LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday asked the governor to declare a state of emergency regarding quagga and zebra mussel infestations in California water bodies.
The BOS also asked the state to take specific actions to prevent and control the spread of the invasive mussels in water bodies statewide. The requested declaration and actions were stated in a resolution passed unanimously during Tuesday”s regular BOS meeting.
“Without increased and immediate action, these mussels will cause irreparable ecological and economic damage to California water bodies and long-term costs could be in the billions,” the resolution stated.
The resolution, along with informational packets, will be sent to the governor, state and regional water agencies, state officials and all other California counties. The BOS hopes other jurisdictions will enact similar resolutions calling for a statewide declaration.
The BOS-enacted resolution stresses the importance of keeping the invasive mussels out of all non-infested water bodies in California, not simply Lake County waters.
Calling for a declaration of a statewide emergency because of the mussels could put Lake County ahead of other local governments in California. District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said he isn”t aware of any other California jurisdiction passing a resolution requesting a statewide emergency declaration because of the mussel threat.
The resolution stated Lake County will continue its prevention program, but added, “A uniformly applied strategy of containment and prevention formulated at the state and federal levels is necessary to ensure these invasive species are effectively controlled and eradicated.”
A statewide prevention program should include “an aggressive educational component” to spread awareness about the threats posed by the mussels, according to the resolution.
The BOS preached collaboration between local, state and federal agencies in the resolution.
“We can”t do it alone. The problem is too large,” Farrington said.
As an example, the resolution asks the state to enact legislation requiring jurisdictions with infested water bodies to impose a 30-day quarantine for all watercrafts leaving those areas.
Increasing state border inspection stations, or at least maintaining existing ones, to help catch possibly contaminated boats was another BOS request.
The BOS also called for the state to allow local jurisdictions the same enforcement authority as the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to tag or quarantine possibly infected boats. The resolution also asks that a mechanism be created to allow local jurisdictions to share DFG funding sources under the statewide program.
To fund the statewide program, the BOS suggested increasing state registration fees for watercrafts and that monies from the fee increases be used solely for invasive mussel prevention and control.
The BOS encouraged all California counties, regardless of whether they have recreational water bodies, to support the call for an emergency declaration because the effects of infestations would be felt statewide.
