LAKE COUNTY ? The new year ushers in modifications to the Lake County Invasive Species Inspection Program, which was put into place in 2008 to protect the water bodies of Lake County from significant and imminent threat posed by invasive quagga and zebra mussels.
The most visible change to the inspection program is in the proof of compliance for non-resident vessels, which is a shift from annual inspection stickers to monthly compliance inspection bands that are color-coded with a different color for each month of the year. These bands are applicable to non-resident vessels only; resident vessels are still required to display an inspection sticker.
These monthly inspection bands may be obtained after passing a screening inspection at one of several inspection locations around the county. The fee is $10 and the bands, which are non-transferable, will be valid for the entire month of issue. A set of two bands will be issued, one for the boat and one to be affixed to the boat trailer. A five-day grace period at the end of the month of issue will cover those periods when a visitor may be staying into the following month. Note that any vessel that does not pass screening will still be required to undergo and pass inspection by a certified inspector before bands are issued.
The change to the inspection bands is based on a recommendation made to the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) by the Lake County Invasive Species Council as a means of addressing the need for re-inspection of non-resident boats. Since the program”s beginning, visitor vessels have been required to go through the screening inspection prior to launching; however, annual stickers made enforcement of re-screening a challenge. The new compliance bands will make it easy to identify non-resident vessels and to determine whether a non-resident vessel is out of compliance. The bands will be required to be displayed on the vessel itself as well as on the vessel”s trailer.
Other changes include revising the definition of resident and non-resident vessels based on the vessel”s DMV registration, as well as allowing for exemption of vessels such as kayaks, car-top row boats, rafts and boogie boards from the provisions of the ordinance.
The BOS approved the changes to the inspection program at its meeting on Dec. 15, 2009 and then advanced and subsequently passed the amendments to the ordinance at the second reading on Jan. 5. The amendments to the ordinance will go into effect on Feb. 4.
The Invasive Species Council”s full document, “Mussel Protocol and Standards” is available for public review at www.co.lake.ca.us/mussels. The site provides information about the Lake County Invasive Species Inspection Program and a list of inspection locations, which may also be obtained by calling the Lake County Mussel Hotline at 263-2556.
