partnership with a test manufacturer to drive down the costs of at-home tests while securing a reliable and timely supply chain for California.

The state will also continue taking steps to ensure our health care facilities can continue to ramp up with additional staff and resources to respond to potential surges while minimizing strain on our health care systems.

"California is prepared to lean in on the principles that have made us successful in our COVID-19 response. Under the SMARTER Plan, we will use the significant knowledge we have gained and the tools and resources we have developed over the last two years to adapt and respond to whatever is next," said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. "Californians should rest assured we are ready and prepared to meet any public health challenges that may lie ahead."

Since the onset of the pandemic, California has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19 with early, robust public health measures that officials said have saved tens of thousands of lives, contributing to California’s maintaining one of the lowest death rates among large states.

California’s pandemic response to date has administered more than 70 million COVID-19 vaccines; distributed more than 870 million N-95 and surgical masks; deployed more than 28,000 state supported staff to support health care facilities; and administered more than 140 million COVID-19 tests, distributed 33 million at-home COVID-19 antigen tests and established more than 7,500 testing sites statewide.

The state has also significantly closed disparities in infection and death rates in disproportionately impacted communities through equity-focused vaccination and testing outreach and culturally-competent engagement and information.

National and state leaders in the public health and health care communities are offering their support to the SMARTER Plan.

“SMARTER is just that. It’s a plan to take all that we’ve learned from the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and use that knowledge to go forward. COVID-19 will be with us for several years to come, and having a nimble plan that can respond strategically to the twists and turns the pandemic will undoubtedly take will be invaluable for Californians,” said George W. Rutherford, MD, AM, professor of epidemiology, preventive medicine, pediatrics and history, and head of the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

“California leads the USA in the most important statistic: fewest deaths per capita from COVID-19 among large states. It is no accident. It takes determined leadership. The last two years have not been easy and the next stage won’t be easy either, but Governor Newsom’s new SMARTER Plan is a very big step forward,” said Larry Brilliant MD, MPH, an epidemiologist, technologist, philanthropist and author who worked with the World Health Organization from 1973 to 1976, helping to successfully eradicate smallpox.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Following a recruitment process that has lasted close to a year, the Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to hire a new Public Health officer.

The Board of Supervisors emerged from a Tuesday morning closed session to vote unanimously to appoint Dr. Erik McLaughlin to the post.

McLaughlin, who now lives in Las Vegas, said he is very excited to join Lake County’s team and take care of the county’s citizens.

He will serve at 80% time and will be on the third salary step, officials said.

A specific date for when he will begin the job was not given Tuesday.

Officials indicated it’s dependent on him receiving state Medical Board licensure.

The Medical Board of California so far does not show a license for McLaughlin in its online records system.

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners’ online record for a Dr. Erik McLaughlin of Las Vegas shows that he has a specialty in family medicine.

He received his medical degree in November 2005 from Saint Christopher’s College of Medicine in Dakar, Senegal, a school that is not included in a list of approved institutions by the Medical Board of California.

His postgraduate training, a residency in family medicine, took place from June 2006 to June 2009 at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

The county has been seeking a new Public Health officer since Dr. Gary Pace announced he was stepping down exactly one year ago.

Pace has since returned to private practice in Sonoma County, although he has continued to offer part-time public health officer duties under contract with Lake County.

Another Sonoma County physician, Dr. Charlie Evans, has provided public health officer-related support to the county over the past year as well.

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.