2016 B Zone Deer Hunting Season guidelines.
Archery season for deer began Aug. 20 and will run until Sept. 11.

General hunting season begins Sept. 17 and ends Oct. 23.

With deer season now upon us, the Mendocino National Forest reminds all hunters of fire restrictions in the forest and that falling trees are a severe hazard when traveling in the Forest due to the high degree of tree mortality from previous fires.

All visitors to the forest are reminded to keep the following in mind:

·         Shooting steel core or incendiary (e.g. tracers & dragons breath) ammunition is not permitted on National Forest Lands due to the risk of sparking a wildfire.

·         Remember, if you are hunting on private property you must obtain, and have in your possession, written permission to hunt on private property.

·         Do not rely solely on cell phones for safety as many areas of the forest have no cell phone coverage.

·         Bring an ax or a chainsaw to remove fallen trees from roads if you do become trapped.

·         When driving in remote areas of the forest, park close to a main road rather than on a spur or one-way section. If trees fall across the road you could become trapped.

·         Pitch tents and park vehicles in areas where they will not be hit if trees fall.

·         Stay out of the forest when there are strong winds that could blow trees down. If you are already in the forest when the winds pick up, head to a clearing out of reach of potential falling trees.

·        Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid dense patches of dead trees. Trees and branches can fall without warning.

·         The current fire restrictions mean that no fires or open flame will be allowed outside of the designated fire safe recreation sites and designated wilderness areas. For more information about the designated fire safe recreation sites please stop buy your local Forest Service Ranger Station or call us at (707) 983-8500 for more information and how to obtain a campfire permit at no cost to you before heading out to the woods.

Thank you,
Mendocino National Forest, Covelo Ranger District Staff

MENDOCINO COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE
NEWS RELEASE

Ukiah, California: August 15, 2016
SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT (SGMA)
PUBLIC MEETING ON LOCAL PLANNING EFFORTS

On Thursday, August 18, 2016, Mendocino County officials and other local groundwater managers will host a public meeting on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA is a new law that offers local opportunities to achieve sustainable groundwater conditions and support Mendocino County’s vital agricultural economy, industry, and domestic and public water uses.
Topics will include Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) options for the Ukiah Valley Basin and steps towards forming a GSA. The public is encouraged to attend to learn more about SGMA and ask questions of local water managers and submit comments.
“SGMA implementation has begun throughout California,” says Supervisor Carre Brown. “We hope groundwater users throughout Mendocino County will attend to learn more. SGMA is an important change in how groundwater is managed and everyone needs to be aware and involved to manage and sustain our precious water resources.”
To support local planning efforts, the County has secured facilitation support from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), hosted workshops to educate the community on SGMA and received a groundwater planning grant through the Water Bond. The County is committed to sharing these resources with local SGMA partners.
The Mendocino County Water Agency SGMA workshop will be held at the County of Mendocino’s Agriculture Building, 890 N. Bush Street in Ukiah. The discussion will begin at 1:00 p.m. This meeting will be open to the public. Stakeholders and all interested parties are encouraged to attend.

Round Valley Food Pantry and Application Assistance
Family Resource Center
76471 Henderson Lane

2016 Schedule
July 15
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 16

Elders Food Pantry 11:30 to 2:30
General Public Food Pantry 12:30 to 2:30
Application Assistance 11:30 to 1:30

Monday, April 25, 2016 – Creative Rezilience
Organizers of the Rezilience Indigenous Arts Experience say it will be like no other arts event. The new arts and performance celebration debuts during the Gathering of Nations weekend in Albuquerque. Musicians, authors, artists and motivational speakers come together to highlight the intersection of tradition, culture and inspiration. We talk with the founder of the event and some of the artists about what “Rezilience” means to them.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 – Community after relocation
The 1950s Urban Relocation Program had the stated goal to help address poverty in rural reservations. The intent was to move Native American families to a handful of big cities where there were more job opportunities. The program failed to fix poverty. It also diminished Native communities. But it did create a new urban landscape for Native Americans. We’ll take a look inside these urban communities six decades later and see how the “relocatees” have created and maintained a strong Native connection.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 – Hurtful history: confronting the daily reminders of oppression
The discussion over replacing President Andrew Jackson’s face on the $20 bill reminds us that what we know about history is always evolving. There are dozens of historical figures honored with murals, statues and place names who we now know were not as honorable as we first thought. Native Americans at the University of New Mexico are wondering how they relate to the official seal that depicts a Spanish conquistador and a white frontiersman. The Capitol building in Minnesota displays romanticized paintings that call to mind some of the worst atrocities in Native American history. Should painful historical references in public places be replaced? If so, where do they belong?

Thursday, April 28, 2016 – April Music Makers: Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers/ Derek Miller
We are bringing you a double shot of rocking Native music as we are joined live in studio by two greats. Gary Farmer (Cayuga/Tuscarora/Mohawk) and Derek Miller (Mohawk) have shared the stage many times including a recent tour with stops in several Native nations. We’ll hear about their journeys and their shared love of music. Gary will share some of his latest album “Road Songs” and Derek will give us some of his “Rumble: A Tribute to Native Music Icons.” What kind of influence have these musicians had on on your life? Join us for our special Music Maker edition with Gary Farmer and the Trouble Makers and Derek Miller.

Friday April 29, 2016 – Live from the Gathering of Nations
Thousands of dancers, hundreds of tribes: the annual Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque is among the biggest powwows in North America. We’ll take you inside the Gathering with a special live broadcast. We’ll learn about the history of the event and preview a few of the dozens of great musicians. We’ll get insights on what makes a great competitor and talk with the reigning Miss Indian World. We take a snapshot of the powwow experience at the Gathering of Nations 2016.

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2016

Open comment period for Mendocino National Forest’s OHV Grant Applications
WILLOWS, Calif. – The State of California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Mendocino National Forest have maintained a successful partnership for over 30 years.  This partnership has provided funding assistance for the management of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation on National Forest System lands through the California State OHV Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program.  Current regulations mandated by the State of California require annual public participation in this fund allocation process.
The purpose of this notice is to share information and to solicit public input specific to the Mendocino National Forest’s upcoming grant application for the State’s 2015-2016 grant cycle.  These grants will support ongoing OHV management activities, with categories including Ground Operations (trail maintenance and facility operation and maintenance) and Law Enforcement.
“The Mendocino National Forest offers over 200 miles of designated OHV trails, providing exciting riding opportunities for a wide range of ability levels and vehicle types. In addition, over 1,300 miles of roughly graded roads are available for use by off-highway vehicle enthusiasts,” said Forest Engineer Shannon Pozas.  “We appreciate your support and comments on our grant request.  Your comments will help the State determine the level of funding to provide the Mendocino National Forest for ongoing trail maintenance, facility maintenance and law enforcement.”
In order to view and comment on the Mendocino National Forest’s Preliminary grant application, please visit the State of California website at www.ohv.parks.ca.gov then click the grants tab.  Additionally, a link to the State’s website may be found on the Mendocino National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino.  Comments may be provided between March 8 and April 4, 2016.  Instructions for providing comments can be found on the State of California website.
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ERRP is working with the Round Valley Elementary School to offer a three part stream ecology training and field study opportunity. We would greatly appreciate your participation in any phase of this.
Wednesday March 2, Principal Rick Kale and his staff have asked for our Aquatic Insect field training from 2:15-4:00. We will be traveling to stream side in private vehicles. Contact me for carpool.
–Aquatic insects are good indicators of stream health.  Students can identify the insects to Order and possibly to Family and, using a ranking system designed by scientists, they can see how many insects are present that indicate good quality habitat, and/or poor quality habitat.  Insects can be used to learn about adaptations to micro-habitats, life cycles, and food webs.
–The specific trees and plants in the riparian area can also be used to learn about adaptations, native vs. invasive species, and plant life cycles.
Saturday March 19, Diane Higgins will conduct a training for Project Wild Aquatic (Grades K-12) and for Growing Up Wild (Ages 3-7).  This is open to all interested people in the community, teachers included.  The training for each manual will take 4 hours.  People can attend only one, or both.  We will need a rough head count so I can order the manuals.
The School Field Trip day is not yet scheduled. We will be working with the Principal and District staff to arrange this. We will need community volunteers to make this as valuable an experience as possible. We will also integrate other learning groups.

Join KYBU volunteers and help clean up our adopted section of HWY 162 at the Adopt a Highway Cleanup from 10am to 1pm. Meet at the library commons to carpool to inspiration point.

Need to Weed!
The Yuki Trails Community Garden needs friends to come and pull some weeds. Five minutes would make a difference; they are growing fast and greedy around the drip irrigation lines. The weeds pull up easily and can be left along side of the row, or simply chopped down with a hoe. Come by anytime, the garden gate is unlocked, just walk right in!
The parking lot is open Monday – Friday, closed at night and on weekends.