The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are working with the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force in the state. A recent operation in Covelo found 29 illegal grows. In a release from the department in KymKemp, officials destroyed 41,000 marijuana plants and over 7,000 pounds of processed cannabis. They also seized 40 firearms. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office with local and state officials estimate the retail value of the latest bust is over $45 million. 15 suspects were detained at several sites using illicit pesticides with the Department of Fish and Wildlife counting over 120 violations and 34 Water Code violations. The cooperative of officials continues to investigate.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office has new information for the Presidential Primary Election scheduled for March 5th, 2024. In Lake County, offices open for candidates include Judges for Superior Court in Departments 1,3 and 4. There are county supervisor positions open for district 1 and 4 and Sheriff-Coroner positions. Candidates can submit “In-Lieu-of-Filing Fee Petitions” with resident signatures from September 14th through the deadline of November 8th. All candidates must file a Declaration of Candidacy Form, Nomination papers and pay a filing fee by December 8th to have their name appear on the ballot.
The Mendocino County Cannabis Department is now open in their Ukiah office on Bush Street. The front counter is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. As the department continues to streamline procedures and policies, there are new training “how-to” documents on their website.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Cannabis Program is hosting a couple of workshops on how cultivators can become or remain legal and what to do to continue cannabis operations. The first workshop is scheduled for a week from today, Wednesday, September 13th from 10 to 11am. The department will help cultivators with their LSA agreement. The Cannabis Cultivation Permitting Workshops are aimed at helping legal growers maintain their permit and stay in state compliance. Check out the department’s website for details and how to attend the session.
The City of Ukiah is getting ready for Pumpkinfest. The event scheduled for the weekend of October 13th through the 15th includes the giant pumpkin weigh-off. This year’s theme is Pumpkins Go To The Renaissance Faire. The annual event will include a haunted house, scarecrow city, plenty of food and drinks and a fire and safety expo. The first pumpkin festival began in Ukiah in 1993 with the Pumpkinfest Steering Committee. This year, there will also be children’s activities, dog races and pet costume contest as well as a baking contest and 3 on 3 basketball tournament. Check out Cit of Ukiah dot com for more details and entry information.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is expanding their digital driver’s license program. The department announced its pilot program is growing to allow drivers to get their digital license or ID card, known as an “mDL” or mobile driver’s license. KTVU reports the program is open to 1.5 million residents. The program works with both iOS and Android devices and is user friendly. You can use the digital ID at three airports in the state, including San Francisco and San Jose. Las Vegas and Phoenix airports will also accept the mobile ID. It can be used as proof of age at stores and restaurants when buying alcohol. Privacy experts say encryption and biometrics are good security steps. The DMV says it won’t permanently store your personal data, but does keep your phone number and an encrypted photo of your license.
The Clearlake City Council is meeting this week to consider the police chief’s response to the grand jury report and more. Lake County News reports they’ll meet tomorrow at 6pm. There are a couple of presentations on the agenda including a declaration of September 22nd as Native American Day and September as Senior Center Month. The council may adopt a resolution approving the Clearlake Police Department Military Equipment Report. They’ll discuss a contract of over $600,000 for a chip seal project with Pavement Coatings. Police Chief Hobbs will go over the Grand Jury Report on human trafficking and school shootings. In closed session, they’ll discuss litigation claims.
Tomorrow is the Mendocino College closing reception for its 50th Anniversary Exhibit from 4 to 6pm. The collection includes photos, documents and artifacts that tell the story of Mendocino College over the last 50 years. Community members, alumni, staff and more are invited to attend the event with light refreshments at the Mendocino College Gallery in Ukiah.
Scientists are talking about the wildfire smoke impacts in the area and throughout the state. Fires in Oregon and Northern California have been creating hazy skies at the whim of the winds. Cal Matters reports the volume of greenhouse gases emitted from the large fires is expected to grow. Researchers are trying to quantify how much the wildfires are contributing to climate change. Last year, wildfires in the state sent around 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to California Air Resources Board estimates. UCLA scientists are calling California’s climate goal efforts “up in smoke.” State officials are trying to restore the health of forests to mitigate the negative effects. California’s air quality agencies don’t have to consider wildfire smoke because the blazes are considered exceptional events under the federal Clean Air Act.
Wine grape growers are facing a proposed new order on water discharge requirements. If enacted, the draft order from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board would apply to all commercial vineyards in the Russian River and Navarro River watersheds. In an article from the Sonoma County Farm Bureau in Mavens Notebook, the executive director says the monitoring and reporting requirements are not reasonable. It would put the burden of proof on the vineyard industry to collect and report data on the sediment load of an entire watershed that has numerous impacts from multiple users. Smaller growers could be forced to shut down. The regional water board estimates it will cost about $24 per acre the first year in addition to management and project costs. After a public workshop last month, the water board staff is visiting local vineyards to see the management practices farmers are already using.
The City of Ukiah is being awarded a grant of over $920,000 from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services under the “Prepare California Jumpstart Initiative” that gives funding to socially vulnerable and high hazard risk communities. In a release from the city, the grant funding is poised to be instrumental in enhancing Ukiah’s ability to coordinate plans and response efforts and to secure funding for long term mitigation measures. High risk hazards for Ukiah include wildland urban interface fires, extreme heat events and potential flooding that would be serious threats for the most vulnerable populations. The CalOES grant will fund a new Chief Resilience Officer position with the city, which will work with the community, tribal partners and coordinate county, state and federal levels of resilience strategies.
The Jackson State Demonstration Forest Advisory Group is meeting at the end of next week, September 15th beginning at 9am in Fort Bragg. In their meeting agenda, the group plans to build stronger working relationships between CalFire, JAG members and the public in support of the New Vision for the forest. They also want to include efforts to advance Tribal engagement and co-management. Public comments should be submitted before September 12th. The traveling meeting will begin at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Bragg at 9am and travel east on Highway 20 to Little Lake Road.
California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is urging residents and businesses to look over their insurance coverage to make sure they have the resources to prepare for possible disasters. The department issued a release in Lake County News promoting resilience and getting affordable insurance options. High temperatures and wildfire risk remains a threat in the state, and the commissioner says their Safer from Wildfires regulations have a multi-tiered strategy. The Department is working to expand availability of insurance discounts and recently granted discounts for FAIR Plan policyholders. Lara says to use your smartphone to create a record of your belongings, keep your insurance paperwork easily accessible and make a solid plan with your family or business colleagues.
