KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Two county residents were injured on Monday when they were involved in a crash near Kelseyville.
Amber Erickson, 25, of Kelseyville and Robert Quammen, 52, of Lucerne, were involved in the wreck, which occurred on Highway 281 east of Inca Way, according to the California Highway Patrol. A time for the crash was not given.
Quammen, driving a Ford van, and Erickson, who was driving a Nissan Frontier, were both traveling eastbound on Highway 281, or Soda Bay Road, the CHP said.
Quammen, who was ahead of Erickson, drove through some cardboard box debris in the eastbound lane and pulled to the right shoulder and stopped. The CHP said Quammen's van was partially blocking the eastbound lane by about 4 to 5 feet.
Erickson also had driven through the debris, but the CHP report said she didn't see Quammen stopped on the shoulder and partially blocking the lane.
Erickson struck the left rear of Quammen's van, according to the report.
The CHP said Erickson suffered moderate injuries and was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake. Quammen sustained minor injuries and was not transported.
The collision is still under investigation, according to the CHP, which said that alcohol and drugs did not appear to have been contributing factors.
The CHP said both Erickson and Quammen were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.
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SACRAMENTO — The Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee today gave unanimous, bipartisan support to legislation authored by Assemblymembers Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that offers several creative funding opportunities to help prevent state parks from being closed.
Assembly Bill 1589, also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, addresses short and long-term needs for California State Parks in order to achieve substantial budget savings without wide-scale park closures. The bill includes an option for taxpayers to designate all or a portion of their state income tax refund towards purchase of an annual state parks pass.
“Today, our bipartisan effort to save state parks took an important step forward,” said Huffman. “It’s important that as we continue to make technical improvements to the bill, we are getting unanimous votes in committee, and members of both parties continue asking to be added as co-authors. I’m also grateful that State Controller John Chiang registered his support and is working with us to make sure key revenue elements of the bill are administratively feasible.”
“The parks closures disproportionately impact rural California, and nowhere is that more true than on the North Coast,” said Chesbro, who represents the First Assembly District. “One of the key elements I wanted included in AB 1589 is the opportunity for Californians to purchase an annual parks pass with their tax refunds. This tool will increase revenue for the parks system with no impact to the general fund and more California families will get out and enjoy our state parks.”
AB 1589 includes the following additional provisions:
1) Encourages formation of a state compact that guarantees an ongoing level of state funding for operations and maintenance of state parks.
2) Creates a State Park Enterprise Fund to be used for construction and installation of modern revenue and fee collection equipment and technologies to increase park visitation and revenues.
3) Produces a California State Park environmental license plate which individual vehicle owners could purchase and have the fees go towards support of state parks.
4) Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to be more transparent on how it evaluates and selects specific parks for closure, and places a cap of 25 state park units on the number of park closures allowed from 2012 to 2016 without legislative approval.
AB 1589 is also joint-authored by Assemblymembers Roger Dickinson, Mike Gatto and Kevin Jeffries. The bill proceeds to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) represents the 6th Assembly District, which encompasses southern Sonoma County and all of Marin County. First elected in 2006, Huffman chairs the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and also serves as Co-Chair of the Legislative Environmental Caucus.
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