Temporary employment opportunities open soon

WILLOWS, Calif; January 6, 2017 – For Immediate Release – Temporary employment opportunities for the 2017 season on the Mendocino National Forest will be available soon. Fire and aviation positions will be open from January 9 through January 13, 2017. Announcements for a variety of positions in recreation, archaeology, biology, engineering and hydrology will be open from January 17 through January 23, 2017. Applications will be accepted on the USAJOBS website, https://www.usajobs.gov/
The Mendocino National Forest is looking for a diversified, committed, hardworking, and highly skilled workforce. Job locations are Willows, Stonyford, Upper Lake, Covelo, Paskenta or Elk Creek, Calif.  Not all jobs are available in all locations.

For more information about employment on the Mendocino National Forest please contact John Bohmer, Civil Rights Officer, at 530-934-1103. For information about the forest, check the forest website https://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MendocinoNF/ or Twitter @MendocinoNF.

Eel River Recovery Project Convenes 2017 Action Plan Meeting in Willits – Hosts Field Trip

The Eel River Recovery Project (ERRP) will hold a public meeting at the Willits Hub on January 14 for the purpose of creating the group’s 2017 Action Plan. This will be the sixth such gathering in the history of ERRP, which became a non-profit corporation in 2016 after almost five years as a fiscally sponsored group of the Trees Foundation. ERRP holds these meetings annually to apprise the public of accomplishments and to scope the community to discern needs for additional programs or areas of emphasis. ERRP will also host field trip the following day, January 15, to see salmon and steelhead in the wild at the University of California Angelo Reserve on the upper South Fork Eel River near Branscomb.

Since its inception in 2011, ERRP annually gathers in retreat to take stock of the year’s accomplishments and to set priorities through devising annual Action Plans that are published and shared on-line. ERRP projects have grown to include monitoring of fall Chinook salmon monitoring, pikeminnow, yellow-legged frogs, water temperature, flow and toxic blue-green algae or cyanobacteria. Public school projects have transported hundreds of students to the river to study and learn. In 2015 and 2016, ERRP carried out an ambitious agricultural “best practices” public outreach to help the community implement water conservation and pollution prevention strategies. The ERRP Wilderness Committee works on clean up of industrial marijuana grows on federal land, improving trail access for recreation, and expanding Wilderness Areas to protect water supply for the Eel River and to maintain biodiversity.

October 19, 2016
Mendocino County Burn Permit Suspension Lifted
Willits– Effective Saturday, October 22ndt, 2016 at 12:01 A.M. the burn permit suspension in Mendocino County will be lifted. CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit Chief Christopher P. Rowney is formally cancelling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can now resume burning on permissive burn days.
While cooler temperatures have helped to diminish the threat of wildfire, we are still in our fifth year of drought. Property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns, follow all guidelines provided, and maintain control of the fire at all times. Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property.
CAL FIRE burn permits will be required until the end of fire season. Residents wishing to burn MUST verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning. Recorded Burn Day status is available 24/7 on the Burn Information Line at (707) 463-4391. The 2016 Fire Season has not yet been declared closed, so burn permits are still required. Residents who obtained a CAL FIRE burn permit last spring are advised to check the date on their permit to ensure it is still valid. Burn permits can be obtained at CAL FIRE’s Howard Forest Headquarters (707-459-7414) 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Friday or at your local CAL FIRE facility.
Pile Burning Requirements
 Only dry, natural vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burned.
 The burning of trash, painted wood or other debris is not allowed.
 Do NOT burn on windy days.
 Piles should be no larger than four feet in diameter and in height. You can add to pile as it burns down.
 Clear a 10 foot diameter down to bare soil around your piles.
 Have a shovel and a water source nearby.
 An adult is required to be in attendance of the fire at all times.
Safe residential pile burning of forest residue by landowners is a crucial tool in reducing fire hazards. State, Federal and Local land management and fire agencies will also be utilizing this same window of opportunity to conduct prescribed burns aimed at improving forest health on private and public lands.
For more information on burning, visit the CAL FIRE website at www.fire.ca.gov.
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Mendocino Unit
CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

2017 Schedule    

HAZMOBILE household hazardous waste collection

EVERY TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, & SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH: HazMobile Base Facility, 3200 Taylor Dr., Ukiah 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ALSO THE FOLLOWING DATES, 9 A.M. TO 1 P.M. EXCEPT AS NOTED:

All collections are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. except Ukiah, which is from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Collections may be cancelled due to severe rain and wind.

Free to households, with daily load limit of 15 gallons per vehicle per day, measured by container size.

Businesses must make appointment and pay a fee per gallon, which is a direct “pass through” of our disposal cost for various types of hazardous waste.

Items accepted: motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, solvents, paint thinner, oil-based paint, latex paint, auto & household batteries, toxic cleaners, fluorescent light tubes, PCB-containing ballasts, acids, bases, pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals and medication. There is a charge for compressed gas cylinders.

Not accepted: explosives, ammunition, radioactive wastes, medical waste, and compressed gas cylinders larger than 5 gallons.

For more information or to make an appointment, call the Recycling Hotline at 468-9704.

A Service of: Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority

www.MendoRecycle.org

Mendocino National Forest to offer Christmas tree permits starting Nov. 1st
WILLOWS, Calif.; October 25, 2016 – For Immediate Release – Christmas tree permits will be available for purchase at Mendocino National Forest offices starting Tuesday, Nov. 1 and continuing until Friday, Dec. 23, 2016. Permits sell for $10.00 each with a limit of one permit per household. The number of permits is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Permits are good for this year only and trees can be cut and removed any day of the week through December 24. All offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 24, but will be open on Friday, Nov. 25.
As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit upon presenting a valid fourth grade pass. The pass allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. To obtain a free Christmas tree permit, the fourth grader must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth grade pass or paper voucher. For more information about this initiative and how to obtain a fourth grade pass, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov.
Christmas tree permits will be available at the following:
Mendocino National Forest Supervisor’s Office/Grindstone Ranger District Office 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988
(530) 934-3316 Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Stonyford Work Center 5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road, Stonyford, CA, 95979 (530) 963-3128 Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender
Page 2 – Christmas tree sales
Covelo Ranger Station 78150 Covelo Road, Covelo, CA 95428 (707) 983-6118 Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Upper Lake Ranger Station 10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake, CA 95485 (707) 275-2361 Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-4:30 p.m.
Paskenta Work Station 13280 Paskenta Road, Paskenta, CA 96074 530-833-5544
Hours: Saturday, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 ONLY 9 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Permits may also be available from the following vendors; please call ahead to check:
Sacramento River Discovery Center – Red Bluff
(530) 524-1196
Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.
Hi-Way Grocery – Upper Lake
(707) 275-2380
Monday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
M&M Feed and Supply – Covelo
(707) 983-6273
Monday – Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Keith’s Family Foods – Covelo
(707) 983-6633
Sunday – Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Individuals may also purchase a permit by mail. Mail-in requests received after December 14 will not be filled. The Mail Order Form is posted on the forest website: http://tinyurl.com/h8x4hwd.
Christmas tree cutting in the National Forest is managed as a recreational experience. It is a chance to take the family out into the woods and cut a tree the old-fashioned way. For more information, including tree cutting tips, please see the forest website http://tinyurl.com/h5o8h3h or call 530-934-3316.
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Beginning November 25 Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens will transform into a winter wonderland of glittering displays for the 7th Annual Festival of Lights. Create a holiday tradition and take a stroll along the Gardens’ twinkling pathways each Friday through Sunday, November 25 through December 18 from 5:00 to 7:30pm. Have your face painted in a festive fashion. Santa will be available for photos on select nights! Then warm up in the beautifully decorated tent complete with live music, sweet treats, and local craft brews and wine. Tickets are $10 each, children age 16 and under attend for free. Tickets are available at the Gardens’ gift shop, Harvest Market in Fort Bragg, Out of This World in Mendocino, or online at www.gardenbythesea.org.

Mendocino National Forest seeking RAC members
within Lake and Mendocino counties
WILLOWS, Calif; Oct. 31, 2016 – For Immediate Release – Mendocino National Forest officials are conducting public outreach to fill committee member seats for Resource Advisory Committees (RAC) within Lake and Mendocino Counties.
RACs were established as a provision of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. By law the four-year term, 15-member committee is composed of a wide representation of National Forest interests organized into three categories. Each RAC shall have 15 members with balanced and broad representation of interests in 3 categories, specified in Section 205 (d)(2) of the Act:
(A) 5 persons that– (i) represent organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; (ii) represent developed outdoor recreation, off highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities; (iii) represent energy and mineral development interests; or commercial or recreational fishing interests; (iv) represent the commercial timber industry; or (v) hold Federal grazing or other land use permits, or represent nonindustrial private forest land owners, within the area for which the committee is organized.
(B) 5 persons that represent– (i) nationally recognized environmental organizations; (ii) regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; (iii) dispersed recreational activities; (iv) archaeological and historical interests; or (v) nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender
(C) 5 persons that– (i) hold State elected office (or a designee); (ii) hold county or local elected office; (iii) represent American Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the committee is organized; (iv) are school officials or teachers; or (v) represent the affected public at large.
Members shall reside within the State(s) in which the committee has jurisdiction and, to the extent practicable, provide local representation in each category. An additional member is also appointed as a replacement should a committee member leave for any reason.
“RACs are extremely beneficial to both the Forest and local communities. They allow for public participation in the review and recommendation of resource projects that benefit public lands,” said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson.
For further information regarding RAC membership, please contact the Designated Federal Official, District Ranger Frank Aebly at (707) 275-1401.To apply to be a RAC committee member, applicants must complete a cover letter, interest form and FBI background check form prior to being considered for the committee. An interest form is available on the Mendocino National Forest website at: http://tinyurl.com/hvpnk8v
To apply for Lake or Mendocino County RACs, please address your correspondence to RAC Coordinator Deborah McIntosh, 10025 Elk Mountain Rd., Upper Lake, CA 95485 or call (707) 275-1407 for more information. Applications must be received on or before Feb 3, 2017.
For additional information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation, including Titles I, II and III, please visit the SRS website at www.fs.fed.us/srs.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2016
BALLOTS LEFT TO BE COUNTED
NOVEMBER 8, 2016 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION
Mendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Susan M. Ranochak announced that as
with every other election, there are ballots left to be processed as part of the official canvass.
Mendocino County has 25,407 Vote By Mail ballots to process, and 1160 Provisional ballots to review
and process.
Of the outstanding ballots left to count, the approximate breakdowns for the Supervisorial
District are as follows: 1st Supervisorial District – 4,293 ballots; 2nd Supervisorial District – 5,400; 3rd
Supervisorial District – 5,044 ballots; 4th Supervisorial District – 5,462 ballots & 5th Supervisorial District
– 6,368 ballots. We have 7943 ballots to count that are within the cities of Ukiah, Willits, Fort Bragg
and Point Arena – the approximate breakdown for our cities is as follows: City of Ukiah – 4,986 ballots;
City of Willits – 1,271 ballots; City of Fort Bragg – 1,591 ballots and the City of Point Arena has 95
ballots to count.
Per State law, we have 28 days to complete the canvass. The Statement of Vote, which breaks
down results by precinct, will be available at that time.
If you have any additional questions, please call our office at (707) 234-6819
.

November 14th, 2016
CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit Transitions Out of Fire Season
Willits – Recent rains and cooler temperatures across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing CAL FIRE’s Mendocino Unit to transition out of fire season effective Monday, November 14th at 12:01 A.M. in Mendocino County.
Acting Unit Chief Eric Hoffmann encourages all residents to take advantage of the cooler months ahead and prepare your home for the 2016 fire season by creating 100 feet of defensible space around your home. Detailed information on defensible space is available on our website at www.fire.ca.gov or contact CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit Headquarters at (707) 459-7414.
As drought conditions continue to have a hold on California, CAL FIRE is maintaining staffing to meet the current threat, as well as strategically moving resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level. CAL FIRE will also continue to monitor weather conditions closely and still has the ability to increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies in other areas of the State. The 2016 fire season has been an extremely active year, even more so than in 2015. Statewide, CAL FIRE and firefighters from many local agencies battled over 5,585 wildfires within the State Responsibility Area that burned nearly 148,000
acres. This is over 1,170 more wildfires this year than normal. In the Mendocino Unit, CAL FIRE responded to 136 wildfires that charred approximately 248 acres.
During the cooler winter months, CAL FIRE will be focusing efforts on the implementation of fire prevention and fuels treatment activities as guided by the State’s Strategic Fire Plan and localized Unit fire plans. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires and improving overall forest health.
Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors in order to prevent sparking a wildfire. A leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning. Before you burn, ensure it is a permissive burn day by contacting the Mendocino County Quality Air Management District and then make sure you have any and all required burn permits. For more information regarding burning regulations go to the MCQAMD web site at www.mendoair.org or call the District office at (707) 463-4354. Recorded Burn Day status is available 24/7 on the Burn Information Line at (707) 463-4391.
During burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are no larger than four feet in diameter, provide a 10 ft. clearance down to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and ensure that a responsible adult is in attendance at all times with a water source and a shovel.
For more ways to prevent sparking a wildfire visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
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Mendocino Unit
CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection