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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Friday afternoon fire burned a mobile home in the Spring Valley community.
The fire, reported at 3865 Quail Trail, was dispatched at 3:45 p.m.
Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters arriving on the scene found the singlewide mobile home to be fully involved, according to radio reports.
Incident command reported the fire to be contained at approximately 4:23 p.m., with two hours of mop up anticipated.
A district support team was being sent to the scene, reports from the scene indicated.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The winter storm hitting Lake County on Thursday night and early Friday morning resulted in trees and power lines down, rocks and water in the roadways, and gusting winds.
Firefighters along with the California Highway Patrol and sheriff’s deputies responded to calls throughout the night as the storm continued to pound Lake County.
There were numerous reports of line down – on Jerusalem Grade and Spruce Grove Road near Middletown, Anderson Springs Road and Foard Road, Highway 175 at Salmina Road and Gold Hill Drive near Kelseyville and in the Morgan Valley Road area. In several of those cases, falling trees had knocked the lines down.
A tree that fell on Soda Bay Road and Mission Rancheria Road led to a noninjury crash when a vehicle hit the downed tree.
There also were reports of trees down on the Glasgow Grade portion of Highway 29, where one lane was blocked, as well as Wight Way in Kelseyville.
A boulder also had been reported in a lane of Highway 20 near Lucerne, with water reported to be covering a portion of Highway 29 south of Lower Lake near Murphy Springs Road and on Highway 175 at Harrington Flat Road early Friday morning.
Pacific Gas & Electric reported several small outages late Thursday night and early Friday morning, including one in Cobb affecting 60 customers and four in Hidden Valley Lake affecting another 211 customers.
The National Weather Service said wind gusts of 29 miles per hour were possible overnight.
Rain and winds are forecast to continue throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with showers expected to stop Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Because of the continued rain in the forecast, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Lake County on Thursday which will remain in effect until Friday afternoon.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A years-long battle by a Northern California business to keep operating in Point Reyes National Seashore has come to an end.
A week after he visited the Drakes Bay Oyster Co., Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Thursday issued a decision that will allow the business’ operating permit to expire at Point Reyes National Seashore in California according to its terms, and will return the affected area to wilderness.
Drakes Bay Oyster Co. is owned by Kevin Lunny and his family. Lunny has worked since 2004 to convince officials to allow his business to continue operating in Drakes Estero.
The Lunny family was reported to have been stunned by the decision, as were their supporters, including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who had championed Lunny’s efforts to remain in business.
“I am extremely disappointed that Secretary Salazar chose not to renew the operating permit for the Drakes Bay Oyster Co.,” Feinstein said in a Thursday statement.
“The National Park Service’s review process has been flawed from the beginning with false and misleading science, which was also used in the Environmental Impact Statement,” Feinstein added. “The secretary’s decision effectively puts this historic California oyster farm out of business. As a result, the farm will be forced to cease operations and 30 Californians will lose their jobs.”
In 1972, the National Park Service purchased the land that housed the oyster operation and the owner reserved a 40-year right to continue its activities through Nov. 30, 2012.
In 2004, Drakes Bay Oyster Co. acquired the business from the prior owner and attempted to get the operating permit extended.
Thursday’s decision will end the company’s commercial operations within the national park, including an onshore oyster processing facility and offshore oyster harvesting activities that occur on over 1,000 acres in the estuary.
Feinstein’s colleague in the U.S. Senate, Barbara Boxer, supported Salazar’s decision.
“This has been a very challenging issue, but I have great respect for the decision made by Secretary Salazar to allow this permit to expire at the end of its term,” said Boxer. “He studied the issue carefully, he listened closely to all sides and, in the end, he made his decision based on the science and the law.”
Point Reyes National Seashore was designated as a unit of the national park system by Congress in 1962 to protect more than 80 miles of California coastline.
The park’s authorizing legislation also enables the Secretary of the Interior to lease designated areas within the park for dairy and cattle-ranching purposes.
On Thursday Salazar directed the National Park Service to pursue extending the terms of agriculture permits from 10 to 20 years to provide greater certainty and clarity for the ranches operating within the national park’s pastoral zone and to support the continued presence of sustainable ranching and dairy operations.
He directed the affected areas within Drakes Estero within Point Reyes National Seashore to be converted from potential to designated wilderness.
In 1976, Congress identified Drakes Estero as potential wilderness – the only marine wilderness area on the west coast of the continental United States outside Alaska – and directed that it automatically become wilderness when the commercial operation ended.
“Carrying out steps set in motion by the United States Congress over three decades ago, we are taking the final step to recognize this pristine area as wilderness,” said Salazar. “The Estero is one of our nation’s crown jewels, and today we are fulfilling the vision to protect this special place for generations to come.”
Additionally, Salazar directed the National Park Service to work with the oyster company to remove its personal property from the lands and waters within 90 days, and asked the National Park Service to use all existing legal authorities to help employees who might be affected by this decision, including assisting with relocation, employment opportunities and training.
112912 Salazar Decision on Drakes Bay Oyster Co- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – As a result of this week’s storms and the continuing wet weather forecast for this week, the Mendocino National Forest is implementing one wet weather closure and encouraging visitors to monitor the weather and check conditions before visiting forest recreation sites.
The Upper Lake Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail system was closed at noon Thursday due to more than 2 inches of accumulated rain in 24 hours saturating the trails. The trails are anticipated to reopen after at least 48 hours of no measurable precipitation.
The closure order is formally referenced as Order Number 08-12-18 and is available online at www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .
Grindstone Ranger District staff is currently monitoring conditions on their OHV trail system to determine if a closure order is needed.
The Grindstone OHV trails were heavily impacted by the Mill Fire this summer, adding to the risk of flooding and landslides as stormy weather continues.
Lake Red Bluff Recreation Area, which is on the banks of the Sacramento River, is also at risk of flooding by the weekend. Visitors to the area are encouraged to closely monitor weather conditions and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
With wet weather and winter conditions returning to the Mendocino National Forest, all visitors are asked to be cautious when recreating on the forest, whether they are driving, hiking, camping, or enjoying other recreational pursuits – including selecting a Christmas tree.
Many popular trails and some access points to recreation sites on the Mendocino National Forest involve crossing normally small creeks and streams.
Caution should be used at these stream crossings. People and vehicles can be swept away by currents in even relatively shallow water. Also, conditions can change rapidly and a stream that was easy to cross in the morning can become impassable by afternoon, trapping people on the wrong side.
Following are some additional safety suggestions for those recreating in the forest this winter:
- Plan your trip: Check the weather, bring plenty of warm clothes, water, emergency food, tire chains, shovel and any other supplies necessary for the activity. Call to check if the area you are planning to visit is still open and accessible.
- Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains.
- Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
- Keep vehicles on designated roads and trails and be aware of changing weather and road conditions. Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and causing damage to road, soil and water resources. If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, consider pulling over to hike or turning around and finding a different area.
For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .