UKIAH
BLM to hold Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument public workshop
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ukiah Field Office invites the public to the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument’s BLM Trails and Travel Management Workshop on January 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This virtual workshop will provide an overview of the BLM travel management process, which is scheduled to begin later in 2021, and invite participants to provide comment.
The BLM and Mendocino National Forest co-manage the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and believe partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. This workshop and associated planning efforts are specific to travel management within public lands administered by the BLM within the monument.
The BLM Trails and Travel Management Workshop is designed to engage stakeholders and members of the public on the vision for travel management at the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The plan will be important for designating a wide variety of roads and trails for motorized, non-motorized and non-mechanized recreational opportunities. The BLM will use an online map and survey tools, provide an overview of roads and trails within the monument, detail the current status of travel management, present an overview of the BLM travel management process, and offer opportunities to provide input.
To access the workshop, please register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1478865541170293776
A second BLM Trails and Travel Management Workshop will be announced at a later date. For more information on the workshop, please contact Rebecca Carr Wong at (707) 468-4023 or rwong@blm.gov.
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LAKEPORT
State awards $2 Million to 10 California Native American tribes for climate and clean energy projects
As part of a statewide effort to address climate change, the Scotts Valley Energy Company – a business enterprise of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians – was awarded a Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant to create a bioenergy feasibility toolkit to assist other Tribes and businesses in determining energy resiliency needs and provide another tool for wildfire mitigation efforts.
The grant award in the amount of $248,000 will allow SVEC to create a feasibility toolkit that will allow Tribes and other large businesses to determine energy usage, resource availability, micro-grid options, biomass fuel requirements, and more.
“California recognizes the leadership of Tribes in advancing strong clean air standards as well as ambitious climate and energy goals,” said Christina Snider, Tribal Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom. “These grants provide opportunities to focus on new Tribal climate and energy planning activities.”
Funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and administered in partnership with the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), the program focuses on the unique needs of Tribal governments and the valuable ongoing role Tribes serve in helping the State achieve its climate goals.
The grants range from $215,000 to $250,000 and support planning for a variety of climate change and clean energy projects, including energy storage, renewables, biomass, and community and energy resilience to climate impacts.
“The California Strategic Growth Council Team looks forward to building relationships and collaborating with the Tribal Government Challenge grantees to ensure projects advance Tribes’ goals and priorities around climate change, energy, and resilience,” said Louise Bedsworth, SGC’s Executive Director. “We commend all of the applicants for submitting thoughtful proposals and are eager to support the awardees as they begin their planning processes.”
“With over 100 Federally recognized Tribes in Northern California, all of which live under the threat of catastrophic wildfire and the need for reliable, clean, and sustainable energy, we see SVEC’s small-scale bioenergy/biochar production facilities as a possible key to solve many issues facing Indian Country today, said Thomas Jordan, CEO SVEC. “We look forward to the opportunity to create a feasibility toolkit for other Tribes to make informed energy decisions.”
In addition to the Scotts Valley Energy Company (SVEC), another enterprise of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is The Clean Carbon Company (T3) which will take in the biochar created by the SVEC facilities and process it into activated charcoal, thanks to a grant from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This activated charcoal will be used in the production of much-needed N-95 respirators, and also can be used in drinking water filtration systems.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians takes the threat of hazardous fuels reduction to mitigate the threat of wildfires very seriously as the Tribe – and all residents of the county – have seen more than 60% of Lake County landmass burn in catastrophic wildfires over the past six years. Another way they are helping to address this issue is by co-creating the not for profit Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance, (https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/tribal-program/tribal-government-challenge) which is a cross-cultural, multi-organizational collaborative that works to revitalize ecology, economy, and culture through indigenous-led stewardship including restoration work that mitigates the impacts of climate change and reduces the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires and incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
The Tribal Government Challenge Program is also supporting a Statewide Gap Analysis to provide an assessment of Tribes’ clean energy and climate change adaptation and resilience priorities. The analysis is led by Glendora-based firm Prosper Sustainability along with a consulting team including tribal professionals, and women- and Native American-owned businesses, all with extensive experience working with California Native American Tribes.
Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant awardees in Lake County include:
• The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians
• The Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
• The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians
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