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Cal Fire awards $43.5 million in Local Fire Prevention Grants; Lake County group receives $3 million
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Fifty-five local fire prevention projects are receiving funding for hazardous fuel reductions, wildfire preparedness planning and fire prevention education.
“We have doubled down on our efforts to clear brush, inspect homes for defensible space and reduce the risk of wildfires,” said Chief Thomas Porter, Cal Fire director. “These 55 local projects will play a critical role in augmenting our fire prevention efforts.”
Among the groups receiving grants is the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, which received $3,019,106 for the first phase of the Lake County Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project.
The center’s award was the fourth-largest of the awards announced Tuesday.
The Clear Lake Environmental Research Center proposal will reduce the total amount of wildfire around communities, homes, infrastructure and other highly valued resources in Lake County in order to lower the lowering the forecast wildfire greenhouse gas emissions occurring without the project area.
“This will be achieved by creating and maintaining fuel breaks, ingress/egress vegetation management, and defensible space around high value assets, all high priority activities to prevent, stop or slow the spread of GHG [greenhouse gas] emitting wildfire. Project will be phased so that other high priority treatments can be accomplished in subsequent phases, and current work can be maintained, to ensure the scale of GHG emission reduction can be sustained and increased in the future,” according to the award announcement.
Other projects receiving awards include a $1.9 million grant to the San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council for removing dead and dying trees and other hazardous fuels on 17 treatment areas throughout San Luis Obispo County. This project alone will reduce fire risk in nine communities, and will include a 600-acre prescribed burn near Lopez Lake park.
Another project receiving funding is a public education grant of nearly $100,000 to Forestry Educators Incorporated for its "2020 Forestry Challenge" in El Dorado County. The Forestry Challenge is an academic competition for high school students in technical forestry and current forestry topics. Participants spend four days in the forest learning about the ecology and management of the forested landscapes that provide communities with water, recreational opportunities and wood products.
CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grant Program is part of the California Climate Investments, or CCI.
CCI is a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in low income and disadvantaged communities. Award recipients include cities, counties, fire districts, Native American tribes and other non-profits.
These projects all meet the goals and objectives of California’s Strategic Fire Plan adopted in 2019.
Since 2014, Cal Fire has funded over 430 local fire prevention grants totaling more than $150 million. These projects and activities have addressed the risk of wildfire and reduced wildfire potential to communities in wildland-urban interface areas.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police arrested a Lakeport middle school student on Tuesday after the student made threatening statements.
The Lakeport Police Department said on Tuesday that School Resource Officer Ryan Cooley, who is assigned by the department to the Lakeport Unified School District, was notified by school staff regarding a former Terrace Middle School student who was making threatening statements.
The juvenile, who was not on the campus, is currently on probation in Lake County and known to Officer Cooley, police said.
Officer Cooley immediately notified the Lake County Probation Department and both agencies continued the investigation, police said.
Based on information obtained by school staff and Officer Cooley, Lake County Probation officers searched the former student’s residence and located an unloaded .40-caliber handgun. Police said no ammunition was located.
Police said the juvenile was arrested and transported to the Juvenile Hall facility.
All of the involved agencies’ administrations appreciate the good work of officers and staff to quickly resolve this situation, the Lakeport Police Department said.
Because of the “see something, say something,” policy at this time, there was no known danger to any students or staff at Lakeport Unified, police said.
The investigation remains ongoing by Lakeport Police, Lake County Probation and the Lakeport Unified School District.
Editor’s note: Police originally reported that the recovered firearm was a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun. They have since corrected their report to say that it was not a Smith & Wesson.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The popular event for local school children, held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, had been set for March 26.
The organizing committee made the decision to cancel this event after taking into consideration the concerns from multiple county and health entities.
“We apologize for the cancelation and are disappointed to have to make this decision but realize that the health and safety of Lake County residents and community members are the priority. Stay safe and we look forward to your participation in this event next year,” the committee said in a Tuesday statement.
This is the second report of a major event in Lake County being canceled or postponed due to concerns related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Earlier this week, the Lake County Silver Foundation announced that its April 4 Senior Summit is being postponed, as Lake County News has reported.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
As of Tuesday, California has 157 confirmed cases, which didn’t include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland.
CDPH also said it consolidated state guidance on how to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19 in a single location. This includes guidance for:
– Health care facilities, including long-term care facilities;
– Community care facilities, including assisted living facilities and child care;
– Schools and institutions of higher education;
– Event organizers;
– First responders, including paramedics and EMTs;
– Employers, health care workers and workers in general industry;
– Health care plans;
– Home cleaning with COVID-19 positive individuals;
– Guidance for using disinfectants at schools and child cares;
– Laboratories;
– Health care facilities from Cal/OSHA.
For more information on COVID-19 and California's response visit the CDPH website.
COVID-19 in California by the numbers on Tuesday, March 11
– 2: Deaths
– 157: Positive cases (this does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland)
Of all the confirmed positive cases:
– Age 0 to 17: 2 cases
– Age 18 to 64: 91 cases
– Age 65+: 60 cases
– Unknown: 4 cases
– 24: Cases of positive tests related to federal repatriation flights
– 133: Cases not related to repatriation flights, including 50 travel-related, 30 person-to-person, 29 community transmission and 24 under investigation.
– 10,300+: Number of people self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX.
– 49 – Number of local health jurisdictions involved in self-monitoring.
– 19: Labs with test kits, 18 of which are already testing.