Six years ago yesterday, lightning struck all over Northern California, and many wildfires were sparked, including the Basin Fire (originally, the Gallery fire after the point of origin). This blog began some days later to cover the ongoing fire. We lost some homes in that fire, and some people were displaced as a result. All but one or two secondary homes (caretaker or guest homes) were rebuilt. In terms of size, it has not been surpassed since. In terms of homes destroyed and community members displaced, the Pfeiffer Fire of last December takes the lead.

This year, our drought level has lead to an unprecedented level of concern state-wide over the wildfire potential. Let this day raise the awareness of ALL community members and visitors to our area of fire awareness. Remember, no campfires allowed outside developed campground areas. May we surprise ourselves and get through this season without scorching.

This was last Saturday. Happy Solstice!

A big rig is stuck in the corner at Lion’s Den. Local CHP and FHL police are there. They are trying to get a couple of tow trucks out from FHL, but there are a number of hoops that must be jumped through. Take alternate routes in the mean time.

Today’s Date: Thursday, June 19, 2014
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Jim Shivers or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3237 or 549-3189

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*CORRECTION*

PISMO BEACH CAR SHOW RESULTS IN THREE HIGHWAY 101 RAMP CLOSURES

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – The annual Pismo Beach Car Show will take place on Saturday, June 21 and will close three southbound Hwy 101 off-ramps from 7 am to 7 pm in the following locations:
· Price Street
· Hwy. 1/Pismo Beach
· Hinds Avenue

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will maintain these southbound ramp closures.

Electronic message boards have been posted to alert motorists, who are advised to use an alternate route during this event.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through Caltrans construction zones.

For traffic updates on other state highway projects in San Luis Obispo County, motorists can call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or visit the District 5 website
at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm

I wanted to give you a short update of where we are regarding Home Stays and Special Events.

We were due to have follow up meetings within the next couple of weeks. Rather than moving into these meetings, we are following the recommendation of many of you to get a larger cross section of community opinion through a survey. We are currently working on putting a survey together which will be launched within the next couple of weeks. This will involve notifications to the public through a variety of notices to encourage public participation. Once the result of the survey are known, we will re-engage in the meetings.

We are meeting in two locations where we have previously not met as follows:

June 23, 2014 Carmel Valley St Phillips Lutheran Church 6:30 PM

June 26, 2014 Salinas Valley Greenfield City Council Chambers 6:30 PM

We continue to compile the many comments we have received and will post those on the website next week.

If you have any questions please contact me.

John

John Ford
RMA – Services Manager
Resource Management Agency — Planning
(831) 755-5158

To view your project online via Accela Citizen Access, please use the following link: https://aca.accela.com/monterey/Default.aspx

Today’s Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2014
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Jim Shivers or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3237 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALTRANS SEEKS PUBLIC’S INPUT ON STATEWIDE FREIGHT MOBILITY PLAN

SAN LUIS OBISPO – With the economic recovery expanding, California’s highways, seaports, and railroads are again teeming with freight being transported across the state and on to the rest of the nation. Caltrans has invested billions of dollars in projects aimed at improving freight movement and reducing its environmental impacts, and this summer it will ask the public to weigh-in on the future of freight movement in California.

Caltrans will host a public workshop on Monday, June 23 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Marina Public Library at 190 Seaside Circle to solicit input on the draft California Freight Mobility Plan (CFMP), which lays out a vision for all the ways freight is moved, including seaports, air cargo, railroads, and trucking. While promoting economic competitiveness, the plan will also benefit the environment and promote public health by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

“To maintain and improve California’s status as the eighth-largest economy in the world, we must create a multimodal freight plan that sustains freight jobs, improves transportation, protects the environment and our communities,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will rely on the CFMP and other state freight plans as it shapes a national freight plan. Projects identified in California’s plan will be eligible to apply for a higher percentage of federal funding.

This plan is especially important because California is a national and global trade leader. Of the country’s internationally traded consumer products, about 40 percent is transported through California’s seaports. With 12 seaports, California has an unparalleled geographic trade position on the Pacific Rim.

California has set aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a sustainable environment. The freight plan’s goal is to transition the freight industry to zero or near zero emissions by 2050. California has already made progress in reducing freight’s effects through better engines, cleaner fuels, infrastructure changes, and improved operations….

Caltrans is developing the CFMP in partnership with the California State Transportation Agency, the freight industry, public agencies, Native American tribal governments, and advocacy groups. The plan will be finalized by the end of this year. To view the draft plan, informational materials, and to receive more details on the public workshops, please visit: http://www.cfmp.dot.ca.gov.

Those unable to attend a meeting in person, can comment by email (cfmp@dot.ca.gov.) or send a letter or a completed comment card to: California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning, Office of System, Freight, and Rail Planning, 1120 N Street, MS 32, Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments must be submitted by July 31, 2014.

The California Department of Conservation (DOC) has sent out public notice regarding revisions to the proposed regulations for the use of well stimulation in oil and gas production. The notice also includes information regarding documents that have been added to the official rulemaking file and the dates, times, and locations of upcoming public comment hearings. This public notice begins a 45-day public comment period which will end at 5pm on July 28, 2014. The regulations, which are to go into effect on January 1, 2015, are designed to protect health, safety and the environment, and supplement existing strong well construction standards. They address a comprehensive list of issues, including testing, monitoring, public notice, and permitting. To ensure the major requirements of SB 4 are addressed in the interim, DOC has had emergency regulations in place since January 1, 2014 and those emergency regulations are currently being readopted.

To read the proposed regulations and other material, to see a schedule of upcoming public meetings, or to learn how to make a comment on the proposed regulations that will go into the official rulemaking record, please visit
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/Index/Pages/Index.aspx or http://www.conservation.ca.gov/dog/Pages/Index.aspx. click here for link

Tim Shular
Regulations Manager
Office of Governmental & Environmental Relations
Department of Conservation
Phone: 916-323-5432
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Okay, off to the muster to play today! Photos later, or tomorrow! (thanks Otter Bob of PMC for the use of your internet!)