If you have any outdoor burns planned and have a valid burn permit, you only have a few days left to use it. The Lake County burn ban goes into effect on May 1st, and all current permits expire. The county says the annual burn ban helps reduce fire risk and improves air quality. It includes green waste burning, but there are some exceptions for public safety, controlled burns, and agriculture. Fire districts say from now on, any fire reported will be treated as uncontrolled unless there is one of those exceptions. The Lake County Air Quality Management District says it depends on public cooperation, but if you violate the ban, beware. You could be cited, fined, or made to pay the cost of fire suppression. There is more info at the lcqamd.net website.
A local tribe is stepping in to help control the pet population in Lake County. The Habematolel Pomo have donated to a partnership called Pet Fix, which includes the SPCA of Lake County, Dogwood Animal Control Project, and the Clearlake Animal Association. $4,000 will go to a feral cat clinic, while another $18,500 will fund a spay and neuter clinic planned for June 13th and 15th. The clinics will allow the SPCA to spay and neuter about 200 cats and dogs and support a dedicated effort to find and neuter unowned, wild cats. The clinics will also provide important vaccines to prevent them from getting or spreading communicable disease. The tribe says the donations reflect its commitment to support the health and well-being of the entire community, both human and animal. The SPCA says there is a major overpopulation crisis with dogs and cats in the County, and they hope clinics like these will stabilize and reduce the number of unwanted animals.
Another step forward in Sacramento to make the Fourth Friday in September California Native American Day, which would be a paid day off for government employees. Sponsor , Assemblymember James Ramos, says his bill would be a major step forward to recognize and build knowledge about the contributions made by the state’s native populations. It has now passed an assembly committee and will go to the full assembly for consideration. Ramos has been trying to get it passed since 1998. He is the first native-American member of the legislature.
California’s economy is growing, making it one of the biggest anywhere. According to Governor Newsom, recent numbers say that if the state were its own country, it would have the fourth biggest economy behind only the US, China, and Germany. He says the state has now passed Japan on that list, compiled by the International Monetary Fund and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. It says California has a Gross Domestic Product– the total value of all goods and services–worth 4.1 trillion dollars.
