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Thursday, 10 July 2008 |
League of Cities supports mortgage crisis legislation
The League of California Cities is urging the state's Congressional delegates to support the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This legislation includes $4 billion that can be used to purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed properties, as well as assist low and moderate income households purchase these properties.
Fish out of water
All 50 of the Trail of the Trout sculptures will be unveiled July 19 at the Minaret Village Shopping Center from 5-9 p.m. Be prepared to have a fun time. Wear your best fishing attire! There will be a no host bar and plenty of appetizers. This will be the only time to see all the trout sculptures before they swim off to their summer homes. Presented by Mono Council for the Arts. Call Gaye Mueller at (760) 873-7242 for more information.
So. Cal. Fire Operations Prepare for long fire season
After unexpected lightning storms in Northern California sparked more than a thousand fires in June, firefighting personnel from across the state responded. Two weeks later, those firefighters are still battling hundreds of active fires, including many crews normally stationed in Southern California.
“Southern California fire crews currently deployed in the north are all mobilized with the understanding that they return if they are more needed back here,” said Art Torrez, Southern Operations Emergency Operations Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service. “It's a matter of re-allocating resources to the highest priorities.”
A similar fire siege in Southern California last October taught fire managers a lot about handling unexpected numbers of fires simultaneously, but a big difference is that October is at the end of a typical fire seasons and the current conflagration started in June.
Clover Fire update
Some smoldering and smoke was suppressed on Saturday, July 5, and all control lines held. As of July 6, the Clover fire is 70% contained with full containment expected on Tuesday, July 15. The forecast for decreasing winds should also decrease the threat of the fire spreading. Though the Kennedy Meadows Campground is now open to the public, there are still other temporary fire area closures in effect. Do not enter the hazardous Clover Fire perimeter! Communities are being reminded that fire danger is extremely high and that property owners need to be prepared. Make sure your home has defensible space.
Bishop Campus of Cerro Coso College closed for summer
The Bishop Campus Center of Cerro Coso Community College will be closed from July 11 to Aug. 11.
Limited firewood available in Sequoia National Park
Approximately 100 cords of surplus wood in the Lodgepole/Dorst Creek area of Sequoia National Park will be made available to the public beginning Friday, July 11. The wood is from pine and fir hazard trees that were removed from the vicinity of campgrounds, buildings and roads. Firewood permits must be purchased from the Lodgepole Visitor Center before wood can be removed. The cost is $10 per cords with a limit of six cords per family. For additional information about permits and wood availability, call Ranger Kyle Nelson at (559) 565-4405.
Land degradation on the rise
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations studied data taken over a 20-year period and determined that land degradation is intensifying in many parts of the world. Defined as a long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, land degradation is increasing in severity and extent in many parts of the world, with more than 20 percent of all cultivated areas, 30 percent of forests and 10 percent of grasslands undergoing degradation. An estimated 1.5 billion people–a quarter of the world's population– depend directly on these lands. The study found that degradation is being driven mainly by poor land management.
Lead-Free ammunition requirements in effect July 1
New state hunting regulations require the use of non-lead ammunition for must hunting activities in the range of the California condor in central and southern California. The regulations are designed to reduce incidents of lead poisoning in condors, eagles and other scavengers. These birds can consume lead-bullet fragments and pellets from carcasses of animals shot by hunters. Seven southern California condors suffered lead poisoning in May of this year. As of April, 2008, only 151 California condors were flying free in the wild, 80 of them in California. Safe, reliable non-led bullets and shot made from copper and other materials are widely available for big-game hunting and perform as well as, or better than, lead ammunition. A list of certified bullets, packed ammunition and a map of the areas encompassed by the ban are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor/.
Projected average resort occupancy
The projected average resort occupancy as of July 3 is as follows:
For the weekend of 7/11/08 & 7/12/08 (Jazz Jubilee) = 53%
*Please remember the projected occupancy is calculated in order to assist the business community with staffing levels and product ordering. The actual occupancy percentages are reported from the lodging industry to the Town of Mammoth Lakes Finance Director.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 July 2008 )
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