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Cyanotoxin algae warning for ponds, still water, lethal for pets

9/15/2021

U.C.. Davis just issued a warning to keep dogs away from one of their waterways as it was contaminated by Cyanotoxins, a type of algae. It is the time of year when water gets low that you have to be aware that some ponds and still water can be lethal to your pets.

LEARN MORE HERE

Cyanobacteria FAQ

Here is U.C. Davis' warning about their waterway:
UC Davis issued a caution today (Sept. 8) to people visiting the Arboretum Waterway with their dogs: Keep your animals away from the water — do not let them go in it, do not let them drink it — due to the presence of cyanotoxins.

These toxins from microscopic cyanobacteria can be rapidly lethal to dogs that ingest the contaminated water. The concentration at this time is low, said Nina Suzuki, waterway steward for the Arboretum and Public Garden. Still, dog owners should be cautious.

Blooms of algae and cyanobacteria are common in creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes, especially in nutrient-rich waters in summer. (The Arboretum Waterway, despite its name, is a pond — it has no natural flow.)

Cyanobacteria live throughout the water column, not just as “scum” on the surface. So it is difficult to tell if water is contaminated just by looking at it. The solution? Just don’t go in the water.
“This timing is typical for the cyanotoxins in the Arboretum Waterway,” Suzuki said. “The pattern in the last three years has been that the toxins aren’t present in detectable amounts until August.”
And, so, upon observing an algal bloom last month, she collected a water sample and sent it in for analysis. The results came back Sept. 5.

“For context, the state water board has three tiers, or trigger levels (caution, warning and danger), for advisories based on the concentration of toxins found in the water,” Suzuki said. “The lab results from our sample are at the low end of the caution level.”

ASRA and Folsom Lake SRA quietly adds electric motorized bikes (e-bikes) to over 40 dirt trails and roads

9/14/2021

With no fanfare, announcement or CEQA-required public comment, electric motorized bikes are now allowed on many dirt non-motorized trails in Auburn and Folsom Lake SRAs because of a new order by the Superintendent (see below for their contact information).

Because of public concern over trail safety and environmental issues, the controversial decision of adding electric motorized bikes on non-motorized trails on public lands have prompted successful lawsuits by PEER, BCHA, Wilderness Society and other groups. CLICK HERE to see information about the e-bike lawsuit against Tahoe National Forest. CLICK HERE to see the five lawsuits against e-bikes in National Parks.
CLICK HERE to see the new trails added and the policy change.

The trails where you will now find e-bikes in Auburn SRA:
Bridgeview Trail, Clementine Trail, Confluence Trail, Culvert Trail, Flood Road Trail, Foresthill Divide Loop Trail, Fuel Break Trail, Lake Clementine Access Trail, Long Point Fuel Break Trail, Manzanita Trail, McKeon-Ponderosa Trail, Mossy Rock Trail, Stagecoach Trail Olmstead Loop Trail, PG&E Road, Quarry Trail, Robie Point Fuel Break Trail, PCWA Road, Pleasant Avenue Road, Salt Creek Road, Knickerbocker Haul Road, Ponderosa Road, Upper Lake Clementine Road

The trails where you will now find e-bikes in Folsom Lake SRA:
South Lake Natoma Multi-use Trail (dirt), South Lake Natoma Bike Path (paved), Parkshore Bike Path Connector Trail (paved), American River Bike Path-Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (paved), Main Avenue Bike Path Connector Trail (paved), Mississippi Bar Service Road (dirt), Service Road-Beals Point to Granite Bay Across Dikes 4-6 (dirt), Dike 4-6 Multiuse Trail (dirt), Granite Bay Multi-use Trail-South (dirt), Granite Bay Multi-use Trail-North (dirt), Center Trail (dirt), Doton's Point Multi-use Trail (dirt), Darrington Trail (dirt), South Fork America River Trail (dirt), Sweetwater Trail (dirt), Mormon Island Cove to Brown's Ravine (dirt) Dike 8 to Mormon Island Cove-Across MIAD (dirt), Leidsdorff Trail (paved)

The new State Parks policy went into effect on August 27, 2021, and is as follows:
E-bike use on trails and nonpublic, controlled-access [ii] roads shall be allowed only where designated by Superintendent’s Order in the following park unit classifications:

State recreation area
State vehicular recreation area
E-bike use in park units:
- State recreation areas:
  - Except for public roadways, only class 1 e-bikes shall be allowed by Superintendent’s Order on controlled-access roads and trails.
  - Except for public roadways, class 2 or 3 e-bikes are not allowed.
  - Class 1 e-bikes may be designated for use only on trails and controlled-access roads that already allow traditional (non-electric) bicycles.
- State vehicular recreation areas:
  - Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes may be allowed by Superintendent’s Order for use on trails and controlled-access roads.
- All other park unit classifications:
  - Class 1 e-bikes may be temporarily allowed by Superintendent’s Order for use on trails and nonpublic, controlled-access roads for research and demonstration purposes.
  - Except for public roadways, class 2 or 3 e-bikes are not allowed.

You may wish to contact the responsible Superintendent of either of these parks for further information:

Auburn State Recreation Area
Superintendent Mike Howard
Email: <Mike.Howard@parks.ca.gov>
(530) 885-4527

Folsom Lake State Recreational Area
Superintendent Rich Preston
Email: <Rich.Preston@parks.ca.gov>
(916) 988-0205

Both of these State Recreation Area belong to:
Gold Fields District
7755 Folsom Auburn Road
Folsom, CA 95630-6634
(916) 988-0205

If you have further questions regarding e-bike use in the California State Park System, please email trails@parks.ca.gov.

Forest Service Ending Regional Closure Order Two Days Early; Five Forests to Remain Closed Under Local Orders

9/14/2021

VALLEJO, Calif., — Sept. 14, 2021. The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region will end the regional closure order affecting National Forests in California at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 15, two days prior to the original end date of Sept. 17. However, forest-wide closures will remain in place and be extended until midnight on September 22nd on the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests in Southern California due to local weather and fire factors, as well as a temporary strain on firefighting resources supporting large fires in other areas of the state.

In addition to the four National Forests that will remain closed in Southern California, some National Forest System lands throughout the state will be closed under local closure orders in areas of ongoing wildfires to ensure public safety. This includes the Eldorado National Forest in Northern California, which has a forest closure order until Sept. 30. Fire restrictions also remain in place across all National Forests in California to prevent new fire starts. Please refer to the local National Forest that you plan to visit to obtain specific information on closures and restrictions.
We are constantly evaluating weather and fire conditions in California, as well as regional and national firefighting resources available to us so that we can ensure the safety of the public and our firefighters,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “Some factors are more favorable now, which is why I decided to end the regional closure order. I want to thank the public and our partners for their patience and understanding during these challenging times.”
Factors leading to this decision include:

Anticipated increase of firefighting resource availability to California due to fire danger lessening in other areas of the country.
Regional weather systems and related climate zones becoming more variable as the seasons change, leading to less uniform conditions across California. Where weather and fire danger remain high, tailored fire restrictions and closures remain in place locally and may be added where necessary.
Peak summer visitation has tapered off significantly since the Labor Day holidayweekend. The public is a critical partner in mitigating risk and recreating responsiblyonour National Forests.
We recognize the important role of National Forests to peoples’ livelihood and quality of life.

Favorable fire conditions remain throughout many parts of the state, and the public’s role in recreating responsibly has never been more important. We remind visitors to practice self-sufficiency during visits to National Forests, be aware of fire conditions in the area you are visiting and follow guidelines to prevent human-caused fire starts. Best practices include:

Heed local information regarding trails and campgrounds, especially fire restrictions and closures. Generally, camp stoves with a shutoff valve will be allowed.
Be proactive in your thinking about preventing fire starts. Smoking, parking in grass, flammable material, and other activities could cause fire ignition under dry conditions.
COVID-19 remains a concern. Maintain at least six feet distance from others.
Do not gather in groups and please follow the latest guidance from officials.
Communicate with others as you pass. Alert trail users of your presence and step aside to let others pass. • Pack out your trash and leave with everything you bring in and use.
All services may not be available, so please plan accordingly.

More than 7,404 wildfires have burned over 2.25 million acres across all jurisdictions in California. The nation remains at Preparedness Level 5 (PL5); the Northern California Geographic Area is at PL5, and the Southern California Geographic Area has moved up to PL4.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is largely in California but is in the Intermountain Region (R4) and is not impacted by the previous closure order.

The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding. Citizens with specific questions within their area should consult their local forest website or social media pages for more information.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

CLICK HERE to see the original press release.

Hidden Falls Regional Park auto burglary in parking area

9/12/2021

8/25/2021
A burglary was reported at Hidden Falls Regional Park in the 7500 block of Mears Place in Auburn after the rear passenger window of a vehicle belonging to a 27-year-old Sacramento resident was broken, and a wallet belonging to a 22-year-old Sebastopol resident was stolen. The Sebastopol resident later received notification from her bank that her card was used at CVS Pharmacy for gift cards worth $412. A loss of $799 was reported.

CLICK HERE to see the original article in The Gold Country Media.

Foresthill Bridge fire prompting evacuation warnings

9/5/2021

The fire is on the Foresthill side of the bridge. Evacuations, road and area closures in effect. Foresthill Road and Old Foresthill Road are closed. Five VLATs and several other planes are working the fire, as well as several ground crews.

Auburn State Recreation Area update:
Due to an ongoing fire, the Confluence, Upper Lake and Lower Lake day use areas are currently being evacuated. Avoid traveling along Highway 49 through Auburn SRA to leave the road clear for first responders and evacuees. Thank you for your cooperation.

Evacuation WARNING in the following area, per Placer County Sheriff:

Applegate Road on the north
Boole Road to the river on the east
The North Fork of the American River on the south
Bell Road at Musso Road on the west

To get updates, go to the Bridge Fire on Yubanet.com
https://yubanet.com/regional-fires/bridge21/

Incident Name: Bridge, Auburn
State: CA
Lead Agency: NEU
Size (acres): 100
Percent Contained: 0%
Estimate of Containment: unknown
Personnel: 140+
Structures Destroyed: 0

View from Robie Point:

Wildfire Danger: California Dept. Of Fish And Wildlife Closes 33 Properties until September 17

9/3/2021

Several properties have been closed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife due to high fire danger. These closures come after the announcement that all national forests in California would be temporarily closed.

These 33 properties are within or near the U.S. Forest Service boundaries.
Officials say the following properties will be closed to the public through Sept. 17:

Cantara – Ney Springs Wildlife Area — Shasta National Forest
China Point Ecological Reserve — Klamath National Forest
Cinder Flats Wildlife Area — Lassen National Forest, Shasta National Forest
Grass Lake Wildlife Area — Klamath National Forest
Dutch Flat Wildlife Area — Modoc National Forest
Antelope Valley Wildlife Area — Tahoe National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Fay Canyon Wildlife Area — Eldorado National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Macklin Creek Ecological Reserve — Tahoe National Forest
Red Lake Wildlife Area — Eldorado National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Heenan Lake Wildlife Area — Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Truckee River Wildlife Area — Tahoe National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve — Lassen National Forest
Smithneck Creek Wildlife Area — Tahoe National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Warner Valley Wildlife — Area Lassen National Forest
Hope Valley Wildlife Area — Eldorado National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Crocker Meadows Wildlife Area — Plumas National, Tahoe National Forest Forest
Blue Ridge Ecological Reserve — Sequoia National Forest
Kinsman Flat Wildlife Area — Sierra National Forest
Kaweah Ecological Reserve — Sequoia National Forest
Springville Ecological Reserve — Sequoia National Forest
Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve — Los Padres National Forest
Monache Meadows Wildlife Area — Inyo National Forest, Sequoia National Forest
Canebrake Ecological Reserve — Sequoia National Forest
Sands Meadow Ecological Reserve — Stanislaus National Forest
Coldwater Canyon Ecological Reserve — Los Padres National Forest
Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve — Cleveland National Forest
Plaisted Creek Ecological Reserve — Cleveland National Forest
Sycuan Peak Ecological Reserve — Cleveland National Forest
Boden Canyon Ecological Reserve — Cleveland National Forest
Boulder Creek Ecological Reserve — Cleveland National Forest
Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve — San Bernardino National Forest
River Spring Lakes Ecological Reserve — Inyo National Forest, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Carrizo Canyon Ecological Reserve — San Bernardino National Forest
Buttermilk Country Wildlife Area — Inyo National Forest, Sierra National Forest

For the latest updates on closures, view the following pages:

CLICK HERE to see the original article posted by KRON-TV.

USDA Forest Service closing ALL California National Forests through Sept. 17

8/31/2021

USDA Forest Service Temporarily Closing All California National Forests for Public Safety Release Date: Aug 30, 2021

VALLEJO, Calif., — August 30, 2021. To better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis, USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing a temporary closure of all National Forests in California. This closure will be in effect from Aug. 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. This order does not affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is not in the Pacific Southwest Region.

“We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.”

Factors that led to this decision include:

1. By temporarily reducing the numbers of people on national forests, we hope to minimize the likelihood that visitors could become entrapped on National Forest System lands during emergency circumstances.

2. The closure order will also decrease the potential for new fire starts at a time of extremely limited firefighting resources, and enhance firefighter and community safety by limiting exposure that occurs in public evacuation situations, especially as COVID-19 continues to impact human health and strain hospital resources.

3. Due to state-wide conditions, any new fire starts have the potential for large and rapid fire growth with a high risk to life and property. The Forest Service and our partners are absolutely doing all we can to fight these fires and will continue to do so, but the conditions dictate the need for this region-wide closure order.

4. Forecasts show that conditions this season are trending the same or worse as we move into late summer and fall.

5. Although the potential for large fires and risk to life and property is not new, what is different is that we are facing: (a) record level fuel and fire conditions; (b) fire behavior that is beyond the norm of our experience and models such as large, quick runs in the night; (c) significantly limited initial attack resources, suppression resources, and Incident Command Teams to combat new fire starts and new large fires; and (d) no predicted weather relief for an extended period of time into the late fall.

The following persons are exempt from this Order:

1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order.

2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.

3. Persons with a Forest Service special use authorization for an electric transmission line, an oil or gas pipeline, communications site, or any other non-recreation special use.

4. Commercial recreational special-use permit holders and their customers are not exempt from this Order. However, commercial recreational special-use permit holders, under the terms and conditions of their permit, may access their permit areas to conduct administrative functions and to protect property and related assets. Recreation residence permit holders are not exempt from this Order.

5. Persons with a Forest Service non-special-use written authorization to conduct non-recreational activities, such as harvesting timber or forest products, or grazing livestock.

6. Owners or lessees of land, and residents of such private landholdings, to the extent necessary to access their land.

7. Persons engaged in a business, trade, or occupation are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above, but may use National Forest System roads to the extent necessary to carry out their business, trade, or occupation. More than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the National Wildfire Preparedness Level (PL) has been at PL5 since July 14, 2021, only the third time in the past 20 years that the nation has reached PL 5 by mid-July – indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity.

The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this extreme public safety and fire threat. Citizens with specific questions within their area should consult their local forest website or social media pages for more information.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD949139

NID closes campgrounds and recreational facilities due to wildfire threat

8/25/2021

Due to fire risk and drought, the United States Forest Service has announced a temporary closure of the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). This closure will be effective at August 22, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.

As a result, all NID campgrounds and recreational facilities in the TNF will be closed during this period. They will re-open on Sept. 7, 2021.

“Due to an unprecedented fire season and extreme drought, the U.S. Forest Service has placed a temporary closure order on the Tahoe National Forest. This will affect NID’s facilities,” said NID Recreation Manager Monica Reyes.

NID’s closed recreational facilities include campgrounds at the following locations:

East Meadows
Pass Creek
Pass Creek Overflow
Aspen Group
Findley
Fir Tip
Woodcamp
Silvertip
Faucherie
Bowman
Jackson Creek
Canyon Creek
Milton

Additional closures include:

All boat launches and day use areas in the TNF
All dispersed camp area throughout the Bowman Corridor

Faucherie photo from the NID website.

CLICK HERE to see the original article at Yubanet.com

Hidden Falls to close on days of extreme fire weather

8/21/2021

As part of our land stewardship and commitment to reducing wildfire risk, Hidden Falls Regional Park will be closed to public access during days that are determined to be extreme fire weather.

Notice will be given as far in advance of closure days as possible but may be as short as 12 hours’ notice before closure the following day. Please check the status by clicking this webpage immediately before leaving on your visit to Hidden Falls this summer, or by calling (530) 886-4901 or by checking our Facebook page and other social media sites.

Visitors with reservations during closure days will be given credit for the purchase price of their reservation to be used for a future visit. Thank you for your understanding in helping to keep Hidden Falls and its neighbors safe from wildfire.

USDA Forest Service Temporarily CLOSING Nine Northern California National Forests for Public Safety

8/20/2021

To better provide public and firefighter safety due to extreme fire conditions throughout northern California, and strained firefighting resources throughout the country, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing a temporary closure of nine National Forests. This closure will be effective at August 22, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.

“Fires are running very quickly due to the drought conditions, dry fuels, and winds. This makes initial attack and containment very difficult and is even more challenging with strained resources who are battling more than 100 large fires across the country,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “We do not take this decision lightly and understand how this impacts people who enjoy recreating on the National Forests. These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts. I want to thank the public for your patience during this challenging situation.”

The closure order can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xF7EM. Affected forests include:
•Klamath National Forest
•Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
•Lassen National Forest
•Mendocino National Forest
•Modoc National Forest
•Plumas National Forest
•Shasta-Trinity National Forest
•Six Rivers National Forest
•Tahoe National Forest

The following persons are exempt from this Order:

Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order
Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the Performance of an official duty.
Persons with a Forest Service non-special-use written authorization to conduct non-recreational activities, such as harvesting timber or forest products, or grazing livestock.
Owners or lessees of land, to the extent necessary to access their land.
Residents, to the extent necessary to access their residences.
Persons engaged in a business, trade, or occupation are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above but may use National Forest System roads to the extent necessary to carry out their business, trade, or occupation.

Additionally, the Eldorado National Forest is currently closed due to the Caldor Fire until Sept. 30 and has a separate list of exemptions. You can find more info here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado.

More than 6,500 wildfires have burned 1.2 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the Northern California Geographic Area has been at Preparedness Level 5 since Aug. 5, 2021 – indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity.

The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this extreme fire threat. Citizens with specific questions within their area should consult their local forest website or social media pages for more information.

About the Pacific Southwest Region:
The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.

Public Inquiries: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/about-region/offices
Regional Hotline: 707-562-9113
SM.FS.R5inquiries@usda.gov

CLICK HERE to see the original post on the Reg. 5 webpage: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD945706

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