Pike Fire Hall – October 4 10:30am – 11:30am
Alleghany Fire Hall– October 4 1pm-2pm
 
Loyalton Drive-Thru – October 9
Wednesday 4pm -6pm High School Parking Lot
Downieville Drive-Thru – October 10
Thursday 11am -1pm Behind the Community Hall
 
Sierra City Library – October 14 10am-11am
Sierraville Ranger Station – October 15 10:30am -11:30am
Calpine Community Center – October 15 12:30pm- 1:30pm
Verdi Von Schmitt Park – October 30 11am till Noon

 
RELEASE DATE:
September 26, 2019


Sacramento – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) announced the availability of over $80 million for Forest Health and Fire Prevention projects. CAL FIRE is soliciting applications for projects that work to proactively prevent catastrophic wildfires and restore forests to healthy, functioning ecosystems while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Grant Program seeks to significantly increase reforestation, fuels management, fire reintroduction, and treatment of degraded areas. An additional $7 million will be available through the Forest Legacy Program to conserve environmentally important forest land threatened with conversion to non-forest uses, and up to $2 million will be available specifically for applied research examining forest management and health.

CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grant Program seeks to fund local projects that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to communities in, and adjacent to, forested areas. Qualified activities include hazardous fuel reduction, fire prevention planning and fire prevention education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety.
Find more information and sign up for announcements at www.fire.ca.gov/grants.

Official Call for Applications:

Fire Prevention Program: The call for applications opened on September 25, 2019 and will be due by 3:00 PM on December 4, 2019.

Forest Health Program: The call for applications will open on September 27 and will be due by 3:00 PM on December 6, 2019.

Public workshops will be held throughout California starting September 30; additional recorded webinars will be made available online.

These grant programs are part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities.

These programs serve to complement the 35 priority fuels reduction and fire prevention projects that CAL FIRE has undertaken at the direction of Governor Gavin Newson. They also complement the State Forest Carbon Plan, which seeks to increase the ability of our forests to capture carbon and improve forest health.
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To counter hyperpartisanship and government gridlock in the United States, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s latest guide points to increasing civic engagement and reinvigorating local media.For the past several decades, there’s been a marked decline in how much U.S. citizens trust the country’s democratic process. The majority of Americans say it’s of utmost importance for them to live in a democracy, but a 2018 survey from the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy & Global Engagement and others revealed that 55% of Americans feel democracy in the United States is currently weak. 
With this as a backdrop, Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy(CHIP) created its latest guidance, to help people better understand the issues at play and to show how they can help. This week, the Center released the toolkit and its anchor publication, “We the People: A Philanthropic Guide to Strengthening Democracy.” 
“The guide follows the trajectory of all of the Center’s work. There’s a big problem that people are concerned about, but they’re not sure how to help,” says Katherina M. Rosqueta, CHIP’s founding executive director. “Hyperpartisanship, government gridlock, the breakdown of civil discourse—these are all symptoms of a decades-long decline in a trust in our democracy. If you are concerned and you have some money to give philanthropically, whether that’s $10 or $1 million, here’s how can you help.” 
The report calls out five core elements of a robust democracy: Empowered citizens, fair processes, responsive policy, information and communication, and social cohesion. “They work together and reinforce each other,” Rosqueta says. 
For example, “empowered citizens” describe people whose individual rights are protected and who not only vote but work together to solve problems and hold political representatives accountable. Citizens focused exclusively on their own political party winning the next big election can lead to a breakdown in social cohesion, what CHIP defines as a society in which “members recognize each other’s right to a voice in the political process and are willing to collaborate for common ends.” 
To bolster the five elements in this framework, CHIP recommends two ways funders can help.
One is to increase civic engagement, which includes anything from donating to a charity to running for office. Specifically, the report touches on a trio of opportunities—encouraging civic membership by supporting civics education and membership groups, sponsoring public forums that give people a chance to learn and converse with fellow citizens and elected officials, and participating in broad-based voter engagement efforts, not just for big, national elections but for smaller, local elections, too. 
The second is to reinvigorate local media. This means not only larger newspapers and television stations that cover the area, but also hyperlocal websites and other communication outlets that tell a community’s stories. “Healthy local media ecosystems are at the heart of all five elements of a well-functioning democracy,” the report reads. “Journalists provide transparency into elections and legislative processes to ensure their fairness, in addition to elevating the viewpoints of citizens so policymakers can be responsive.” 
At the heart of it all is getting people to give philanthropically, but Rosqueta stresses that the amount doesn’t matter, and that this toolkit is a resource intended to help all donors cut through the noise and make a faster impact. “We’ve done the legwork to orient donors to some of the best ways to offer philanthropic support,” she says. “As with all of CHIP’s work, our goal is to help people turn their concern, good intentions, and charitable dollars into positive social change.”
The toolkit and report, “We the People: A Philanthropic Guide to Strengthening Democracy,” were a collaborative effort led by CHIP project manager Conor Carroll; Hanh La, CHIP director of applied research and analysis; Penn postdoctoral fellow William Berger; and CHIP’s founding executive director, Katherina M. Rosqueta. Funding came from the Democracy Fund. 

SACRAMENTO - Arts grant season has begun in California, the California Arts Council(CAC) announced today.  Applications are now being accepted for 15 of the agency's grant programs, with funding available to community arts projects, arts for youth, arts and justice projects, and operational and field support.  The Sierra County Arts Council(SCAC) is your local arts agency and State-Local Partner with the California Art Council.  We have received and continue to receive support from the CAC through a variety of grant programs including the State-Local Partnership, Artists in Schools, Arts Education Exposure, Artists in Communities and Local Impact programs.
B.J. Jordan, Executive Director of the SCAC has spent the last 10 years lobbying our legislature in Sacramento in support of funding for the arts, especially funding for rural frontier communities like Sierra County.  As state funding for the arts continues to grow, so too has the CAC's support for the field.  This year's permanent increased funding allocation provides the agency added opportunity to activate the arts, culture and creative expression for social change that uplifts all of California's diverse residents.  An estimated $35 million will be awarded to this year's grant recipients—a 30 percent increase over the prior fiscal year, and the largest projected investment of local assistance funds in the agency’s history.
 
"As Californians, creativity sits at the heart of our identity," said Anne Bown-Crawford, Executive Director of the CAC. "We are grateful to open another grant season with even more to offer to California's artists, innovators, and culture bearers-with a complete understanding of the return on the investment in the form of a vibrant, resilient, better California for all." B.J. met with Ann two years ago as she traveled and connected with arts agencies across our state and listened to the rural voice regarding arts programming and funding.
Do you have an art program or project you would like to have come to Sierra County?  The Sierra County Arts Council is here to help.  As your local arts agency, we are happy to partner with individuals and groups who might be interested in grant funding from the CAC.  We are also happy to offer technical assistance to those interested.  More information, including program-specific details, dates, guidelines, and staff contacts can be found at www.arts.ca.gov/programs.  Information on SCAC programs and events may be found at www.sierracountyartscouncil.org.
 

U.S. Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Region
TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST
Sierraville Ranger District
317 S. Lincoln St.
Sierraville, CA 96126
www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe/
News ReleaseContact:  See Below



September 16, 2019


Tahoe National Forest, Calif. – The Truckee and Sierraville Ranger Districts on the Tahoe National Forest will conduct prescribed fires this fall/winter to reduce build-up of hazardous fuels and to continue restoring forest ecosystems.  Hazardous fuels reduction, through prescribed burning, is the most effective and cost efficient treatment available affecting fire behavior, suppression success, and forest health.
Fall and winter bring precipitation and cooler temperatures which are ideal for prescribed fire operations. Planned projects include low-to-moderate intensity understory burns of vegetation on the forest floor and burning piles of stacked woody material.
The goals of these projects are to reduce the severity of future wildfires, provide added protection for communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI), and re-establish natural ecosystems using fire. Reintroducing fire through prescribed fire helps to promote a diverse and more resilient forest, as well as improve habitat for wildlife.  The Forest Service is also working to reduce fuels by thinning dense stands of trees and brush using mechanical thinning, mastication, and hand removal of vegetation throughout the Tahoe National Forest. All these techniques are important to this proactive forest/fuels management.
All prescribed fire projects are conducted in accordance with a specific, approved prescribed fire burn plan.  Burn plans describe the specific conditions under which prescribed burns will be conducted, including the weather, number of personnel, and opportunities to minimize smoke impacts.  This information is used to decide if, when and where to burn. We do our best to give as much advance notice as possible before burning, however, some operations may be conducted on short notice when conditions become conducive to implement a burn.
The following is a list of prescribed fire projects currently planned for this fall/winter:
The Sierraville Ranger District plans to implement around 500 acres of understory burns and 500 acres of pile burning across the district through the fall and winter. Underburn projects are available in the areas of Little Truckee Summit along Hwy. 89 and Sierra Co. Rd 451 (Cottonwood Road), northeast of the Independence Lake area along the Forest Service 07-10 Road, and near the Lewis Mill Guard Station along Sierra Co. Rd 860 (Smithneck Road).  Pile burning projects are planned near the communities of Calpine and Loyalton Pines, as well as in the general Little Truckee Summit/ Independence Lake area, and various other areas throughout the District.
The Truckee Ranger District is also planning to implement approximately 500 acres of understory burns and 500 acres of piles throughout this fall and winter.  The understory burn units are located north of Truckee near Klondike Flats, Prosser OHV, and Sagehen Summit.  Pile burning units are located near Sagehen Summit, Russel Valley, Prosser Reservoir, and Serene Lakes.
Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after lighting. Smoke settles in low lying areas at night and into the morning and usually lifts out during normal daytime warming. Fire crews conduct small test burns before igniting a larger area to verify how effectively fuels will be consumed to ensure the burn and smoke management objectives can be met. All prescribed fires are monitored closely for burning and smoke dispersal conditions and, if necessary, action is taken to mitigate concerns as they arise. Fire personnel closely patrol prescribed burn areas. Forest Service fuels management personnel work closely with the California Air Resources Board and the local air quality management districts to minimize smoke impacts to communities.
We are sensitive to the impact smoke has on people, especially those with respiratory conditions and allergies and we make every effort to conduct prescribed fire operations during weather patterns that carry smoke away from communities.  This summer’s wildfires are a reminder of the importance of fuels reduction and that smoke produced during a prescribed fire is much less intense and of shorter duration than that of a wildfire.  Fire is a natural part of the Sierra ecosystem. Our prescribed fire program is very important in our efforts to restore more natural and resilient ecosystems and minimize the severity of wildfires. A moderate amount of smoke now could prevent a lot of smoke later as well as reduce risks to the public, firefighters, and our natural resources.
For more information, or to receive prescribed fire notifications via e-mail, call or email the following contacts: Truckee RD- Linda Ferguson, District Fuels Specialist, at (530) 587-3558 or linda.ferguson@usda.gov; Sierraville RD- Ruby Burks, District Fuels Specialist, at (530) 994-3401 or ruby.burks@usda.gov. For more information on prescribed fire on the Tahoe National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe and participate in the conversation at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and www.facebook.com/TahoeNF.
If you would like to learn more about prescribed fire vs. wildfire, please visit https://smokeybear.com/en/about-wildland-fire/benefits-of-fire/prescribed-fires.
 
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

 
NEVADA CITY, Calif. –The US Forest Service announced that fire restrictions in the Tahoe National Forest will be lifted on Friday, September 20, 2019.
“We have received significant amounts of precipitation across the forest lowering our potential for large fire growth which prompted us to end fire restrictions.  Recreationists still need to ensure that their campfires are fully extinguished,” said Shelly Allen, Fire Management Officer for the Tahoe National Forest. 
 
When restrictions are lifted, Tahoe National Forest visitors may have campfires outside of designated campgrounds with a valid California Campfire Permit, smoke outside of designated sites, and operate internal combustion engines off forest roads and trails where designated or authorized.
 
Campfire permits are available for free from any Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) office. You can also obtain a campfire permit online at www.preventwildfireca.org.
 
“Although fire restrictions have been lifted, forest fires can still occur,” said Eli Ilano, Tahoe National Forest Supervisor. “Warm, dry and windy weather conditions are still likely to occur this fall and that means fire danger is still present. Please continue to be careful with fires while in the National Forest.”
 
As a reminder, never leave campfires, gas lanterns, and stoves unattended and make sure power equipment and off-road vehicles have working spark arresters. Other wildfire prevention practices can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/fire-aviation/prevention.
 
Cal Fire continues to have a statewide burn restriction. Contact your local Cal Fire office for more information.
 
 
For more information about the Tahoe National Forest, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Join the conversation by following us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF.
 
 

-restrictions lifted on federally-managed land-

QUINCY, CA – The Forest Service announced that fire restrictions will be lifted for federally managed lands in the Plumas National Forest (PNF) effective Monday, Sept 23, 2019. Restrictions on private land remain in place and are managed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (http://calfire.ca.gov).
Forest visitors may enjoy campfires outside of designated campgrounds and recreation sites, although California campfire permits are still required. The free permits may be obtained online at http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ or from Forest Service offices during normal business hours (M-F; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Visitors are reminded to keep campfires small and to ensure the fire is dead out and cold to the touch before leaving camp.
As a reminder, woodcutters must assure chainsaws are equipped with spark arresters, have valid woodcutting permits and tags visible on their loads. Please call 1-800-847-7766 as required by firewood permits for burn-day information before heading out to cut wood.
For more information about road conditions, recreation areas and firewood availability, please contact the Beckwourth Ranger District in Blairsden at (530) 836-2575, the Mt. Hough Ranger District in Quincy at (530) 283-0555, or the Feather River Ranger District in Oroville at (530) 534-6500.
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For information about the Plumas National Forest visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas and www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas.
Twitter: @usfsplumas
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

​

(SACRAMENTO) — Shawn Yadon, CEO of the California Trucking Association (CTA), issued the following statement today in response to the decision by Governor Gavin Newsom to sign Assembly Bill 5 into law:
“In the wake of Governor Newsom signing AB 5, the California Trucking Association is exploring its options to ensure California’s more than 70,000 independent owner-operators do not lose the tens of thousands of dollars spent in purchasing and updating their trucks, and other assets they have invested in order to build their own businesses.
“In its current form, AB 5 denies a significant segment of the trucking industry the ability to continue operating as independent owner-operators, forcing them to abandon investments they’ve made in their trucks as well as taking away their flexibility to set their own schedule and determine their destiny regarding their businesses, which many have operated for more than three decades.
“We look forward to working with the Legislature and the Administration to develop a more workable solution to AB 5 that protects employees from misclassification without eliminating the independent owner-operator business model.”

 
 About the California Trucking Association
Since 1934, the California Trucking Association has been serving the commercial motor carrier industry in California and the companies that provide products and services to the trucking industry. A critical and vital component of California’s economy, nearly 80 percent of California communities depend solely on trucks to deliver their goods. Our carrier membership ranges from individual owner-operators, to small for-hire fleets, to the largest national and international carriers. Allied members of the California Trucking Association range from businesses involved with truck and trailer sales, parts and service, insurance, legal services and all other businesses that support the trucking industry.

 
 The California Trucking Association promotes leadership in the California motor carrier industry, advocates sound transportation policies to all levels of government, and works to maintain a safe, environmentally responsible and efficient California transportation goods movement system. 

 


 

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Sierra County Adult School is offering an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Course, Starting October 1st, 2019. Emergency Medical Responders are usually the First Responders to a medical or trauma event. They are able to do an emergency assessment and use life saving skills to intervene in a medical or trauma emergency until EMTs, Paramedics, Nurses or Doctors are able to get to the scene. The EMR Course is an entry level course that can help you decide if you want to pursue other health careers.
 
The Course is free except for the cost of the book which is “Emergency Medical Responder” by Chris LeBaudour, 11th Edition published by Pearson.
 
The Course will be held at Downieville School, Room 5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting, October 1st from 6PM to 9PM and ending November 26th, 2019. The instructor will be Frank Lang, NP,JD. The Course is open to everyone and our communities desperately need your help and your skill. You can also take this course if you just want to better understand your body and your health for personal or family reasons.
 
If you are interested in more information or have questions, please contact Frank Lang at 530-289-3644 or send an email to foekej@gmail.com. To register for the class call Wendy Jackson at 1-530-993-1660-180 or email at wjackson@spjusd.org.  You can also register online at sierracountyofficeofeducation.org.  We will also be doing an EMT Course starting in January, 2020.

California’s lead firefighters use innovative partnerships, fight fire with fire to prove forest health faster.
SACRAMENTO - The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced a historic partnership to improve forest management and reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires through the expanded use of prescribed fire. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) guiding this partnership includes prescribed fire training with experts and trainees from both organizations, forest management projects including thinning and prescribed fire in cooperation with a diversity of partners, and joint communications to improve the public’s understanding of prescribed fire.
 
This partnership, in recognition of a worsening wildfire crisis and the need to involve new stakeholders, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a state firefighting agency and an environmental nonprofit organization in California.
 
“Many of California’s forests are overgrown with brush and small trees and urgently need better forest management at greater pace and scale, including prescribed fire. We are set to increase efforts exponentially, especially through expanding the trained workforce,” said Mike Sweeney, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy's California Chapter. “Together, we will make Sierra Nevada forests safer and healthier.”
 
“Forest Management including the use of prescribed fire is the way we will ensure Forest Resiliency and the health of our forests for future generations,” stated Chief Thom Porter, Director of CAL FIRE. “This partnership will help the State to increase pace and scale of Fuels Management to attain the goal of treating 500 thousand acres each year.”
 
High-severity wildfire is a significant threat to air quality, water quality, carbon storage, neighboring communities, and wildlife. TNC has been performing controlled burns across the U.S. for 56 years and has recently expanded operations around the world. Since 2010, TNC has run Training Exchanges (TREX) in California to expand and share expertise to use controlled burning to reduce wildfire risk and promote healthier, more resilient forests.
 
A recent scientific paper from the Nature Conservancy, Wildfires and Forest Resilience: the case for ecological forestry in the Sierra Nevada, cites over 130 scientific studies to make the scientific case for forest management including controlled burns as the best solution to combat megafires in California’s fire-adapted conifer forests.
 
About CAL FIRE: The men and women of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) are dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands. In addition, the Department provides varied emergency services in 36 of the State's 58 counties via contracts with local governments. Beyond its wildland fire fighting role, CAL FIRE is an "all-risk" department. The Department is always ready to respond - medical aids; hazardous material spills; swift-water rescues; search and rescue missions; civil disturbances; train wrecks; floods, earthquakes and more. To learn more, visit www.fire.ca.gov or follow @CAL_FIRE on Twitter.
 
About the Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at unprecedented scale, and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 65 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
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Online reservations and ticket sales are open for the 2019 Sierra Valley Art + Ag Trail to be held September 28. The Art + Ag Trail invites guests to visit 14 event sites this year – working ranches, market farms, historic buildings, a museum and the Sierra Valley Preserve – where local artists, barn quilts, history displays, farm animals and information about present-day and historic agricultural operations await.
This is the fourth year of this Sierra County Arts Council event. The Art + Ag Trail is a collaborative undertaking with creative contributions from the artists, the producers and many local organizations, history buffs, and other volunteers.
“Stop by one of the three Trailhead sites; pick up a map, a food list, an event passport; and off you go to explore the many assets of Sierra Valley at your own pace,” says event organizer, Kristi Jamason.
The three Trailhead sites – in Beckwourth, Vinton and Sierraville – will be open by 9:30 a.m. The remaining 11 sites are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Passport, Prize Drawing & Dinner
Traveling the Sierra Valley Art + Ag Trail is free, but a donation of $20, which helps pay for the costs of putting on the event, will earn guests an event passport and 2 prize drawing tickets. The passport is a limited-edition booklet with color photos from Sierra Valley and places to collect stamps as guests travel the trail. Organizers have made small rubber stamps for every site and exhibitor along the trail to stamp visitor passports.
“The prize drawing is not your typical affair,” says Jamason. “The vast majority of the prizes are works contributed by participating artists. Our artists and exhibitors are quite generous, and it makes for a really special prize drawing.”
The prize drawing is held at 4:30 p.m., at the Sierra Valley Grange Hall after all the other event sites have closed. Following, is a grilled tri-tip dinner put on by the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’s Association. The dinner helps fund their scholarship program. A short live auction by local rancher-comedian Rick Roberti follows at 6 p.m. to benefit the Art + Ag Trail.
Passports, extra prize drawing tickets, and dinner can all be reserved online via the Reservations page of event website: SierraValleyArtAgTrail.org/reservations.
Art – Gyotaku to Pysanka and all points between
This year’s Art + Ag Trail will feature close to 50 local artists whose work spans many media – glass, fiber, pottery, stone, metal, wood, paint, jewelry, basketry, photography and more. Marty Flora makes prints by painting actual fish and impressing them on paper, canvas, and cloth (Gyotaku). Melissa Hays painstakingly waxes and dyes real eggs – many from her own birds – with intricate designs (Pysanky). Rand Nash turns thin strips of cedar and other woods into beautiful kayaks. Several artists work with recycled or reclaimed materials –tin cans, burned candles, and bits of lumber – turning them into attractive, functional items. There will be artists who work with precious metals and semi-precious stones, artisans who make botanicals from their own goats’ milk, flowers and herbs, artists who carve and decorate gourds, turn animal fiber into clothing and blankets, pine needles into baskets and so much more.
“Discovering the hidden artistic talents of our region was an inspiration for this event,” says Jamason. “And I had no idea. Every year, more amazing artists turn up, and I learn about art forms I never knew existed. It has been an act of discovery to put on the event, and I’m sure it will be equally so for those who travel the Trail.”
Agriculture – Barns and Beauty
Another inspiration for the Art + Ag Trail was the agricultural heritage of the region. The Sierra Valley Art + Ag Trail provides a rare opportunity to turn down the dirt lane and actually go to the grand historic barns sprinkled around Sierra Valley, where you can learn about the ranch and farm operations and see these huge barns built with hand-hewn timbers and wooden pegs a century or more ago. The event features cattle ranches, a sheep ranch, two market farms (one with a pumpkin patch), and many exhibitors with an agricultural theme, including FFA and High Sierra Heritage Fruit Preservation, where Jennifer Kennedy shares her expertise in caring for heritage fruit trees in our climate.
History – tranes, planes and… tennis?
The event features the history of the barns, as well as other industries and people from the region. The Milton Gottardi Museum in Loyalton has old logging equipment, household, retail and medical treasures, and a finely detailed miniature replica of pre-WWII Loyalton with an o-scale model train running through it. The event also features displays about historical figures with ties to Sierra Valley, such as botanists John and Sara Lemmon, explorer Jim Beckwourth and tennis star Alice Marble. The Sierraville School, which is a Trailhead for the event, was recently listed on the Register of Historic Places. Publisher Jan Buck will have a 70th anniversary of the Sierra Booster display set up at the Gottardi Museum site, featuring videos, photos and stories about the paper and her father, who was known for flinging newspapers from his airplane to subscribers in far-flung places.
Great Food – fare with local flair
Foodies on the Trail won’t be disappointed. Chef Sean Conry and the Feather River College Culinary Arts Program will be making several lunch entrees at Sierra Valley Farms using heritage pork from Beckwourth-based Sage Eggs & Ham. Harvey Farms will be making family-recipe Basque chorizo sausage, made with Harvey Farms lamb, instead of traditional pork. The Grange will be selling by-the-slice homemade apple pie featuring fruit from local trees throughout the day. Many of the restaurants around the Valley will also have Art + Ag Trail specials. A handout with food options and where to find them will be given out at Trailheads.
Friendly Farm Animals
Visitors will find many friendly farm animals along the Trail. According to his owner, Bonnie Hollitz, Eddie the mule thinks he’s a golden retriever. Sierra Valley Yaks like guests to feed them snacks. As does Diddly the alpaca who will nibble his kibble from your hand. There will be goats – Moe & Joe and Marshmallow. There’s Calamity Jane, a Scottish Highland cow, and Applejack the miniature horse. FFA of Loyalton will have farm animals in the outdoor yard of the Museum site in Loyalton and will be happy to share their experiences with husbandry.
Demonstrations & Activities
The Art + Ag Trail is not just a spectator sport, say organizers. Visitors can press cider at the Grange, spin wool with a drop spindle or weave with a rigid heddle loom at Harvey Ranch, lasso a roping dummy at Diamond G or the Goodwin Ranch, or try their hand at watercolor paints, collage, avian trivia, zucchini car racing, egg dying, felting a bar of soap and more. Guests will also find many fun fall games for the kids at the Lil’ Megs Pumpkin Patch site in Beckwourth.
More information about the event is available at SierraValleyArtAgTrail.org/ and through multiple daily posts on Facebook at facebook.com/SierraValleyArtAgTrail/.
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Sidebars:

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Trailheads
Three Trailhead sites are the place to start on the Sierra Valley Art + Ag Trail to pick up a printed map of all 14 event sites and more. Trailheads will be open by 9:30 a.m. on September 28.
Trailhead Locations:

• Sierraville School – 305 Lincoln Street, Sierraville, CA
• Sierra Valley Farms – 1329 County Road A-23, Beckwourth, CA
• Sierra Valley Grange Hall – 92202 Highway 70, Vinton, CA

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​Weather includes, hold your hat, … a snow forecast. J
 
Reno discussion:
 
·       Strong winds likely Sunday-Monday due to a cold front. Confidence increasing in first legit wind of the fall season with wind speeds higher and lasting for a longer duration than the front last week. This will be a significant fire weather concern + road and air travel impacts from wind. Winds may stay up all night for ridges, wind prone locations, and mountain valleys Saturday and Sunday nights. Sunday is the main day, but looks to remain quite windy into Monday. Fire weather concerns area-wide Sunday and for areas mainly near and south of US-50 on Monday. Areas of blowing dust possible.
·       Smoke issues remain near larger fires especially the Walker Fire assuming continued fire activity. Less certainty in the smoke forecast with lighter winds today. Next several days will depend on fire activity. Could see improvement early next week if enough rain/snow falls. 
·       Turning much colder Monday-Wednesday AM with frosts or freezes likely in typical areas, possible even in lower elevations. Scattered rain and dare I say snow showers, looking possible Monday-Tuesday.Potential is there for light snow accumulations Monday night into Tuesday AM above 7000 feet. Lower confidence, but a few embedded thunderstorms also possible.
 
CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS BRIEFING
 
·       High confidence in a strong wind event this weekend Sunday into Monday followed by a big cool down.

QUINCY, Calif. – For the 36th consecutive year, selected roads and off-highway vehicle trails in the Diamond Mountain Limited Vehicular Access Area will be closed to motorized vehicles before and during deer hunting season within Zone X-6A. The motor vehicle restriction goes into effect September 28 and continues through October 20, 2019.
Partners in this successful effort to provide a more primitive hunting experience include Plumas County Fish & Game Commission, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and Plumas National Forest. The motor vehicle restriction is due to the volume of vehicles in deer hunting areas during the deer season and the effects of motor vehicles on deer behavior.
While motorized vehicles are prohibited on all roads and trails in the area during this closure, some activities are exempt from the order. For the purposes of this Order, a wheelchair is not considered a motorized vehicle.
This area is outside of the Walker Fire closure.          
Please visit the Plumas National Forest’s website to view the forest closure order No. 05-11-02-19-05 and associated map, http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas . See “Alerts & Warnings.”  If you need more information about the forest order, what activities are exempt, or would like to obtain a hard copy of the map, contact the Mt. Hough Ranger District at (530) 283-0555.                                 
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Motorists Should Treat Non-Working Signals as All-Way Stops
 
DISTRICT 3 — Caltrans is preparing for widespread power outages this summer and fall if PG&E cuts power during high-wind and red flag warning periods to reduce the risk of wildfire.
 
Motorists are reminded that the California Department of Motor Vehicle Driver Handbook mandates that non-working (dark) and flashing red traffic signals be treated as all-way stops during power outages. Drivers should proceed with caution through intersections and observe right-of-way rules.
 
“District 3 is home to many beautiful, natural resources and scenic views, although they can be fire risks,” said Caltrans District 3 Amarjeet S. Benipal. “We appreciate wildfire reduction efforts that help keep our communities and our state highways safe for everyone.”
 
Throughout District 3, traffic signals contain battery backups, which typically last 3 to 4 hours before becoming non-operational. Additional measures may be implemented at signals during power outages including generators or stop signs. However, motorists should be prepared for all-way stops at non-lighted signals during power outages.
 
To illustrate the safest way to navigate an intersection during times with no power, Caltrans Public Affairs developed a Caltrans News Flash, which can be viewed here: bit.ly/CT_News_Flash_211.
 
PG&E customers are also encouraged to sign up for electrical outage alerts and review current outage maps via its website.
 
Caltrans District 3 maintains more than 4,385 lanes miles of state highway in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. The department issues updates about road conditions on Twitter and on Facebook. For real-time traffic information, go to http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the free Caltrans QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
 

By Harold Pease, Ph. D



This Tuesday, September 17, is Constitution Day, arguably the most forgotten designated day in America.  The mainstream media will say nothing of it.  No parades or city council proclamations.  No three-day weekend, beer busts or barbecues in its favor.  It is as though it never happened.  Probably not one in ten can tell what happened this day in 1787; it has been forgotten so long.  
Still, this day the Constitutional Convention ended and the Constitution was sent to the states for ratification thus institutionalizing liberty in America more fully.  This positively affected everyone in the United States and is probably the most important day in our history—so special millions flood our borders illegally to benefit from it.  
For nearly six thousand years of recorded history governments, best described as regimental, dominated man.  Only for a few fleeting moments in the past has individual man had anything to say concerning the restrictions leveled on him. Under an occasional benevolent monarchy or an unconcerned king, man has, in rare instances, been left to himself and thus somewhat free.  And, even more rare were the instances when as in Athens, Rome or at Runnymede, the people, sometimes through persuasion and often by force, instituted changes allowing individual freedom to flourish for a brief time.  Our experiment with liberty was one of them.
Still, until 1787 man did not know how to harness government.  Liberty is, in fact, freedom from excessive government and the biggest enemy to individual liberty is, and has always been, government.  But the Constitutional Convention, ending on September 17, did just this.
We abolished kings forever in favor of presidents selected by the state legislatures (before the 17th Amendment) for a short, but defined, period of time.  We took away the president’s power to make decrees (even laws or rules) over us, allowing him, in a state of the union address to merely suggest changes, otherwise to sign or veto law made by the legislative branch.
The legislative branch, consisting of representatives for the states, (the U.S. Senate) to protect states’ rights from federal intrusion, and the peoples’ representatives (the House of Representative) to protect the people from federal intrusion, made ALL the law.  Both legislative branches from different perspectives, had to approve every law imposed upon the people and all law had to adhere to the constitutional list (Article I, Sec. 8, Cla. 1-18).  
Historically, the two areas most sensitive to the people were excessive taxation, as all monies expended were extracted from the people, and unpopular wars, as all injuries, deaths, and suffering was absorbed by the people.  Under the Constitution there can never be an unpopular war as the peoples’ representative (The House of Representatives) have total power over raising and funding the army.  They must consent to the war by declaration (because they provide blood and brawn for it) and they alone authorize the treasure for it (Art. 1, Sec. 8, Cla. 11).  “All bills for raising revenue shall originate” with them (Art. 1, Sec. 7, Cla. 1).  The Constitution, if followed as designed, ended for all time both unpopular taxes and war.  We became the first nation in history placing the people in charge of both.  Moreover, funding for war could not be extended for more than a two-year time period, thus requiring that the war remain the will of the people (Art. I, Sec. 8, Cla. 12).
The Constitution is marked by four divisions of power the first—and most important—being between the states and the federal government with fear of a national government dominant.  Our Founders, under a new concept called federalism, allowed two governments to co-exist, neither to be over or under the other, with primarily external issues governed by a federal government and internal issues by the states—like a marriage—equal partners.  All power not specifically listed in the Constitution remained with the states.  The federal government’s powers were listed in Article I, Section 8, Clauses 1-18 or what the states agreed to give them later, but anything thereafter added by amendment required 3/4th of the states to approve (Article V).  It was decidedly a limited government from the outset with few federal laws restricting the individual.

The other three divisions divided power at the federal level.  Separation of powers is basic to the Constitution with one body, the legislative branch, making federal law, another, the executive branch, enforcing it, and a third, the judicial branch, adjudicating it.  But none of these branches were to legislate, execute or adjudicate in a manner to erase or undermine the first division of power between the states and the federal government.  No Founding Father supported this. 
The Bill of Rights, demanded by the states as a condition of their ratification of the Constitution, further restricted the federal government.  Amendments thereafter 11-27, approved by 3/4th of the states, altered some parts of the Constitution.  Still, the federal government remains limited and on notice to remain subservient to the people. 
The Constitution remains an enemy to big government, largely supported by both political parties and liberals and conservatives alike, because big government is an enemy to individual liberty.  Perhaps this is the reason so few wish to honor it or bring attention to it on Constitution Day.  Americans might awaken to their extensive loss of liberty.

 
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College.  Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.

AB 5 Spells the End for Independent Trucking in California

 (SACRAMENTO) — The California Senate approved Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), a measure that will put tens of thousands of owner-operator truckers, who service agriculture, retail and other industry sectors, out of business. Despite efforts by the California Trucking Association (CTA) to amend the measure in a way that would protect independent truckers, Assembly Bill 5 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) passed with an overwhelming 29-11 vote.
“AB 5 could have been amended to address worker misclassification issues, as well as protect the 70,000 predominantly minority-owned truckers currently operating as independent contractors,” said Shawn Yadon, CTA’s CEO. “There is no reason why protecting workers does not include defending the right of tens of thousands of drivers who have built their businesses around the independent owner-operator model, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their trucks and have operated their own businesses for decades.” 
Since the bill’s introduction, CTA has advocated for changes to AB 5, including requirements for operating authority, ownership of vehicles, exclusivity and transparency about pay. These changes would have set a clear criterion and established independence in a way that protected employees from misclassification without hurting entire sectors of the business community.
Instead, AB 5 proponents created a scenario in which they chose winners and losers by carving out some professions while excluding others. In an attempt to address some of the concerns of California’s owner-operators, AB 5 was amended to allow drivers working within the construction industry to continue operating as independent truckers for a two-year grace period. However, AB 5 will severely limit work opportunities for tens of thousands of independent owner-operators in other business sectors.
In California, more than 136,950 trucking companies remain primarily small, locally owned business with small fleets and independent drivers.
“AB 5 will have implications that will go beyond employment classification,” said Yadon, CTA’s CEO. “Like the rest of the nation, California is experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, this measure will aggravate the problem by removing thousands of drivers from rosters as many have indicated they will move to other states or seek a different line of work all together.”
AB 5 now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature. If signed into law, AB 5 would deny a significant segment of the trucking industry the ability to continue operating as independent owner-operators, forcing them to abandon the investments they have made in their vehicles and taking away their flexibility to set their own schedule and determine their own destiny for their business.
Governor Newsom has until October 13, 2019, to approve or veto this bill.
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 About the California Trucking Association
The California Trucking Association has been serving the commercial motor carrier industry in California, and the companies that provide products and services to the trucking industry, for 83 years. A critical and vital component of California’s economy, 78 percent of California communities depend solely on trucks to deliver their goods. Our carrier membership ranges from individual owner-operators, to small for-hire fleets, to the largest national and international carriers. Allied members of the California Trucking Association range from businesses involved with truck and trailer sales, parts and service, insurance, legal services and all other businesses that support the trucking industry.

 
 The California Trucking Association promotes leadership in the California motor carrier industry, advocates sound transportation policies to all levels of government, and works to maintain a safe, environmentally responsible and efficient California transportation goods

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Nevada City, Calif. – The Tahoe National Forest is looking to hire enthusiastic, highly motivated individuals for temporary seasonal positions as wildland firefighters.
Positions are available in hotshot/handcrews, helicopter helitack crews, engine crews, fuels management, fire lookout, and dispatch.
 
Duty Locations: Truckee, Sierraville, Loyalton, Soda Springs, Foresthill, Camptonville, Downieville, Grass Valley, Nevada City
For seasonal positions, submit applications September 16 through September 30, 2019.
For more information, go to the Tahoe National Forest webpagewww.fs.usda.gov/tahoe and click on Fire Hire tag. Or email us atTNFfirehire@gmail.com for information on temporary seasonal fire positions.
 
 
 
 

​“MEGAFIRES” NOT INCREASING: NEW RESEARCH SHOWS LARGE HIGH-SEVERITY FIRES ARE NATURAL IN WESTERN FORESTS


Case Study Rebukes U.S. Forest Service’s Post-Fire Clearcut Methods
ASHLAND, OR – SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 – A peer-reviewed study by leading experts of forest and fire ecology recently published in the science journal Diversity disputes the widely held belief that “megafires” in our national forests are increasing, preventing forests from re-growing, and that logging is necessary to prevent these wildfires. While many policy and management decisions in U.S. national forests are based on these assumptions, research shows that large patches of trees killed by wildfires—known as high-severity burn patches—have not been increasing. These findings thus show that taxpayer-funded logging projects on public lands are not only unnecessary, they are also counter-productive, as related research shows that such logging often increases fire severity.
Researchers analyzed the most extensive contemporary and historical datasets ever collected on large (over 1,000 acres) high-severity burn patches across 11 western dry pine and mixed-conifer forests over three decades. The findings dispute the prevailing belief that increasing “megafires” are setting back post-fire forest regeneration.
“This is the most extensive study ever conducted on the high-severity fire component of large fires, and our results demonstrate that there is no need for massive forest thinning and salvage logging before or after a forest fire,” says Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, lead author of the study and Chief Scientist at the Geos Institute. “The perceived 'megafire' problem is
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FOREST AND FIRE ECOLOGY CASE STUDY /SEPT. 10, 2019/PAGE 2
being overblown. After a fire, conditions are ideal for forest re-establishment, even in the interior of the largest severely burned patches. We found conditions for forest growth in interior patches were possible over 1000 feet from the nearest low/moderately burned patch where seed sources are most likely.”
DellaSala and co-author Dr. Chad Hanson of the John Muir Project used computer mapping (GIS) databases to investigate vegetation and fire severity trends in large, severely burned forest patches, out of which grow “complex early seral forests” or “snag forest habitats”—unique and ecologically rich areas that are comparable to old forests in terms of native biodiversity and wildlife abundance. They analyzed these patches in four equal time periods from 1984 to 2015 using U.S. Geological Survey fire severity datasets. They found an increase in large burn patches only during the 1980s and early 1990s, followed by a flat pattern to the present day.
“We will use these findings to counter ill-conceived post-fire logging projects on the Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada,” says Dr. Hanson. “The U.S. Forest Service, assisted by The Nature Conservancy and Sierra Nevada Conservancy, is proposing to clearcut several thousand acres of prime snag forest habitat based on their false assumption that the forest cannot rejuvenate on its own and is better off being converted to wood chips for biomass energy production, which worsens the climate crisis.”
The study concludes that over the past three decades, the interval between large, high-severity burn patches at the landscape scale averaged 12 centuries to over 4,000 years, allowing more than ample time for forests to regenerate and develop into old-growth areas. Evidence was found in historical records of even larger high-severity burn patches, countering claims that contemporary high-severity burn patches are unprecedented and forests cannot recover on their own.
 
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FOREST AND FIRE ECOLOGY CASE STUDY /SEPT. 10, 2019/PAGE 3
“This paper is critical to wildlife conservation in fire-dependent forests, as it dispels notions that large, high-severity fires are unnatural and catastrophic,” says Monica Bond, a Ph. D candidate and researcher with the Wild Nature Institute, who was not involved in the study. “As a researcher, I have documented spotted owls, songbirds, and numerous woodpeckers using these large burn patches for both foraging and nesting. An entire community of under-appreciated wildlife depends on these large burns.”
See below for links to the study:
Abstract: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/9/157
HTML Version: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/9/157/htm
PDF Version: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/9/157/pdf
For more information on the Rim fire, visit https://bit.ly/2kaxpMF.
About Geos Institute:
Geos Institute is a science-based organization that is helping to make natural and human communities whole in the face of climate change. For information on their forest work, visit https://www.forestlegacies.org/.
About The John Muir Project:
            John Muir Project (www.johnmuirproject.org) is a forest conservation and research organization dedicated to ensuring that public forests are protected and managed for ecology and recreation, not commercial logging. 

PG&E’s in-house meteorology team just launched a new weather website which includes a 7-Day Public Safety Power Shutoff Potential Forecast. Here’s the link in case you are interested in checking it out and sharing with your weather fans and viewers: www.pge.com/weather.  The website is updated daily by a PG&E meteorologist or fire scientist and is geared toward informing customers and communities about detailed weather data in their areas, and uses four PSPS categories: Not expected, Elevated, PSPS Watch, PSPS Warning.
 

 
In addition to the 7-Day Public Safety Power Shutoff Potential Forecast, customers and community members can view humidity, precipitation, temperatures, wind speeds and wind gusts across 70,000 square miles of Northern and Central California. The site also features detailed hometown weather conditions, based on the closest weather station.
 

Monday, September 9 through Thursday, September 12, 2019
Plumas County
 
The Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District and the Plumas County Public Health Agency are issuing a joint Air Quality Health Advisory to notify the public of potentially poor air quality conditions at least through September 12, 2019 resulting from the Walker Fire and possibly other Northern California fires. Most of the smoke is expected to travel to the northeast, but at times it could settle into the Indian Valley and possibly reach the communities of Quincy, Chester and Portola. Conditions are expected to vary from Good throughout most of the county to Unhealthy near the fire and in the smoke plume, depending on wind direction and other factors. 
 
Exposure to elevated PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in smoke) concentrations can result in eye and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, congestion, coughing, impaired lung function and chest pain, especially among sensitive individuals such as the elderly, children, people with asthma, people with heart or lung conditions, pregnant women and anyone who is exercising or working hard outdoors.
 
If you smell or see smoke around you, the following actions are recommended:

• Minimize outdoor activities even if you are healthy;
• Stay indoors with doors and windows closed as much as possible; run the air conditioner on the “recirculate” setting if that is an option;
• People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan;
• People with heart disease, respiratory or chronic health issues should stay indoors;
• Contact your doctor if you have symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe fatigue;
• Keep airways moist and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water;
• Avoid breathing additional smoke, such as from cigarettes or barbecues.

 
Near real-time air quality conditions for Quincy, Portola and Chester may be found at www.myairdistrict.com (click on your location of interest in the “Local Air Quality” portion).  As you view the most recent data, take into consideration that conditions can change rapidly due to wind shifts; it is wise to monitor the smoke throughout the day and make plans accordingly.  The smoke may be visible in satellite imagery, available via www.weather.gov/sto (near the bottom of the page).
 
To sign up for the Air Quality Health Advisory email list, please visit www.myairdistrict.com.
 

 
Copyright © 2019 Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the NSAQMD Plumas-Sierra Health Advisory via our website at myairdistrict.com.

New department enhances the utility's wildfire mitigation efforts and reinforces its commitment to safe and reliable electric service to the Lake Tahoe region

TAHOE, CA., (September 9, 2019)  - Liberty Utilities today announced the promotion of Eliot Jones from Manager, Vegetation Management to Senior Manager, Wildfire Prevention; a new department that recognizes the need for a dedicated wildfire mitigation team. Jones, who has been with the utility since 2014, will oversee Liberty Utilities' wildfire prevention and vegetation management departments, which have grown to meet California's needs following the catastrophic Camp, Tubbs, and Woolsey Fires.

"Eliot has done a tremendous job directing the vegetation management division, which is the first pillar of our wildfire mitigation efforts," said Liberty Utilities Vice President of Operations Travis Johnson. "Wildfires have become a serious threat in California, and this newly created department reflects Liberty Utilities' unwavering commitment to provide safe and reliable electric service to our communities. It's a critically important role, and Eliot's experience and knowledge are the perfect combination to lead this new department."


Liberty Utilities provides electric service to multiple communities in Alpine, El Dorado, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas and Sierra counties, all of which have been designated either "High" or "Very High" Fire Hazard Severity Zones by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).



The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we believe the creation of this new department is a step in the right direction to safeguard our communities. The Wildfire Prevention Department will oversee wildfire mitigation planning and implementation, including collaboration with local fire officials, other utilities, regional partners and the public. Additionally, the department will monitor weather and forecasts to determine the need of a Public Safety Power Shutoff, a de-energization of the electric grid when and where extreme weather conditions present a heightened wildfire risk.


For additional information about Liberty Utilities or our wildfire mitigation efforts, customers are asked to visit LibertyUtilities.com/wildfiresafety/<http://libertyutilities.com/wildfiresafety/>  or call 1-800-782-2506.
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