MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Personal use firewood permits are now available for purchase from the Mendocino National Forest.

Permits are $5 per cord of wood, with a minimum purchase of four cords for $20.

The permits are good through Dec. 31.

The wood does not have to be cut at the same time. All firewood removed must be dead and down. It is illegal to remove firewood from the national forest without a valid permit.

Permits are available in person or by mail order from one of the forest offices listed below. Mail order forms are available online at www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

If a person is unable to cut the wood themselves, they can obtain a third party authorization when they purchase their permit that will allow someone else to cut or gather the wood.

The Mendocino National Forest only accepts cash or check as payment for firewood permits and sales are final, with no refunds. Permittees will receive tags and a map of the Forest.

Permit holders should be aware that federal and state quarantines to prevent the spread of sudden oak death (SOD) are in effect for Lake and Mendocino counties.

Any firewood cut in these counties can only be transported into other SOD quarantine counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma.

Firewood permits can be purchased from the following offices:

Mendocino National Forest Supervisor’s Office/Grindstone Ranger District Office
825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988
530-934-3316
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Stonyford Work Center
5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road, Stonyford, CA, 95979
530-963-3128
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1- 4:30 p.m.

Covelo Ranger Station
78150 Covelo Road, Covelo, CA 95428
707-983-6118
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Upper Lake Ranger Station
10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake, CA 95485
707-275-2361
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Gathering firewood is important to many individuals and families surrounding the Mendocino National Forest. Following are some tips for a safer experience.

• Plan your trip – check the weather, bring plenty of warm clothes for spring and fall through winter cutting, water, emergency food, and the appropriate gear for the season when you are gathering firewood. Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains! Also, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
• Keep vehicles on designated roads 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 and taking a hike to look for wood, or turning around and finding a different area to cut your firewood.
• As we enter fire season, be aware of fire restrictions or closure order than may be in place restricting where you can go. Make sure you have a spark arrester on chainsaws and any other mechanical equipment being used.
• Make sure you are cutting firewood on the Mendocino National Forest and not from other federal, state or private lands.

For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – On March 22 and 23, OneJustice’s Justice Bus Project rolled into Ukiah and Kelseyville to staff two free clean slate and workers’ rights legal clinics.

The Justice Bus Project aims to increase free legal services to low-income communities in rural and isolated areas of California.

Behind the project is a deep belief that for every community in need of free legal assistance, there are volunteer lawyers, law students and legal services attorneys who are very able and willing to help.

Such was the case on March 22 and 23, when the Justice Bus Project partnered with Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC), The Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center’s Mobile Workers’ Rights Clinic (LAS-ELC) and Pacific McGeorge School of Law (McGeorge) to organize two free legal clinics for residents of Lake and Mendocino counties.

Thirteen volunteer law students from McGeorge School of Law traveled from Sacramento to Ukiah and Kelseyville to meet with individuals seeking assistance with clearing their criminal record and dealing with issues related to employment. Each clinic was busy throughout the day and the volunteers received positive and encouraging feedback from individuals who visited the clinic.

“I am ever so thankful there is an opportunity to receive support and direction to take care of this matter so that I may continue to be a productive member of society,” commented one person.

Another commented on the quality of legal assistance she received at the clinic: “I received excellent, very knowledgeable assistance from the two young ladies in law school, which helped me immensely in my desire to have some pesky, very old misdemeanor criminal matters from long ago be expunged.”

Mary Heare Amodio, president of the Lake County Bar Association and lay leader of the Kelseyville United Methodist Church, helped organize the event in Lake County.

“Hosting a program like the Justice Bus Project is a ‘win-win’ situation for everyone involved,” she said. “Some community members were able to clean up their records; others now understand why they can’t clear their record; some obtained help with employment issues; law students got some practical experience dealing with ‘clients’; the church was able to provide space for a program that advances social justice in the community; and members of the local bar were able to meet and assist the legal aid attorneys in providing a service to the community.”

During the two days, 47 people received legal assistance and are closer to removing barriers to employment.

All of the partners who participate in the event are grateful for the warm welcome they received by Ukiah and Kelseyville communities and hope to return to hold more free clinics in the future.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A homing pigeon has been found at the Yuba College campus in Clearlake and there is an effort to return it to its home.

The bird appears to belong to someone because it has bands on its legs.

If you are missing a pigeon, call 707-987-9006 for more information.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Green Party of Lake County will hold its regular monthly pot luck meeting on the third Sunday, April 21, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The gathering will take place at the Lakeport Lagoons Clubhouse, 1800 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Lake County Time Bank will present its program to introduce the benefits of time banking at 1:30 p.m.

There also will be the election of a delegate to the semi-annual state meeting in Napa.

Come and find out about the Green New Deal, an alternative to business as usual.

Party membership is not required to attend the meetings.

For more information, visit www.cagreens.org , www.gpus.org , www.lakecountygreenparty.bravesites.com , www.jillstein.org for updates on the Green Party's presidential candidate's activities on making a difference or call 707-263-3391.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, has been canceled.

City officials said the next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

Planning commissioners are Carl Webb, Bill Perkins, Cheryl Hutchinson, Albert Bernal and Alvaro Valencia.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – How does Agenda 21 impact us locally? Come hear Bill Wink of Middletown give a presentation entitled “Connecting the dots from Agenda 21 to our backyard” on Monday, April 15.

The talk will take place at the Patriots Around the Lake meeting beginning at 6 p.m. at Sutton Associates, 290 N. Main St., Lakeport.

Wink’s presentation exposes just how deeply Caltrans is committed to Agenda 21.
 
The presentation will be followed with open discussion. Refreshments will be provided.
 
For more information call 707-489-4382.