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Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS

Published: 09 January 2026

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to spot the signs, spread awareness and take action. 

Human trafficking could be happening right next door, according to the Northern California Coalition To Safeguard Communities.

The organization said human trafficking includes forced labor and recognizing the signs early can make all the difference.

Community members are encouraged to learn the signs of human trafficking.

People who may be victims of labor trafficking often show fear, malnourishment or restricted freedom. 

Additional warning signs include appearing controlled by another person either physically, such as having ID, money, or phone held by someone else, or psychologically, such as avoiding eye contact or needing approval for basic decisions. 

Other indicators include disorientation or unawareness of surroundings, untreated injuries or illnesses, clothing inappropriate for the weather or age, being transported to and from work by someone else, living where they work, working unusually long or irregular hours, or working in a place with excessive security measures.

It’s also critical to take action: Even small steps, such as checking in on neighbors, listening, and sharing information can help protect someone from exploitation.

Show support: Participate in Wear Blue Day on Jan. 11 to honor survivors and signal your commitment to ending trafficking.

If you see signs of potential trafficking, do not intervene directly. Instead, report your concerns to the Norcal Coalition at 707-441-3031.

Every action counts. Awareness, vigilance, and community connection are key to preventing exploitation and creating safer, stronger communities in Northern California.

For more information on spotting trafficking and ways to take action, visit norcalcoalition.org.  

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Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS

Published: 09 January 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region and Cal Fire have renewed the California Fire Master Agreement — extending a long-standing framework for mutual wildfire response and cooperative risk-reduction work across California for the next five years.

The agreement was signed Dec. 12 by Pacific Southwest interim Regional Forester Jacque Buchanan and Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler.

It continues a multi-agency approach that allows firefighters to respond across jurisdictional boundaries and share personnel, equipment and resources during wildfire emergencies.

“This complex operating environment within California and the challenges we face year-round require this collaborative approach, and we’re committed to partnering and working together both to prepare for and respond to wildfires,” said Jaime Gamboa, fire director for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region.

Under the agreement, Forest Service and Cal Fire firefighters operate side by side on wildfires and work together on hazardous fuels reduction projects designed to lower future wildfire risk. 

The agreement also streamlines training, dispatching and the sharing of firefighting staff, facilities and equipment, including aerial resources such as air tankers and helicopters.

The agreement prioritizes sending the closest available firefighting resources to a wildfire — regardless of jurisdiction — to better protect lives, property and natural resources. 

While focused on wildland fire response, the agreement can also be used during declared disasters to support broader emergency operations.

Forest Service firefighters responded to more than 8,000 wildfires in the Pacific Southwest Region this year, with more than 96% of fires contained during the first operational period. 

Officials credit the mutual aid system established through agreements like this one as a key factor in rapid initial attack and successful suppression.

The Forest Service manages 18 national forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, encompassing over 20 million acres across California, and assists landowners in California, Hawaii and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 60% of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state.

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Written by: Lingzi Chen

Published: 08 January 2026

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — At its first meeting of the new year, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday resumed energy talks left over from last year’s stalled attempt to explore alternative power options. 

The board discussed plans to explore alternative energy solutions for Lake County and voted to form an ad hoc committee focused on energy policy development.

While the discussion did not outline concrete paths, it marked the start of a new round of exploration following the county’s unsuccessful negotiations for more than six months last year with Sonoma Clean Power, a service provider of the community-based electricity procurement program called Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA.

Sonoma Clean Power, or SCP, was the only option local jurisdictions seriously considered in 2025. The proposal became mired in uncertainty and controversy leading up to October, when the county and cities ultimately declined to sign the agreement. 

In the meantime, the board directed staff to explore other options and providers. 

In late October, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier reflected on the lack of an earlier search for additional options. “I should have asked for that to happen when we agreed to reach out to Sonoma Clean Power,” he said in a phone call with Lake County News. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Deputy County Administrative Officer Benjamin Rickelman told the board that staff have “some engagement with other CCAs.” 

Rickelman reported that staff have scheduled meetings with Marin Clean Energy, which operates in several counties including Napa; Valley Clean Energy, which operates in Yolo County; and that they are awaiting a response from Pioneer Energy, which Glenn County plans to join in 2027.

Sabatier said Supervisor Helen Owen and he also have met multiple times with some developers and interested parties.

“I think this is a beginning — phase one — because yes, we need to get our feet on the ground and we need to get some guidance created. ” Sabatier said. “But in the long run, we have to involve the tribes and the cities. We are not going to win the energy game or market here in Lake County if we think just the county should do it for everyone else.”

The lack of tribal engagement was also a major point of controversy over the SCP proposal last year. The three local governments — the Board of Supervisors, along with the Lakeport and Clearlake City Councils — also only jointly met for the first time at the end of September, just two days before the Clearlake City Council voted on the matter, which ended in a 3-2 vote against joining SCP.

Sabatier suggested that joint discussions should happen earlier. 

“We need to do that way ahead of time with the cities and the tribes for whatever we're moving towards,” he said. “I really believe we need to start internally and grow from there, but not move into a project and share that project at the last moment like I feel like we were doing with the choice aggregate that was provided earlier or later last year.”

Rickelman said staff are also “looking through questions from the community regarding geothermal and just broader energy policy with the county.”

“There's a lot of technical questions, but there's also a difficult developmental pathway for energy projects with California's rather — I would say — opaque but demanding entitlement process,” he said. 

One of the major controversies surrounding the SCP proposal involved Lake County’s mandatory participation in the company’s geothermal zone efforts, which seek to develop geothermal projects in the future. 

Critics raised concerns over the company’s support for Assembly Bill 531, which would allow the state to bypass local authority in geothermal development.

The energy development landscape extends beyond geothermal. Rickelman said the geological hydrogen company Koloma will begin reaching out to landowners in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties on Wednesday regarding “subsurface imaging,” a process that maps deep underground structures to identify potential hydrogen reservoirs.

All supervisors agreed on forming an ad hoc committee to lead energy policy development for the county. Supervisors Jessica Pyska, Owen and Sabatier expressed interest in serving on it.

The Brown Act does not explicitly limit the participation to only two supervisors. But for the committee to remain “ad hoc” and not be subject to public meeting requirements, it must include less than a quorum — meaning no more than two supervisors may serve on it.

Sabatier, while agreeing to withdraw, raised a concern regarding the collaboration that had already taken place.

"I'm okay with backing down, but I just think that there's been some collaboration already between myself and Supervisor Owen with some of the things that were discussed here already,” he said. “Again, willing to jump off. But there are some conversations that have gone pretty deep."

His remarks appeared to caution that swapping members may trigger a “serial meeting” violation by effectively involving three supervisors in the process.

“I think there's ways to remedy that, so we don't have Brown Act violations going forward,” Pyska said. 

Supervisor Brad Rasmussen agreed. There was no further discussion on this matter. With Sabatier withdrawing, Pyska and Owen were voted to participate in the committee.

“It’s bigger than geothermal, although I do have a new plant coming back online in my district,” said District 5 Supervisor Pyska, referencing Mayacama Geothermal LLC’s project to bring the former Bottle Rock geothermal plant on High Valley Road back into operation. “This includes biomass, this includes microgriding, this includes hydrogen. This includes, you know, all of our energy policy.” 

“We have resources, and I wanted our community, our people here in Lake County, to be able to benefit from those resources,” said Owen.

Editor’s note: Clarifications have been made in this article regarding the number of supervisors on the ad hoc committee and Brown Act requirements.

Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..