Note, there is a clear error, as this order is from now until May of NEXT year.

I visited my 88 year-old aunt this past week, and like all such trips, it was good to get home.

EVENT IS FULL!! Now that they know how great the interest is, they will be scheduling others as they can.

Unfortunately, this educational walk filled up within an hour of me sending the email. I appreciate all of your positive feedback on this and I can see that there is a huge need to do more educational walks like this.
Myself and volunteers Pat and Katie are working hard to accomadate everyone by scheduling more dates in January and I will let you know as soon as we have more dates determined for this new opportunity. I am truely impressed by the positive response this has gotten and I can’t wait to have you join us in the near future. 
Thank you for your patience. 
Best,

Kimiya Ghadiri

Forestry Aide

Volunteer Program Coordinator

Hello all, 
I am excited to share with you all that we will be having a special educational walk at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve lead by two of our docents and long-term Natural Resource Volunteers, Pat Lovejoy and Katie Spitz. 
On Monday, December 7th, Pat and Katie will be leading us through Point Lobos to discuss the different plant communities, the history of Point Lobos, and some of the natural resource management projects that have occurred. This will be a great experience to learn more about our beautiful Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. See the (above) flyer attached for more details!
This educational walk will be limited to 10 people, but we will be scheduling a second date in January for those who do not catch it the first time around. 
For questions, comments, or to RSVP, please email me! 
Best,

Kimiya Ghadiri

Forestry Aide

Volunteer Program Coordinator

California State Parks

Monterey District

831-574-9008 primary

949-326-3555 alternate

Kimiya.Ghadiri@parks.ca.gov

The state of California is making this effort in an attempt to slow the spread, protect those who are at a higher risk, and prevent health facilities from becoming overwhelmed. By decreasing the hours of socialization during these hours where there are less essential things going on, California hopes to reduce the continued spread of the virus.

A great source for California COVID-19 updates can be found at: https://cerv501c3.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a2ef8ab462d32c3823dfa6f92&id=c117d00634&e=91d9e94e1e
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR STAYING SAFE
* Residents who are NOT working at jobs between the hours of 10pm and 5am that are categorized as essential should stay in their homes during these hours
* Facemasks should be worn at all times when outside of the home
* A distance of 6-feet between individuals should be maintained when in public

All of the latest CERV news is updated regularly on our social channels below. Please click the links and subscribe or follow so you don’t miss the latest

To all Interested Parties,

I am emailing today on behalf of the Big Sur Byway Organization (BSBO).  The BSBO invites you to sign-up to receive direct communications from the committee regarding its activities.  Emails would generally include meeting notifications and invitations to participate in discussions.  If you are interested, please use the below link to sign-up for the distribution list.

Please include me in emails regarding the Big Sur Byway Organization

You are of course free to share this invitation with others you think would be interested in hearing from the Byway Organization.

Best,

Yuri 

Yuri C. Anderson | Chief of Staff

Office of Supervisor Mary L. Adams, Fifth District

1200 Aguajito Road, Suite 100

Monterey, CA 93940

(D) 831.647.7755

These were the 24 hour rain totals as of 8 am this morning. Impressive, but not too high to create a lot of problems. By 11 am, Anderson Peak, an area heavily impacted by the Dolan Fire had the most in the county with 2.24”. I have had/seen no reports on incidents of highway problems, though.

Last week, I was contacted by Joan Costello of Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild about quilts her group had made for the River Fire, Carmel Fire, and Dolan Fire victims who had lost their homes. I did not have an accurate list of those who lost their homes, but I knew who did. I contacted Patte Kronlund, Secretary of CABS. She jumped right in, contacted Joan and offered her assistance in getting these gorgeous quilts to our Dolan Fire victims. She suggested that the 12 firefighters who lost their home at Nacimiento Station be included, and they were. This is what CABs does best. Thank you, Joan, Patte, and all the quilters. What a great gift. Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild website is: www.mpqg.org

Patte took and sent me this photo:

November 13, 2020POST-FIRE WINTER STORM PREPAREDNESS WEBINAR Next Wednesday, Supervisor Adams and the District 5 office will be hosting a webinar by the County of Monterey to provide an update on Post-Fire Winter Storm Preparedness for communities impacted by the 2020 Wildfires. This webinar will specifically address the 2020-2021 Winter Storm Outlook, Flash Flooding/Debris Flow/Mudflows, preparing your home, insurance, alerts and warnings, precipitation thresholds, evacuation zones, etc. Panelists include the National Weather Service, the National Resource Conservation Services, Monterey County Resource Management Agency, Water Resource Agency and the Office of Emergency Services. When: November 18, 2020 05:30 PMURL: https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/98761727076Dial: +1 669 900 6833Webinar ID: 987 6172 7076  Recovering from the River, Carmel and Dolan fires continues to be on the top of our minds. We have heard from several residents with concerns about the start of the rainy season and potential issues within the burn scar areas. This webinar is a good opportunity to learn about what you can do to prepare for the winter storm season.  You can also find information here:https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/ready-monterey-county/winter-stormUPCOMING DEADLINES AND REMINDERS FEMA Disaster Assistance A reminder that you have until November 21st to apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585) between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. PST.  More information can be found on the County website here:https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/response/2020-fires/virtual-local-assistance-center-2 Debris Removal The Phase I cleanup of household hazardous waste and the debris removal process has been overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove items and substances known to be a threat to human and environmental health. The USEPA teams are working on completing the Phase I process. Next month, property owners may move into Phase II. However, for the Phase II cleanup, owners are required to engage in the Government Program or hire properly licensed and certified contractors and consultants to complete cleanup in the Private Program. The Government Sponsored Debris Removal Program is anticipated to begin field work the first of December.  Please note that ALL Property Owners with wildfire debris must submit a Right-of-Entry Permit OR Opt-Out Waiver to the Resource Management Agency by December 15, 2020 @ 5:00pm. Due to the high volume of calls and questions, Monterey County has now set up a Debris Removal Hotline to answer all questions regarding debris removal and to direct people to the appropriate agencies. If you have questions, please call 831-796-6472 More information, including the required forms and a recording of the webinar on the Phase II process, can be found here:https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/recovery/debris-removal/debris-removal-phase-2 Documents can be submitted by:E-mail: to Freda Escobar (escobar@co.monterey.ca.us)In Person: RMA Permit Center, 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas, CA 93901 Join the Conversation on Facebook

Supervisor Mary L. Adams | 1200 Aguajito Rd., Ste. 1, Monterey , CA 93940Unsubscribe kwnovoa@mac.comUpdate Profile | About our service providerSent by district5@co.monterey.ca.us powered byTry email marketing for free today!

Sandbags, Sand Stockpiles Available for Monterey County Residents in Fire and High Risk Flood Areas

Post Date:11/16/2020 11:50 AM

This summer’s wildfires make being prepared for winter weather more important than ever, as post-fire areas are at high risk for flooding and debris flow.

Residents who are in close proximity to the burn scars, in areas of high risk or who are concerned about urban stream flooding or high water situations can take advantage of Monterey County’s sandbag distribution and sand stockpile locations. You can find sand stockpile, sandbag distribution locations and helpful information on filling sandbags on the Monterey County Winter Storm Preparedness page. The list of sandbag distribution sites is here.  Residents should bring shovels and plan to fill and load the bags themselves at stockpile locations. Limited assistance is available.

Of greatest concern this year are the areas impacted by the Carmel, River and Dolan Fires, nearly 180,000 acres in Monterey County. Those fires have done long-lasting damage to both the immediate area as well as locations that may be several miles away which could be affected by flash flooding and debris flows. Rainfall that would normally be absorbed runs off extremely quickly after a wildfire, as burned soil is water repellant, so less rainfall is required to produce a flash flood.

Those living in and around burned areas can find out more about these dangers by taking part in a post-fire Winter Storm Preparedness webinar on November 18, 2020. Details and webinar links are at www.co.monterey.ca.us/recovery.

Some additional preparedness actions burn scar residents should take include:

Locate your property on the Watershed Emergency Response Webmap at www.co.monterey.ca.us/watershed

1. Contact the National Resource Conversation Services for a free property assessment and technical advice on how to mitigate impacts to your property. Submit a request at www.co.monterey.ca.us/watershed
2. Refer to the “Homeowner Guide to Flood Prevention and Response” at www.co.monterey.ca.us/debris-mud-land-slides
3. Sign up for Alert Monterey County at https://member.everbridge.net/453003085611217/login; or Text your zip code to 888777; or Text “MCWINTER” to 888777. 
4. Monitor weather reports and consider your safety risk when a weather advisory is issued. 
5. Be prepared to leave before roads, creeks and waterways are flow, or go to a neighbor on high ground or shelter in-place. 
6. Flood Insurance: Most homeowners insurance does not cover floods from natural disasters. Make sure your home is protected. For more information on FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at:1-877-336-2627 or visit: FloodSmart.gov.
7. Have an Emergency Plan and a Disaster Kit ready to go. For more information, go to https://www.ready.gov/landslides-debris-flow

From Mike Caplin:

All,

A couple of days ago I received an email from CAL FIRE on a draft Fire Hazard Planning Advisory document from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).  

Once finalized, the intent is for OPR to provide that document to counties and cities to advise on how planning documents and ordinances should be updated to address the threat of wildfires.

The draft is currently open for public comments until December 18, 2020.  

Here is a link to OPR’s page on it https://opr.ca.gov/news/2020/11-09.html

And here is a link to download the draft documenthttps://opr.ca.gov/docs/20201109-Draft_Wildfire_TA.pdf

Here is a link to an FAQ document (which recommends that comments be submitted using a form that is provided rather than in a letter) https://opr.ca.gov/docs/20201109-Wildfire_TA_FAQs.pdf

And here is a link to the comment submission formhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/firehazard (if you use this form (based on SurveyMonkey), be sure to check all of the boxes on the first page you may want to comment on, as you will be limited to comment only on subjects that were checked).

I have not read all of it, but from a quick look the document appears to be heavily influenced by urban bias, and very much in need of public comments from people who understand the situation in rural communities subject to wildfires.  

It is heavy on restricting development in rural communities subject to wildfires.  While it also acknowledges the need for wildfire fuel reduction work, it makes no mention of the need to amend laws to allow that work to actually take place without regulatory hindrance, leaving that to continue to fail to meaningfully address the problem, and fails to acknowledge that if people are allowed to meaningfully address the wildfire fuel accumulation problem, the problem could actually be largely solved (instead, apparently assuming the problem is insoluble).

Once in final form I expect this document could influence Monterey County’s updates to the County’s coastal plans, and its inland general plan and ordinances.

My take is that documents like this are dangerously bad policy to the extent they work to further concentrate California’s population into urban areas, which makes California more subject to biological hazards like pandemics, and to attack by weapons of mass destruction.  About 95% of California’s population is already concentrated into urban areas, which make up only about 5.3 percent of California’s land.  https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf   Table 2, page 42 in your pdf reader.

Best,

Mike