COBB>> The Cobb Area Council used the summer solstice Thursday to hold their first meeting since April. Internet access issues and Brown Act regulations were cited as reasons for the cancelation of the May meeting.
District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska reported that the Lake County Tree Mortality Program, which will be conducting tree surveys in southern Lake County in June and July, needs greater resident participation from residents filling out forms so that the surveys and eventual free tree removal can take place. Tetra Tech will be conducting surveys along County Rights of Way (ROW) and on privately-owned property whose dead trees could impact those ROW’s (county roads, parks, buildings, and corporation yards). Targeted survey locations can be found at: https://gis.tdr.tetratech.com/app/241ac37/.
Neither surveys nor tree removal can take place on private land without the consent of property owners. Right of Entry (ROE) permits have been mailed to those Lake County residents that are near the target survey locations. Supervisor Pyska urged Cobb area residents who received such a ROE in the mail, as well as others interested in participating in the program, to fill out a ROE permit so that the survey and eventual free dead tree removals can take place. More information is available at https://lakecountyca.gov/1748/Tree-Mortality-Program.
“Tree surveys will be conducted by an International Society of Arboriculture tree risk qualified arborists under the oversight of a California Registered professional forester,” said Pyska, adding that the county is particularly concerned about dead trees that can obstruct evacuation routes and bring down power lines in weather events. An aerial surveillance in 2022 estimated that some 20,000 trees county-wide have been compromised by drought and beetle-infestation. The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) will be providing funding for the effort.
Pyska also reported that PG&E, at her insistence, is removing the wood from 700 felled trees to Middletown where a carbonizer from Earth Foundries will use them to produce biochar. There are plans to use some of the resultant biochar for testing in Clearlake as a potential filtration system. If the test is successful, they plan to get Earth Foundries back to produce more of the substance to treat the lake while sequestering the carbon from the trees.
Ray Buenaventura, the Chief Public Defender for Lake County, introduced himself and his newly created office to those in attendance at the meeting. Buenaventura, the former mayor of Daly City, informed the group that a commissioned study had shown that Lake County residents had inadequate public representation. The key issues cited were a lack of oversight, excessive caseloads and unprepared legal representation. He is creating a new program that will engage in “early representation”, meeting with citizens who have been charged well before they appear in court. He is instituting training for lawyers, expanding diversionary programs that will include restorative justice and developing a complaint system. Studies have shown that early and adequate representation greatly reduce recidivism rates, he said.
Buenaventura stressed that his office will help the newly charged with both legal and personal guidance and help. He is also initiating an expungement program whereby Lake County residents who have served their time can have their records cleared, if they legally qualify. The office of the Chief Public Defender will schedule time before a judge, file the papers needed, and advise those who qualify. Buenaventura said that he has a mission to serve those who face or have encountered actions by law enforcement in the county.
