LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission will discuss permits for a new boat rental facility in Lakeport during its meeting this week.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 22, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 994 1760 2765, the pass code is 155982.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,99417602765#,,,,*155982# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s website or Facebook page.
At 9:05 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a lakebed encroachment permit and variance request for the Disney Boat Rental Facility, which will be located on a six-acre parcel at 2200 Lakeshore Blvd. in Lakeport.
The applicant is Brandon Disney, owner of Disney’s Boat Rentals.
The staff report notes that, “Although the planning entitlements and building permits for the Disney Development Project are within the City of Lakeport’s jurisdiction, the installation of two floating docks and buoys require a Lakebed Encroachment Permit from the Lake County Water Resources Department, in accordance with Chapter 23, Clear Lake Shoreline, of the Lake County Municipal Code.”
The hearing documents explain that Disney’s Boat Rentals intends to relocate its existing operations from downtown Lakeport to this Lakeshore Boulevard site, where the business plans to build a two story, 4,778-square-foot building that would serve as a rental office, shop and boat storage facility, including space for the repair of fleet boats, as well as installation of two floating docks.
Staff is recommending approval of the project’s permits.
The other main item of business on Thursday’s agenda is a public hearing, scheduled for 9:20 a.m., to consider a major use permit for commercial cannabis cultivation for up to 5.69 acres and a draft Initial study/mitigated negative declaration for Poverty Flats Ranch, with applicants Kurt and Bobby Barthel. The project is located at 10535 High Valley Road, Clearlake Oaks.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
COBB, Calif. — Residents, forestland owners, and fire and forestry service business owners are invited to attend the first Cobb Mountain Forest Summit on June 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the historic Little Red Schoolhouse in Cobb.
Space is limited and registration is required at www.sscra.org.
The program, produced by the Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association, or SSCRA, will kick off the development of a Cobb Mountain Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or CWPP.
Cobb was the epicenter of the 2015 Valley Fire and the community has been active continuously since then, working diligently to reduce hazardous fire fuels while re-creating a local culture of fire-adaptation based on the recognition that fire is an important part of the local natural environment.
Event co-organizer Magdalena Valderrama encouraged local residents to attend the Summit saying that, "In recent years, Cobb has been at the forefront in our county when it comes to community-based wildfire readiness. But careful planning and consistent application of best practices in adapting to a fire ecology, including cultural approaches, can make living in this area much, much safer."
The CWPP kickoff Summit will feature presentations on the Cobb area forest ecology, traditional tribal practices that kept people safe for thousands of years, building a local business sector that can do the work necessary to keep the community fire safe, organizing local "Firewise Community" groups, and the state of fire insurance in California. Booths staffed by local fire and forest groups will offer additional information.
The event is free to the public. Registered attendees will be served lunch and also receive a free black oak seedling donated by Lawrence Ray.
Lake County approved a countywide CWPP in 2023, which qualified any organization in the county to apply for significant federal grants to clear hazardous fuel buildups throughout local forestlands.
The new Cobb Mountain CWPP will dive deeper into specific challenges in the Cobb Area, including a complex mountainous landscape, a patchwork of medium sized land holdings, many out-of-area land owners, subdivisions nestled deep in the forest landscape, and the need to support local businesses to do the work needed to fully adapt the area to its natural fire ecology.
Community involvement in creating the new Cobb Mt. CWPP will also cultivate active relationships with local tribes whose ancestral territories included the Cobb Area and whose traditional indigenous knowledge systems hold important lessons for the challenges we face today.
The project to complete a Cobb Area CWPP is expected to take two years and involve extensive data gathering, local outreach and further coalition building.
The complete CWPP will then qualify the area to apply for additional federal funding to do the work outlined in the plan.
The event is made possible with support from the Cobb Area Council, North Coast Opportunities, the Sierra Club Lake Group, Cal Fire and the Cobb Mountain Lions Club.
For more information visit the SSCRA website at www.sscra.org.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Community members are being invited to participate in a process that is studying Lake County’s transportation needs.
The Lake Area Planning Council, or Lake APC, is updating the Regional Transportation Plan/Active Transportation Plan for the Lake County region and would like to hear from members of the community about transportation needs, deficiencies, and mobility barriers.
The purpose of the long-range planning document is to guide local decision-makers on transportation needs, improvements and investments over the next 20 years.
It will identify needs and priority projects for all modes of transportation including streets and roads, highways, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and public transit.
Lake APC wants the community’s input on the plan.
Fill out a brief survey to let them know your transportation needs and priorities in the region, and become eligible to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
In addition, feel free to use the Lake APC’s interactive mapping tool in which you can provide specific details and comments on a map of the region by zooming into specific locations within your community or area of interest.
For additional questions or comments, email Senior Transportation Planner John Speka at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-7799.
For information on previous and current Regional Transportation Plans and Active Transportation Plans, click here.
A pack mule drew curious children at the sixth annual Lake County Ag & Natural Resources Day at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, California, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Fair Foundation. LAKEPORT, Calif. — Schoolchildren from around the community once again had the chance to see up close the working of Lake County’s agriculture industry.
On Wednesday, May 7, the sixth annual Lake County Ag & Natural Resources Day was held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.
Since its inception in 2017, this unique educational event has welcomed K–6 grade students from across Lake County, offering them a hands-on opportunity to learn about the importance of agriculture and natural resources in our community.
This year, organizers said they hosted more than 600 students, along with their teachers and chaperones, for a day of discovery and interactive learning.
A student learns about soil chemistry with the United States Department of Agriculture. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Fair Foundation. The goal of Ag & Natural Resources Day is to provide engaging, hands-on educational experiences for local students, highlighting the importance of agriculture and natural resources, as well as the science and technology driving these industries in our community.
Organizers said they aim to inspire curiosity and awareness, planting the seeds for the next generation of agriculture and natural resource enthusiasts.
This event is the result of a strong collaborative effort among the Lake County Fair Foundation, the Lake County Farm Bureau, the Lake County 4-H Program and the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Thanks is offered to the 2025 sponsors for their generous support. They are Redwood Credit Union, Reynolds Systems Inc., American AgCredit and Adventist Health. Organizers said their contributions make this impactful event possible.
Children learn about agriculture with goats. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Fair Foundation.