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LAKEPORT, Calif. — Planning is now underway for the 20th annual Home Wine & Beer Makers’ Festival taking place on Saturday, June 11, at Library Park in Lakeport.

Home brewers and garage wine makers throughout Northern California are invited to participate and will have a chance to win a coveted “Peoples’ Choice” award for their homemade beverages from event attendees.

There is no booth fee for these amateur participants, who have until June 4 to sign up for this year’s festival.

Amateur winemakers may also enter their creations in separate categories for professional judging and the chance to win one of the wide assortments of ribbons offered.

Several Lake County commercial wineries will be represented at the Winefest to show support for the LCSA, but prizes are restricted to amateurs.

The Lake County Symphony Wine Club sponsors this event yearly and it is the major fundraiser for the Lake County Symphony Association.

The Lake County Symphony and the LCSA Youth & Community Orchestra receive much-needed funds for operating expenses and youth music scholarships and lessons.

Interested home wine and beer makers can go online to the Lake County Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival website to make music for more details and to download an application.

Questions? Send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call WineFest Chairperson Deborah Welch at 818-481-2068.
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A grebe at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park in Lower Lake, California. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Historical Society and Ely Stage Stop Museum will present “Anderson Marsh: The Back Story” on Saturday, April 9.

The event, for Historical Society members only, will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ely Stage Stop Museum at 9921 Soda Bay Road, just north of Kit's Corner off Highway 29 between Lower Lake and Kelseyville.

Next year is the 40th anniversary of the acquisition of Anderson Marsh and Ranch as a new State Historic Park.

Dr. John Parker will give a talk about the six years of behind-the-scenes work it took to secure the funds to acquire the park, including nominating the area to the National Register of Historic Places, public awareness work, people getting fired, recall campaigns, fines, fraud, arrests and divine intervention.

Dr. Parker will also show the Emmy award winning documentary "A Walk Through Time" that presents the history of the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and the people who used it.

To join the Historical Society ahead of the program, go to http://elystagestop.com/support/ and download, fill out and return the membership form and dues to the address on the form. Or come to the event and join at the door.

Petroglyphs at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park in Lower Lake, California. Courtesy photo.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport is asking residents to conserve water in light of continuing dry conditions and a new gubernatorial executive order.

On Monday, March 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom released Executive Order N-7-22 requiring public water agencies to enhance water conservation rules.

The winter rainy season is nearing a close with California heading into a third year of severe drought.

Many areas across California, including Lake County, have seen sunny, warmer-than-normal weather in January, February and March, during what should be the wettest months of the year, a trend that scientists say is worsening due to climate change.

Despite this week’s rain, March also will finish with below-average rain and snow.

Overall, 93% of California is in a severe drought now — up from 65% a year ago. All northern California counties are in a severe or extreme drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly report put out by the federal government and the University of Nebraska.

The city of Lakeport relies on groundwater wells in the Scotts Valley area along with treated water from Clear Lake for the city’s potable water needs. Both sources are vulnerable due to the current and forecasted drought conditions.

The city of Lakeport strongly encourages its customers to conserve water whenever possible.

Additional water use mandates may be issued in the future and the city reminds customers that the following wasteful water usage practices are currently prohibited per Lakeport City Council Resolution No. 2630 (2017):

• Hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes;
• Washing automobiles, boats, RVs, etc. with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle;
• Using non-recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature;
• Watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff, or within 48 hours after measurable precipitation; and
• Irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians.
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State legislation to incentivize the creation of upland nesting habitat for ducks and other ground-nesting game birds in California will result in a $10 surcharge on the price of both the California Duck Validation and the Upland Game Bird Validation next hunting season.

For the 2022-23 hunting license year, the cost of the California Duck Validation will increase to $34.56 ($23.25 in 2021-22). The Upland Game Bird Validation will cost $21.60 ($10.54 in 2021-22).

The bird hunting validations, along with 2022-23 hunting licenses, tags and related items, will be available for purchase beginning April 15. The $10 surcharge is added to the annual price increase mandated by state law.

The legislation requiring the $10 surcharge for each validation does not apply to validations included with the Lifetime Bird Hunting Privilege Package purchased by Lifetime Hunting License holders.

AB 614 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) was sponsored by the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last October.

The resulting $10 surcharge is expected to generate more than $2 million annually to fund the Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program, which will be administered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, to benefit nesting mallards and other puddle ducks, wild ring-necked pheasants, pollinators and other grassland-dependent species.

All revenue generated from the validation surcharge must be dedicated to the program by law and cannot be diverted to other uses.

“I am proud that CWA sponsored this important legislation, and I am excited to see it implemented on the ground,” said CWA President John Carlson Jr. “Once again, hunters are taking the financial lead to ensure that our nesting bird populations have the habitat necessary to be successful.”

The Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program is designed to provide financial incentives to California landowners to cultivate or retain upland cover and other vegetation to benefit nesting wildlife. The funding can also be used to support habitat work on state wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges open to public hunting.

As a result of drought and water shortages, thousands of acres rice fields and other farmland throughout the state were fallowed last year. The Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program will soon be able to offer those farmers financial payments to plant their fallowed fields in cover crops and other beneficial vegetation to provide productive nesting habitat for ducks, pheasants and other wildlife.

The Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program was originally created by California Waterfowl-sponsored legislation signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018. The program’s funding was tied to Proposition 3, a water infrastructure and conservation bond measure ultimately rejected by voters. The program has been unfunded until the passage of AB 614 last year, which provides the funding mechanism.

California’s breeding population of ducks has experienced declines commensurate with the loss of breeding habitat. Habitat loss and changing agricultural crops and practices have eliminated upland habitat near water that mallards and other species need to nest successfully.

Upland bird hunters have been front-row witnesses to the wild pheasant decline in California. Once the source of opening-day festivities and traditions of all kinds across California’s rural farm communities, wild ring-necked pheasants are an important indicator species in addition to being a popular game bird.

Wild pheasants require the same sort of contiguous, healthy upland and grassland habitat needed by pollinators, native songbirds and nesting waterfowl. Habitat restoration to benefit wild pheasants and nesting ducks is also expected to have positive ramifications for other native species.

The California Duck Validation is required of adults hunting waterfowl in California. The Upland Game Bird Validation is required of adults hunting resident and migratory upland game birds in California. All proceeds from the validations go directly to waterfowl and upland game bird conservation, to support hunting opportunities and for education and outreach.

During the current 2021-22 hunting license year, which ends June 30, 2022, CDFW has sold 66,644 California Duck Validations and 147,574 Upland Game Bird Validations, not including validations issued to lifetime license holders.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is advising all Lake County residents and landowners that are requiring a burn permit to follow the proper burn permit process for Lake County.

Burn permits in Lake County are no longer issued by the Cal Fire Burn Permit website and no longer available at the Cal Fire stations in Lake County.

This new Lake County burn permit system issues both the Lake County Air Quality permit and the Cal Fire permit at the same time.

Burn permits for any location in Lake County can be obtained through the South Lake County Fire Protection District website at https://www.southlakecountyfire.org./home/permits/.

For any further questions please contact your local fire department.
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Wildflowers at Eleven Roses Ranch in Clearlake Oaks, California. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. — Eleven Roses Ranch will offer their spring wildflower tours from April 9 through 24.

This lovely day-trip includes a narrated ranch-wagon tour through this historic ranch, featuring springtime wildflowers and scenic beauty.

The day includes music by Don Coffin on guitar and Andi Skelton on fiddle.

A complimentary chuck wagon barbecue with Lake County wines for adults rounds out the day.

All tours begin at 11 a.m.

The cost is $65 per adult and $45 for children 10 years and under. Under 5 years is free with an adult.

This tour has limited availability and is by reservation only.

Please contact Eleven Roses Ranch at 707-998-4471 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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