By Jon Fleischman






There are 17 propositions on the California ballot next month.  They range from good, to bad, to downright ugly.
 
Below is a quick summary of the seven ugliest of the bunch - those easily deserving your "no" vote.


Prop. 55 & Prop. 56 - Because we need taxes in California to be the highest in the nation, here are two massive tax increases placed right in front of you.  Both of these are in the vein of the expression, "Don't tax me, tax the guy behind the tree."  In 2012 voters passed higher income taxes on those making more than $250,000 a year - billed at the time as a needed "temporary" measure to fund state government reeling from the economic downturn.  Public employee unions have placed Proposition 55 on the ballot, extending these higher income tax rates through 2030, costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually.  Proposition 56 adds a $2 tax to every pack of cigarettes sold (currently, the tax is 87 cents).  This tax would generate around $1.4 billion, a small fraction of which would go to anti-smoking efforts.  The rest will be spread around to a lot of special interests groups like Christmas-come-early.


Prop. 57 - Jerry Brown's "Let's Put Violent Criminals Back On The Street" Act is a terrible measure.  Don't be fooled by the false and misleading ballot title and summary that leftist Attorney General Kamala Harris put on this one - it will reduce prison sentences for many, many violent criminals and put them back on the streets.  Worst of all - the sentencing "reforms" in it are retroactive - so victims of violent crimes trying to recapture some dignity and meaning in their lives will be re-victimized because of this cruel and dangerous ballot measure.  (Read more here.)


Prop. 58 - The "Kids Don't Need To Learn English" Act.  In 1998, when it was clear that many, many kids whose primary language was not English were rising through public schools being taught in their native language, and not gaining English fluency, California voters passed Proposition 227, the English for the Children Initiative.  That measure requires that non-English speakers be taught English through English-language immersion.  After its first year in place, the numbers of those achieving English literacy shot up by over 20%.  This year's cynical measure was placed on the ballot by those who apparently do not want English fluency to be a goal in public education.  There is one line in the measure that matters: its passage would allow the legislature to repeal Prop. 227 on a majority vote.


Prop. 62 - The death penalty for the death penalty.  This is as straightforward as it sounds. If you think California shouldn't have a death penalty for those who commit the most heinous acts of premeditated violence, often with deadly outcomes, then vote yes.  If you believe, as I do, that these worst-of-the-worst criminals should have to pay the ultimate price for their acts, then vote no.  (You'd also want to vote yes on Prop. 66, which would "mend it, not end it.")


Prop. 63 - This measure, cooked up and funded by left-wing former San Francisco Mayor-now-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, seeks to lock into place yet another layer of gun control regulations in what is already one of the most anti-gun rights states in the country.  Highlights include a new permit, fee and background check to be able to purchase ammunition; a ban on bringing in ammunition from out of state; eliminating online and mail-order ammunition sales; and banning magazines that hold more than ten rounds. If you love gun control, you'll love this measure.  If you think enough is enough - vote no.


Prop. 67 - A couple of years ago, after years of failed attempts, the nanny-staters in the California legislature teamed up with the greedy California Grocers Association to pass a statewide ban on single-use plastic grocery bags, simultaneously adding a new ten-cent tax on paper bags and thicker "re-usable" plastic bags.  The grocers joined the bag-ban coalition when it was agreed that they could keep all of the hundreds of millions of dollars in paper bag tax collections.  Many local governments have already banned plastic bags, but many communities around the state have chosen not to do so.  This one-size-fits-all ban was referred by hundreds of thousands of California voters, through signatures on petitions, to the ballot; in doing so, they halted its implementation.  A vote for Proposition 67 would impose the bag ban.  A vote against it would reject the ban, leave local control in place, and foil the cynical play by the greedy Grocers.  (Prop. 65 on the ballot also would hose the grocers, if Prop. 67 happens to pass.)


Wondering if any of these 17 Propositions deserve positive consideration? I'm definitely voting "yes" on four of them, which you can read about here.





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​On October 24, 2016 at approximately 7:40pm our agency was notified by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office of a possible sighting of the vehicle and subject of the Amber Alert issued out of their county in the Pike area of Sierra County.  The California Highway Patrol, Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, and Nevada County Sheriff Office also were notified of the sighting and began searching for the vehicle which was able to evade law enforcement.
 
On October 25, 2015 at approximately 6:40am, a Sierra County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the vehicle on Highway 49 traveling north towards Downieville.  A pursuit ensued but the deputy lost sight of the vehicle.  The vehicle was soon located abandoned and a massive search began for the mother and child utilizing CHP and Placer County Sheriff’s Office canine search dogs, a CHP helicopter, and several uniformed officers on foot.
 
At approximately 3:10pm the mother, 35-year-old Hannah Ashley and the 7-month-old child, Henry Massey, were located in the Downieville area.  Both were evaluated by local medical personnel and transported to the nearest hospital for precautionary measures.  We’re happy to report that both mother and child are unharmed and appear to be doing well.  After medical evaluation, Hanna Ashley will be booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility for charges related to child abduction and evading police.  The investigation is ongoing.
 
Our agency is indebted to the California Highway Patrol, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Detectives, and California Office of Emergency Services for their assistance. 
 

Rhonda's Lil' Frosty is well decorated for the throngs to visit the Haunted House starting at dusk on Halloween! Thanks to Rhonda and her crew for a fun season! She is closed for the season November 3rd.

East Sierra Valley Chamber of Commerce held its annual Pumpkin Carving on Saturday, October 22nd. As shown below, it appears the giant spider is about to eat President Mike Welbourn. - Photo by Bonnie Jessee

​COUNTY COSTS incurred for drug enforcement activities on national forest system lands was discussed at the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting held in Loyalton on October 18th. Chair Lee Adams stated Sierraville District Ranger Quentin Youngblood wrote a letter to the Board over the Board’s concern regarding the cost of the recent drug enforcement activities. In this letter, Youngblood stated, “While I am also concerned with the expenses which Sierra County is incurring specific to incarceration and prosecution of the offenders for illegal activities of which largely occurred on National Forest System lands, there is no mechanism that I am aware under federal law for reimbursement to a county for the prosecution and housing of inmates convicted of violations of state law.”  He added, “Federal law does authorize the Forest Service to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies for expenses related to the detection, eradication, and investigation of controlled substance violation on National Forest Lands.” Adams made it clear that all of the decisions made law enforcement wise, were not under Youngblood’s control.  He said the real problem seemed to be the Federal Government does not fully fund the U.S. Attorney’s office and they have high charging standards. Youngblood said one option, though not a mechanism to provide for any meaningful reimbursement would be to take a look at the Drug Eradication Agreement to see if there were any opportunities where money could be added to it. He said he doesn’t think marijuana grows will go away on forest system lands and ultimately feels the forest service is the responsible party. Youngblood concluded that Sierra County definitely had his commitment with these discussions. Adams stated while the forest service distributes money across the country none is put aside for these kinds of things. He said there were two programs at the state level, which are used to help small counties; Homicide Reimbursement Program and State Voting Program. Adams was willing to write a letter, asking the forest service to put some money aside for counties like Sierra in instances like this one. Sierra County Planning Department Director Tim Beals thought the world of Youngblood and didn’t want him to think this was a criticism of him, but was concerned about the impact this had on the County budget and the lack of federal action was offensive to him. He was also concerned about the lack of a meaningful dialog above the district ranger, adding the County should have the ear of the Forest Supervisor. Beals stated if there was such a severe pollution on federal land, why was the federal government not prosecuting on that alone. Adams said this easily could have been a six-figure cost and right now it’s $30,00 to $40,000. He was open to suggestions on where the Board wanted to go with this. He likened the problem to beating a mule in the head with a 2x4, adding it is a learning experience and a tough balance. Adams concluded the problem was how does a county of 3,000 solve it. He had not heard from Congressman LaMalfa and said LaMalfa could call the head of the forest service and “yell,” but by himself it wouldn’t do anything.  Supervisor Jim Beard meant no disrespect to Youngblood but felt this was the second time this year the forest service had slapped Sierra County in the face. He said the forest service had refused to assist with the convicted persons and refused to collect the transient occupancy taxes owed Sierra County. Beard thought maybe the County should pull a New Mexico and seize control of Forest Service land. He thought it was time the County took a stand. Sierra County Sheriff Tim Standley said last year was difficult to work out a cooperative work agreement with the forest service. He added the agreements were met with additional funding and also included a controlled substance grant of $5,000. Standley didn’t have the total cost analysis that all deputies have put in but felt it was over $5,000. He said next year this needed to be vetted in depth, adding the $5,000 is a reimbursement and thought this might be an area they could look at. Adams stated the problem with contracts was they are a set amount each year and felt an emergency fund would help. He worried about the supremacy clause and didn’t think seizing Forest Service lands would be a long-term solution. Beals thought Sierra County should send the federal government a bill. Supervisor Peter Huebner agreed they needed to be more aggressive and send a bill. Sierra County Auditor Van Maddox said to send them a bill as part of a larger plan had value, but on its own it would hit a circular file. He said the next step was to have backing so the “noise gets loud enough to get attention.” Adams asked how much political pressure the County apply. He said Sierra County is part of a nationwide coalition for Secure Rural Schools and may not get it, adding even with statewide pressure we lose these battles.  The Board decided to send a bill and Adams will work on a letter to the regional forester and forest supervisor 

​AN LED SIGN was approved for downtown Loyalton at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting after East Sierra Valley Chamber of Commerce President Mike Welbourn made a presentation. Mike told of having made “leaps forward” as the chamber now being a complete non-profit. The sign will be located on the chamber kiosk, be 75-feet off the Highway 49, 40-feet off 2nd Street, be multi-faceted with ten settings and hold up to 99 messages. 
Under question, Mike said it is powered by electricity. He further stated it will make a “pleasant presentation” in downtown.
The mayor found no problem and Brooks Mitchell verified it did not flash and faced downward. No permits are required. The City would only be involved if there are any complaints.

DISCUSSION over City of Loyalton’s policy of allowing water and sewer bills be paid by tenants was discussed Tuesday night. Mayor Mark Marin said he agreed with Kathy LeBlanc that property owners should be responsible and should add it to the rent. Brooks Mitchell suggested both owner and tenant should get the bill. Mark said renters don’t even know about water restrictions. Bookkeeper Kim Lombardi said City computer software doesn’t support billing the tenant. City staff isn’t asking for changes but just to get the landlords to pay. From the audience, Kristin Gallegos felt it should be the renter’s responsibility. Councilman John Cussins was right when he stated he’d turned off more water than anybody and he felt it works better with the landlord. If water has to be turned off and landlords don’t know it, pipes can break and the property owner has no idea. 
Brooks moved, seconded by John to alleviate tenants and bill landlords for water and sewer. Ernie Teague voted no.

​CITY COUNCILMAN Ernie Teague discussed discarded vehicles in the City at Tuesday night’s meeting. He asked County Supervisor Jim Beard about 8¢ a month paid for each licensed vehicle to pay for disposal. Jim couldn’t answer but said there’s a Plumas County program. Carla Lopez asked about those on private property. Sheriff Tim Standley stated, “Once on private property, it’s your baby.” Brooks Mitchell told about NRA and other organizations that pay for old junk cars. With Loyalton’s Enforcement Committee, it could put the 8¢ on the June ballot for approval.

A REQUEST FOR CONVENING of Health and Social Services Committee meeting regarding Social Services and Facilities Management was pulled from the consent agenda and added to the regular agenda on October 18th at the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting in Loyalton. Health and Human Services Director Darden Bynum reported on an email regarding facilities management around the concept for a county services annex. He called it an opportunity to combine different county functions together at one locale at the site of the county landfill to consolidate energy, rent, security and access simultaneously. Bynum said they could embrace state of the art solar efficiency on the north side of Santa Clara property, which is county owned. Bynum said through the lease buy-back program this would be an opportunity to have entities both in and out of county such as seniors, district attorney, Board of Supervisors, meeting rooms and conferences, combine clinics and ultimately have a smaller footprint. He stated it’s an opportunity to take a gesture toward the University of California system and their interest in the cogen plant. Bynum thought an ideal location would be the industrial park. Supervisor Jim ​Beard stated there were issues involving the county and the City of Loyalton and thought they should refer the matter to the Health and Social Services Committee.  Adams felt it was far bigger than social services and mentioned the “tug-a-war” over the existing building that is a partnership with the city and county. He said the concept involved a lot of county government and felt it needed to be vetted to the county family through the Government Committee, or an adhoc committee.  The Board voted unanimously to create an adhoc committee consisting of Supervisor Peter Huebner and Supervisor Scott Schlefstein.

The food bank in both Sierraville and Calpine will be curtailing operation as of October 31, 2016.  The Loyalton Food bank is NOT closing!  That rumor has been heard from locals in Loyalton and from Clio….


The Family Resource Center is operated by High Sierras Family Services, on Main Street, Downtown Loyalton.  FRC has been operating the food bank for Eastern Sierra County residents and will continue to do so! 


We, at the Family Resource Center of Loyalton, are prepared to welcome the Clients of both the Sierraville and Calpine Food Banks!  Executive Director, Tammy Muldoon, has received information from the Sierraville and Calpine food banks, so that FRC-Loyalton will be prepared to have plenty of food and produce for incoming Clients.


The FRC Food Bank-Loyalton is held bi-monthly, on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month.  FRC-Loyalton receives its food and produce from the Northern Nevada Food Bank, in Reno.  


We start sign ups at 2pm and start distributing food at 3pm.  Please come prepared for the fall/winter weather and with water and a snack.  We do ask Clients to plan to stay on site, after signing up for the service line.  If Clients leave the general area and their name & number are called  - We DO NOT hold places in line!  Missed names are moved to the end of the list….just so everyone is prepared. 


At the FRC Food Bank-Loyalton clients are required to fill out a simple Intake Survey, comply with our Rights and Responsibilities and provide documentation supporting their income.  We DO NOT do deliveries of Food Bank food!  We ask our Clients to "Please make your own arrangements for pick up and deliveries". 


The FRC Food Bank-Loyalton is looking forward to seeing some new faces at our upcoming Food Bank Fridays….October 21st, November 4th and November 18th, 2016 and continuing into December 2016.


For more information or questions, the community can contact the Family Resource Center @ 530-993-1110 !!  Please leave a  detailed message !! 


Thank you, Jan!
Sincerely, Kathi Bertagnolli - FRC Receptionist & Alternative Resource Coordinator

FUNERAL SERVICES for June Polastrini will be on October 15, 2016 at 1 p.m. at the Loyalton Assembly of God Church.

Loyalton VFD will be hosting a vehicle extrication day on Saturday October 15 starting at 9am.  We will be holding this at the industrial park area of the Mill in Loyalton.  We will have approx 6-7 vehicles that we will position for extrication and rescue training.  We will be offering drinks, but you will want to bring a sack lunch.  We will meet at the Loyalton Fire Station at 0900


This is an informal training but we do require that you have all necessary PPE and observe basic safety precautions.  This is an opportunity to teach each other and to learn the capabilities of our equipment and personnel.  There will be no formal class room portion as we want to learn using a hands on technique.  There will be restrooms available at the Loyalton Fire Station.  Our plan is to set up several different scenarios that utilize vehicle stabilization, extrication and patient care/removal.  We may also try to have a vehicle burning scenario if time permits. Our plan is to be completed and cleaned up by early afternoon or sooner.


if you are able to make it please RSVP with how many, all volunteers in the Sierra Valley area are welcomed.


Please bring appropriate apparatus/tools/equipment


if you have any questions feel free to email, or text/call 530-277-2013

By Glenn Mollette


Giving up is easy to do because we become worn out from trying.  The high school student who cannot make the ball team or the college student who fails college algebra three times is frustrated. Everyone in life hits a few walls. We tried once or twice and failed and then moved on to something else.


Failing quickly is not so bad. It's better to fail, get it over with and then move on than to fail and fail and fail and then die failing at the same thing we failed at our entire lives. It's good to try but it's also good to move on to something else.


Abraham Lincoln failed a lot but was eventually elected President of the United States. Some candidates will run for election a lot and never be elected. Every person who ran for President this year will probably never be elected to the Oval Office except one person. The rest will be reelected to something else or go back to what they were doing before. It's simply the life of politics.


Michel Jordan once failed to make his high school basketball team his sophomore year. However, determination in his case paid off as he eventually became one of the greatest basketball players of all time.


We have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them is what I heard Kenny Rogers sing one time. Often the decision is easy because we run out of time to try. Life ends and we're done. Sometimes we run out of energy and health. We simply aren't capable of trying anymore. Sometimes we are done emotionally. We're on empty and there is nothing replenishing our internal fortitude. Often we run out of money. Financially we have to give up and do something that works. Doing something that works is never a bad path to take.


A big part of staying with anything is if we enjoy it. I heard another song one time that had this line in it, "It's only Rock N Roll but I like it." We can stay with most anything in life if we enjoy what we are doing. People stay in imperfect marriages because of love. People drive by ten churches to attend one far away because they feel love and included. Musicians keep trying to sing, write songs because it's something they enjoy. My dad was a coal miner. He worked in an underground coal mine for 30 years. He retired at the age of 55 for a $600 a month United Mine Workers pension. He was tired of it and wanted to do something else. He lived 30 more years and had opportunities to hunt, fish and enjoy life. There are some things we do a long time in life and we just get sick and tired of it. We determine it's time to move on to something else.


Here is the clincher to today's column. Essentially, you must decide and you must be happy about it. Lots of people will tell you what they think you ought to do. It's not a bad thing to listen to people because often people might have good input as to whether you are any good at what you are trying to do. However, you are the one who has to live the life, walk the journey and deal with your own life and thoughts at 3:00 AM in the morning. The bottom line is doing what makes you happy. As long as what you are doing is legal, doesn't hurt anybody else and brings some fulfillment to your life then what do you have to lose? 




Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of eleven books. 
He is read in all fifty states.  

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Camptonville, California – October 6, 2016. A community meeting will be help in Camptonville on Thursday, October 20, to address questions and concerns about a proposed biomass facility.
 
“The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on the status of the biomass facility, including options for ownership and companies that may partner with the community to build and operate the plant,” said Regine Miller, bioenergy project manager for the Camptonville Community Partnership.
 
CCP, a non-profit organization promoting the biomass facility, will host the meeting from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Camptonville Community Center. The meeting will also feature an update on the project’s permitting status, and opportunities for community input and questions.
 
Miller said that the biomass facility would be part of a new business campus, located at the site of a former sawmill in Celestial Valley, which closed in the ‘90s. CCP hopes to attract other businesses to the site, where heat and power would be available from the facility.
 
If constructed, the biomass facility would generate up to 3 megawatts of electricity using a steam boiler and turbine generator. The fuel for the plant would come from local forest management activities, such as the removal of dead or dying trees or forest thinning to reduce fire risk.
 
The Camptonville facility is one of several projects in the state that hope to qualify for a new program that requires large utilities like PG&E to purchase 50 megawatts of electricity from small, “community-scale” biomass power plants. A similar project, spearheaded by the Nevada County Biomass Task Force, is planned for Grass Valley.
 

CONNER HEYWOOD, a ninth grader at Loyalton High School, is one of Donald Trump’s youngest and biggest supporters. Conner began following the presidential race when he started hearing how the upcoming election could change how the next generation could secure a job. He started following the candidates to see which one would appeal to him. He thought Ben Carson had good leadership skills, but said he didn’t stand up for himself. On Bernie Sanders, Conner said he liked the idea of free college but stated Bernie didn’t have the plans for it. Conner didn’t go for Hillary Clinton based on the Clinton’s history. He saw Hillary’s America at the IMAX in Reno after talking his paternal grandma into taking him. He said the movie gave a lot of facts about the Clintons but was mainly about the Democratic Party and its history.
Conner supports Donald Trump because he stated Trump seems like he could be a change for America. Conner said Trump wants to make it so all get equal and fair pay by lowering taxed income for both high and small business companies. He stated it was also about rights, including gun rights. He believes a registered, licensed owner should be able to purchase any firearm and Clinton is against this. Conner believes when he goes to get a job in the future, he should be allowed equal pay as anybody else, and not given to someone who will do the job for quite a bit less. Conner said Trump “stands up to the rest of them” and feels a   lot of people want change. He did admit you would be taking a risk voting for him, but added that’s something you need to be willing to take if you want change in this country. 
Conner watches the debates live and tapes them so he can watch again. He watched the latest debate three times. On this latest debate, Conner thought Clinton won because she was more prepared, but feels the next debate will be different. He was looking forward to attending a Trump rally held Wednesday, October 5th in Reno at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. 
Conner took a poll of his Freshman class on how they would vote. He said 50% stated they would vote for neither candidate and 50% would vote for Trump.To voters, Conner says if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain. Through this process, he is thinking of going into political science as a career and has looked at colleges through a Freshman Focus class at school. Conner’s dad Shawn stated, “Although we don't always agree on all of his views we are proud that he has taken such an interest in his country and its leaders.  Who knows maybe we will see his name on the ballot some day.”
Look for Conner dressed as Donald Trump on both, Halloween and Election Day.
Besides being caught up in this Presidential election,  
Conner does computer and phone repairs, all self
taught. He mainly performs screen repairs in phones and tablets and will set up computers and give lessons. Conner also offers computer consulting, giving advice on how to get the cheapest and which one would work well for your needs
 

Sierra
Business
Council
and
Sierra
County
release
Public
Review
Draft
of
the
County’s
Energy
Action
Plan
Downieville, Calif. – Sierra Business Council (SBC) and Sierra County have released the Public
Review Draft of the County’s Energy Action Plan (EAP) and invite you to join us for a Planning
Commission meeting on October 13th, 2016 at 10am at the Sierra County Courthouse, Board of
Supervisors Chambers, 100 Courthouse Sq., Downieville, CA to learn about the EAP and provide
public comment. The County has partnered with SBC to develop strategies for increasing energy
efficiency in the unincorporated county that will result in reduced emissions and lower energy
bills.
The strategies are augmented by concrete measures the County can readily implement within a
reasonable timeframe. The strategies and implementing actions not only result in reduced
emissions but also money saved on energy bills. Additional benefits include greater selfsufficiency
in terms of local energy generation and use, potential to spur new business and boost
the local economy, and possible access to funding for energy efficiency projects. There are five
energy reduction focus areas: existing structures, new construction, renewable energy,
municipal operations and water energy. The EAP is available for review at the Sierra County
Planning Department website under Current Planning Projects, here:
http://www.sierracounty.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=471.
For development of the EAP, input was widely sought within the County to help shape its
content and ensure the document is relevant and realistic. The public outreach strategy included
an online survey and a community study session hosted by the Sierra County Planning
Commission (June 8, 2016). The online survey was kept open from April 4th, 2016 to June 27th,
2016 and received 34 responses.
It’s a huge achievement that Sierra County has taken the first steps in understanding the
community’s energy use. Reducing a community’s demand on the energy grid helps lighten the
load on the local electricity grids and reduce the need to import electricity from outside the
region. Being more energy efficient also reduces the amount of money spent on utility bills,
making housing more affordable while freeing up money that can be better spent within the
local economy.
Sierra Business Council (SBC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fostering thriving communities in the
Sierra Nevada via “on-the-ground” projects that promote social, natural and economic capital.
Information on SBC’s projects can be found at www.sierrabusiness.org. This program is
funded by California utility rate-payers and administered by the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
##

Truckee, Calif. – Truckee, Calif - The Truckee Ranger District on the Tahoe National Forest will conduct prescribed fires this fall/winter to reduce build-up of hazardous fuels and to move towards restoring forest ecosystems. 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 re-establish natural ecosystems using fire. This will also reduce the severity of future wildfires and provide added protection for communities in the wildland urban interface. 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 of these techniques are important in reducing the amount of forest fuels.
All prescribed fire projects are conducted in accordance with a specific, approved prescribed fire burn plan. Burn plans describe the specific conditions under which burns will be conducted, including the weather, number of personnel, and opportunities to minimize smoke impacts. This information is used to decide 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,” stated Linda Ferguson, District Fuels Management Officer.
The following is a list of prescribed fire projects currently planned for this fall/winter:
• Stampede Area - 200 acres of understory burning, approximately 1 mile east of Stampede Reservoir
--MORE--

• Hwy 89 North near Prosser Hill OHV – 1,000 acres of understory burning, approximately 2 miles north of Tahoe Donner and Prosser Lakeview/Prosser Heights and adjacent to Klondike Flats
• Multiple Piled Material Operations – Sagehen (300 acres); Serene Lakes (10 acres); Russel Valley (10 acres); Henness Pass Road north of Stampede Reservoir (10 acres); Donner Camp (1 acre); Sawtooth Ridge/06 Road (2 acres)
  Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after lighting, depending on the project size. Smoke will settle in low lying areas at night and into the morning and usually lifts out of an area during normal daytime heating. All prescribed fires are monitored closely for burning and smoke dispersal conditions and, if necessary, action is taken to mitigate concerns as they arise. Forest Service staff coordinates with state and local air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. Fire staff wait for predicted conditions that will carry smoke away from densely populated areas. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area to verify how effectively fuels are consumed and how smoke will travel.
  “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,” said Ferguson. “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 ecosystems. A moderate amount of smoke now could prevent a lot of smoke later.”
  For more information, or to receive prescribed fire notifications via e-mail, call Linda Ferguson at (530) 587-3558.

For more Tahoe National Forest information, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

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Sierra County Fire Protection District
Consults with Loyalton Neighbors
 
On Friday evening September 30th, approximately 30 property owners from ranches and subdivisions at the outskirt of Loyalton met with representatives of the Sierra County Fire Protection District #1 (SCFPD#1) to exchange thoughts about possible annexation of area not currently serviced by a fire organization.     
Fire Commissioner Bill Copren provided a background about why these areas are not served (having dropped out of the SCFPD#1 in the late 1960’s for “tax reason” that were made mute by passage of Proposition 13 in the late 1970’s).   Copren also provided insight as to how the post Proposition 13 property tax structure would be honored by an annexation.
“We are operating under a belief that all properties in the County deserve fire and emergency medical service.  We also believe that all volunteer fire fighters should be assured that they will be covered by worker’s compensation should something go wrong.   And, we believe we (SCFPD #1) might be in a position to provide those services through agreements with other Fire Agencies,” stated Copren.
The areas under consideration include: Verdi CA, Long Valley, and the areas around Loyalton that are not already covered via contacts between the City and the County.  Sierra Brooks, and the agriculture land and the Mill Site north of Sierra Brooks, and the Moble Home Park are already protected via contracts with Loyalton Fire Department.  If annexation does become a reality, protection for Verdi and Longvalley would be provided through agreements between the SCFPD #1 and Truckee Meadows Fire District out of Nevada.  Protection for the areas near Loyalton would be provided through agreements with Loyalton Fire Department.
Commissioner Rick Maddalena supported Copren’s presentation by providing some background about the roles of Calfire, the US Forest Service and the significance of the “State Responsibility Area” (SRA).    Annexation within the SRA would only relate to Structure Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services.   Outside the SRA, the responsibilities would also involve wildland responsibilities.
Attending the meeting were representatives of Loyalton City Council (Earnie Teague), Loyalton Fire Department (Robert DeMartini and Jon Pang), County Commissioner Peter Hubner, and County Planning/ Local Agency Formulation Commission (LAFCO) Director Tim Beals.
This was the 6th public presentation by Copren and Maddalena seeking public input on the annexation thought process.   A 7th meeting with Sierra County property owners in Longvalley is in the planning stages.   
 
 
 
 
ANNEXATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q -1 Will the property owners involved with this annexation pay more for services?
A-1 Property owners with properties in the Verdi Area and the Long Valley special assessment areas will be expected to pay for the services rendered by Truckee MeMeadow FPD.   These cost are unknown at this time but will be close to the rates paid by property owners in the unincorporated portions of Washoe County for structure protection and emergency medical service.  Those outside these state line areas will actually pay less then currently since their Cal Fire fee will decline to match that of properties within a fire district.
Q-2 Will mitigation fees be assessed on new construction in the newly annexed areas?
A-2 Yes.  Sierra County collects a mitigation fee from the construction of new homes, attached garages and new commercial and industrial structures that expand the fire exposure for the district.  The rate is a minimal rate of $1.25 per square foot.  The money can only be used to pay for equipment and capital improvements and must be expended within 5 years of collection.  The mitigation fee is intended to have new construction reimburse a proportional cost of the equipment and facilities paid for at the time of the new construction by the existing rate payers.
Q-3 What share of the existing property taxes will be routed to the District upon annexation. 
A-4 The final share will be determined by LAFCO.  The District expects that the share will be similar to the average share, about 7% of the 1% for tax rate areas that are currently in the District.  The amount might be higher in the areas not served by other special districts. For example, the Verdi area is not included within the hospital district or the fire district.  This could result in the fire district receiving a slightly higher percentage of the property taxes in that area.  These funds would then go to off-set the amount of the assessment fee for these state line areas.
Q-4 Will the District be developing new facilities in the newly annexed area?
A-4 That depends.  If this is the best option to provide fire protection and the demographics and the funding fits then this would be an option.  This would all depend on site-specific capabilities.
Q-5 What are the options for the various areas?
A-5 
​Verdi (both the portion within the District and the portions that are North of the District) could establish their own Fire District or Assessment area.   That body would likely provide service through a contract with Truckee Meadows FPD.  The SCFPD#1 would need to “de-annex” that part of the community that is in the District for this to be reasonable.   The costs to the district would approximate the costs of annexing the areas outside the district.
The residents of Long Valley could also form their own fire district and enter into an agreement with Truckee Meadows.  This could be in concert with Verdi or separately. 
The property owners outside the City of Loyalton that are not covered by an existing contract for service from the City have the same options as Verdi.  The areas covered by the contracts with the City could withdraw from the contracts and join their “non-City” neighbors.
Q-6 Who is the decision maker for these annexation possibilities?
A-6 The Decision to allow and annexation or creations of a new District rest with th Local Agency Formulation Commission (LAFCO).  LAFCO also will approve the negotiated tax structure necessary to support fire protection in the newly served areas.
Q-7   Who pays for the LAFCO effort?
A-7   The party requesting a decision from LAFCO will need to pay for the cost of assembling LAFCO and the studies that LAFCO may require.  There may be contributions from the Title 3 funds if justified.
Q-8   Can the SCFPD #1 (or a new District) contract with the City of Loyalton for service to areas close to Loyalton, e.g. Loyalton Pines?   
A-8 Maybe but that answer rests with interpretation of SB 239 which became law in November 2015 and amends the Government Code starting at 56134.  This new law places higher restrictions on Cities wishing to contract service outside of their jurisdictional area.  LAFCO must now review those contracts.  However, SCFPD#1 presently has a mutual aid agreement with the City which would allow City fire to fight fire within the new district boundaries.  This would work as a stop-gap and provide a minimum of service capabilities to the annexed areas.  However, more effort is needed to make the City whole when it responds outside the city limits.    
Q-9 Is there a “bottom line” for the SCFPD#1 to complete the annexation?
A-9 There appears to be few if any financial reasons for annexation and that has never been the motive of the District.   Three things must happen for the District to want to pursue annexation.

1. The property owners of the area to be annexed must want to be included in the District.  This “public will” can be sensed through public meetings before the district commission and before LAFCO.   A public vote may be necessary to establish new special assessment areas (as is being considered for the Verdi and Long Valley areas).
2. There must be a means of providing the desired service such as contracts for service with Truckee Meadow FPD (for Verdi CA and Long Valley) and through the Loyalton City FD for those areas where Loyalton is the obvious first responder.
3. The financial burden of providing service must be at least “neutral” to the existing rate payers of the District.  

 -Provided by Rick Maddalena