From David Swain of Weather West:
…“I expect sustained extreme temperatures of this magnitude to produce widespread human health, wildfire, and electrical power supply impacts. Some of these impacts will undoubtedly be amplified by the ongoing pandemic. This will be an event to take quite seriously.“
For the rest of this report, see: https://weatherwest.com/archives/7427
I found myself breathing in and out more easily tonight, Sunday night, than I have in a long time. I am relaxing. My shoulders are coming down from my ears to their more natural position. The USFS closed the four most popular roads in Big Sur on the South Coast. And we breathe a breath of relief.
I live on one of those roads — the one that had 2 fires in June. COVID has changed things everywhere, and here is no exception. There are those who are angry. They feel entitled to camp and party and off-road in what was once a pristine area of Big Sur. Since COVID, it has been much more like downtown LA or SF — before the COVID. I understand humanity has thinned out in these metropolitan areas. I think they all came here.
The road closure is for safety and road preservation. Three of the four roads have been destroyed by more traffic than the roads were designed to support, and by people trying to drive on a 4×4 road in a two-wheeled drive car. The roads can’t take that. They dig holes, trying to get unstuck. They block the roads for emergency vehicles and residents trying to get to work or just to town for supplies.
What this news story linked below does not talk about is the silent disco with hundreds of people present on one ridge, with no toilet facilities and no trash facilities held on Prewitt only two weeks earlier. This one blocked roads to residences and to places where illegal campfires are created on the weekend.
Our Fire Captain, Marcus Foster, and the USFS Public Information Officer. Andrew Marsden, explain the problems well in this news story. The two overdoses on Prewitt Ridge this past Saturday night demonstrated so clearly how dangerous it is for both residents and visitors as well as to Big Sur herself.
http://ksbw.com/article/roads-closed-in-big-sur-to-reduce-illegal-camping/33557350?src=app
And in the good news department, I got this this morning in response to my email to the USFS:
“We will be amending the order from a “road closure” to an “area closure” to assist with enforcement. We’re also in the process of purchasing gates that can be installed on each of the four roads.”
From Jimmy Panetta’s Office:
  Dear Community Member, The administration is seeking public input as it considers opportunities for offshore wind development off the central coast of California. You can submit your public comments to the California Energy Commission (CEC) at this link. This public comment period ends September 30, 2020. Tips for submitting effective comments can be found here. About the Opportunity for Offshore Wind Development:California is committed to a rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the State’s economy and has established long-term policies to reduce most of the greenhouse gas emissions from the electric sector by 2045. Developing a diverse portfolio of renewable resources is a key component of California’s approach to building a reliable and cost-effective low-carbon energy system.To this end, in October 2018, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a call for Information and Nominations (Call) for three areas off the California coast, two of which are offshore the Central Coast: Morro Bay Call Area and Diablo Canyon Call Area. Both Call Areas, however, were assessed as incompatible with wind energy development by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), as both areas are heavily utilized by multiple DoD components for critical activities. In August 2019, I joined my colleague Congressman Salud Carbajal in convening a meeting with senior officials from the DoD, BOEM, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sanctuaries, and the State of California. This group has held subsequent meetings to discuss alternative Call Areas. The group has identified potential areas that include portions of the Morro Bay Call Area as well as an area to the north and to the south of the Morro Bay Call Area. A description and map of these areas is available on the BOEM website. The group has also discussed an approximately 90 square mile area within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary adjacent to the Morro Bay Call Area. The area is labeled “Discussion Area” on the map to facilitate stakeholder input and public input. Any call area must go through a very lengthy authorization process before construction can begin, and feedback is solicited to ensure any final proposal includes the perspective of all relevant stakeholders. Public CommentThe State of California and BOEM have initiated a process to receive input on potential offshore wind development. Consistent with public health guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19, the State and BOEM will conduct remote public outreach meetings. In addition to receiving public comment during the public workshops, the CEC will collect written comments in the California Offshore Renewable Energy Docket until September 30, 2020. CEC is encouraging use of its electronic commenting system. When you enter the system, please enter your contact information and a comment title describing the subject of your comment(s). Comments may be included in the “Comment Text” box or attached in a downloadable, searchable Microsoft® Word (.doc, .docx) or Adobe® Acrobat® (.pdf) file. Maximum file size is 10 MB.Written comments may be submitted by email or US Mail. Include the docket number, 17- MISC-01, and Offshore Renewable Energy in the subject line and email todocket@energy.ca.gov or mail to: California Energy Commission Docket Unit, MS-4 Re: Docket No. 17-MISC-01 1516 Ninth Street Sacramento, CA 95814-5512 Visual SimulationsMy office has received visual simulation panoramas and, in partnership with State Parks, has installed these displays at the Big Sur Multi-Agency Facility (MAF). The visual displays will remain installed at the Big Sur MAF until at least August 1, 2020. There are three visual displays posted outside, and the rest are inside the building in the conference center.The visuals show simulations at fifteen, seventeen, and twenty miles from shore from two viewpoints in Big Sur at different times of day. I urge you to safely visit the displays to better understand the visual impacts of wind development off the Central Coast.To visit the Big Sur MAF, please navigate to the following address: Multi-Agency Facility, Big Sur Station #1, Big Sur, CA 93920. Traveling South from Carmel to San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, the MAF is the first left turn after the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park entrance. The Big Sur MAF is open from 9:00AM-4:00PM daily.I look forward to continuing to engage with you during and after the public comment period and will ensure your views are taken into consideration as I work with federal agencies to move forward on an offshore wind development proposal that works for our communities. Sincerely,  Jimmy Panetta United States Representative 20th Congressional District, California Please note that due to House of Representatives information security policies, emails sent to this email account are unable to be monitored.     Washington, D.C. Office212 Cannon HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2861 Fax: (202) 225-6791Salinas Office 142 W Alisal St. Room E116 Salinas, CA 93901 Phone: (831) 424-2229Santa Cruz Office 701 Ocean St. Room 318C Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Phone: (831) 429-1976 |
My hope is to write a more in-depth article about this next month which will also provide links to obtain more information if one chooses. Personally, I have some concerns about why CA is pursuing this option, rather than encouraging solar.
It is the height of irony that this project is proposed for an area off the coast of the only remaining coastal area in the State of California that has never had commercial power to this day. Most of us have provided our own solar power. This off-shore wind project will use an undetermined amount of fossil fuel just create it in the first place. Further, insufficient data is available regarding the harm it may cause to marine mammals and other migratory species.
Here is a link to the Offshore Power presentation from the BSMAAC meeting. The video is on Mary Adams Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/SupMaryAdams/videos/713603159454660/?v=713603159454660
The presentation and discussion afterward starts at -2:54:16 and ends at -1:23:29.
A big thank you to Dick Ravich for sending me the link and time stamps.
Shared with me, and permission to publish granted by photographer Lisa Kleissner. Taken with an iPhone 7.
Last year, Bixby Bridge was backed up going south, all the way back to Palo Colorado. This year, much of Big Sur is still closed, but some people are violating the SIP orders anyway.
Just a reminder: People often confuse Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. On Memorial Day we honor those who gave their lives in the fight for our country. We honor our dead. Veteran’s Day, we honor the living.
This post is dedicated to all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and for us…In memory of all of them, regardless of who they were.
Los Padres extends Monterey Ranger District
closure of roads and trails until May 15
GOLETA, Calif. – Los Padres National Forest officials today extended the temporary closure of roads, trails and trailheads on the Monterey Ranger District until May 15 to align with current state and local guidance for safe social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and employees.
These roads, trails, and trailheads were drawing increasingly heavy vehicle traffic and large groups of people, creating circumstances where social distancing was not possible. Additionally, some roads, trails, and trailheads are located adjacent to residential properties and could potentially contribute to exposure risks to local residents. Roads and trails may create unmanageable vectors for further community spread of COVID-19.
This forest closure order includes the following:
Roads
· Tassajara Road – Forest Road No. 18S02
· Piney Creek Road – Forest Road No. 19S10
· Milpitas Road – Forest Road No. 19S09
· Nacimiento-Fergusson Road – Forest Road No. 22S01
· Central Coast Road/Cone Peak Road – Forest Road No. 20S05.3
· South Coast Ridge Road – Forest Road No. 22S05
· Baldwin Ranch Road – Forest Road No. 24S06
· Plaskett Ridge Road – Forest Road No. 23S02
· North Coast Ridge Road – Forest Road No. 20S05
· Los Burros (Willow Creek) Road – Forest Road No. 23S01
· Sycamore Canyon Road – Forest Road No. 19S05
Trails
· Boranda Trail – Forest Road No. 20S03
· DeAngulo Trail – Forest Trail No. 2E07
· Kirk Creek Trail – Forest Trail No. 4E17
· Prewitt Loop Trail – Forest Trail No. 5E06
· Sand Dollar/Jade Cove Trail – Forest Trail No. 5E13
· Cruickshank Trail – Forest Trail No. 5E10
· Soda Springs Trail – Forest Trail No. 5E17
· Buckeye Trail – Forest Trail No. 5E09
· Salmon Creek Trail – Forest Trail No. 6E11
Trailheads
· San Carpoforo
· Salmon Creek
· Buckeye
· Soda Springs
· Cruickshank
· Prewitt South
· Prewitt North
· Mill Creek
· Kirk Creek
· De Angulo
· Boronda
This closure is an interim measure. Los Padres National Forest will continue to evaluate the emerging circumstances around COVID-19 and follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, as well as State and local health departments to ensure that the safety of our employees and our visitors remains our top priority.
Forest Service closes developed recreation sites throughout California until May 15
GOLETA, Calif. – The Pacific Southwest Region which includes Los Padres National Forest announced that developed recreation sites will remain closed through May 15. This closure order is being extended to discourage large gatherings of people and promote safe social distancing of staying more than six feet apart.
“Developed recreation sites” refers to designated recreational use areas such as campgrounds, day use sites and picnic areas. Information on individual recreation sites is available on Los Padres National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
Outdoor recreation is beneficial to mental and physical health but must be practiced safely. In light of the statewide shelter-in-place order issued by the Governor of California, we continue to ask visitors to recreate locally.
If you do plan on visiting the National Forest please be aware that:
Closing any site for any reason is not an action we take lightly, but protecting our visitors and employees remains our highest priority. We are working with our state and local partners to determine the best path forward to safely reopen closed sites.
Please keep health, safety and the environment in mind when visiting National Forests. Your personal responsibility is critical to ensuring public safety and preventing further restrictions. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our national forests safe and healthy for everyone’s use.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
FEBRUARY 26, 2020 –
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule change that would expand use of the Small Tracts Act and provide the Forest Service greater flexibility to resolve land management challenges through sales, exchange, or interchange of small land parcels. The proposed changes are among those that implement new authorities the Forest Service received through the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018—also known as the 2018 Farm Bill.
The proposed rule would allow parcels that are physically isolated, inaccessible, or lack national forest characteristics to be conveyed if they are 40 acres or less in size. It would also allow parcels 10 acres or less where permanent, habitable improvements have been made to be conveyed if encroachment was neither intentional nor negligent. Proceeds from these land exchanges could then be used to acquire lands or interest in lands in the same state that are suitable to be included in the National Forest System. Those proceeds may also be used to reimburse costs associated with the competitive sale of eligible lands.
“These changes are designed to help improve forest conditions, safety and service to the American people” said Chief Vicki Christiansen. “They will also help us to be better neighbors to landowners that border our national forests and grasslands.”
The proposed regulations will be open for public comment for 60 days following their publication in the Federal Register. More information on these rules and instructions on how to provide comments are available at http://federalregister.gov/d/2020-03639.
Recreational shooting ban extended for six months
GOLETA, Calif. – Los Padres National Forest officials announced that the Forest Order prohibiting recreational shooting has been extended until June 30, 2020, to provide for public safety due to increasingly high fire danger conditions in the extended weather forecast and the potential for a wildfire sparked by shooting.
Despite recent winter rainfall, live fuel moisture levels across the Forest did not significantly recover and are currently hovering just above the 60 percent critical threshold. Predictive weather forecasts indicate persistent, strong offshore wind events through April that will likely further reduce fuel moisture levels.
Long-range weather models have consistently shown well below normal precipitation and drier than average weather with a high likelihood of elevated temperatures through the spring months. If these forecasts are accurate, grasses will cure out earlier than normal and grass fire activity could occur weeks earlier this year. These conditions allow fire to burn readily and remain present in the larger dead and downed fuels in the landscape. Even with recent precipitation and cooler temperatures, live fuel moistures are slow to rise due to a state of dormancy in the brush.
Preventing accidental starts from recreational shooting under dry conditions is key to protecting life and property. Shooting ranges under permit by Los Padres National Forest monitor and implement preventative measures to avoid accidental starts.
Under this Forest Order, discharging a firearm is prohibited except in the designated target ranges at the Winchester Canyon Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club. Persons hunting during the open hunting season as specified in the laws of the State of California and having a valid California hunting license are exempt from this Forest Order.
A violation of this prohibition is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
Los Padres to begin implementing prescribed fire activities
GOLETA, Calif.— Los Padres National Forest officials today announced plans to begin implementing their annual prescribed burning operations on the Forest over the next few months. When favorable weather conditions are present, specific project locations and dates will be shared on the Forest’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The objectives of the projects are to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to people and communities, create conditions which offer a safer and more effective wildfire response, foster more resilient ecosystems, and minimize the effects of large wildfires on the landscape.
When implementing these projects, fire managers follow a burn plan that outlines the “prescription” or environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, fuel moisture, ventilation and relative humidity that need to be present before the project begins. When the criteria are met, crews implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined by managers. The prescribed fire program will continue through the winter and spring months as permitted by weather and other environmental factors.
Prescribed fires including both understory and pile burning are intended to reduce the amount of vegetation, such as needles, small plants, brush, and small trees which can carry fire from the forest floor into the treetops. Studies and experience have shown that prescribed fires stimulate the growth of grasses, forbs and shrubs that provide food for deer, mountain quail and other wildlife.
The ignition of all prescribed burns is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment and appropriate conditions. Prescribed burn planning and execution are closely coordinated with the National Weather Service and Air Quality Management Districts in order to manage smoke production and minimize impacts as much as possible.
When these burns occur, information signs will be posted along the roadways to alert the public to the burning activity and subsequent visible smoke in the area.
For questions on the Los Padres National Forest prescribed fire program, please contact Fuels Management Specialist Rebecca Dykes at (805) 961-5764.
