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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Ahead of peak fire season, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a $536 million wildfire package enabling the state to take urgent action on projects that support wildfire suppression, improve forest health and build resilience in communities to help protect residents and property from catastrophic wildfires in diverse landscapes across the state.
The governor signed SB 85 alongside legislative leaders at a fuels management project in the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area that helped protect a Butte County community from last year’s North Complex Fire.
The legislative package builds on Gov. Newsom’s early action funding for wildfire resilience proposed in his 2021-2022 state budget.
It funds projects to restore the ecological health of forests and watersheds, fuel breaks around vulnerable communities, statewide fire prevention grants targeting projects to advance community hardening, and improvements to defensible space to mitigate wildfire damage.
This early action plan is part of the governor's overall proposed $1 billion investment in forest health and community fire resilience.
“California is taking bold, early action to protect our high-risk communities from the upcoming wildfire season before it starts,” said Gov. Newsom. “This crucial funding will go towards efforts including fuel breaks, forest health projects and home hardening. I thank the members of the Legislature for their partnership as we do more than ever before to build wildfire and forest resilience across the state.”
The administration is spearheading sustainable approaches to thinning California’s vulnerable landscapes, half of which will be funded under the early action legislation.
One of these approaches is to develop a comprehensive framework to expand the wood products market in California to create economic opportunities for the use of forest materials that store carbon, reduce emissions and contribute to sustainable local economies.
Furthermore, the state’s iBank will partner with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Governor's Office of Planning and Research and other agencies to advance forest- and agricultural-related applications to the Climate Catalyst Fund.
The fund will provide loans, loan guarantees and other credit support to encourage the development of businesses that utilize wood and forest biomass; encourage private-sector innovations in technology, business models, infrastructure and supply chains in woody biomass markets; and promote optimization of state grant funds in the sector.
The Oroville East site is a joint project by Cal Fire, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Parks and Recreation to thin vegetation around the park, which helped slow the North Complex Fire and prevent it from spreading into the community of Kelly Ridge.
“As the Senate passed the wildfire prevention and resiliency package yesterday, members spoke about the many fires that have torn through their districts. From the coast to inland, north to south, Paradise to San Diego, each of us have watched our communities burn, evacuate, and work to rebuild far too many times,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego). “Together, we are just 40 people, but each of us represent the millions of Californians who said goodbye to homes, loved ones, and livelihoods. This bill will help protect those who have lost so much to wildfires and prevent fresh pain from being inflicted across the state. This is an investment in Californians, and it will not be the last. I appreciate the dedication my colleagues, particularly Senators Bob Wieckowski, Susan Rubio, and Mike McGuire, have shown to this critical issue.”
"This wildfire prevention package is a big deal, but it’s not enough. We are not out of the woods on this issue, and we need to act like the woods are in flames. I'm grateful that the Administration and the senate see it the same way,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “Thank you to my colleagues, in particular Assemblymembers Richard Bloom, Phil Ting, Luz Rivas, Laura Friedman, Jim Wood and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for their hard work on this important issue."
Gov. Newsom last week announced that he is expanding and refocusing the Forest Management Task Force to deliver on key commitments in the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan issued in January, including the $1 billion in investments.
The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force of federal, local and tribal leaders builds on the state’s collaborative effort to improve the health of forests and reduce wildfire risk to communities.
In March, Gov. Newsom authorized $80.74 million in emergency funds for 1,399 additional firefighters with Cal Fire to bolster fuels management and wildfire response efforts.
For the full text of the bill signed today, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Lake County is now set to move into the orange, or moderate, tier as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Sarah Marikos, the county’s epidemiologist, told the Board of Supervisors in a Tuesday morning update.
At the time of Public Health’s update to the board, Lake County’s pending move into the orange tier hadn’t been formally announced by the state. That confirmation came around noon on Tuesday.
The state moved Lake County into the red tier, which signifies “substantial” virus in the community, on March 17. At that point, Lake County had spent nearly four months in the purple or “widespread” tier, the most restrictive, due to its high case rate.
In addition to Lake County, three other counties moving to less-restrictive tiers on Wednesday are Inyo, purple to red; Kern, red to orange; and Lassen, orange to yellow, the state reported. No counties are moving to a more restrictive tier.
The state said one county, Merced, remains in the purple tier, while 21 remain in the red tier, 33 in the orange and three in the yellow, or “minimal,” tier.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will fully reopen its economy on June 15 if the vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated and if hospitalization rates are stable and low.
Once the state fully reopens, the governor said the Blueprint for a Safer Economy will end.
Case rates down; restrictions loosen for businesses, events
Dr. Evan Bloom, who is acting as interim Public Health officer while Dr. Gary Pace is on vacation, told the supervisors that Lake County’s case numbers continue to be on a downward trajectory, and Marikos also reported that only 14 cases have so far been identified in the most recent week.
While Lake County’s dropping case rate helped it into the red tier, Marikos also pointed out that changes in the state’s tier system had facilitated that move.
That tier system was updated last week after the state reached more than four million vaccinations in the hardest-hit communities in the state as shown on the Healthy Places Index.
Six Lake County zip codes – Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Finley, Lucerne, Nice and Upper Lake – are among the approximately 446 across California in the Healthy Places Index’s lowest quartile and so were the focus of those four million vaccinations.
Going forward, Marikos said Lake County can’t have more than 27 cases in a given week to remain in the orange tier.
Bloom said there is an “exhaustive list” of changes for businesses and events as a result of Lake County’s move from the red to the orange tier.
He highlighted a few of them:
– Restaurants can move from 25 to 50 percent capacity.
– All retail can be open indoors with modifications but without a maximum capacity.
– Wineries will be able to be open to 25 percent capacity without reservations.
– Bars can be open outdoors with modifications.
– Gyms and fitness centers can increase from 10 percent to 25 percent of maximum capacity.
– Outdoor gatherings will go from a maximum 25 participants to 50.
– Indoor gatherings can have 25 people or 25-percent capacity (these events are still discouraged but if attended, masks should be worn, he said).
– For private events that are ticketed, invitation-only or have controlled entry, up to 100 people will be allowed, doubling the previous limit. If attendees are vaccinated, as many as 300 attendees are allowed.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LUCERNE, Calif. – Despite the challenges of last year, Lucerne Elementary School has completed a major construction project that is giving kindergarten students and teachers classrooms built just for them.
The school’s brand new kindergarten building – housing two spacious classrooms – is located on the north side of the campus near the administration office, in a spot where two portables previously stood.
The new classrooms are each approximately 1,115 square feet. They include dedicated bathrooms, a work/storage room and exterior storage, for a total combined size of 2,688 square feet, said Superintendent-Principal Mike Brown.
The rooms have vaulted ceilings with a set of small windows set up high to allow in more natural light. They also feature small, triangular-shaped desks that can be pushed together for collaborative learning. However, for the time being, the children need to remain spaced apart.
Brown said the school broke ground on the buildings during spring break in 2020. That was about the time the pandemic led to the shutdowns of schools and the rest of the county.
Construction continued through the rest of 2020. Brown said the final walkthrough on the building took place over winter break and students and their teachers began classes in the new classrooms on Feb. 1.
The new building was paid for by a $1.2 million Full Day Kindergarten grant the school received from the California Department of Education to help establish facilities to support full-day kindergarten, Brown said.
Brown said Lucerne Elementary is preparing to go to full-day kindergarten in the 2021-22 school year.
He said the school has 32 kindergarteners and four transitional kindergarten students, and a total of 275 students across all grades, up through eighth.
Lucerne Elementary, like Upper Lake Unified, began the school year in August in a “hybrid” schooling model that allowed for in-person instruction, as Lake County News has reported.
Today, 78 percent of the school’s students are on campus, according to school records.
There is more construction to take place, funded by the $4 million Measure A bond voters approved in November 2016.
Brown said the district is waiting for the Division of the State Architect – which provides design and construction oversight for kindergarten through 12th grade schools, as well as community state-owned or leased facilities – to approve the next building.
The goal is to start construction on June 1 in order for it to be finished in the early fall, Brown said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 15, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The public may attend, however, the council chambers will have limited capacity and attendees must adhere to masking and social distancing mandates.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 15.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Presentations at the start of the meeting will include April’s adoptable dogs, the Local Safety Road Plan, PEG TV's Annual Report and a proclamation recognizing Dr. Gary Pace, M.D., M.P.H. for his service
On Thursday, the council will hold two public hearings, the first on a development agreement with Chandra Martinez for a commercial cannabis operation at 14935 Olympic Drive, the second regarding proposed projects for a grant application for funding through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program.
Under business, council members will consider the first reading of an amendment to the Clearlake Municipal Code, Section 3-4 Purchasing and Sales, regarding raising limit that the purchasing agent, or city manager, can spend to purchase supplies, equipment or services through an informal process to $25,000 – the current limit is $20,000.
As part of the same item, the council will discuss allowing the purchasing agent to continue to have discretion over disposing of surplus property, adding a specific reference to allow the disposal of supplies and equipment with a fair market value of $10,000 or above to be sold at a public auction. The amendment’s second reading will be set for May 6.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrants; continuation of declaration of local emergency Issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020; Resolution No. 2021-23, to adopt the residential anti-displacement and relocation assistance plan; authorization to hire a full-time office assistant for City Hall front counter service Enhancement; approval of Amendment No. 2 to management and administrative services agreement with Regional Government Services for consulting services, increasing the contract amount by $50,000 and authorizing the city manager to sign; minutes of the March 18 and April 1 meetings; and adoption of the 13th Amendment to the FY 2020-25 Budget (Resolution 2020-27) appropriating funding for an Office Assistant II in the Administrative Services Department.
Following the public portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association, Clearlake Police Officers Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association.
Email Elizabeth Larson at