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- Written by: Mendocino National Forest
Acting Mendocino National Forest Supervisor Kristen Sexton has issued a draft decision notice with a finding of no significant impact for the North Shore restoration project’s environmental assessment.
The purpose of the project is to improve community wildfire safety by reducing fuels within the wildland urban interface while also restoring and reforesting burned areas from the 2018 Ranch fire.
The project area is located in Lake County, about 11 miles southeast of Upper Lake, near communities on the north and northeast shores of Clear Lake.
Sexton has selected Alternative 6 — or the modified Alternative 3.
The decision would allow for reforestation on just over 2,600 acres located on the Upper Lake Ranger District in areas that experienced high levels of tree mortality during the 2018 Ranch fire.
The project includes fuels reduction treatments on approximately 40,000 acres. Those treatments could include prescribed burning, pile burning, hand thinning and mechanical treatment on areas with slopes less than 35%.
Alternative 6 also recognizes that salvage sales are not economically feasible and herbicide use will be limited to research plots only.
Forest officials issued a legal notice in the Chico Enterprise Record announcing the opportunity to file an objection to the decision within 45 days.
Hinda Darner, fuels officer for the Covelo and Upper Lake ranger districts, said that if the forest doesn’t receive an objection to the project, they can sign the final decision after the 45-day objection period concludes and start working immediately.
“We do have funding and partnerships in place that can be used towards this project,” Darner said.
Darner said they have California Climate Investments grants in partnership with the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center and grant funds with Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance, a multi-tribal hand crew.
“So the timeline depends on funding, resource availability, and how much our partners can take on, but there will likely be years of work under the project,” Darner said.
She added that the project also includes maintenance work, so there will be periodic National Environmental Policy Act reviews, as necessary.
Objections can be filed by mail, fax or email to the reviewing officer: USDA Forest Service, Jennifer Eberlien, Regional Forester, 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, Attn: North Shore Restoration Project; fax, 707-562-9229; or email to
Formats that will be accepted for electronically submitted comments are: .doc, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt. The objection period ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 27, 2022.
Additional instructions for submitting objections can be found in the legal notice and on the project website.
The environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, draft decision notice and supporting documentation are available online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55716.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
The following dogs are available for adoption.
‘Chai’
“Chai” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a gray and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49279552.
‘Captain’
“Captain” is a male border collie mix with a black, white and blue coat.
He is dog No. 49623709.
‘Big Phil’
“Big Phil” is a 13-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a blue coat.
He is dog No. 49951647.
‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
‘Colt’
“Colt” is a male Rhodesian Ridgeback mix with a short rust and black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49812106.
‘Fritz’
“Fritz” is a male Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 49278179.
“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49159168.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a handsome male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He gets along with other dogs, including small ones, and is discovering that he enjoys toys. He also likes water, playing fetch and keep away.
Staff said he is now getting some training to help him build confidence.
He is dog No. 48443693.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
“We enacted the most comprehensive economic stimulus program in the nation last year, getting billions in immediate relief to millions of Californians. But many folks are still struggling, especially with high costs due to inflation, so we’re leveraging this historic surplus to get money back into the pockets of Californians,” said Gov. Newsom. “This inflation relief package will help offset the higher costs that Californians are facing right now and provide support to those still recovering from the pandemic.”
Gov. Newsom’s inflation relief package includes:
• $11.5 billion for tax refunds to help address inflation. As the entire country faces increasing costs due to inflation, Governor Newsom proposed getting $400 checks to every eligible registered vehicle owner, capped at two checks per individual.
• $2.7 billion for emergency rental assistance. Gov. Newsom is proposing significant state funds for qualified low-income tenants who requested rental assistance before March 31, helping these Californians get the support they need.
• $1.4 billion to help Californians pay past-due utility bills. As Californians continue to face difficulties in paying for utility bills, this investment expands upon last year’s utility relief program to continue this vital support — $1.2 billion for electricity bills and $200 million for water bills.
• $933 million for hospital and nursing home staff. Providing up to $1,500 to hospital and skilled nursing facility workers who have been delivering care to the most acute patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and saved thousands of lives.
• $750 million for free public transit. Gov. Newsom is proposing incentive grants to provide three months of free public transportation for communities throughout the state.
• $304 million to make health coverage more affordable for middle-class families. This extends health insurance premium assistance under Covered California for families of four earning up to $166,500 annually, upwards of 700,000 Californians.
• $439 million to pause the diesel sales tax. Bringing relief to the commercial sector and drivers, Gov. Newsom is proposing a 12-month pause in the sales tax rate for diesel fuel that would provide upwards of $439 million in relief.
• $157 million to waive child care fees for low-income families. Making state-subsidized preschool and child care more affordable, benefitting 40,000 low-income California families with savings of up to $595 per month.
Additionally, California’s minimum wage is projected to increase to $15.50 per hour for all workers on Jan. 1, 2023. The accelerated increase is required by a provision in the state’s existing minimum wage law when inflation exceeds 7%.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in persistent supply chain disruptions and labor market frictions have driven inflation to its highest rate in 40 years. These conditions have further been exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The wage increase will benefit millions of California households that are struggling to keep pace with the highest rate of inflation in decades. For years, the state minimum wage has increased steadily while inflation numbers remained modest.
This inflation relief package builds off of Newsom’s stimulus package last year, which his office credited with helping to accelerate California’s economic recovery and support those hit hardest by the pandemic.
That package included stimulus checks for two out of every three Californians, the largest statewide renter and utility assistance program in the country and the largest small businesses relief program in the nation.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council unanimously approved the proposal to seek funding from a bank at its May 3 meeting.
Assistant City Manager and Finance Director Nick Walker presented the council with options to finance $5.845 million in proposed water system capital improvement projects.
That’s the amount an August 2021 rate study identified as needing to be completed over the next 10 years, Walker wrote in a written report for the meeting.
City Manager Kevin Ingram noted during the meeting that the projects — part of the capital improvement plan for the coming decade — aren’t the only ones that will need to be done, and that the city may have to explore additional funding options to complete more work in the future.
Walker told the council that staff developed a finance plan that achieves multiple goals.
The projects on the city’s capital improvement projects to-do list are as follows:
• Replace Scotts Creek well: $900,000.
• Main replacement on Second Street (Russell to Main), 2,500 feet: $1,250,000.
• Main replacement on Armstrong (Berry to Smith), 1,200 feet: $380,000.
• Main replacement on Lakeshore (Lange to Ashe), 800 feet: $425,000.
• Main replacement on Lakeport Boulevard, 1,700 feet: $870,000.
• Main replacement on N. High Street (Fifth to Clear Lake Avenue), 1,900 feet: $950,000.
• Main replacement on Fairway (Green to Hillcrest), 1,600 feet: $800,000.
• Replace clear well: $160,000.
• Ozone generators: $110,000.
Walker said the city is working to complete the entire list of projects sooner rather than later.
Leslie Bloom of NHA Advisors was on hand to help Walker go over the options.
NHA Advisors also has been assisting the city of Clearlake with a plan to seek financing through a bank to do millions of dollars of roadwork, leveraging its Measure V road sale revenues. The Clearlake City Council approved its plan in April.
Bloom described a volatile market for interest rates in the municipal market over the last few months. Since Jan. 1, tax-exempt rates have increased 1.54% to 1.98% across the entire yield curve.
However, from a historical perspective, “Rates are still very low,” Bloom said.
City staff recommended the financing plan that allows the city to complete all $5.845 million projects sooner than planned, as it hedges against inflationary pressure. The council also was urged to quickly take action to pursue private market placement due to upward trends in interest rates.
Based on the numbers presented at the meeting, the council was looking at loan terms ranging from 20 years, at 3.75%, up to 38 years, with a 2.6% interest rate.
The timeline presented to the council started with its members providing a direction at the meeting, followed by bank rate negotiation in early May and locking in interest rates with private placement later in the month. The council would then be on track to approve the financing documents at its June 7 meeting and to close the process in late June.
Councilman Michael Green moved to provide staff with direction to pursue private financing. Mayor Pro Tem Mireya Turner seconded and the council approved it 5-0.
Also on May 3, the council approved a memorandum of understanding presented by Police Chief Brad Rasmussen between the Lakeport Police Department and the Lakeport Unified School District for a school resource officer for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The agreement costs the city $25,000 a year.
In other business, the council voted to make a determination that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance of a Type-42 Off Sales Beer and Wine Liquor sales license to Andre’s Jazz & Blues Lounge, located at 150 N. Main St.
Email Elizabeth Larson at