LAKE COUNTY ? Narrows Lodge Resort owner Art Cerini got $3,400 of support from the Lake County Board of Supervisors Tuesday to stock Blue Lake with rainbow trout.
The Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee voted in March to recommend that the board approve the provision of the committee”s funding to help resort owner Art Cerini stock Blue Lake with rainbow trout. Cerini asked for help after learning in November that a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Fish (DFG) and Game stopped the 100-year-old trout stocking practice in Blue Lake and Cache Creek.
“Through no fault of their own, member of the general public ? homeowners and resort owners ? around the lake have placed under a hardship,” Giusti said. “As you know, this has been a generational type of tradition for a very long time, where families come to Blue Lake and take part in a recreational fishing opportunity.”
Cerini told the committee in March that the resorts around Blue Lake had lost winter business as a result of the court finding.
“When this first reared its ugly head, we had no knowledge of what impact this would have on us. I can say with evidence now that ? same period of time last year compared to this year ? my TOT (transient occupancy tax) taxes are actually 50 percent of what we had,” Cerini said.
Cerini told the board the fish stocking prohibition affected other area businesses, as well, including other resorts, area stores, gas stations and fishing gear suppliers.
The committee”s recommended contribution added to Cerini”s $2,000 contribution to make a $5,400 purchase of 2,000 pounds of trout to be planted in the lake by the end of the month, according to Giusti. He said the trout measured 13 to 14 inches apiece, weighed about a pound each and cost approximately $2.72 per pound, which he said was below the normal retail value.
The trout will be purchased from Mount Lassen Trout Farm in Red Bluff. Supervisor Jim Comstock said the hatchery”s owners were long-time friends of a hatchery in Lake County, which he said was unable to provide the fish.
Cerini said the hatchery also agreed to send 10- to 20-pound trout free of charge, which he said would boost fishing tourism in the area.
Answering Supervisor Denise Rushing”s question about the environmental effect of the court ruling on Blue Lake, Cerini said wildlife has been less abundant in the area since trout stocking stopped last year. He said otters were fewer, eagles hadn”t been seen, and osprey stayed only three weeks before leaving.
The board declared an emergency after the ruling and took steps earlier this year to remove Lake County water bodies from the list of state watercourses the DFG will no longer be allowed to stock.
Giusti called the board”s decision a “bridge solution” while the DFG continues to assess the court ruling as it applies to Blue Lake.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
