-Project application period extended-

QUINCY, Calif. – September 28, 2021 – The project application period for Butte & Plumas Resource Advisory Committee projects has been extended from September 30, 2021 until February 15, 2022.
Projects are available for funding consideration by the Butte and Plumas Resource Advisory Committees (RAC) and the Plumas National Forest Supervisor, per the provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000.
Projects must have broad-based support with objectives that may include, but are not limited to: road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; soil productivity improvements; improvements in forest ecosystem health; watershed restoration and maintenance; wildlife and fish habitat improvements; control of noxious and exotic weeds; reintroduction of native species, and hazardous fuels reduction.
The updated project application & critical, related instructions may be found at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas. Look for the “Related Links” menu on the right-hand side of the home page. Links to other information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation and county RACs can be found in the same location.
Approximately $80,000 (Butte RAC) / $400,000 (Plumas RAC) is available for projects starting in mid-2022. A hard copy application package must be received no later than 4:00 pm February 15, 2022, addressed to: Butte RAC, c/o Plumas National Forest – Feather River Ranger District, 875 Mitchell Ave, Oroville, CA 95965-4699, Attn. District Ranger Dave Brillenz (530-534-6500) or the Plumas RAC c/o Plumas National Forest - Beckwourth Ranger District, 23 Mohawk Hwy, Blairsden, CA 96103, Attn: RAC - Designated Federal Official (530-836-2575).
The RACs will review applications in the spring of 2022 and provide their recommendations to the Plumas National Forest Supervisor for funding decisions. All RAC project proposals must be closely coordinated early in the process with appropriate Ranger District representatives and other key partners during the application process. Projects that don’t include a coordination letter with support from the applicable District Ranger will not be considered.
For information about the Plumas National Forest visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas and www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

​

Governor Newsom released his proposed budget this week, promising a massive surplus that special-interest groups can't wait to spend. The problem is there is no actual surplus. California’s state & local governments are shouldering a staggering $1.5 trillion in debt – 50 times the $31 billion surplus claimed by the Legislative Analyst's Office.
 
What’s worse is that the state doesn’t actually know how much it owes – to retired workers, to Wall Street and banks, to healthcare providers. This year’s financial report – for 2020 – is already nine months late, with rumors that it won’t be complete until this summer. And that’s just at the state level. California’s spare cash and rainy-day funds are dwarfed by the mountain of long-term liabilities California governments have accumulated at all levels, from cities and counties to school districts.
 
Of course, if the stock market drops, or the tax base continues to shrink from the mass exodus of taxpayers and businesses to other states, California’s revenue will decline precipitously, wiping out any mythical "surplus." 
 
Beyond fiscal shell games, Newsom’s budget fails to effectively address any of the five-alarm crises facing the state. For starters, California public schools are in shambles after school boards across the state caved to the demands of teachers unions throughout the pandemic. One of the governor’s solutions is predictable: simply raise per-student spending. The other is a remarkable step backward — decoupling state spending from students altogether. 
 
As the number of school-age children in California continues its seven-year slide — and as more and more parents find alternatives to union-run public schools — Newsom’s proposed budget would, the Los Angeles Times reports, “allow districts to base funding on attendance in the current year, prior year, or the average of that from three prior years — whichever is greater. The proposal gives school districts ‘more running room to plan against really shocking declines,’ said Keely Martin Bosler, director of Newsom’s Department of Finance.”
 
In almost any other business, a shocking decline in market share would lead to service innovation and/or massive cuts in spending — or bankruptcy. But this is government, and this is California. The financial bailout won’t change the terrifying trajectory of student learning. 
 
Newsom’s “blueprint” for addressing the state’s ongoing drought, recurring wildfires, a smash-and-grab crime wave, and a homeless population now exceeding 160,000 is more of the same: throw a lot of good money after bad. He has no realistic plan to save the Golden State from falling further into decline or shielding the coming generation from the impending financial day of reckoning.
 
Nurses’ union push for single-payer healthcare would double California taxes 
 
California lawmakers advanced legislation this week to create the nation’s first single-payer healthcare system. On January 6, state Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) unveiled Assembly Bill 1400, crafted by the California Nurses Association (CNA). If approved by the governor, it would create CalCare, a state takeover of California medicine by politicians to whom you wouldn’t – or shouldn’t – entrust a hair dryer. 
 
The CNA and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been making life worse for nurses for years. In 2019, the CNA was the prime mover of legislation to expand state-funded healthcare to undocumented people under 26. That added costs for everybody – and a flood of new patients without the capacity — the financial and staffing resources – to handle them. This year, CNA came back for more, persuading Governor Newsom to include in his budget free healthcare to undocumented people of any age. That will increase demand on every government service provider. 
 
But there’s more. Through its control of a low-profile agency called the California Board of Registered Nursing, the CNA has worked aggressively to cap student enrollment in California’s private nursing programs. Stomping on successful private nursing schools may satisfy the union’s lust for class war, but it has also created a years-long nursing shortage in California.
 
CNA predicts that running CalCare each year will cost Californians two times the state’s current entire budget. The costs will be paid for by a doubling of state taxes – the largest increase in state history, in what’s already the nation’s most-taxed and most-expensive state. Constantly “underfunded” and micromanaged by Sacramento politicians, CalCare will certainly cost more and deliver less than CNA projects. 
 
The California Nurses Association has a solution for that coming financial crisis: it helped draft ACA 11, a companion bill to make it easier for state lawmakers to raise taxes. On the table: a tsunami of new taxes that would wipe out California businesses and increase taxes by $12,250 per household.
 
At present, two-thirds of the legislature must approve a tax hike; under ACA 11, tax hikes to support CalCare will be approved on a simple majority vote. And so the California Exodus – the departure of working Californians, the middle class and, yes, inevitably millionaires and billionaires for other states – will explode. 
 
That decline will accelerate with dire consequences. As tax revenue falls, the financial burden will shift to those left behind. And then those left behind will drop their burdens and leave, too – on and on until the crisis is so severe that the system fails completely. 
 
To paraphrase the late, great presidential candidate and businessman Ross Perot, that giant sucking sound you’ll hear is the vacuum created by the exit of tens of thousands fleeing California. 
 
Quote of the Week
“[O]ur governor uses every wildfire catastrophe as a Hollywood backlot for the emission of noxious claims about climate warming and capitalism.” – CPC president Will Swaim in National Review
 
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Governor Newsom released his proposed budget this week, promising a massive surplus that special-interest groups can't wait to spend. The problem is there is no actual surplus. California’s state & local governments are shouldering a staggering $1.5 trillion in debt – 50 times the $31 billion surplus claimed by the Legislative Analyst's Office.
 
What’s worse is that the state doesn’t actually know how much it owes – to retired workers, to Wall Street and banks, to healthcare providers. This year’s financial report – for 2020 – is already nine months late, with rumors that it won’t be complete until this summer. And that’s just at the state level. California’s spare cash and rainy-day funds are dwarfed by the mountain of long-term liabilities California governments have accumulated at all levels, from cities and counties to school districts.
 
Of course, if the stock market drops, or the tax base continues to shrink from the mass exodus of taxpayers and businesses to other states, California’s revenue will decline precipitously, wiping out any mythical "surplus." 
 
Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today.Beyond fiscal shell games, Newsom’s budget fails to effectively address any of the five-alarm crises facing the state. For starters, California public schools are in shambles after school boards across the state caved to the demands of teachers unions throughout the pandemic. One of the governor’s solutions is predictable: simply raise per-student spending. The other is a remarkable step backward — decoupling state spending from students altogether. 
 
As the number of school-age children in California continues its seven-year slide — and as more and more parents find alternatives to union-run public schools — Newsom’s proposed budget would, the Los Angeles Times reports, “allow districts to base funding on attendance in the current year, prior year, or the average of that from three prior years — whichever is greater. The proposal gives school districts ‘more running room to plan against really shocking declines,’ said Keely Martin Bosler, director of Newsom’s Department of Finance.”
 
In almost any other business, a shocking decline in market share would lead to service innovation and/or massive cuts in spending — or bankruptcy. But this is government, and this is California. The financial bailout won’t change the terrifying trajectory of student learning. 
 
Newsom’s “blueprint” for addressing the state’s ongoing drought, recurring wildfires, a smash-and-grab crime wave, and a homeless population now exceeding 160,000 is more of the same: throw a lot of good money after bad. He has no realistic plan to save the Golden State from falling further into decline or shielding the coming generation from the impending financial day of reckoning.
 
Nurses’ union push for single-payer healthcare would double California taxes 
 
California lawmakers advanced legislation this week to create the nation’s first single-payer healthcare system. On January 6, state Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) unveiled Assembly Bill 1400, crafted by the California Nurses Association (CNA). If approved by the governor, it would create CalCare, a state takeover of California medicine by politicians to whom you wouldn’t – or shouldn’t – entrust a hair dryer. 
 
The CNA and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been making life worse for nurses for years. In 2019, the CNA was the prime mover of legislation to expand state-funded healthcare to undocumented people under 26. That added costs for everybody – and a flood of new patients without the capacity — the financial and staffing resources – to handle them. This year, CNA came back for more, persuading Governor Newsom to include in his budget free healthcare to undocumented people of any age. That will increase demand on every government service provider. 
 
But there’s more. Through its control of a low-profile agency called the California Board of Registered Nursing, the CNA has worked aggressively to cap student enrollment in California’s private nursing programs. Stomping on successful private nursing schools may satisfy the union’s lust for class war, but it has also created a years-long nursing shortage in California.
 
CNA predicts that running CalCare each year will cost Californians two times the state’s current entire budget. The costs will be paid for by a doubling of state taxes – the largest increase in state history, in what’s already the nation’s most-taxed and most-expensive state. Constantly “underfunded” and micromanaged by Sacramento politicians, CalCare will certainly cost more and deliver less than CNA projects. 
 
The California Nurses Association has a solution for that coming financial crisis: it helped draft ACA 11, a companion bill to make it easier for state lawmakers to raise taxes. On the table: a tsunami of new taxes that would wipe out California businesses and increase taxes by $12,250 per household.
 
At present, two-thirds of the legislature must approve a tax hike; under ACA 11, tax hikes to support CalCare will be approved on a simple majority vote. And so the California Exodus – the departure of working Californians, the middle class and, yes, inevitably millionaires and billionaires for other states – will explode. 
 
That decline will accelerate with dire consequences. As tax revenue falls, the financial burden will shift to those left behind. And then those left behind will drop their burdens and leave, too – on and on until the crisis is so severe that the system fails completely. 
 
To paraphrase the late, great presidential candidate and businessman Ross Perot, that giant sucking sound you’ll hear is the vacuum created by the exit of tens of thousands fleeing California. 
 
Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today.Quote of the Week
“[O]ur governor uses every wildfire catastrophe as a Hollywood backlot for the emission of noxious claims about climate warming and capitalism.” – CPC president Will Swaim in National Review

Governor Newsom released his proposed budget this week, promising a massive surplus that special-interest groups can't wait to spend. The problem is there is no actual surplus. California’s state & local governments are shouldering a staggering $1.5 trillion in debt – 50 times the $31 billion surplus claimed by the Legislative Analyst's Office.
 
What’s worse is that the state doesn’t actually know how much it owes – to retired workers, to Wall Street and banks, to healthcare providers. This year’s financial report – for 2020 – is already nine months late, with rumors that it won’t be complete until this summer. And that’s just at the state level. California’s spare cash and rainy-day funds are dwarfed by the mountain of long-term liabilities California governments have accumulated at all levels, from cities and counties to school districts.
 
Of course, if the stock market drops, or the tax base continues to shrink from the mass exodus of taxpayers and businesses to other states, California’s revenue will decline precipitously, wiping out any mythical "surplus." 
 
Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today.Beyond fiscal shell games, Newsom’s budget fails to effectively address any of the five-alarm crises facing the state. For starters, California public schools are in shambles after school boards across the state caved to the demands of teachers unions throughout the pandemic. One of the governor’s solutions is predictable: simply raise per-student spending. The other is a remarkable step backward — decoupling state spending from students altogether. 
 
As the number of school-age children in California continues its seven-year slide — and as more and more parents find alternatives to union-run public schools — Newsom’s proposed budget would, the Los Angeles Times reports, “allow districts to base funding on attendance in the current year, prior year, or the average of that from three prior years — whichever is greater. The proposal gives school districts ‘more running room to plan against really shocking declines,’ said Keely Martin Bosler, director of Newsom’s Department of Finance.”
 
In almost any other business, a shocking decline in market share would lead to service innovation and/or massive cuts in spending — or bankruptcy. But this is government, and this is California. The financial bailout won’t change the terrifying trajectory of student learning. 
 
Newsom’s “blueprint” for addressing the state’s ongoing drought, recurring wildfires, a smash-and-grab crime wave, and a homeless population now exceeding 160,000 is more of the same: throw a lot of good money after bad. He has no realistic plan to save the Golden State from falling further into decline or shielding the coming generation from the impending financial day of reckoning.
 
Nurses’ union push for single-payer healthcare would double California taxes 
 
California lawmakers advanced legislation this week to create the nation’s first single-payer healthcare system. On January 6, state Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) unveiled Assembly Bill 1400, crafted by the California Nurses Association (CNA). If approved by the governor, it would create CalCare, a state takeover of California medicine by politicians to whom you wouldn’t – or shouldn’t – entrust a hair dryer. 
 
The CNA and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been making life worse for nurses for years. In 2019, the CNA was the prime mover of legislation to expand state-funded healthcare to undocumented people under 26. That added costs for everybody – and a flood of new patients without the capacity — the financial and staffing resources – to handle them. This year, CNA came back for more, persuading Governor Newsom to include in his budget free healthcare to undocumented people of any age. That will increase demand on every government service provider. 
 
But there’s more. Through its control of a low-profile agency called the California Board of Registered Nursing, the CNA has worked aggressively to cap student enrollment in California’s private nursing programs. Stomping on successful private nursing schools may satisfy the union’s lust for class war, but it has also created a years-long nursing shortage in California.
 
CNA predicts that running CalCare each year will cost Californians two times the state’s current entire budget. The costs will be paid for by a doubling of state taxes – the largest increase in state history, in what’s already the nation’s most-taxed and most-expensive state. Constantly “underfunded” and micromanaged by Sacramento politicians, CalCare will certainly cost more and deliver less than CNA projects. 
 
The California Nurses Association has a solution for that coming financial crisis: it helped draft ACA 11, a companion bill to make it easier for state lawmakers to raise taxes. On the table: a tsunami of new taxes that would wipe out California businesses and increase taxes by $12,250 per household.
 
At present, two-thirds of the legislature must approve a tax hike; under ACA 11, tax hikes to support CalCare will be approved on a simple majority vote. And so the California Exodus – the departure of working Californians, the middle class and, yes, inevitably millionaires and billionaires for other states – will explode. 
 
That decline will accelerate with dire consequences. As tax revenue falls, the financial burden will shift to those left behind. And then those left behind will drop their burdens and leave, too – on and on until the crisis is so severe that the system fails completely. 
 
To paraphrase the late, great presidential candidate and businessman Ross Perot, that giant sucking sound you’ll hear is the vacuum created by the exit of tens of thousands fleeing California. 
 
Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today.Quote of the Week
“[O]ur governor uses every wildfire catastrophe as a Hollywood backlot for the emission of noxious claims about climate warming and capitalism.” – CPC president Will Swaim in National Review

SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s 2022-23 budget proposal:  
 
“The governor likes to thank his fellow Democrats for ideas that originated within the Republican Caucus – but Californians see through that political gamesmanship. This budget includes many commonsense Republican requests such as a gas tax holiday, wildfire prevention and forest management, reversing tax increases on businesses, and helping keep business doors open, but so much more needs to be done.
 
“Senate Republicans worked effectively with former Governor Jerry Brown on bi-partisan solutions and we stand ready to work with Governor Newsom when he chooses to govern collaboratively to the benefit of all Californians.”
 
Senate Republicans called on the governor to prioritize several areas in the budget. View the letter here. Successful Republican requests include:

• √ Gas tax holiday                             
• √ Investment in wildfire prevention 
• √ Helping local government combat retail theft                
• √ Tax relief for job creators

 
“Since Newsom is so focused on ‘reimaging the future,’ he should take a better look at building water storage, improving the quality of life for everyday Californians, and analyzing why his spending on homelessness has failed,” said Wilk. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to ensure good ideas remain in this budget and the challenges are addressed.”
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Senator Wilk represents the 21st Senate District, which includes the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Victor valleys. Learn more about Scott by visiting his website and be sure to connect with him on social media.

Sacramento – Today, the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources passed Assembly Bill 522, a measure by Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Kern County), to promote forest management and build wildfire resilience.
“Catastrophic wildfires have devastated homes and entire communities, and sadly, lives have been lost,” said Assemblyman Fong. “Properly managing forests by reducing fuels is a proven method of preventing wildfires.”
“This measure allows private landowners to continue their efforts to reduce wildfire risk by removing dead and dying trees from their land.”
This program allows private landowners to proceed with critical vegetation management on private land with a streamlined process. Specifically, AB 522 removes barriers for landowners to use the state’s Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption and extend this successful program into 2026.
This measure, if passed and signed into law, will help the state achieve its goal to treat 500,000 acres per year by 2025. AB 522 is supported by the California Forestry Association, Association of California Water Agencies, California Association of Realtors, Forest Landowners of California and the Personal Insurance Federation of California.
AB 522 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for its consideration.
# # #

Girl Scouts in the Sierra Nevada are now selling the new brownie-inspired AdventurefulsTM cookie alongside other favorites, and each purchase powers amazing adventures for them.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
January 11, 2022
 
RENO, NV—On Saturday, January 8, Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada kicked off the 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Seasonwith cookie rallies in Reno, Elko, Bishop, and Carson Valley. At these rallies, sponsored by U.S. Bank, Girl Scouts participated in interactive activity booths where they learned the five essential financial literacy skills: Money Management, Goal Setting, Decision Making, Business Ethics, and People Skills.
 
Girl Scouts are now selling the new Adventurefuls, an indulgent brownie-inspired cookie with caramel-flavored crème and a hint of sea salt, and an incredible taste of adventure in every bite. Adventurefuls joins the whole portfolio of iconic Girl Scout Cookies including favorites like Thin Mints®, Caramel deLites®, and Peanut Butter Patties®.
 
This season, Girl Scouts are again selling cookies in creative, socially distant, and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many Girl Scouts will run outdoor cookie booths that follow local, state, and CDC guidelines while still getting everyone’s favorite cookies to their customers. If you know a Girl Scout, ask how she’s selling cookies via the Smart Cookie online platform for direct shipment or local delivery. And beginning February 18, consumers can enter their zip code to purchase cookies online from a local troop for direct shipment or donation to local causes.
 
Every Girl Scout Cookie purchase fuels local Girl Scouts’ adventures throughout the year: exploring what interests them, discovering their passions, and taking action on issues they care about. Whether they’re using their STEM skills to solve a problem, changing a law to help their community, having a courageous outdoor experience, or starting an innovative nonprofit, Girl Scouts build a better future for themselves and the world. And through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, including by earning new Cookie Business badges, girls get a taste of being entrepreneurs and learn important online and offline business skills that set them up for success in life.
 
Ashlee Tang, a Washoe County high school senior in her final season of selling Girl Scout Cookies, said, “Through the cookie program, I’ve learned to be more outspoken and more confident, as well as learning most of the money management and goal setting skills that I now have.”

To purchase Girl Scout Cookies this season:

• If you know a registered Girl Scout, reach out to her to find out how she’s selling cookies in ways that meet local, state, and CDC safety protocols, including via the Smart Cookie online platform.
• If you don’t know a Girl Scout, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618*, or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app for free on iOS or Android devices to find socially distant or contact-free cookie booths if they are available in your area.
• Beginning February 18, enter your zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutcookies.org to purchase from a local Girl Scout troop online for shipment to your door or to donate cookies to local causes.
• Contact the Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada office at 775.322.0642 or girlscoutshelp@gssn.org.

 
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About Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada
Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada supports girls through programs that develop a strong sense of self, positive values, and healthy relationships. In a territory that includes northern Nevada and northeastern California, girls discover their strengths, connect with their communities, and rise to meet new challenges. Girl Scouting brings their dreams to life as they work together to build a better world. Join us at Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada by visiting www.gssn.org.
 

California Farm Bureau President Comments on Gov. Newsom’s Budget Plan
 
California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson offered the following comments today on the $286.4 billion budget plan announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom:

“California’s farmers are facing unprecedented challenges beyond their control. The Farm Bureau represents over 30,000 of these farmers in every corner of the state–including over 20,000 small farms. We need water, inputs and markets to feed people and provide the jobs that are the backbone of the California economy. 

“Governor Newsom’s budget is a good framework for this year’s budget discussions in that it proposes to fund more water storage and conveyance, opportunity for California-grown products in schools, funds for both implementation of and research on climate smart ag practices and begins to relieve the massive burden on employers on costs associated with COVID-19.

“At a time when food prices are soaring and inflation and shortages are no longer speculative, it is critical that we shore up the farm economy. As they say though, the devil is the details, and we need to ensure that the famers who are supposed to benefit from these programs have a voice in the enactment of them.

“Despite many years of programs and slogans to ‘save the farm,’ we continue to see less and less every year – and almost all those lost are small farms. As the one California group that has more small, diverse, family-owned farms than anybody else, we look forward to partnering on solutions that can help reverse these trends.”
 
The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 31,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 6 million Farm Bureau members.

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​Senator Grove Responds to Newsom’s State Budget Proposal
 
SACRAMENTO - Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) responds to Governor Newsom’s 2022-23 state budget proposal:
  
"Governor Newsom’s budget over taxes and over-regulates Californians while continuing to push the same policies that have resulted in the highest cost of living, the highest poverty, historically high crime rates and worsening homeless crisis, despite record high spending. In December, Senator McGuire and I called on the governor to increase the number of state firefighters to meet the increasing demands of wildfire management, and I am pleased he has set aside $400 million for this proposal. I appreciate the governor’s focus on the drought’s impact on food producers and funding for water conveyance, but with no additional money for water storage, the budget is still not serious about addressing California’s food and water security. I hope the governor understands we can’t import 100% of the food the Central Valley grows. I am also strongly opposed to the governor’s continued war on the state’s oil and gas industry, which provides good jobs for thousands of families and energy security for all Californians. The governor and the majority party must prioritize the immediate needs of Californians, instead of focusing on their utopian Government controlled state."
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Senators Dahle Reacts to the Governor’s Budget Proposal
 
SACRAMENTO –Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) reacted to the release of the Governor’s January Budget Proposal. Senator Dahle is a member of the Senate Committee on Budget, andSubcommittee 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation.
 
“I am encouraged that the state budget has another substantial surplus, and is not operating in a deficit like so many years past. However, this reinforces my view that we are being overtaxed, and we should be rebating those dollars directly back to the taxpayers.
 
As I stated in a letter with my colleagues, California must focus on some core priorities with this upcoming budget.
 
Over the last two years, California has experienced some of the largest wildfires in our history. I was heartened to see funding in this budget that I asked for to address our ability to prevent and fight wildfires.
 
This state continues to suffer from boom and bust cycles, especially when we talk about water. Building water storage is an absolute necessity, but California hasn’t invested in this infrastructure for decades despite our population growth and the voters’ will.
 
Over the next several months, I hope that my legislative colleagues will debate in good faith how we can serve the true needs of Californians.”
 

Senator Brian Dahle represents California's 1st Senate District, which contains all or portions of 11 counties, including Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, and Siskiyou.
 
# # #
​
Legislative Proposal to Promote Healthy Forest and Reduce Wildfires Passes Committee
Sacramento – Today, the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources passed Assembly Bill 522, a measure by Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Kern County), to promote forest management and build wildfire resilience.
“Catastrophic wildfires have devastated homes and entire communities, and sadly, lives have been lost,” said Assemblyman Fong. “Properly managing forests by reducing fuels is a proven method of preventing wildfires.”
“This measure allows private landowners to continue their efforts to reduce wildfire risk by removing dead and dying trees from their land.”
This program allows private landowners to proceed with critical vegetation management on private land with a streamlined process. Specifically, AB 522 removes barriers for landowners to use the state’s Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption and extend this successful program into 2026.
This measure, if passed and signed into law, will help the state achieve its goal to treat 500,000 acres per year by 2025. AB 522 is supported by the California Forestry Association, Association of California Water Agencies, California Association of Realtors, Forest Landowners of California and the Personal Insurance Federation of California.
AB 522 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for its consideration.

Graphic with loosely accurate map of the Lost Sierra Route, connecting mountain communities
Courtesy of SBTS

Ken Etzel
Think you've climbed every mountain? Searched high and low? Followed every byway and every path you know? Well, The Connected Communities Project is hoping to remedy that problem by bringing the hiking community a new 600-mile path to enjoy.
The Connected Communities Project, a partnership between the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS), the U.S. Forest Service, and other community partners, is on a mission to create a 600-mile network of multiuse trails that will one day connect 15 northern California mountain towns to Reno, Nevada. And it will be known as the Lost Sierra Route.
​
"It will create a vision for a recreation-focused lifestyle through community investment, shared stewardship, economic opportunity, and important new local jobs, all benefiting economically disadvantaged communities in California's Plumas, Sierra, Butte, and Lassen Counties," SBTS explains on its website about the project. "Our work will include planning, environmental review, trail creation, and maintenance of trails. It is the intent of this project to diversify recreation throughout the region, provide economic stability, as well as support fire recovery and prevention efforts."

Additionally, SBTS noted, the trail will create a learning landscape and pay homage to the region and the historic Gold Rush-era mail delivery route as it makes its way over "jagged peaks and high alpine meadows similar to the Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail."
But unlike those trails, this one will allow for all "dirt trail travelers," which not only includes hikers, but also mountain bikers, motorcycle riders, equestrians, trail runners, hunters, and fishermen to create what it calls "A Trail for Everyone."
Along the way, the trail will highlight 15 mountain communities to help support local economies that have been devastated by everything from the loss of the mining industry to more recent events like wildfires and COVID-19.
"Each mountain town has something unique to offer in terms of terrain, nature, adventure, food, camping — and all have a rich history to experience," SBTS shared. "Through our Planning Phase, we've captured input from community locals on what they'd like to highlight about their town, where they want trails to be located, and the outdoor experience the neighborhood topography and landscape has to offer."
The first section of the trail is expected to open in 2023, while the entire route is slated to debut by 2030. Want to help the project finish a little sooner? See all the ways you can get involved, and keep track of the progress on the SBTS website.

Borrowers who were able to pause their federal student loan repayment will see their repayments postponed until May 1, according to KHEAA.
The federal government had intended to have borrowers resume payments in February but decided to wait until May because of the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant.
KHEAA advises borrowers to make sure their loan servicer has their current contact information. If you don’t know who your loan servicer is, you can find it by logging into your account at studentaid.gov. The information will be under the “My Loan Servicers” section.
Your loan servicer can also help if you expect to have trouble restarting repayment of your loans. In that case, contact your loan servicer as soon as possible. They can help you find the repayment plan that best fits your finances and could reduce your monthly payment.
KHEAA is a public, non-profit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.
KHEAA also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the FAFSA. For more information about those services, visit www.kheaa.com.
In addition, KHEAA disburses private Advantage Education Loans on behalf of its sister agency, KHESLC. For more information, visit www.advantageeducationloan.com.

Dr. Glenn Mollette 

A young adult lady in Johnson county, Kentucky was recently faithfully working her convenient store register job. She had a line of patrons buying drinks and paying for gasoline. Someone asked her how much money she made? “Nine dollars an hour,” she said. “I’ve worked here over two years and the pay has been $9 an hour. I’ve asked for a raise. I work hard. I’m here almost all the time. A manager from the chain of stores always says, “We are looking into it.” She said, “I have to find another job because I can’t take care of myself and my children on $9 an hour.” 

A patron in line who was only buying a cup of coffee with a $20 bill took the cash she had just handed him in change and said to her, “Please take this and buy some lunch today.” The lady said, “Uh, no, I don’t want that,” but the man insisted and she accepted it with tears coming from her eyes. “Thank you, thank you so much she said to the man. I’ve never had anybody to do anything like this for me in my life.”

It was good to see a random act of kindness but the episode was a real case scenario of how hard life is for many Americans just like this lady, working for low hourly wages. 

On January 5th, the US Department of Labor released its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), revealing that the number of resignations reached 4.5 million in November. The number increased by 370,000, matching September's quit rate record high of 3% — indicating that the Great Resignation isn't showing signs of stopping.

Will the Johnson County lady quit her Job? She will, if she can find a better paying one. Unfortunately, in this area of the country that’s not easy to do. She may have to move in order to make more money. Many employers across the country have had to raise what they are offering in order to find and keep good employees. Thus, many of the Americans who did quit their jobs in November did so because of the lure of better pay in other places.

In Kentucky the federal minimum wage is $7.25. It’s the same wage for many other states but some are doing much better.  However, you can’t go by the state minimum. You have to find the right employer who is paying what will make you happy and determine what it will require of you to be an employee. 

If you are looking at state guidelines in hopes of better pay, simply go this site PeopleReady.com or https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state and Good luck!

Here is the complete breakdown from this website. 


Alabama No state minimum wage law.*
Alaska: $10.34
Arizona: $12.80 ($12.15 in 2021)
Arkansas: $11.00 (applicable to employers of 4 or more employees)
California: $14.00 (applicable to employers with 25 employees or less); $15.00 (applicable to employers with 26 employees or more) ($13.00; $14.00 in 2021)
Colorado: $12.32
Connecticut: $13.00
Delaware: $9.25
Florida: $10.00
Georgia: $5.15 (applicable to employers of 6 or more employees)
Hawaii: $10.10
Idaho: $7.25
Illinois: $11.00
Indiana: $7.25 (applicable to employers of 2 or more employees)
Iowa: $7.25
Kansas: $7.25
Kentucky: $7.25
Louisiana: No state minimum wage law.*
Massachusetts: $14.25 ($13.50 in 2021)
Maine: $12.75 ($12.15 in 2021)
Maryland: $12.50 ($11.75 in 2021)
Michigan: $9.87 ($9.65 in 2021) (applicable to employers of 2 or more employees)
Minnesota: Large employer (enterprise with annual revenues of $500,000 or more): $10.33 ($10.08 in 2021)
Small employer (enterprise with annual revenues of less than $500,000): $8.42 ($8.21 in 2021)
Missouri: $11.15 ($10.30 in 2021)
Mississippi: No state minimum wage law.*
Montana: $9.20 ($8.75 in 2021) (business with gross annual sales of more than $110,000); $4.00 (business not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act with gross annual sales of $110,000 or less)
North Carolina: $7.25
North Dakota: $7.25
Nebraska: $9.00 (applicable to employers of 4 or more employees)
New Hampshire: $7.25
New Jersey: $13.00 ($12.00 in 2021)
New Mexico: $10.50
Nevada: $10.50 with no health ins. benefits provided by employer ($9.75 in 2021); $8.75 with health ins. benefits provided by employer and received by employee)
New York: $12.50; $14.00 (Long Island & Westchester); $15.00 (NYC)
Ohio: $9.30 (employers with annual gross receipts of $305,000 or more; $7.25 (employers with annual gross receipts under $305,000) ($8.80; $7.25 in 2021)  
Oklahoma: $7.25 (employers of ten or more full-time employees at any one location and employers with annual gross sales over $100,000 irrespective of number of full-time employees); $2.00 (all other employers)
Oregon: $12.75
Pennsylvania: $7.25
Rhode Island: $11.50
South Carolina: No state minimum wage law.*
South Dakota: $9.45
Tennessee: No state minimum wage law.*
Texas: $7.25
Utah: $7.25
Virginia: $11.00 ($9.50 in 2021) (applicable to employers of 4 or more employees)
Vermont: $12.55 ($11.75 in 2021)
Washington: $14.49
Wisconsin: $7.25
West Virginia: $8.75
Wyoming: $5.15
District of Columbia: $15.20
Puerto Rico: $8.50 ($7.25 in 2021)
*This state does have not established state-level minimum wage policies, effectively defaulting to the national federal minimum of $7.25. PeopleReady.com or https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state



Read Glenn's book titled, Grandpa's Store by Glenn Mollette. Order at Amazon.com Grandpa's Store is a fun and adventure filled read told from the perspective of a child and young teen. The book is filled with remembrances from the young life of Glenn Mollette. Events are remembered from the time he was about three years old up until his early sixteenth birthday. The book is filled with humor, gripping life stories, inspiration and a little non-sense. This is a great read for any age level but will be very much enjoyed by young adults.

Hear Glenn Mollette every weekday morning EST at 8:56 on XM radio 131

www.tfhd.com
 (Tahoe/Truckee, Calif.) – Tahoe Forest Health System announced the arrival of the first baby of the New Year born on January 1, 2022, at 4:50 a.m. The first baby was delivered by OB-GYN Sarah Fletcher, MD. Dr. Fletcher is a part of the team of physicians at Tahoe Forest Health System: www.tfhd.com/our-providers.
Baby Sigrid Ulf Dee weighed in at 7 pounds 9 ounces, and measured 17 inches long. Baby Sigrid is the first child of proud parents Seth Dee and Kerstin Ulf, who reside in Truckee, CA.
Parents Seth and Kerstin expressed gratitude and appreciation to their entire care team at the Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care. “It was pretty incredible,” mother Kerstin describes their experience during their stay. 
Tahoe Forest Hospital’s Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care is a state-of-the-art facility designed with the needs, safety and comfort of new moms and families in mind. The facility features private birthing suites, each with a JacuzziTM tub and private postpartum suites.
Tahoe Forest Hospital has been nationally certified as a Baby Friendly hospital since 2010.  The Baby Friendly certification recognizes hospitals that have made a dedicated commitment to help mothers with breast feeding, including training and educational programs for hospital staff and parents. 
Tahoe Forest Hospital is also a Safe Haven Baby Drop-Off location, which allows mothers to surrender their newborns without any questions asked.  Babies are given medical attention if needed, and confidentiality for the mother is assured. 
In honor of the first baby of the year, the Dee family was presented with a gift basket donated by the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation. The gift basket included baby items from The Gift Tree gift shop, located inside the main lobby at Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, CA. 

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a price gouging alert following Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order prohibiting price gouging of at-home COVID-19 test kits. 
 
“The Omicron variant has reached California and communities across our state are working to combat this public health threat,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Californians are doing their part to confront this challenge – whether by caring for loved ones, getting vaccinated, or working on the front lines – and they shouldn’t have to worry about being cheated while dealing with the effects of coronavirus. The Governor's newest Executive Order protects people impacted by the pandemic emergency from illegal price gouging on COVID-19 at-home test kits. I encourage anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, to immediately file a complaint with our office online at oag.ca.gov/report or contact their local police department or sheriff’s office.”
Today's Executive Order protects Californians by generally prohibiting the sale of at-home COVID-19 test kits at a price that exceeds, by more than 10 %, the price the seller charged for the item on December 1, 2021. Sellers who have not previously sold at-home COVID-19 test kits may not sell testing kits for a price that is greater than 50% of what the seller paid to acquire the testing kit. 
Any violation of this Executive Order would be a violation of Government Code section 8665, which is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both. Violations would also constitute a violation of the Unfair Competition Law, which is subject to a $2,500 per violation civil penalty. The Attorney General and local district attorneys can enforce the Executive Order.
A copy of the executive order is available here. 

Republican Budget Vice Chairs Urge Newsom to Avert Economic Pain and Commit $3.285 billion for Long Term Water Resiliency
 
SACRAMENTO – Top Republican budget leaders pushed Governor Gavin Newsom to commit $3.285 billion for drought relief in his upcoming budget proposal to rebuild California’s water infrastructure and expand needed water storage. Below is a copy of their letter.
 
January 7, 2022
 
 
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor
1021 O Street, 9th Floor  
Sacramento, CA 95814
 
Dear Governor Newsom:
 
In spite of the recent rain and snow, California continues to endure a severe drought. Conditions are so dire that Californians have been asked to conserve their water use. Farmers have already been told they will not receive any allocations from the State Water Project.
 
Water is life.
 
This cannot be truer than in the Central Valley.
 
Yet, the State has failed in its planning for water storage and conveyance to meet the growing demand. Many have said that the state budget is a reflection of our values. If this is the case, then this year’s budget must include funding for water storage and conveyance.
With an estimated $31 billion surplus, the State must dedicate $3.285 billion to water storage and conveyance that could be allocated as follows:  
Ø  $2.6 billion to fully fund the already voter-approved Sites Reservoir; and
Ø  $685 million for the repair of the Friant-Kern/Delta-Mendota Canals and the San Luis Field/San Joaquin Divisions of the California Aqueduct.
 
This critical funding will provide drinking water for the State’s nearly 40 million residents, help maintain river flows, and irrigate California’s robust farms that grow a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts.
 
Water agencies and districts across the State including the Kern County Water Agency have declared a water emergency.
This follows the draconian announcement by the California Department of Water Resources that 2022’s water supply allocation will be zero. Already hit by the port congestion crisis, this is another detrimental blow to California’s farmers.
As a result, farmers are forced to rely on already strained groundwater basins to make up for the shortage.
Water efficiency has been a priority for farmers for years, hence, conservation alone cannot solve the state’s scarce water supply. Conservation is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. California law asserts that humans have water rights.
California is heading into its third year of bone-dry conditions. There must be a sense of urgency. The need for reliable and dependable water supply infrastructure and conveyance is paramount to public health, animal life and economic viability.
It was only six years ago that the State experienced devastating dry conditions. Droughts are recurring, and will occur again. To avert economic pain and harm to public health and the environment, we ask you to commit $3.285 billion to fund water storage and conveyance.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Vince Fong                                                       Jim Nielsen
Vice Chair, Assembly Budget Committee          Vice Chair, Senate Budget Committee

January 6, 2022
 
State Route 70 remains closed between Jarbo Gap and the Greenville Wye due to the slide near the Butte/Plumas County Line. Following a brief reopening in early December, the area has remained closed due to continued slide activity and inclement weather.
 
Following recent geotechnical evaluation, Caltrans and contractors began scaling operations from above via helicopter yesterday. Following scaling operations, debris removal and roadway repairs are planned in the slide area. While there is no concrete ETO, Caltrans and contractors are anticipating, pending weather or further slide activity, to have the route reopened by late next week.
 
Motorists are reminded that the slide location has experienced multiple periods of activity since the initial event and more inclement, winter weather is expected in the coming months. Motorists should also be cognizant of burn scar areas along State Route 70 from the Dixie Fire and possible effects from inclement weather periods.
 
Dixie Fire emergency work also continues at various locations in the State Route 70 corridor by Caltrans and our contractors, along with permitted work for PG&E, utility companies, and other agencies. When the route is reopened to through traffic, motorists should plan for 30-60 minute delays on SR 70 between Jarbo Gap and Quincy, Mondays-Saturdays during daytime hours, along with minor delays on Sundays. This work and scheduling are weather dependent and subject to change at any time.
 
Caltrans and contractors thank the traveling public and locals for their continued patience during this slide closure. 24/7 roadway conditions are available via QuickMap. Please contact the Caltrans District 2 Public Information Office at 530-225-3426 with questions.

Projects Will Rehabilitate Pavement, Improve Mobility and Replace Aging Infrastructure 
 
PLACER/NEVADA COUNTIES – Caltrans is currently seeking public feedback on two proposed Interstate 80 (I-80) improvement projects in Placer and Nevada counties.
 
A $101.8 million project proposes to replace and widen the Yuba Pass Separation Overhead (SOH) bridges near the State Route 20 separation in Nevada County. The project would improve freight efficiency along I-80 by increasing the load carrying capacity and address structural deficiencies that necessitate bridge replacement: concrete cracking and spalling, high corrosive chloride content, superstructure repainting, bridge deck concrete degradation, and weight-bearing pad failures.

A second $85.2 million project proposes to rehabilitate a portion of I-80 in both Placer and Nevada counties, from just west of the Troy Road undercrossing to just east of the Soda Springs overcrossing. This project would repair distressed pavement and bridge decks on the existing eastbound and westbound lanes and shoulders, construct an eastbound truck climbing lane, and widen and replace the eastbound Troy Road and Kingvale undercrossings. Existing culverts will be repaired, replaced, or extended as needed. Detector loops on the mainline as well as existing overhead sign structures and sign panels will be replaced.

The draft environmental documents for both projects are currently available for review and public comment fromJan. 3, 2022 to Feb. 1, 2022. The documents may be viewed at the following locations:
 

• Caltrans District 3

703 B Street
Marysville, CA 95901
 

• Truckee Branch Library

10031 Levon Avenue
Truckee, CA 96161
 

• Colfax Public Library

10 Church Street
Colfax, CA 95713
 

• The document is also available to view on the web at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3/d3-programs/d3-environmental/d3-environmental-docs

 
Public comments for both projects may be submitted by mail or email no later than Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022.
 
Caltrans District 3
Attn: Bria Miller
703 B Street
Marysville, CA 95901
​ 
Email: bria.miller@dot.ca.gov
Phone: (530) 720-3691
 
District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. For project updates, follow Caltrans District 3  on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
 

 

SACRAMENTO – With California anticipating a historic budget surplus of $31 billion, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) and all members of the Republican Caucusare urging Governor Newsom and legislative leaders to make wise investments for a better California.
 
In the budget letter below, Senate Republicans outline several critical priorities including: combating chronic homelessness, saving jobs, wildfire preparation, and making California affordable. Click here to download the letter.
January 5, 2022

Dear Governor Newsom, Pro Tem Atkins, and Speaker Rendon:

As 2022 opens, some areas of California are doing fine while others continue to struggle against high unemployment, budget-busting inflation, and California’s out-of-control housing and living expenses. In all areas of California, however, there are far too many people barely getting by. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimated that California’s budget will post a $31 billion surplus for the upcoming budget year. This situation offers the chance to make wise investments that improve affordability, public safety, and opportunities for all Californians struggling to make ends meet.

The LAO also estimates that the state will need to address a combined $26 billion in funds that exceed the voter-enacted spending limit, also known as the Gann limit. These excess funds include $14 billion for the current and past year, as well as $12 billion for the upcoming 2022-23 fiscal year. The voters prudently provided options for using these excess funds, which include returning the money to taxpayers, building infrastructure projects, and sending money to local governments.

Below are several priorities that should be addressed within the Gann limit rules:

Preparing for Long-Term Drought. California has been delinquent in building sufficient water storage, a fact that was clearly seen recently as agricultural water supplies dried up. The state should use surplus funds to build the Sites Reservoir and provide water conveyance in critical areas of the state. This will provide water storage for 1.5 million homes per year and promote much-needed water access for California’s food producers.

Better Ways to Address Homelessness. Part of California’s homelessness crisis is due to a lack of capacity to assist those without shelter. The state can use excess funds to increase shelter beds and mental health treatment beds to help address the needs of those who need temporary shelter or whose serious mental illnesses have driven them into homelessness.

Helping People through Local Government. Many services that provide public safety and address homelessness are administered by cities and counties. Unlike the state government, these local governments do not receive tax revenues from the same sources that are driving the state’s surplus. Under the Gann limit rules, the state can send money to local governments as long as there are no strings attached. Cities and counties can then use these funds for their chosen priorities, which could include responding to rising crime and providing local solutions to homelessness.

Lowering the Cost of Living in California. The recent surge of inflation has made it that much harder for many residents to pay the bills in this already high-cost state. Many of California’s high costs, such as housing and energy, are driven by misguided policies enacted in Sacramento. We can help lower the cost burden for struggling Californians by reducing taxes in key areas—the surplus shows the state did not need to enact recent tax increases. Specifically, options to lower costs and taxes should include:

1)     Renter’s Tax Credit. Expanding the renter’s tax credit to help offset the damaging effects of misguided state housing policy.
2)     Lower Gas Prices. Providing a holiday from the state’s gas and car taxes. Lower-income workers, who typically cannot work from home and may have to commute long distances to their jobs, are hit hardest by the high gas prices that are in part created by California’s high gas taxes.
3)     Access to Jobs. Many businesses continue to struggle in this partial recovery. The state can reverse the unnecessary tax increases enacted in 2020 related to net operating losses and other incentives.

The LAO’s forecast also indicated the state would have a relatively small surplus to use for purposes outside the Gann limit. Priorities for using these funds should include:

Better Wildfire Preparation. The state recently began to take wildfire prevention more seriously, after decades of neglect. Better wildfire policies improve residents’ safety as well as air quality. Indeed, avoiding major wildfires would do more to improve greenhouse gas emissions than many of the majority party’s mandates and restrictions. Fire prevention efforts can include improving vegetation management and making at-risk homes more resistant to flames.

Reducing Government-Imposed Debt for Job Creators. The state now faces a $21 billion unemployment debt following the pandemic-related shutdowns. Job creators did not volunteer for this debt, but they will bear the costs of repaying it beginning in 2023. Those costs will make it more difficult to create new jobs for Californians facing the nation’s highest unemployment rate. The state should use its surplus to pay down that debt and clear the path for better job recovery. 

We should use the current surplus to create a better California through improved affordability and safer communities. It does not matter where you live in California; far too many hardworking, everyday Californians can barely afford to pay for rent, food, and other bills. They worry about practical needs like water and safe communities. We have a chance to change this trajectory in 2022.

We look forward to working with you in crafting a budget that will assist Californians in recovering from this historic pandemic and address our homelessness, wildfire, drought, and cost of living challenges.

Sincerely,

Scott Wilk                                         Jim Nielsen                                       Patricia Bates
Senate Republican Leader              Vice Chair, Budget Committee          Caucus Chair
21st Senate District                          4th Senate District                            36th Senate District

Brian Dahle                                    Andreas Borgeas                            Shannon Grove
1st Senate District                         8th Senate District                             16th Senate District

Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh                    Melissa Melendez                              Brian Jones
23rd Senate District                       28th Senate District                           38th Senate District

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Intermittent One-Way Traffic Control Anticipated Over Next Few Months
 
MARYSVILLE – Caltrans is alerting motorists to expect intermittent one-way traffic control on several Sierra highways through March for emergency tree removal operations.
 
After record-breaking winter storms in December coupled with high mountain winds, numerous trees throughout the Sierra have fallen on state highways or are at risk of falling due to heavy snow, saturated ground and continued high wind gusts. Caltrans has initiated a $3 million emergency tree removal contract with Tyrrell Resources, Inc. of Truckee to assist with tree removal operations and cleanup.
 
Motorists should anticipate intermittent one-way traffic control on the following highways. Most tree removal work will occur during daytime hours unless otherwise noted.

• State Route 20 between Grass Valley and the Interstate 80 separation
• State Route 49 between La Barr Meadows Road and McKnight Way in Grass Valley
  • Tree removal work is scheduled overnight from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5 through Friday, Jan. 7
• State Route 49 between Nevada City and the State Route 89 separation in Sierra County
• State Route 174 between the State Route 20 separation and Greenhorn Access Road
• State Route 193 between Cool and Placerville in El Dorado County

 
Caltrans maintenance crews responded quickly to numerous downed trees in the immediate aftermath of the record-breaking storm to reopen highways to traffic. The emergency tree removal contract will further enable crews to focus on continued snow removal operations and highway maintenance activities.
 
District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Check out Caltrans' “QuickMap” for current road conditions and chain requirements at quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the free QuickMap app on the App Store or Google Play. Motorists also can call the California Highway Information Network automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).
 
###

Proverbs 29.18 "Where there is no vision the people perish. "Everyone needs a strategy. You may be 25 or 85 years in age. Who cares? Probably the only one who cares about your age is you. Your age either tells you that you are too young or too old. Remember, age is only a number. We have to put numbers aside and go with our hearts. If God is in it then don't worry about the number.

What do you want to do? One of the ways to know the will of God is to determine what we believe we would enjoy doing. The will of God is what we would determine to do if we just had enough sense. We will never rise above what we do not want to do. If we want to do something our chances of success are greater.

What is stopping you? Consider your life and where you want to be and determine the blockades. Sometimes the greatest blockade is the decision to move forward. Until we make that decision we aren't going anywhere. Once we know then we can assemble what is required to reach our destination.

Learn from the past and put it behind you. Past failures often eliminate us from life participation. We remember when we failed. A life that is fearful usually accomplishes far less than the life that has faith and confidence. Fear freezes us in our tracks.

Who are you today? Who you are and the direction you are going is far more important than where you have been. You can't change the past but you can steer your life in a new direction.

Develop a life action plan. Why not plan a strategy for the next six months and even the next year? You and God can determine where you will be. Start today!
​

 

Sacramento – Caltrans announced today its new policy for all new transportation projects it funds or oversees to include “complete street” features that provide safe and accessible options for people walking, biking and taking transit. This policy will expand the availability of sustainable transportation options to help meet the state’s climate, health and equity goals.


“California must reduce dependence on driving without sacrificing mobility and accessibility,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “As Caltrans and local transportation agencies prepare for the influx of new federal infrastructure funding, it is important that we provide safe, convenient, sustainable and accessible alternatives to driving to achieve our climate goals while equitably serving all Californians.”

A complete street provides mobility for people of all ages and abilities, particularly those who are walking, biking, using assistive mobility devices, and riding transit. Complete streets offer several benefits, including enhancing safety and creating more sustainable transportation options to decrease dependence on driving and improving public health by encouraging active transportation like walking and biking.

As part of the new policy, Caltrans commits to remove administrative barriers and partner with communities and local agencies to ensure more projects on state and local transportation systems improve the connectivity to pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities, and accessibility to destinations. If not appropriate to the context or community of the project, projects must receive approval from Caltrans before complete streets features are excluded. 

View the new policy here.
​

Loyalton, CA – December 30, 2021: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory has confirmed the detection of rabies virus in a grey fox from Sierra County. The fox was collected near Sierraville on December 13, 2021, following a report to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that it was observed behaving abnormally. CDFW isolated the fox, which was displaying neurologic signs until it died on December 15th. Lab analysis was conducted and rabies virus confirmed on December 29, 2021. It is believed that there were no bites or other contacts of concern between the fox and members of the public, the wildlife rehab center, or CDFW staff.

Rabies is a severe infection of the nervous system caused by a virus that is most often transmitted through the bite from a rabid animal. It is nearly always fatal once someone develops clinicals signs, but it can be prevented with prompt medical attention and prophylaxis following a possible exposure. People should avoid contact with wild animals and seek immediate medical care if they are bitten by a wild animal.
Rabies is prevalent throughout California, mostly in bats and regionally also in skunks. Occasionally spillover of rabies virus from these species is seen in other wild animals, including foxes. “Earlier this autumn, we identified three rabid foxes in Plumas County – all were infected with bat strains of rabies virus. It is likely that this fox was similarly exposed” according to State Public Health Veterinarian, Curtis L. Fritz.
With the onset of cold winter temperatures, most bats have migrated or are hibernating, so the risk of additional transmission is negligible. However, there may yet be another fox or more incubating rabies from exposures that occurred 1-2 months ago. Therefore, the public should be aware of the risk posed by foxes and other wild mammals, and cautioned to avoid contact, and alert appropriate animal control or wildlife officials if they encounter any animal displaying strange behavior.
The last rabies detection in Sierra County was a single skunk in 1994. Nevertheless, residents should remember that there is always a risk of contracting rabies from both wild and domestic animals.
Sierra County Public Health officials are advising residents to take the following measures to protect themselves, their pets, and livestock from rabies:

• Avoid contact with wild animals, like foxes. Rabid animals may appear aggressive, docile, or injured. Do not approach any wild animal or attempt to feed or capture it.
  
• Discourage wildlife from being around homes by collecting uneaten pet food and keeping garbage bins covered and secure.
  
• Consult with your veterinarian to ensure that dogs and cats are up to date on rabies vaccinations and consider vaccinating horses and other livestock.
  
• If you observe wild or stray animals that are behaving unusually, contact Sierra County Environmental Health at 530-993-6716 or the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office at 530-289-3700 after business hours.
  

P.O. Box 7, Loyalton, CA 96118(530) 993-6700www.sierracounty.ca.gov

• If bitten by an animal, it is important to contact animal control authorities to catch the animal so it can be determined if the animal has rabies. The Sheriff’s Office may contact Fish and Wildlife to assist with the capture of certain wildlife.
  
• Seek immediate medical care if you are bitten by or have direct contact with an animal that draws blood. Your healthcare provider will provide wound care and determine whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is needed.
  For more information, please go to: Rabies | CDC Email: EnvHealth@sierracounty.ca.gov
  

Phone: 530-993-6716
## # 

​

SACRAMENTO – Today Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) released the following statement calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to take all possible measures to help Northern Californians without power:
 
“Tens of thousands of Californians are currently without power and facing severe storm conditions. The situation may not be resolved for as many as two weeks. We need immediate action from the Governor to help Placer and El Dorado County residents, including deployment of the National Guard to provide generators to families until power is restored.”
 
Yesterday Placer County proclaimed a local emergency requesting state and federal assistance.
 
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley represents the 6th Assembly District, which includes the Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado County communities of Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, Orangevale, Penryn, Rocklin, Roseville, and Sheridan.
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SACRAMENTO – Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin is urging motorists to avoid non-essential mountain travel until weather conditions improve. Caltrans has closed 45 state highways since December 24 due to record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. While Caltrans has reopened 29 highways – including Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 50, the main gateways to Lake Tahoe – roadway conditions remain challenging with extensive delays and chain controls in effect.
“The safety of the traveling public is always Caltrans’ top priority,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Please avoid traveling to the Sierra unless absolutely necessary. If you must travel, make sure you’re prepared.”
Under the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) has activated the State Operations Center to monitor storm conditions and coordinate all necessary assistance. Caltrans is coordinating with CalOES, the California Highway Patrol, local law enforcement, the Nevada Department of Transportation and the National Weather Service to respond to changing conditions and keep roadways safe for travel.
In response to the record snowfall, Caltrans has redirected all available crews into the mountains to reopen roadways, bringing operators from as far away as the Bay Area to assist. The department has 1,350 field staff clearing mountain highways, working 24/7 in 12-hour shifts, and has deployed more than 600 snowplows statewide.
Caltrans has recorded more than $22 million in storm damage to state highways during the current winter storm, not including snow and fallen tree removal costs. Hundreds of trees have fallen onto highways, slowing the snow removal process.
Caltrans shared the following safety tips for motorists who must travel to the mountains:

• Before heading out, check Caltrans QuickMap for the latest road closure and chain control information.
• Carry chains and be ready for winter driving conditions.
• Make sure your vehicle is in good working order by checking your brakes, wipers, antifreeze, heaters, and exhaust systems before you leave.
• Do not try to go around highway closures by using secondary roads.

And when you’re on the road, please remember:

• Slow down and Be Work Zone Alert as Caltrans crews, California Highway Patrol officers, and other emergency responders are out trying to help control traffic and clear the roads.
• “Don’t Crowd the Plow” – tailgating or trying to go around snowplows can result in potentially dangerous situations.
• Have an emergency kit in your vehicle that includes blankets, water, food, a shovel, gloves, a flashlight, and sand or kitty litter to provide traction in case your vehicle becomes stuck. 
• Bring cash in case power is unavailable for credit card transactions.
• Keep your phone charged in case you need it in an emergency.

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On December 28, 2021, at approximately 1022 hours, a 41-year-old female from Reno, NV, was driving a 2005 Toyota Tundra, at an unknown speed, southbound US-395 south of Pozzolan Road.  Traveling in the Toyota’s right front passenger seat was a 49-year-old male from Reno, NV.  A 2018 Peterbilt Tractor and Trailer, driven by a 60-year-old male from Maxwell, CA, was traveling northbound US-395 at approximately 56 mph and approaching the Toyota from the opposite direction. As the two vehicles approached each other from the opposite direction, one vehicle left the proper lane and collided head-on with the other vehicle. 
 
Members of the California Highway Patrol, local Fire Department and Medical personnel arrived on-scene to render aid.  Tragically, the driver and passenger of the Toyota received fatal injuries as a result of the collision.  The driver of the Peterbilt was uninjured.
 
Both directions of the US-395 were reduced to one-way traffic control for approximately 4 hours to facilitate the on-scene collision investigation.  The cause of the collision is not yet known and the incident remains under investigation.  The medical examiner will assist in determining whether drug or alcohol impairment was a factor in the collision.  If any member of the public has information regarding this incident, they are encouraged to contact the California Highway Patrol at (530) 252-1900.