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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The tribe will also use the funding to connect nontribal households to the internet with access extending to anyone in the service area.
The half million dollar grant was awarded to the tribal community through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe was one of only nine tribes to receive the funding.
“The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake is pleased to receive much needed funding for broadband services on our reservation,” said tribal Chairwoman Sherry Treppa. “Access to high-speed Internet is a critical component in our modern society to access education, health care, and employment opportunities. The tribe is appreciative of NTIA's efforts to include the needs of smaller tribes, as it is much harder to get corporate third parties to invest funding into infrastructure for smaller, remote populations, making the need for this type of funding much greater for smaller tribes.”
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake will use the $500,000 grant to not only provide a wireless network connecting numerous tribal households, but also provide access to nontribal households currently facing barriers to internet services.
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The grant, funded through Gov. Newsom’s 2021-22 Climate Budget and established through SB 170, will support communities statewide in developing adaptation projects that address climate risks and strengthen resilience.
Based on California’s best available science, climate impacts are projected to accelerate statewide, with vulnerable populations most at risk.
To minimize these impacts, projects in the first round will support local governments, community-based organizations, and tribes in assessing local hazards, conducting robust engagement, and creating equitable and community-driven strategies to minimize climate impacts experienced on the ground.
There is a clear need for investments of this kind as $63 million in awards was requested for only $8 million in funding.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research said the 14 projects represent “a significant step toward fostering cross-sector collaboration and equity in statewide efforts to adapt to climate change.”
Nine of the projects are located within Justice40 communities and will advance the Biden Administration’s goal to invest in communities burdened by legacy pollution.
Of the nine projects, three are led or coled by California Native American tribes.
One of the grant’s goals is to build local capacity to help position climate-vulnerable communities to leverage additional state and federal funding.
“These projects are transformative in nature as they meaningfully center California’s most climate-vulnerable communities and leverage the expertise of multiple stakeholders,” said Sam Assefa, Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. “We are thrilled to make these awards today to help local partners accelerate their work to build capacity, assess risk, and develop tailored solutions and partnerships- essential to our success in building a resilient California for All.”
Projects in the first round bring together eight cities, eight nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, seven community-based organizations, or CBOs, six counties, four special districts, three California Native American tribes, two universities, one joint powers authority, or JPA, one council of governments, or COG, and one metropolitan planning organization, or MPO.
The coalitions underscore a collective commitment to developing projects that yield multiple benefits and are rooted in diverse partnerships.
The Adaptation Planning Grant projects awarded Thursday include:
Planning for an Equitable, Climate Safe Lake: $649,350
Planning for an Equitable, Climate-Safe Lake will create an inclusive and collaborative framework for improving climate adaptation planning and implementing risk reduction projects in Lake County. The project supports the Community Risk Reduction Authority, or RRA, in becoming a self-sustaining climate action provider with an equity focus, including embedding diversity, equity and inclusion values into RRA's leadership and processes, assessing vulnerabilities, implementing actions from the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and tracking progress.
Yosemite Slough Adaptation Plan: $649,000
The Yosemite Slough Adaptation Plan aims to address the disparity in adaptation planning between the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood and the rest of San Francisco's urban waterfront. The plan focuses on building community capacity, developing equitable adaptation strategies, and positioning Yosemite Slough for federal funding. Project partners include the San Francisco Planning Department, En2Action, BAYCAT, San Francisco Estuary Institute, California State Parks Foundation, and other city agencies.
Hoopa Valley Tribe Climate Adaptation Plan: $338,448
The Hoopa Valley Tribe will complete climate adaptation scoping activities, a Vulnerability Assessment, and develop a Climate Adaptation Plan in partnership with the community and tribal staff.
San Rafael Climate Adaptation Planning Collaborative: $644,200
The San Rafael Climate Adaptation Planning Collaborative will work with disproportionately vulnerable communities in partnership with local organizations in the Canal neighborhood to cocreate solutions for improved safety and resilience. Partners will work to improve understanding of climate hazards, prioritize adaptation measures, and build climate capacity within community-based organizations while providing STEM educational opportunities for students from the Canal neighborhood.
City of San Fernando Climate Action and Resilience Plan: $599,918
The City of San Fernando will complete a Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) and update elements in its General Plan (land use, circulation, open space, and conservation) which are crucial for effective resiliency planning and aligning with local, regional, and state initiatives. The project will engage the community early on to gather input in an equitable manner, develop targeted strategies to address disparities, and support vulnerable populations to address climate-related concerns.
Shade Equity Masterplan for the Unincorporated Eastern Coachella Valley: $644,411
The Shade Master Plan for Eastern Coachella Valley's unincorporated communities in Riverside County will benchmark and develop strategies for shade in predominantly low-income, Spanish-speaking areas experiencing temperatures exceeding 120 degrees. The plan will serve as a blueprint for investing in new shade infrastructure and adapting to extreme heat and associated benefits to residents, agencies, and stakeholders in the area.
Ramona Barona Climate Adaptation and Action Plan: $596,600
The Ramona-Barona Climate Collaborative, led by the Ramona Municipal Water District and its partners the Barona Band of Mission Indians, Sustainable Ramona and the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, aims to develop a comprehensive climate adaptation and action plan to address climate impacts in the area including extreme heat, water shortages, landslides, flooding, and wildfires.
San Jose interdependent Water, Energy, Security Electrified Transportation Climate Adaptation Plan: $649,970
The San José Interdependent Water, Energy, Security & Electrified Transportation Climate Adaptation Planning Proposal aims to develop a comprehensive climate adaptation plan that focuses on critical infrastructure and incorporates the needs of vulnerable communities.
City of Berkeley Safety Plan and Environmental Element Update: $600,000
The City of Berkeley, in partnership with the Ecology Center and the Berkeley Climate Equity Collaborative, will cocreate with community an update to Berkeley’s General Plan Safety Element, development of a new General Plan Environmental Justice Element, and creation of metrics that incorporate equitable outcomes to monitor and evaluate progress toward meeting the City’s climate and resilience goals.
Stockton Climate Action and Adaptation Plan: $650,000
The City of Stockton will partner with trusted, local nonprofits and engage a highly qualified consultant to create a new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The City's current CAP hasn't been updated since 2014, leaving the City and its partners without a clear vision for the future of Stockton's environment. A new CAP that focuses on public health and equity will guide strategies to address the impacts of climate change, particularly for disadvantaged communities in Stockton.
Lake Elsinore Climate Adaptation Plan: $401,100
Lake Elsinore’s Climate Adaptation Plan will assess climate change impacts and the adaptive capacity of residents, especially Lake Elsinore’s most vulnerable community members, and develop strategies to respond to specific impacts.
San Mateo County OneWatershed Climate Resilience Framework: $649,648
The San Mateo County OneWatershed Climate Resilience Framework Project aims to develop a model for community-led risk identification, a replicable watershed approach, resilient neighborhoods and watersheds, and breaking down silos in water-related infrastructure planning to address climate adaptation challenges holistically.
LA’s Cool Capital Stack: $506,000
The LA Cool Capital Stack creates a pipeline of viable community-led climate resilient infrastructure projects designed to strengthen LA County communities most vulnerable to extreme heat and other climate hazards. It establishes an agency-community collaborative that brings together LA County, Metro, and Infrastructure Justice Los Angeles (IJLA) to cocreate an approach to equitable, climate resilient infrastructure development.
WRCOG Energy Resilience Plan 2.0 Microgrid Feasibility Studies: $421,000
WRCOG will develop an Energy Resilience Plan 2.0, which will identify up to 10 sites across Western Riverside County to conduct feasibility studies to determine the potential to implement microgrids and community resilience centers.
The Adaptation Planning Grant aims to enhance local communities’ resilience in the face of climate change impacts. The Adaptation Planning Grant Program, a key component of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program, provides funding to support integrated climate adaptation planning efforts in California.
The Office of Planning and Research, or OPR, serves as the comprehensive state planning agency for California. OPR's mission is to improve the quality of life for all Californians by developing and implementing innovative policies and programs that balance environmental, economic, and social equity objectives.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed that multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine occurred in May in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Two sightings were in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo and Mono counties. A third sighting occurred in Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County.
Images and video of the wolverine, taken in May by separate individuals in different locations, were sent to CDFW for analysis, which consulted with wolverine experts from the U.S. Forest Service.
Scientists identified the animal as a wolverine by its size, body proportion, coloration and movement patterns.
CDFW field teams then confirmed the sighting locations through coordinates imbedded in the photos and video.
“Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons. “Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”
Scientists documented a single wolverine in California from 2008 to 2018. That wolverine was first discovered in February 2008 in the Truckee region of the Tahoe National Forest. The recent detections were likely of a different wolverine given that the species’ lifespan is typically 12 to 13 years.
Prior to that, the last confirmed wolverine sightings in California were in the 1920s.
Wolverines are the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family and resemble a small bear. They are widely distributed in Canada and Alaska with smaller populations in the Rocky and Cascade mountains.
In California wolverines are classified as fully protected and listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.
CDFW plans to collaborate with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service to collect genetic samples from the wolverine through hair, scat or saliva found at feeding sites.
The public is encouraged to report sightings or observations to CDFW through its Wildlife Incident Reporting system.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
On Wednesday, Lake County’s representative in the House of Representatives joined the majority of House members in voting for a bill to avoid a government default.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) voted to pass H.R. 3746, the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, which his office said will “avoid a catastrophic default and protect America’s economy.”
“A default would have pushed our economy into an unprecedented crisis and harmed communities in our district and across our country,” said Thompson. “I voted for the Bipartisan Budget Agreement to avoid a default and keep our economy strong. There are provisions of the bill I don’t like, but in a divided government, negotiation requires compromise. This bill saves us from an economic disaster that would harm every family in America, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to address the shortcomings of this bill with the potential economic default behind us.”
Rep. Thompson spoke on the House floor during debate of this legislation.
During his remarks, Thompson said the American people cannot afford a default, which he called “an economic disaster with consequences for every one of our constituents. Congress can’t let that happen.”
He emphasized that while the bill isn’t perfect, it achieves two key points: It prevents default, averting an economic disaster, and it preserves not only key programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but also protects climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Thompson authored with his colleagues in the Ways and Means Committee.
It also preserves the PACT Act, which preserves veterans health care.
Thompson said he was concerned with aspects of the bill, noting he was particularly opposed to the demand by Republicans to cut mental health care which, after climate change, is the single biggest crisis in the United States.
“There is no reason to cut critical funding for mental health,” Thompson said.
He said the cuts to the Internal Revenue Service won’t decrease the deficit but will increase it. “A fully funded IRS is in everyone’s best interest,” Thompson said.
“Overall, this legislation is a compromise, which is what the American people expect and deserve from a divided government,” Thompson said.
“And most important, it averts the catastrophe of a default,” he added, urging his colleagues to vote for the bill.
With its passage by the House, the bill now moves to the Senate.
Thompson previously pointed out the impacts that a default would have on the Fourth District, including killing 7,300 jobs in district alone — and more than seven million nationwide — and also would jeopardize Social Security payments for 91,000 families in the district, put health benefits at risk for 285,000 people who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage, increase the lifetime mortgage costs for the typical homeowner in California by $92,000, raise the costs of a new-car loan for the typical American by $800 and threaten the retirement savings of 96,800 people near retirement in the Fourth district, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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