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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Only three of California’s 10 known wolf families have produced pups this year, according to the California Department of Fish and Game’s quarterly update, which details known wolf information from April through June.
The department also issued a new report, which includes updated information through July.
“I’m glad to know at least three of California’s wolf families had pups this year but it’s concerning that there’s no indication the other seven packs have had pups,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Wolf recovery here is still in its infancy and for recovery to stay on track there need to be more wolves in more places.”
The agency’s updates, published Friday, said the Harvey pack had at least seven pups this year, the Beyem Seyo pack had a minimum of six pups and the Whaleback pack produced at least nine pups.
No indication of reproduction was indicated for the Ashpan, Diamond, Ice Cave, Ishi, Lassen, Tunnison or Yowlumni packs.
Previously, the Lassen pack had litters each year from 2017 to 2024 and the Yowlumni pack had litters in 2023 and 2024.
On Friday the department also released an updated map of each of the 10 known packs’ territories, and additional areas of wolf activity where wolves have been repeatedly spotted but don’t yet qualify as packs.
The packs and additional wolves live in portions of seven counties: Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Shasta, Tehama and Tulare.
During the second quarter of 2025, one male wolf from the Beyem Seyo pack made his way into Oregon. And a female Beyem Seyo wolf roamed several hundred miles south to join up with the Yowlumni pack in Tulare County. Two wolves of unknown origin were detected separately in the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County.
Wolves are fully protected in California under the federal Endangered Species Act and under California’s own endangered species act.
The reestablishment of wolves in California after a nearly 100-year absence began when wolf OR-7, a radio-collared wolf born in northeast Oregon, made his way across that state in late 2011 and entered California. One of his daughters is a founding member of the Yowlumni pack in Tulare County.
“We hope it turns out more packs had litters this year than the department has been able to confirm so far,” said Weiss. “Wolf recovery in California affirms that when adequate legal protections are in place, even a species that’s been gone for nearly 100 years can return.”
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- Written by: LINGZI CHEN
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider dissolving the Scotts Valley Water Conservation District, and review a Behavioral Health Services agreement worth about $1 million for programs addressing substance use disorders.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 12, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
At 1:30 p.m., the board will consider initiating dissolution proceedings for the Scotts Valley Water Conservation District.
The district was formed in 1972 to address water conservation and flood control. While the district has had minimal activity in recent years, it holds approximately $25,000 in the county treasury, according to the staff memo. Records on how the funds were generated are unclear.
The memo also noted that no additional service reviews have been conducted since the district’s initial review 53 years ago.
Supervisor Brad Rasmussen is asking the board to consider whether the district should be dissolved or if it can still provide service to the area.
Under the untimed items, the board will consider a $960,281.57 Behavioral Health Services agreement with a clinical social worker corporation, Sierra Pathways, to operate two programs addressing substance use disorders for youth and adults.
The contract amount “will be administered on a reimbursement basis over two years and will fund program startup and operational costs,” the staff memo said.
In the closed session, the board will interview candidates for the county’s Animal Care and Control Director position, and meet with legal counsel regarding existing litigation on the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.
5.2: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.3: Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis in the County of Lake.
5.4: Approve joint lease termination notice and release of liability of Geothermal Agricultural Park Lease (No. 015254) between the County of Lake and S-Bar-S Quarry located at 7765 S State Hwy 29, Kelseyville, APN 009-022-56 (formerly -50) and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Adopt proclamation designating the thirty-first day of August 2025 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
5.6: Approve agreement for professional services to provide alternate public health officer services with Anju Goel, MD, MPH, for a term of twelve months for an amount not to exceed $95,000 for the term of the agreement and authorize the Health Services director to sign.
5.7: Approve agreement for professional services to provide alternate public health officer services with Amy B. Garlin, MD LFD LLC, for a term of twelve months for an amount not to exceed $95,000 for the term of the agreement and authorize the Health Services director to sign.
5.8: Approve the award of Bid No. 251072 to Cupples and Sons Construction, Inc., for the Hammond Park Improvement Project in the amount of $2,952,474.00, and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.9: Approve the plans and specifications for the Kelseyville Senior Center Improvement Project and authorize the Public Services director to advertise for bids.
5.10: Adopt resolution approving the grant application for the Land and Water Conservation Fund for development of Cobb Community Park.
5.11: Approve supplemental services agreement #8 between the County of Lake and SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc., for the implementation of the corrective action plan for Cleanup and Abatement Order R5-2015-0713 in the amount of $291,870.00 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.12: Waive the competitive bidding process pursuant to section 2-38.2(2) for the purchase of hot mix asphalt from Granite Construction for the 2025 road crew chip seal projects as the unique nature of the goods or services precludes competitive bidding.
5.13: a) Approve rental agreement between the County of Lake and Kevin Soto for storage hanger #1 at Lampson Field for the monthly amount of $300 and authorize the chair to sign; and b) approve rental agreement between the County of Lake and Kevin Soto for storage hanger #2 at Lampson Field for the monthly amount of $500 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.14: a) Approve governing body resolution; and b) authorize the chair to sign – FY 2023 EOC grant and FY 2022 HMGP.
5.15: (Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors) Adopt resolution revising the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 adopted budget of the County of Lake by appropriating unanticipated revenue for Fund 251 in the amount of $38,000 to Budget Unit 8351, Object Code 783.23-80 to pay for prior year sewer treatment costs.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:02 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:04 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the library.
6.4, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the thirty-first day of August 2025 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration and presentation of Public Defender Office policy on sex offender office visits.
6.6, 10:15 a.m.: Consideration of presentation by UC Cooperative Extension and Lake County 4-H youth members.
6.7, 1:00 p.m.: Consideration of presentation by LIME Foundation of the NextGen Trades Academy.
6.8, 1:30 p.m.: Consideration of direction to staff to take steps necessary to proceed with a notice of intent to file an application with Lake Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) to initiate dissolution proceedings for Scotts Valley Water Conservation District.
NON-TIMED ITEMS
7.1: Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
7.2: Consideration of the agreement between County of Lake and Sierra Pathways, a Licensed Social Worker Corporation, in the amount of $960,281.57 for Fiscal Years 2025-2027.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1, 3:00 p.m.: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code section 54957(b)(1): Interviews for Animal Care and Control director; appointment of Animal Care and Control director.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – FERC Proceeding No. P-77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
8.3: Public employee evaluations: Title – Interim Public Works Director / Public Services Director.
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The union representing health care workers at eight Sutter hospitals and medical centers across California, including Lakeport, said protests are planned this week.
The pickets, at sites including Sutter Lakeside Hospital on Hill Road East in Lakeport, are scheduled for Tuesday, according to SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
In addition to Sutter Lakeside, facilities where protests will take place are Sutter Health facilities in Antioch, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Oakland, Roseville, San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Vallejo.
The frontline healthcare workers are holding a series of protests to demand solutions to chronic short staffing, shuttering of services in underserved areas and wages that don’t keep up with inflation.
Those workers include nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, licensed vocational nurses, environmental services, cooks, technicians and more, the union said.
The union said years of low wages have led to high turnover rates. The resulting understaffing has forced employees to take on multiple roles, work long hours and is creating burnout amongst caregivers who are stretched thin.
At the same time, the union said Sutter Health has closed departments in facilities in lower-income areas such as San Francisco’s Mission Bernal campus, and is vowing to replace the aging Alta Bates Ashby campus with a smaller facility in Emeryville, resulting in a loss of services in the communities that need them the most.
Meanwhile, Sutter is paying their corporate executives millions of dollars a year, including Sutter Health CEO Warner Thomas, who took home over $11 million in 2023.
The union said caregivers are calling on Sutter Health to invest in its healthcare staff by ensuring safe staffing levels, fair wages and affordable health care.
The last time a strike or picket took place at Sutter Lakeside was in April 2022, when California Nurses Association members held a one-day strike.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters are continuing the work to wrap up work on a wildland fire that destroyed structures and caused evacuations on Saturday.
The Arden fire, which began Saturday afternoon at Arden and Foothill drives in Lucerne, remained at 26 acres on Sunday, with containment up to 60%.
It destroyed two structures, led to temporary evacuations and caused a power outage of several hours.
On Sunday morning, traffic control remained in effect in the area of Highway 20 and Foothill Drive on the west end of Lucerne, as firefighters and utility workers continued their efforts to fully contain the fire and deal with the infrastructure damage.
Later on Sunday afternoon, traffic cones were still in place to slow traffic but traffic was flowing through the area unimpeded.
On Sunday evening, all but one of the fire units left the scene for the night, with three engines, a utility unit and a crew set to return on Monday, according to radio traffic.
The resources that Cal Fire said remain assigned are 50 personnel, four engines, one dozer, one water tender and one crew.
The 401-acre Lake fire, which began Aug. 3 in Clearlake, was contained on Saturday morning and the North fire, which burned 11 acres on Friday near Sulphur Bank and North Drive in Clearlake, was fully contained on Sunday night.
Email Elizabeth Larson at