The latest July 2019 cyanobacteria testing results for Clear Lake in Lake County, Calif. The markers indicate the following: Green, below state trigger levels; blue, regular sites not sampled during the last sampling event; yellow, caution trigger level; orange, warning trigger level; red, danger trigger level. Image courtesy of Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – County and tribal officials are reporting that new testing at sites around Clear Lake have revealed half a dozen areas with cyanobacteria levels that trigger health warnings.
Water monitoring is regularly done by the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony, a valuable service that helps facilitate safe lake use.
The most recent results reflect testing largely conducted July 22, and six areas of Clear Lake demonstrated concerning levels of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria.
Testing results from July 22 and July 26 showed a “danger” level triggering warnings at 20 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, in the following areas:
– Austin Park Beach/AP01 with a lab result of 48 µg/L-danger zone (red).
– Redbud Park/RED01 with preliminary testing for microcystin with Abraxis strips on July 26 due to changing lake conditions indicating a level of over 30 µg/L - danger zone (red). Lab results from testing on July 22 had shown a result of 1.0 µg/L (in the caution zone); however, lake conditions changed quickly.
– Cache Creek Shady Acres/SHADY01 with preliminary testing using Abraxis strips on July 26 due to changing lake conditions indicating a level of over 30 µg/L - danger zone (red).
– Lily Cove/LC01 with preliminary testing using Abraxis strips on July 26 due to changing lake conditions indicating a level of over 30 µg/L - danger zone (red). This site was requested to be tested by a community member due to changing lake conditions, and is not yet a regular sampling site.
– Jago Bay/JB with a result of 4.7 µg/L - caution zone (yellow).
– Buckingham Park/BP with a lab result of 2.4 µg/L - caution zone (yellow).
Clear Lake is a large and biologically rich natural lake, and offers many opportunities for aquatic recreation.
Understanding the dynamic nature of water quality, and what signs to look for when recreating, can help ensure residents and visitors safely enjoy our County’s defining feature.
Lake County Public Health urges boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing cyanobacteria in Lake County.
The recommendation is based on the potential health risks from cyanobacteria, which is currently blooming at varying levels in the Lower Arm of Clear Lake.
Cyanobacteria can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets. Officials urge people to choose safe activities when visiting natural bodies of water, particularly where blooms are visible.
It is strongly recommended that people and their pets avoid contact with water and avoid swallowing lake water in an algae bloom area.
Kristina Loraine Doll, 25, of Clearlake, Calif., was arrested on Sunday, July 28, 2019, for setting a fire in Lucerne, Calif. Lake County Jail photo.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Clearlake woman has been taken into custody for setting a Sunday morning fire in Lucerne.
Kristina Loraine Doll, 25, is charged in the case, according to Bruce Lang, a fire prevention specialist for Cal Fire.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday Cal Fire and Northshore Fire responded to a vegetation fire at Highway 20 and Rancho Vista Road in Lucerne, Lang said.
Lang said fire personnel quickly extinguished the 10-foot by 10-foot spot, measuring approximately one-tenth of an acre.
About an hour later, just after noon, Cal Fire law enforcement officers arrested Doll on a felony charge of burning of a forest as a result of malicious arson, Lang said. Cal Fire was assisted by the California Highway Patrol.
Doll, whose profession is listed on her booking sheet as unemployed, was booked into the Lake County Jail about half an hour after her Sunday afternoon arrest, with bail set at $50,000.
She remained in custody on Tuesday, the same day she was scheduled for arraignment in Lake County Superior Court, according to booking records.
Jail records show that Doll has had previous arrests for obstructing officers and disorderly conduct involving alcohol.
Doll’s arrest was the second for arson local authorities reported making over the weekend.
On Saturday, the Clearlake Police Department arrested Adam Joseph Miller, 28, of Clearlake for a fire on Dam Road Saturday evening that threatened the Cache Creek Apartment complex, as Lake County News has reported.
The 3,000-acre Sanhedrin Donation in Mendocino County, Calif. The property has been donated to the Mendocino National Forest. Photo courtesy of the Mendocino National Forest. MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation nonprofit organization, has donated approximately 3,000 acres within the boundaries of the Mendocino National Forest in Mendocino County.
The Trust for Public Land parcel is called the Sanhedrin Donation and is part of the broader 11,800-acre Sanhedrin Acquisition Project.
The forest has partnered with The Trust for Public Land and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to purchase the remaining 8,800 acres with Land and Water Conservation Funds and private philanthropic donations.
The land parcel is in the Middle Fork Eel River watershed, the largest sub-basin in the Eel River drainage. The donation will help protect critical habitat for the threatened Northern California steelhead.
The donation stipulates that the land must be incorporated into the adjacent Congressionally-designated Yuki Wilderness under Section 6(a) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 (16 U.S.C. §1135(a)).
“Other benefits from this generous donation include: enhancing recreational access to isolated areas of the forest, preserving wildlife migration connectivity between the Yuki and Sanhedrin Wilderness Areas, and improving water quality within the Elk Creek watershed, a major tributary to the Middle Fork,” said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson. “We appreciate the widespread support we have received for the Sanhedrin Donation and the Sanhedrin Acquisition Project.”
“We are thrilled to be able to work with the US Forest Service to protect this land,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California State director for The Trust for Public Land, “This addition to the Mendocino National Forest represents the rare opportunity to protect a piece of land not just because it’s a great place to recreate outside but also because it protects drinking water and the habitat for wildlife. This project would not have been possible without the support of Sen. Feinstein and Representative Huffman. We are grateful for the work they’re done to protect some of California's most special places."
The gift was supported by generous donations from the Wyss Foundation and the landowner, Coastal Forestlands Ltd.
After acceptance by the Secretary of Agriculture, the land shall become part of the designated Wilderness Area under Section 6(a).
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – With another wildfire season now under way, a Lake County supervisor is asking community members to come out and volunteer part of a Saturday to reduce fire risks.
Supervisor Rob Brown put out the call this week as part of the “1,000 Hands to Protect Lake County Homes” effort.
Lake County residents are well aware that disaster events affecting one of our communities have the potential to impact all of us.
Brown said that’s why community members must take every reasonable proactive measures to harden homes, neighborhoods and roadways against the threat of wildfire.
“I am asking for around 500 volunteers to donate at least part of Saturday, Aug. 17, to clean up hazardous vegetation along county roadside in the Soda Bay corridor, from the end of Highway 281 to Soda Bay, including areas of the Black Forest,” Brown said.
Most wildfires are caused by roadside vegetation, and this is one of the areas of the county at the greatest risk, Brown said. “We need to act now to protect all county residents.”
If you have one hour to give, two hours or four, your help is needed, and crews will be working from 6 to 10 a.m.
Bring your hand tools: loppers, pruners, shovels and rakes. Bring your nylon-stringed weed eaters as well.
Whether you live in the immediate area or not, Brown invites you to join him, Lake County’s Department of Public Works, Lake County Waste Solutions, California Highway Patrol, Kelseyville Fire Protection District, Kelseyville Unified School District, Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary and the Homeowners Associations of Riviera Heights, Riviera West, Clear Lake Riviera and Buckingham, in acting to reduce the risk of a major wildfire event in Lake County.
“One thousand hands can make a powerful difference for 12,000 County residents living along this corridor, the 65,000 residents of Lake County, and all of those in the region affected by air quality and other consequences whenever a major wildfire occurs,” Brown said.
Volunteers can sign up by completing the volunteer services agreement. Copies are available from the County Administrative Office, Human Resources Office and Department of Public Works, and the form is posted online.
Brown said participants will meet at Riviera Elementary School, 10505 Fairway Drive in Kelseyville. Copies of the volunteer services agreement will also be available there.
All volunteers are encouraged to dress appropriately, with hats, sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and gloves that can be comfortably worn in warm weather.
Water will be provided, and they are also expecting to provide gloves for those who do not own them.
Please also note, the southbound lane of Soda Bay Road, from Riviera Heights Drive to Point Lakeview Road, will be closed for the hours of the project, in order to allow volunteers to safely work and park. The county apologizes for any inconvenience.
Brown invites those with questions to call him at 707-349-2628 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Adam Joseph Miller, 28, of Clearlake, Calif., has been arrested on suspicion of setting a fire in Clearlake on Saturday, July 27, 2019. Lake County Jail photo. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department has identified the man arrested on Saturday after witnesses said he set a fire that burned near a Clearlake shopping center and apartment complex.
Adam Joseph Miller, 28, of Clearlake was arrested shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, about two hours after the fire was first reported, authorities reported.
At 5:40 p.m. Saturday, Clearlake Police officers responded with firefighters to the field behind Cache Creek Apartments, and near the Tractor Supply and Big 5 Sporting Goods stores, for a grass fire, as Lake County News has reported.
Upon their arrival, the officers, assisted by California Highway Patrol officers, evacuated Buildings C and D at the apartments, police said.
While attending to evacuations, officers also received information regarding a suspect who possibly started the fire, according to the Clearlake police report.
Based on the investigation, police said Miller was identified as the subject responsible for setting the fire.
One of the witnesses, whose campsite was burned down, saw Miller after he had initially left the area, gave chase and confronted him while having a bystander contact the police. Authorities said several officers arrived and took custody of Miller.
Based on statements obtained during the investigation so far, police believe that Miller intentionally set the fire.
Miller was booked into the Lake County Jail on suspicion of arson, with bail set at $100,000, according to booking records. He remained in custody on Tuesday.
His booking sheet shows he is scheduled for a Tuesday arraignment in Lake County Superior Court.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and includes investigators from the Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact Arson Investigator Brice Trask with Lake County Fire at 707-994-2170.
Adam Miller is suspected of setting a fire that burned near the Cache Creek Apartments on Saturday, July 27, 2019, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Angela Carter.
Do you feel like nutritionists are always changing their minds? Do you want science-based information about diet but don’t know whom or what to believe?
If you’re nodding in agreement, you’re not alone: More than 80% of Americans are befuddled.
Yet it’s a lament that’s getting quite tiring – if you’re a nutrition scientist, that is. So much so that I refocused my career to shine scientific light on today’s critical food conversations, which have profound impacts on public health and the environment. My mantra: From farm to fork, what we eat matters.
In fact, did you know that 80% of chronic diseases are preventable through modifiable lifestyle changes, and diet is the single largest contributing factor?
Science says plants are better for you and our planet
Clean eating or keto? Paleo or gluten-free? Whole 30 or vegan? Forget fad diets, because science has the answers – there is far more agreement about diet and health than you may know. The scientific report from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, for example, concluded that a plant-based diet is best for human health and the environment alike. More than 75% of your meal should comprise vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and protein sources should include beans, peas, nuts, seeds and soy.
While it may sound like a fad, a “plant-based” diet has been studied for decades. Awareness escalated as it addresses two urgent public health challenges: the chronic disease epidemic and the climate change crisis. It’s a win-win for human health and the environment. Plant-based diets can be adapted to suit your taste preferences, traditions and cultures, as the Blue Zones, or regions of the world where people typically live longer than average and with fewer chronic diseases, indicate.
If science has the keys to a health-promoting, disease-preventing, planet-saving diet, why are people so confused? A closer look will arm you with the skills to sort fact from fiction.
Celebrities garner enormous platforms, often clouding the truth (or drowning it completely); the deal between Netflix and Gwyneth Paltrow, whose company Goop was sued over a certain jade egg, suggests that science is losing the battle.
One needn’t be a celebrity to hold sway, however. A list of the Top 100 influencers showed that most were bloggers or athletes with no expertise. (None were scientists.) These voices gain considerable traction on social media. Health Feedback, a network of scientists who review the accuracy of online content, conducted a study with the Credibility Coalition and found a minority of articles received a positive rating, with most “exaggerating the benefits and harms of various foods.”
And science journalism has taken a hit, and is perhaps why CNN interviewed an anti-science zealot. Or why the Los Angeles Times tweeted that there’s a “growing belief” about the health benefits of celery juice. (Pro tip: It’s not a thing.)
Nonetheless, there are knowledge gaps: 57% of Americans have never seen the dietary illustration from the U.S. Deparment of Agriculture called MyPlate or know little about it, and 63% reported it was hard to recognize sustainable choices. Shoppers also claimed that identifying healthy food was difficult (11%) or moderate (61%). Unsurprising, perhaps, since 48% looked to crowded food packages for guidance: Some labels are meaningful while others are little more than marketing. (All natural, anyone?) Indeed, powerful food and agriculture lobbies still exert influence on dietary guidelines and obscure the science.
Through all of this, I believe the nutrition science community has tacitly contributed by failing to participate collectively in the public discourse. Nor have we adequately defended our discipline when attacked, whether by journalists, physicians or food writers.
Changing the conversation
Potent societal powers create a culture of nutrition confusion that not only obfuscate the truth about diet, they undermine science as a whole. Three steps will help eaters navigate this rocky terrain.
Begin by asking critical questions when digesting diet news. Does the writer have an advanced degree in nutrition, or does she or he have expertise in science journalism? Are there references to peer-reviewed studies or scientific organizations? Is the source credible? Are miracle cures or quick results promised? Are there expensive price tags for magic bullets? Does it sound like clickbait? Questioning the who-what-where-why-how is paramount.
Second, remember that what flits through our newsfeeds often comes via algorithms that enable news to careen through our echo chambers and elicit confirmation bias, factual or not. Offline, too, we are more likely to share beliefs with friends and family, our tribe. Getting curious about what you eat and why it matters beyond your comfort zone is necessary: You may need to “unlearn what you have learned.”
Finally, try this on for size: Nutrition. Isn’t. Confusing. We all have cherished traditions and values – what we eat isn’t just about the science. (At least, I hope not.) But it is time to learn the fundamental food and nutrition facts that will inspire you to harness the power of food to promote health, prevent disease and protect the planet. Change is possible – and the truth is out there.
A 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun seized during a traffic stop on Monday, July 29, 2019, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake Police officer arrested two men on drugs and weapons charges on Monday afternoon following a traffic stop.
Police said Roger Daniel Vigil, 56, Clearlake, and Eugene Walker, 52, Sacramento, were taken into custody.
At about 4:30 p.m. Monday Officer Chris Kelleher was patrolling the area of Snook Avenue near Hillcrest Avenue when he stopped a vehicle for various traffic violations, police said.
The agency said Officer Kelleher contacted Vigil, who was the driver, with Walker riding in the front passenger seat.
During the traffic stop, police said Officer Kelleher located seven 12-gauge Winchester shotgun shells on Vigil, who is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing them.
Police said that during a search of the vehicle, Officer Kelleher located a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun on the backseat. He also found a bag of suspected methamphetamine on the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle.
Vigil was arrested on probable cause for numerous felony firearm and drug violations. He remained in custody on Tuesday, with bail set at $50,000. He is scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday.
Walker was arrested on probable cause for a drug violation. By Tuesday he had posted bail and been released, based on jail records.
Roger Daniel Vigil, 56, Clearlake, Calif., was arrested on Monday, July 29, 2019, in Clearlake, Calif., for felony firearm and drug violation following a traffic stop. Lake County Jail photo.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In an effort to promote wildfire preparedness and prevention, the Kelseyville Fire Protection District, Ukiah Oxygen and the Lake County Wine Alliance have come together to host a fire extinguisher giveaway for Lake County residents on Sunday, Aug. 18, at 9 a.m. at the Riviera Elementary School in Kelseyville.
Initiated by Lake County District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, the fire extinguisher giveaway is designed to arm local residents with a valuable tool that could help prevent a small fire from becoming a wildfire.
“We have seen when a wildfire starts, someone is usually near enough to see it and call in a report,” Brown said. “So we thought, wouldn’t it be good if that person also was armed with a fire extinguisher in their vehicle that could be used to knock back flames while firefighters are on their way?”
Brown said the 500 fire extinguishers that will be given away are not small auto or kitchen extinguishers but rather larger extinguishers that could make a real impact in the first few minutes of a blaze.
“We know that early actions can make a big difference in how rapidly a fire grows,” said Kelseyville Fire Protection District Chief Joe Huggins. “Getting these types of extinguishers in the hands of the public has the potential to help slow the spread and possibly help prevent another disastrous wildfire.”
A team from Kelseyville Fire Protection District will be on site providing training on how to use both types of extinguishers immediately after the giveaway.
Two types of fire extinguishers will be available during the giveaway: 150 of the 2.5-gallon stainless steel water-filled extinguishers, which weigh about 40 pounds each, and 350 of the ABC chemical-filled extinguishers that weigh 10 pounds each and are used to smother flames.
The extinguishers are being made available for the giveaway at a significantly reduced cost thanks to the generous support of Ukiah Oxygen.
Major funding for the fire extinguisher giveaway is covered by the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund, which is administered by the Lake County Wine Alliance.
“We jumped at the chance to support this,” said Kaj Ahlmann, president of the Lake County Wine Alliance, which was one of three wine-industry organizations that together raised more than $1 million in the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fundraising Effort after the Valley fire.
The Lake County Wine Alliance committed the entire $28,000 necessary to fund the fire extinguisher giveaway.
Ahlmann said, “Our organization has been so active in supporting fire relief and rebuilding efforts that it is a natural extension to support programs to help prepare for and prevent wildfires.”
The Lake County Wine Alliance hosts the annual Lake County Wine Auction fundraiser, and this year, the organization is committing one-third of the funds raised at the event to support the needs of the five fire protection districts in Lake County.
This year’s wine auction will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, at Chacewater Winery in Kelseyville. For details on how to attend, sponsor, or donate, visit www.winealliance.org .
Riviera Elementary School is located at 10505 Fairway Drive in Kelseyville. The giveaway will begin promptly at 9 a.m. in the school parking lot, and the fire-extinguisher training will follow immediately after the giveaway.
For questions about the giveaway, contact Rob Brown, 707-349-2628.
As one of the three organizations that established the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund after the Valley Fire, the Lake County Wine Alliance, in partnership with the Lake County Winegrape Commission and Lake County Winery Association, raised more than $1 million that helped with community rebuilding.
Funds were disbursed to organizations to support: youth sports, agriculture, and music programs and equipment replacement; youth science camp and garden program; mental health services and temporary housing for needy families; a community art center that offered programs for community healing; medical clinics, food pantries, and meals for seniors; chipping programs and seedlings for reforestation efforts; an environmental assessment report for a wastewater system in a devastated community; and construction of a dormitory to house much-needed volunteer builders.
Formed in 2000, the Lake County Wine Alliance is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization operated under the guidance of a six-member volunteer board of directors with the purpose of supporting charitable and other local programs in the arts, health, and community. To learn more or to donate, visit: www.winealliance.org .
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Cal Fire has issued an update on the early morning fires that destroyed two homes in Hidden Valley Lake and left one firefighter with minor injuries.
Fire Prevention Specialist Bruce Lang said Cal Fire was dispatched to two structure fires at 18703 and 18717 North Shore Drive in Hidden Valley Lake at 12:23 a.m. Monday.
Upon arrival, firefighters found one structure was 60-percent involved and the other was 80-percent involved, with minimal spread to the vegetation, Lang said.
Lang said fire crews immediately began structure protection for the surrounding homes.
The fires were contained to the buildings of origin, and Lang said both homes were total losses.
One firefighter was treated for a minor burn and released to full duty, Lang said.
He said fire personnel remained on scene until 03:30 a.m.
The cause of these two fires remains under investigation, Lang said.
Lang said resources that responded included Cal Fire, South Lake County Fire District, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Pacific Gas and Electric, Hidden Valley Community Services District and Hidden Valley Security.
Without active forest management, including prescribed burns and restoration thinning, spotted owls face a real risk of losing their forest habitat to wildfire, a new paper argues. Tom Munton photo. Spotted owl populations are in decline all along the West Coast, and as climate change increases the risk of wildfires in the region, these iconic animals face the real threat of losing even more of their forest habitat.
Rather than attempting to preserve the owl’s remaining habitat exactly as is, wildfire management – through prescribed burning and restoration thinning – could help save the species, argues a new paper by fire ecologists and wildlife biologists and appearing in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
The paper compares the plight of the owl with that of another iconic threatened species, the red-cockaded woodpecker, which has made significant comebacks in recent years – thanks, in part, to active forest management in the Southern pine forests that the woodpecker calls home.
Though the habitat needs of the two birds are different, both occupy forests that once harbored frequent blazes before fire suppression became the norm.
“In the South, the Endangered Species Act has been used as a vehicle to empower forest restoration through prescribed burning and restoration thinning, and the outcome for the red-cockaded woodpecker has been positive and enduring,” said Scott Stephens, a professor of environmental science, policy and management at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author on the study.
“In the West, it's just totally the opposite,” Stephens added. “Even though both places physically have strong connections to frequent fire, the feeling here is that the best thing to do is to try to protect what we have and not allow the return of frequent fire – but that's really difficult when you have unbridled fires just ripping through the landscape.”
A tale of two birds
Spotted owls make their homes in the dense forests of the Western and Southwestern U.S., feeding on flying squirrels and woodrats and nesting in broken-off treetops or tree hollows.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers, meanwhile, reside in pine stands in the Southeastern U.S., provisioning nests from nest boxes or hollowed-out cavities in living pine trees and eating insects pried from under tree bark.
Development and logging have robbed both species of much of their former habitat, and their populations have both taken a hit: Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population of spotted owls to be at 15,000 individuals.
What habitat remains is now largely protected under the Endangered Species Act – but when it comes to fire and forest management, the act has been interpreted in dramatically different ways in the two regions, said paper co-author Leda Kobziar, associate clinical professor of wildland fire science at the University of Idaho.
“In the South, the act is interpreted to support active management through forest thinning and prescribed burning, and in the West, it is interpreted to exclude most fires and active management from protected areas surrounding spotted owl nests,” Kobziar said.
One critical difference is the degree to which active management in red-cockaded woodpecker habitat provides complementary benefits. “In the South, active management is known to reduce wildfire hazards, and it benefits local economies, along with a host of other fire-dependent species. In the West, those complementary benefits are less well-defined,” Kobziar said.
Another part of the reason for the discrepancy is perceived differences in the habitat preferences of the two birds, Kobziar explained.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers live in more open, mature pine forests that result when low-intensity natural or prescribed burns limit the development of a forest midstory, where woodpecker predators take cover.
Meanwhile, spotted owls generally prefer the dense, multi-layered forests that grow when fire is excluded.
However, suppressing all fires in order to encourage growth of these dense canopies also creates conditions that are ripe for large, severe wildfires that can take out not just the smaller trees, but entire forests, obliterating swaths of owl habitat in the process.
The 2014 King fire, for example, tore through regions of the Eldorado National Forest that were home to a long-term study of the California spotted owl and caused the bird’s largest population decline in the 23-year history of the study.
“A key question to be asking is: Where would owl habitats be with more characteristic fire regimes, and could we tailor landscape conditions where these habitats are less vulnerable and more supportive of today’s wildfires?” said co-author Paul Hessburg, a research landscape ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.
The solution would mean, “essentially creating less habitat in order to have more in the long run,” he said.
Fighting fire with fire
Before European settlement, many small to medium sized wildfires burned through the forests of the Southeastern and Western U.S., sparked by lightning or intentionally lit by native peoples to produce food, clear land or drive game.
These fires would gobble up the dead wood, seedlings and saplings that made up the forest understory, while leaving taller, older trees standing and marked with fire scars recorded in their growth rings that fire ecologists use to track the frequency of historical fires.
In the mountainous landscape of the West, these fires didn’t strike uniformly everywhere, to the potential benefit of the owls, Hessburg said.
“If I took you back in the way-back machine 200 years ago, you would have seen that fire regimes in the Cascade Mountains differed very much by topographic setting,” Hessburg said. “Ridgetops and south slopes would often get pounded with lightning and fires, and so tree cover would be sparse. But in shaded and cool valley bottoms and north slopes, you would see complex layered forests, and some of these would have been incredible owl habitats.”
Targeted restoration thinning and prescribed burning on ridgetops and dry southern slopes where fire used to be a frequent visitor, while leaving valley bottoms and northern slopes to develop into complex forest, could be a way to discourage large wildfires from ripping through vast landscapes, while maintaining owl habitat in a more fire-protected context.
New evidence also hints that owls may not be so dependent on dense understory canopies as once thought, the paper noted.
Recent findings indicate that other aspects of forest structure, particularly the presence of large, old, tall trees, may be more important to the owls.
These findings hint that prescribed burning and restoration thinning to reduce the size and severity of wildfires may not be damaging to owl habitat, even in the short term.
“We're treating the habitat as if we know precisely what habitat characteristics are preferred. It might be that these birds are tolerant of a broader range of characteristics that would enable things like fuels reduction to protect them from high-intensity wildfires,” Kobziar said.
“The South has melded fire and rare species management in a holistic way, but in the West, we're doing one or the other – (in) most places (where) we do forest restoration, we are trying to avoid owls,” Stephens said. “But the King Fire showed that owls and their habitats are vulnerable to large wildfires. More restoration thinning and prescribed burning could help us keep the habitat that we have now, modify it and actually make it more sustainable in the future.”
Other co-authors on the study include Brandon M. Collins of UC Berkeley; Raymond Davis, Joseph Ganey, James M. Guldin, Serra Hoagland, John J. Keane, Warren Montague, Malcolm North and Thomas A. Spies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; Peter Z. Fulé of Northern Arizona University; William Gaines of the Washington Conservation Science Institute; Kevin Hiers of the Tall Timbers Research Station; Ronald E. Masters of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Ann E. McKellar of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Kara Manke writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
The Shakespeare at the Lake production of “the Taming of the Shrew” is coming to Clearlake, Calif., in August 2019. Here the cast is on stage the production in Lakeport, Calif., the last weekend of July 2019. Photo by Marcie Long. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – If you heard about Shakespeare at the Lake and maybe even thought about going, but just didn’t make it to Lakeport to see it, there is some great news for you.
The event has been expanded this year to include a second weekend at Austin Park in Clearlake.
This free event was presented for the first three years in Lakeport.
Lisa Wilson, a member of the marketing committee for the city of Clearlake, had attended two of the performances and found the outdoor event to be “wonderful” and “well attended,” and she heard lots of positive feedback.
She asked the city and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce to consider inviting the Lake County Theatre Co. to expand to Austin Park.
She spoke to Director John Tomlinson, who was very interested in the idea of more than doubling the number of performances. In fact, it has long been a hope of his to expand the performances to not two, but four separate locations around the lake.
Wilson is excited to be the first to set the wheels in motion. “It makes so much sense to expand an offering, so much easier than creating new events.The Clear Lake Chamber and the city of Clearlake are thrilled to support LCTC and offer quality performances to the citizens of Clearlake,” she said. “We hope that this is the beginning of a new tradition at Austin Park. Guests will look forward to Shakespeare at the Lake every summer. Next year will bring a major renovation of Austin Park and the performance space will be stellar and something that will bring a sense of pride to everyone.”
This collaboration is about more than just bringing Shakespeare to the other side of the lake.
“The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to economic vitality and believes that family activities are an important part of the equation,” Wilson said. “When families spend an evening together at a wonderful event they feel a sense of pride and they want to take care of and invest in their community. Shakespeare at the Lake will become a flagship event at Austin Park, which is an important downtown location at the intersection of Lakeshore and Olympic.”
This year the Mendocino College Lake Center and the Lake County Theatre Co., in cooperation with the city of Lakeport, the city of Clearlake, the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College present the “Taming of the Shrew,” a dark comedy about about a power struggle and a battle of the sexes in which an ambitious man tames his female bride to be.
But, this production flips the dialogue. Women wield the power and the men are expected to conform. All of the roles have been gender swapped and the concept is sure to spark conversation.
Come watch the events unfold as they bring a twist to this old tale about love, romance and raucous wit.
This is a free show on the shores of beautiful Clear Lake. Outdoor seating is on a first come, first-served basis.
Performances run Friday, Aug. 2, Saturday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 4 in Clearlake at Austin Park. All shows start at 6:30 p.m. and it is recommended that you bring a beach chair or a blanket. The performance is free and food, beverages, and wine will be for sale.
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A fire reported early Monday morning in Hidden Valley Lake burned two homes.
The fire was first reported just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, according to radio reports.
Authorities received multiple calls reporting a large fire on North Shore Drive.
Firefighters from Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire arrived on scene about 10 minutes after dispatch, reporting over the air that there were two homes in the 18000 block of North Shore Drive that were fully involved and threatening other nearby structures and wildland.
Incident command reported that firefighters were in defensive mode and protecting the threatened structures and vegetation.
Just after 1:30 a.m., firefighters reported they were making good progress on the fire in the two homes, with resources estimated to be committed another three hours.
Pacific Gas and Electric also responded to help secure utilities at the scene, according to radio reports.
At the request of incident command, Northshore Fire sent its support team from the stations in Nice and Upper Lake. The team reported its arrival on scene at 3 a.m.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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