The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, in conjunction with their state and county partners, are preparing for the 2021 cannabis enforcement season.

As authorized by Fish & Game Code section 12029, CDFW, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, or SWRCB, and the state licensing authority, established a watershed enforcement program to address environmental violations associated with unlicensed cannabis cultivation.

The environmental impacts associated with illegal cannabis cultivation can have a detrimental effect on fish and wildlife and their habitats, which are held in trust by the state for the benefit of the people.

“CDFW fully supports the regulated cannabis market and those taking steps to be compliant,” said Jeremy Valverde, CDFW’s Cannabis Program director. “CDFW’s permitting process is designed to reduce environmental impacts, which is more critical than ever, given the drought-like conditions throughout the state.”

County approval and an active state license are required before planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading or trimming of cannabis. An applicant that may have received local approval but has not received an active license from the state licensing authority is not authorized to begin cultivation.

“Now in our fourth year of legalization amid drought conditions, CDFW and our allied agency partners find our mission more urgent than ever,” said David Bess, CDFW deputy director and chief of the Law Enforcement Division. “No one should be engaging in commercial cannabis cultivation and associated construction activities unless they have a state license, otherwise they may face enforcement actions.”

This year, the multiagency task force is focusing on priority watersheds and areas with sensitive habitat and/or threatened or endangered species. Local partners are also playing a pivotal role in ensuring the success of these objectives.

In Humboldt County, CDFW is closely coordinating with the state licensing authority, State and Regional Water Boards, Humboldt County Planning and Building Department, and Sheriff’s Office to address illegal grows and unpermitted construction activity, all of which can have detrimental impacts to the environment.

“A county permit alone does not allow a cultivator to initiate growing commercial cannabis,” said Humboldt County Sheriff Billy Honsal. “A state license is also required, otherwise one is subject to enforcement by the Sheriff’s Office and its state agency partners. Protecting Humboldt County’s fish and wildlife resources from unregulated cannabis cultivation is a priority for all of us, and the drought makes our work all the more vital.”

In Mendocino County where Gov. Newsom declared a drought emergency, CDFW is also closely coordinating with state and local authorities to address illegal cannabis grows in and around several priority watersheds with historically low flows, which are highly vulnerable to any added pressures.

“Given the extreme drought conditions in Mendocino County’s watersheds, compliance with state and county laws will be a big priority,” said Kristin Nevedal, County of Mendocino Cannabis Program Manager. “There is a zero-tolerance policy for those not following the laws. Numerous state resources are available to those seeking to enter the regulated market.”

For more information about current regulatory requirements, interested parties can view presentations from a recent online permitting workshop at wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis/permitting.

“We will continue to assist cultivators who want to comply with regulatory requirements, while focusing our enforcement efforts on illegal cultivation activity,” said Yvonne West, Director, Office of Enforcement for the State Water Resources Control Board. “With current drought conditions exacerbating the adverse impacts that can result from unregulated cultivation, the State Water Boards will utilize all available resources and authority to address those impacts.“

To learn more about CDFW’s cannabis program, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To report environmental crimes, such as water diversions, pollution and poaching, call the CalTIP hotline at (888) 334-2258 or text information to “TIP411” (847411).

View more details on fines, fees and administrative penalties from the state licensing authority, CDFW and SWRCB.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Public Works Department is advising of a street closure on Main Street from Seventh to 10th streets on Wednesday, July 14.

Please use the appropriate detour and as always be cautious for workers.

California Water Service has reaffirmed its preparedness to respond to the drought emergency and its commitment to helping customers answer the governor’s call for statewide water conservation.

“We partnered with customers to achieve impressive water savings during the last drought, and we are prepared to do the same this time around,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, president and CEO. “We have invested in our infrastructure and taken action to increase water supply reliability in our service areas. Now, we are offering even more support for customers who want to reduce their water use as we face increasingly serious drought conditions.”

Cal Water offers:

— Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates recently doubled.
— A smart landscape tuneup program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks at no cost to customers.
— A free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shut-off valve, high-efficiency shower heads, faucet aerators and more.

Educational resources

Cal Water is also preparing to launch a drip system conversion rebate this summer and relaunch its turf replacement program, created during the last historic drought.

Additionally, Cal Water reminds customers to continue observing the prohibited uses of water that continue to be in effect. Water-wasting activities include, in part:

— Using water on outdoor landscaping that causes runoff onto adjacent properties or paved areas.
— Using a hose to wash vehicles unless the hose has a shut-off nozzle or similar device.
— Not repairing leaks within five days of notification.
— Irrigating outdoors between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise.
— Using water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where part of a recirculating system.

Customers can visit www.calwater.com/conservation for details on its conservation program along with a full list of prohibited uses of water.

In June, the utility filed its updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan with the California Public Utilities Commission, which included penalties for violating prohibited uses of water.

Cal Water will continue monitoring local conditions in each of its districts and implement any additional actions based on ongoing supply and demand assessments, according to Kropelnicki.

California Water Service serves about 2 million people through 492,600 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the state since 1926.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Air Quality Management District is seeking applicants to fill the engineering member position on the district’s hearing board.

Persons with an engineering or scientific background are encouraged to apply.

The hearing board meets infrequently and sits to consider permit condition variances, abatement orders, and permit appeals.

Hearings are formal and judicial in nature.

Applications may be obtained from the Lake County Air Quality Management District Hearing Board Clerk at 2617 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453, or call 707-263-7000 for more information.

Resume submittals are encouraged.

Submittals must be received by Aug. 9 for consideration.

Now that California has reopened following the pandemic, the Employment Development Department recently announced that on July 11 Californians receiving unemployment benefits should be looking for work to maintain their eligibility.

EDD has posted fact sheets about this requirement in Armenian, English, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese on the Returning to Work website.

In the weeks following July 11, the department will begin mailing individual notices to claimants in phases informing them of their specific, individual work search requirements that apply to their claim.

Those collecting benefits on a regular unemployment insurance or extension claim will receive notices first. Notices will then start being mailed the week of July 25 to those collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, and Federal-State Extended Duration, or FED-ED, benefits.

The requirement to search for work — and the potential to be found ineligible for benefits for a failure to search — begins when claimants get these individualized notices by mail with the specific work search requirements. The precise work search requirements for an individual claimant depend on state and federal law and the type of claim a person is on.

For example:

— Those filing new, regular claims after July 11 must register on CalJOBS — while this is recommended but optional for most other claimants

— Some claimants must attend a Re-employment Services and Eligibility Assessment appointment to assist with the efforts to return to work

— Claimants on Federal-State Extended Duration benefits must keep a written record of their effort to conduct three separate work search activities a week, such as applying for a job or attending a job fair.

— Claimants other than FED-ED must engage in any reasonable effort to look for work each week and written records are strongly recommended in the event EDD needs to collect further information from the claimant to determine eligibility for payment.

— Claimants on regular unemployment insurance must make reasonable efforts to look for work

— Claimants on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) must make reasonable efforts to restart their businesses.

Individuals can determine the type of claim they are on by referring to EDD notices or visiting the new Returning to Work webpage for tips on how to identify their claim types in UI Online.

Examples of reasonable efforts to search for suitable work each week for those on regular unemployment or an extension include activities such as:

— Set up an account on CalJOBS, participate in re-employment services, post a profile on various job search or networking sites.

— Let friends, prior employers, or community members know you are looking for work. Participate in networking, job fair events or clubs.

— Apply for positions with employers reasonably expected to have suitable openings matching skills and experience, including government jobs and exams.

— Engage in permissible education and training opportunities that assist in obtaining employment and do not interfere with an ability to accept suitable full-time work.

Most PUA recipients must also take action to restart their businesses or look for work starting in July. They will receive notices in the coming weeks detailing what’s required.

A variety of activities can meet the PUA work search requirement each week, including:

— Pursue new or additional clients, market the business, or research, prepare or submit a bid on a new contract.

— Attend networking events, participate in relevant workshops, or expand business.

— For independent contractors who participated in an online platform, establish an account on another platform that matches the individual’s qualifications.

— Enroll in training or education courses that will help the business and does not interfere with an ability to return to full-time self-employment.

A person on a PUA claim who no longer wants to continue self-employment (or was previously employed but not eligible for regular UI benefits) may look for work just like a regular UI recipient.

Information about the work search requirement, including a useful fact sheet, is located at the Returning to Work webpage. EDD has also created an online resource for employers, including an Employers: Reopening Your Business and Hiring Employees Fact Sheet.

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif.‌‌ ‌‌ — ‌ ‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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The‌‌ ‌‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌Traffic‌‌ ‌‌Operations‌‌ ‌‌Office‌‌ ‌‌has‌‌ ‌‌reviewed‌‌ ‌‌each‌‌ ‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌determined‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌individual‌‌ ‌‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌delays‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌expected‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌less‌‌ ‌‌than‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌statewide‌‌ ‌‌policy‌‌ ‌‌maximum‌‌ ‌‌of‌‌ ‌‌30‌‌ ‌‌minutes‌‌ ‌‌unless‌‌ ‌‌‌noted‌‌ ‌‌otherwise. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ ‌or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Pavement work east of the Blue Lake Motel will conclude on Friday, July 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Construction near Saratoga Spring Road will begin. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 29

— Construction from Spruce Grove Road to Hofacker Lane will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work near Argonaut Road. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Wednesday, July 14. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 175

— AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work near the northern 29 junction on Friday, July 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Electrical work at the Albion River Bridge will occur on Friday, July 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work north of the Georgia Pacific Picnic Area on Wednesday, July 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

— Slide removal two miles west of Three Chop Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Electrical work from Broaddus Creek 10 107 to Willits Cemetery Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Pavement repair from Comminsky Station Road to Pieta Creek Bridge will continue. Lane closures will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Maintenance near the Russian River Bridge will occur on Tuesday, July 13, and Wednesday, July 14. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

— Work south of Ridgewood Ranch Road will begin. Lane closures will be in effect in both directions. On Friday, July 9 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. northbound motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Emergency work from North Willits Railroad Crossing to Big Trails Drive will continue through Friday, July 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

— Emergency work north of Laytonville will occur on Friday, July 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

Highway 128

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work south of Boonville on Wednesday, July 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 162

— Electrical work near the Rodeo Creek Bridge will occur Monday, July 12, through Wednesday, July 14. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.