LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The U.S. Geological Survey reported receiving hundreds of shake reports for a moderately sized early earthquake Saturday morning near the Geysers geothermal steamfield that was followed by several aftershocks.
The 4.5-magnitude quake was reported at 5:01 a.m. Saturday just inside the Sonoma County border.
It was located 3.6 miles southwest of Cobb and 13.4 miles north northeast of Healdsburg, at a depth of sixth tenths of a mile.
Lake County News received reports of residents in the Kelseyville area feeling it rocking and rattling their homes.
The U.S. Geological Survey had received 224 shake reports from around the North Coast, including Lake County, by 10 a.m. Saturday.
That main quake was followed by several aftershocks: a 2.8-magnitude at 5:02 a.m., a 2.6-magnitude at 5:07 a.m. and another 2.8-magnitude at 5:10 a.m., all close to the epicenter of the main quake in Sonoma County, and a 2.7-magnitude quake at 5:09 a.m. in Lake County that was just west of Cobb.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
What's up for June? Planets buzz the Beehive, your bright evening stars, and how the Summer Solstice revealed the size of planet Earth.
On June 1 and 2, Mars will be in the Beehive. The Red Planet passes through the Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesepe or M44. It's a well-known open cluster of stars located around 600 light years away in the constellation Cancer, the crab. The pairing will make for great viewing through binoculars or a small telescope, with a sparkle of faint stars surrounding the rust-colored disk of Mars.
You can watch Mars and Venus draw closer together throughout the month in the western sky following sunset. Nearby is brilliant, blue-white star Regulus — the heart of Leo, the lion. And on the 20th through the 22nd the crescent Moon passes through, making an especially lovely grouping at dusk on June 21st.
Turning to the morning sky, Saturn and Jupiter rise before dawn, with the Ringed Planet rising around midnight and leading brilliant Jupiter into the new day. Early risers will find them on the eastern side of the sky before sun-up all month long. And you'll find Jupiter rising with the crescent Moon on June 14th.
Facing southward early on June evenings, you'll notice two particularly bright stars high in the sky. They are Spica and Arcturus.
Blue-white Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, the maiden. It's located about 250 light years away, and is actually two stars orbiting each other every 4 days at a distance far closer than Mercury orbits our Sun.
Orange giant Arcturus is the brightest star in Bootes, the herdsman. It's the fourth brightest star in the sky. It's much closer than Spica, at a distance of about 37 light years. It's also quite an old star, compared to our Sun, at an age of 7-8 billion years.
Also on June evenings, you'll notice the stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb, and Altair – rising in the couple of hours after dark, and heralding the long, warm nights of Northern summer. The Triangle rises earlier each month as summer progresses.
June 21 is the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, and Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. For the north, it's the longest day of the year, as the Sun traces its highest, longest path across the sky.
More hours of sunlight, in addition to the more direct angle of the Sun overhead, translate into warmer summertime temperatures for our planet's summer hemisphere. The situation is reversed for those living south of the equator, where it's the shortest day of the year, during the cool months of winter.
The June summer solstice has another interesting claim to fame. It helped the Ancient Greeks, 2,200 years ago, to understand the size of our planet with remarkable accuracy.
A scholar named Eratosthenes noted the difference in the length of the shadows cast by poles placed in the ground in two cities, 800 kilometers apart, at noon on the day of the solstice. One cast no shadow at all and the other cast a significant shadow.
By comparing the shadows with the separation of the two cities, Eratosthenes deduced that Earth was about 40,000 kilometers in circumference, which is the actual value.
He was also the first to calculate the tilt of Earth's axis – which, after all, is what's responsible for the solstices and for the seasons themselves.
Stay up to date with all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
A wolverine in a snowy meadow at Yosemite National Park. Photo courtesy Yosemite National Park. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed that multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine occurred in May in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Two sightings were in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo and Mono counties. A third sighting occurred in Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County.
Images and video of the wolverine, taken in May by separate individuals in different locations, were sent to CDFW for analysis, which consulted with wolverine experts from the U.S. Forest Service.
Scientists identified the animal as a wolverine by its size, body proportion, coloration and movement patterns.
CDFW field teams then confirmed the sighting locations through coordinates imbedded in the photos and video.
“Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons. “Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”
Scientists documented a single wolverine in California from 2008 to 2018. That wolverine was first discovered in February 2008 in the Truckee region of the Tahoe National Forest. The recent detections were likely of a different wolverine given that the species’ lifespan is typically 12 to 13 years.
Prior to that, the last confirmed wolverine sightings in California were in the 1920s.
Wolverines are the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family and resemble a small bear. They are widely distributed in Canada and Alaska with smaller populations in the Rocky and Cascade mountains.
In California wolverines are classified as fully protected and listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.
CDFW plans to collaborate with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service to collect genetic samples from the wolverine through hair, scat or saliva found at feeding sites.
Volunteers mark California Invasive Species Action Week with action. Photo courtesy of California State Parks. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife invites everyone with an interest in natural resources to join us in recognizing California Invasive Species Action Week from Saturday, June 3, through Sunday, June 11.
For the past 10 years, CDFW has devoted the first week in June to engaging the public in taking action to prevent the harmful impacts of non-native plants and animals that threaten California’s natural resources, ecology and economy.
Historically, agencies, nonprofits and volunteer organizations across the state have teamed up to host events for California Invasive Species Action Week.
This year, opportunities to participate include virtual events and activities in all parts of the state, such as:
• Restoring habitat at Tolowa Dunes State Park in Crescent City with California State Parks, Tolowa Dunes Stewards and Redwood Parks Conservancy. • Protecting the American River Parkway near Sacramento from invasive plants with the American River Parkway Foundation. • Becoming a “Weed Warrior” at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego by assisting with efforts to remove non-native grasses and other invasive plants. • Learning how to identify Lake Tahoe’s native and invasive aquatic plants during a webinar with the League to Save Lake Tahoe. • Watching lunchtime webinars from the University of California Cooperative Extension on topics such as removing the invasive seaweed Caulerpa and efforts to stop damaging insects from entering California.
Visit the CISAW schedule on CDFW’s website for details on these events and many more.
You can also watch webinars and learn about how to stop the spread of invasive species by taking small, everyday actions, such as landscaping with native plants, not releasing unwanted pets into the wild, reporting invasive species findings, and cleaning, draining and drying gear when recreating in bodies of water.
The CISAW web page lists simple actions Californians can take all year long while visiting natural areas, boating or fishing, or at home.
Next week, CDFW will announce winners of the annual California Invasive Species Youth Art and Video Contest on social media. This year’s theme was “Think Ahead and Prevent the Spread.”
The mission of CDFW’s Invasive Species Program is to reduce the impacts of invasive species on the wildlands and waterways of California. The program is involved in efforts to prevent the introduction of these species into the state, detect and respond to introductions when they occur, and prevent the spread of those species that have established.
For questions or more information about CISAW, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday evening discussed the newly released report completed by the police department in response to complaints against the city’s animal control contractor.
The 95-page report on the situation at the shelter, run under a 10-year contract with the city by North Bay Animal Services, was released on Wednesday after the city’s legal counsel reviewed it.
Lt. Ryan Peterson spent a month completing the report after City Manager Alan Flora directed Police Chief Tim Hobbs to investigate numerous complaints community members had made about North Bay Animal Services, or NBAS.
The report can be seen in the council packet here, starting at page 42, following the two-page memo from Hobbs.
“There's been various iterations of animal control services in the city of Clearlake,” Flora told the council, explaining that, under state law, the city has no specific obligation to maintain and operate an animal shelter.
In 2020, the city received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop new shelter facilities, which led to the two new buildings the city installed at the Public Works corporation yard, Flora said.
Flora said it was about a year and a half ago, when both of the city’s animal control officers left for other positions and the city was unable to recruit replacements, that city staff began to look at other solutions.
That led to an interim agreement with NBAS for animal control services and shelter operations and. The city and NBAS entered into the 10-year agreement, for $375,000 per year, in August.
Earlier this year, the city began to receive a number of complaints about shelter operations, from overcrowding to animal care and welfare, to lack of communication and response from NBAS and its executive director, Mark Scott.
At a council meeting in April, Flora reported on the situation and told the council at that point that he had directed the police department to complete the report. By that point, Flora and police staff had already met with Scott and directed that NBAS follow the city’s requirements.
Peterson presents findings
Peterson said he contacted 22 individuals and interviewed 19 of them, including concerned citizens, volunteers, past animal control employees, NBAS employees and professionals including veterinarian Dr. Debra Sally.
He also reviewed several hundred pages of documentation and photos relating to the shelter.
Based on the interviews, Peterson said he identified 10 specific allegations as well as five “additional findings of concern.”
The allegations Peterson identified are:
1. Clearlake Animal Control, or CLAS, is over capacity and animals are being held in holding areas which do not meet the standards for housing, such as small crates.
Peterson said NBAS at one point was housing 80 dogs, due in part to keeping 20 from a dog hoarding case. It was previously reported that the shelter’s capacity is 70 dogs.
During Peterson’s investigation, the number of dogs fluctuated between 62 and 70. As of this week, he said it’s down to 58 dogs, with animals being moved out to adoption, foster and rescue partners.
2. NBAS does not provide spaying and neutering of animals at the CLAS.
Peterson said NBAS has a standing appointment on Wednesdays with Clearlake Veterinary Clinic for spay and neuter services, which they use for two to four animals per week.
3. NBAS does not provide veterinary services to the animals at the CLAS.
Peterson said NBAS is providing care. From January to April, NBAS spent approximately $20,717.36 for animal veterinary care and is on track to spend $60,000 this year. When the city was running the shelter, it averaged veterinary costs of between $27,000 and $36,000 annually.
4. Medications are not provided to animals at the CLAS.
Peterson said there is no evidence to support this allegation. Animals receive treatment and medication from a veterinarian and staff as directed, and logs are kept which note prescribed medications and when they are provided.
5. The CLAS has an outbreak of giardia affecting the animals.
Peterson confirmed that an outbreak of giardia — a microscopic organism that can lead to an intestinal infection in animals and people — occurred at the shelter. He said sick dogs were taken to the Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, the clinic provided NBAS with medication for the ill animals and, as of this week, there is no active outbreak at the shelter.
6. NBAS provides expired food to animals at the CLAS.
Sometimes food that has expired or has damaged packaging is donated to NBAS. Peterson said it was the same when the city ran the shelter, and that the food is reviewed to determine if it is still of usable quality; if it’s not, it’s disposed of.
NBAS provides new food along with donated food to animals and doesn’t intentionally provide expired food to CLAS. Peterson said it’s not uncommon for shelters to use expired food or food with damaged packaging to reduce the costs of feeding animals.
7. Lack of supplies and food at the CLAS.
Peterson said there is no proof of this allegation, and that from a review of the shelter, he found that it has adequate and appropriate cleaning supplies and chemicals.
8. NBAS does not follow the UC Davis recommended cleaning guidelines.
The UC Davis standards are suggested guidelines for cleaning of shelters, and those standards of cleaning were discussed with other professionals outside of NBAS. Peterson said that deep cleaning of the facility is not required or safe to do daily, and that cleaning of feces and urine on the floor is adequate on a rotational basis, which is an industry standard in accordance with the UC Davis suggestions. He said his investigation found that NBAS cleaned within the UC Davis suggested standards, as required by the contract between the city and NBAS.
9. Lack of responsiveness to the community by NBAS.
From the influx of animals at the shelter, it appears that NBAS does not respond to the community. Peterson said reports were provided during the investigation that shows a lack of community response to reported dog attacks and injured animals. When NBAS’ staff in Petaluma, the organization's other facility, were contacted, he said there is a lack of followup from staff dedicated to the city of Clearlake. Peterson said it’s currently being addressed by NBAS with the training of an on-site supervisor at the shelter.
10. No clear chain of command, a lack of supervision of staff and conditions at the CLAS by NBAS.
Peterson found there is a lack of on-site supervision at the Clearlake shelter. Scott is the direct supervisor for the shelter and isn’t always on site. As a result, NBAS currently is training an on-site staff member to facilitate direct on-site supervision of the shelter. He said many of the alleged issues could have been addressed more quickly had there been a clear chain of command.
He also reviewed five additional findings of concern.
1. A review of Clearlake Police Department records shows there has only been one citation issued for animal control-related crimes since the contact between NBAS and the city went into effect last year.
Lack of enforcement efforts contributes to animal owners neglecting their responsibilities and care for animals. NBAS administration has been notified regarding the need to increase enforcement.
Peterson said that is not sufficient, and that animal-related crime issues should improve with enforcement, which is the case for traffic-related crimes.
2. A past animal control employee alleged an injured dog had been held in an animal control vehicle overnight in August at the direction of their supervisor.
Peterson said this contradicted another employee’s statement that the animal had been placed in a kennel. The dog later was provided with veterinary services. This was the only such incident reported to Peterson, who couldn’t completely substantiate it.
3. The locking mechanism at the shelter was in disrepair.
That lock issue allowed unauthorized access to the site. Peterson said the mechanism has been replaced.
4. Volunteers and citizens had unsupervised access to the shelter and public works yard, which caused safety and security issues for NBAS and the city of Clearlake.
Peterson said this situation was unsafe, as it allowed access to areas where animals that were unsafe and aggressive were housed. Additionally, he said unfamiliar people were around the dogs, which he was told by officials at the Mendocino County shelter need about 16 hours of rest. New smells and people can stress the animals and also contribute to the spread of disease.
5. Overcrowding at the shelter is not an anomaly.
According to professionals outside of NBAS, regional rescues and shelters are at capacity or overfilled due to an influx of animals. Peterson said this has reduced assistance to shelters to house animals.
He said COVID-19 and the economy are believed to be a part of this issue, but that neither he nor the professionals he spoke to believe that’s completely the case.
“Animal care and control isn't a new problem for our community,” said Peterson, explaining that lack of spaying and neutering, irresponsible dog owners and roaming dogs have been problems for years.
No single government agency or organization can deal with this problem, which wasn’t created overnight and can’t be fixed overnight, he said.
Rather, Peterson said it will require the support and partnership of the community and local groups in order to supplement the resources the city has. That partnership is needed to be successful.
Terry, a shepherd mix and a staff favorite, was at the Clearlake animal shelter for almost a year before he was adopted this spring. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake animal shelter. Questions about euthanasia; community members speak about issues
During the meeting, Councilman Russ Cremer asked if it is necessary to begin looking at euthanasia to reduce the shelter population.
Clearlake has been considered a no kill shelter for some time, which Peterson said doesn’t mean it’s a no-kill shelter but that it allows for up to 10% to be euthanized. With the dynamics of the community, Peterson said he believes that option needs to be considered.
However, Peterson acknowledged the impact on kennel technicians who care for the dogs and would have to deal with the animals being killed. “There is a human aspect to euthanasia even though it’s dealing with the animals.”
Cremer indicated it’s appropriate for aggressive dogs. Councilwoman Joyce Overton then suggested euthanasia would be determined based on a matter of time — that something would need to be done after four to six weeks.
Peterson said there are rescues that take on challenging dogs. NBAS has an animal behavior specialist on its staff.
He added that every professional he’s talked to made it very clear, animals do not have an expiration date. If they have the ability to house animals, every professional will do it.
While council members and some community members lauded Peterson for his work, the findings didn’t satisfy a number of others who have continued to raise objections over the shelter’s operations. Some of them said Peterson’s report just explained things away.
Rita Laufer blamed Scott for bad communication. “We care about our animals. We care about our city. It’s a shambles right now,” she said, adding that Scott wouldn’t return her calls. “You can't do business with someone like that.
“Shame on all of you,” volunteer Jamie Newland told the council and staff, adding she’s ashamed to be a citizen of Clearlake. She said the investigation should have been done by an unbiased outside source.
Dr. Debra Sally said animal control has always been a huge problem in Lake County, where there aren’t enough vets to do all the spaying and neutering. She said there need to be hard decisions made about animals that don’t get to go out to new homes and rescues.
Sally said it’s not an ideal situation with reducing animal population, adding that NBAS doesn’t want to make those decisions.
Charmaine Weldon, a current employee of NBAS who worked for the shelter while under the city’s operation, said she hoped the council could focus on making things better, including designating an on-site manager.
Weldon said staff should return every single call in a timely manner. If the shelter is full, they should offer alternate options and be realistic about the capacity of the shelter, as Weldon said the citizens of Clearlake deserve better.
Her nonprofit, the City of Clearlake Animal Association, offers crisis care and assistance for animals turned away by NBAS, such as was the case for a small dog it helped at the start of April.
During the discussion, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier recommended having a conversation with the city and Jonathan Armas, director of Lake County Animal Care and Control.
NBAS executive director answers questions
Scott also was at the meeting to speak to the council and answer questions, explaining that they want to work with everyone willing to work with them.
He said Peterson did a pretty deep dive into the situation. “It's a lot harder than you think, that’s for sure.”
Scott said they have spent more than $70,000 since August in veterinary care. “We’re dedicated. We’re here to make this work.”
When asked by Councilman Dirk Slooten about having only given out one citation for animal-related crimes, Scott said they had a learning curve issue and also had wanted to start with warnings, since it had previously worked for them.
During Scott’s comments, Mayor Russell Perdock stopped a few times to ask people in the gallery to settle down.
Scott reported that there are no cats at the Clearlake shelter now, as they’ve been transported to Petaluma, where they have a larger facility to house them.
Earlier on Thursday, they also had transported two more dogs out of the Clearlake shelter and were getting a handle on the population in the wake of the hoarding case, Scott said.
Cremer asked Scott about his stance on euthanasia. Scott said they do it for pain and suffering. To base it on a time limit of six weeks wouldn't work, he said. As an example, he cited the case of a dog that stayed at the shelter for six months before it was finally reunited with its owner in Vallejo after having been lost.
Flora told the council that they could ultimately break the shelter situation down into four main issues: communication and responsiveness, enforcement, population control and on-site supervision.
Last week, Flora, Hobbs and Peterson met with Scott and NBAS’ Board president to discuss the situation.
“This isn't the end of the road here. We still have a lot of work to do,” Flora said.
Flora said he appreciated the comments about how it isn’t something the city can solve on its own, but that it needs community participation and expected they would be talking about it more in the future.
Slooten asked if there will be additional shelter space when the city’s corporation yard eventually moves to its new location at the Burns Valley development.
Flora said they have no current plans to add more shelter space.
“If you want to break it down, most cities don’t run shelters. Counties run shelters,” Flora said, adding that the City Council previously decided to have one because of the need in the community.
Flora added, “And I think that if we put 100 new kennels in, we would fill them up next week.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
On Wednesday, Lake County’s representative in the House of Representatives joined the majority of House members in voting for a bill to avoid a government default.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) voted to pass H.R. 3746, the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, which his office said will “avoid a catastrophic default and protect America’s economy.”
“A default would have pushed our economy into an unprecedented crisis and harmed communities in our district and across our country,” said Thompson. “I voted for the Bipartisan Budget Agreement to avoid a default and keep our economy strong. There are provisions of the bill I don’t like, but in a divided government, negotiation requires compromise. This bill saves us from an economic disaster that would harm every family in America, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to address the shortcomings of this bill with the potential economic default behind us.”
Rep. Thompson spoke on the House floor during debate of this legislation.
During his remarks, Thompson said the American people cannot afford a default, which he called “an economic disaster with consequences for every one of our constituents. Congress can’t let that happen.”
He emphasized that while the bill isn’t perfect, it achieves two key points: It prevents default, averting an economic disaster, and it preserves not only key programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but also protects climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Thompson authored with his colleagues in the Ways and Means Committee.
It also preserves the PACT Act, which preserves veterans health care.
Thompson said he was concerned with aspects of the bill, noting he was particularly opposed to the demand by Republicans to cut mental health care which, after climate change, is the single biggest crisis in the United States.
“There is no reason to cut critical funding for mental health,” Thompson said.
He said the cuts to the Internal Revenue Service won’t decrease the deficit but will increase it. “A fully funded IRS is in everyone’s best interest,” Thompson said.
“Overall, this legislation is a compromise, which is what the American people expect and deserve from a divided government,” Thompson said.
“And most important, it averts the catastrophe of a default,” he added, urging his colleagues to vote for the bill.
With its passage by the House, the bill now moves to the Senate.
Thompson previously pointed out the impacts that a default would have on the Fourth District, including killing 7,300 jobs in district alone — and more than seven million nationwide — and also would jeopardize Social Security payments for 91,000 families in the district, put health benefits at risk for 285,000 people who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage, increase the lifetime mortgage costs for the typical homeowner in California by $92,000, raise the costs of a new-car loan for the typical American by $800 and threaten the retirement savings of 96,800 people near retirement in the Fourth district, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LUCERNE, Calif. — Lucerne Harbor Park will be a site host for a volunteer trash collecting event, funded by Proposition 68, on Saturday, June 10.
The cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The goal is to clean up Lucerne by picking up tires, trash or anything that doesn’t belong.
Anyone can attend to volunteer. There will be a site host who will have trash bags, garbage grabbers, gloves and safety vests for the public to use while picking up waste. All the collected trash will then be hauled to the dump.
Volunteers are encouraged to go far and wide in Lucerne to collect garbage in watersheds, on beaches and areas near waterways.
All items need to be brought back to the site host by 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The project director Jordan Beaton, Lake County Water Resources Program coordinator, realizes walking around with a bunch of tires and trash bags might be quite an inconvenience.
For this reason, a designated pick up location in town can be coordinated the day of the clean up event with the site host. This could be as simple as reporting to the site host how many bags were dropped off at this location.
If you have any questions, please contact Beaton at 707-263-2344 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
UPPER LAKE, Calif. — Households on the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Rancheria facing barriers to internet access will soon have access to high-quality, high-speed broadband services thanks to a $500,000 federal grant.
The tribe will also use the funding to connect nontribal households to the internet with access extending to anyone in the service area.
The half million dollar grant was awarded to the tribal community through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe was one of only nine tribes to receive the funding.
“The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake is pleased to receive much needed funding for broadband services on our reservation,” said tribal Chairwoman Sherry Treppa. “Access to high-speed Internet is a critical component in our modern society to access education, health care, and employment opportunities. The tribe is appreciative of NTIA's efforts to include the needs of smaller tribes, as it is much harder to get corporate third parties to invest funding into infrastructure for smaller, remote populations, making the need for this type of funding much greater for smaller tribes.”
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake will use the $500,000 grant to not only provide a wireless network connecting numerous tribal households, but also provide access to nontribal households currently facing barriers to internet services.
The retirement and disability program has been running a cash-flow deficit since 2010. Its trust fund, which holds US$2.7 trillion, is rapidly diminishing. Social Security’s trustees, a group that includes the secretaries of the departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services, as well as the Social Security commissioner, project that the trust fund will be completely drained by 2033.
Under current law, when that trust fund is empty, Social Security can pay benefits only from dedicated tax revenues, which would by that point cover about 77% of promised benefits. Another way to say this is that when the trust fund is depleted, under current law, Social Security beneficiaries would see a sudden 23% cut in their monthly checks in 2034.
As economists who study the Medicare and Social Security programs, we view the above scenario as politically unacceptable. Such a sudden and dramatic benefit cut would anger a lot of voters. Unfortunately, the actions necessary now to avoid it – like raising taxes or cutting benefits – aren’t getting serious consideration today. But we believe there are strategies that could work.
Social Security is funded by a payroll tax of 12.4% on wages split equally between workers and employers. Self-employed people pay the entire 12.4%. This payroll tax applies to earnings up to $160,200 as of 2023. The government increases this cap annually based on increases in the National Average Wage Index – a measure that combines wage growth and inflation. The program also receives about 4% of its revenue from a tax on Social Security benefits, though not everyone who receives them has to pay this tax.
Social Security tax revenue stayed relatively flat after 1990. But the costs of the program rose sharply in 2010, in part because of early retirements in response to the Great Recession.
Costs of the program are expected to further exceed the money that’s coming in, which will continue to drain the trust fund, according to the program’s trustees.
Barring immediate action by the government, the trust fund’s exhaustion is only a little more than a decade away. And yet few members of Congress seem willing to do something about it. For example, Social Security reform was not even on the table during the 2023 negotiations over the debt ceiling and spending cuts.
Trust fund
Where did the trust fund, which helps cover the program’s costs, come from?
While the Social Security program was collecting surpluses from 1984 to 2009, that extra money funded other spending – keeping other taxes lower than they would have been otherwise and partially covering the budget deficit.
During Social Security’s years of surplus, the excess revenues were credited to the trust fund in the form of special-issue government bonds that yielded the prevailing interest rates. When those bonds are needed to pay for Social Security expenses, the Treasury redeems them.
Reducing the benefits current retirees receive would be extremely unpopular. Likewise, people now in the workforce who are nearing retirement would certainly object strongly if they were told to expect lower benefits in retirement than they have been promised throughout their careers.
The last time the government made big changes to Social Security was in 1983, during the Reagan administration, when the government enacted reforms that slowly reduced benefits over time. These changes included raising the full retirement age, a change that is still being phased in. Because of those changes, workers born in 1960 or later cannot retire with full benefits until age 67 – two years later than the original retirement age.
The 1983 reforms also included increases in the Social Security payroll tax rate from 10.4% in 1983 to 12.4% by 1990, and for the first time levied federal income taxes on higher-income retirees’ benefits. Workers bore the burden of the payroll tax increases and higher-income retirees bore the burden of the tax on benefits.
Those changes bolstered the program’s finances, but they no longer suffice.
The bipartisan 2001 Commission to Strengthen Social Security tried – and failed – during George W. Bush’s presidency to get Congress to enact reforms to shore up the program’s finances. There’s been no momentum toward resolving the problem since then.
We believe that policymakers and lawmakers need to follow four principles as they consider how to move forward.
The program should be self-funded in the long run so that its annual revenues match its annual expenses. That way the many questions that arise related to trust fund accounting and whether Social Security tax revenues are being used for their intended purposes would be eliminated.
The reform burden should be shared across generations. Current retirees can share the burden through a reform that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment. Today’s workers can share the burden through an increase in the cap on income subjected to Social Security taxes so that 90% of total earnings are taxed. Continued gradual increases in the retirement age to keep pace with anticipated longevity gains would also be borne by current workers.
The government should make sure that Social Security benefits will be adequate for lower-income retirees for years to come. That means reforms that slow the benefit growth of future retirees would be designed to affect only higher-income retirees.
It appears that the U.S. – citizens and elected officials included – are deferring serious debate on this urgent matter until the trust fund’s depletion is imminent. That’s unwise. Acting sooner rather than later would leave more options available to gradually resolve the program’s financial shortfalls.
Ending this procrastination would also give the millions of people who rely on Social Security benefits, taxpayers and businesses more time to prepare for any changes required by overdue reforms.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research announced on Thursday $8 million in project awards through Round I of the Adaptation Planning Grant, including funding for Lake County.
The grant, funded through Gov. Newsom’s 2021-22 Climate Budget and established through SB 170, will support communities statewide in developing adaptation projects that address climate risks and strengthen resilience.
Based on California’s best available science, climate impacts are projected to accelerate statewide, with vulnerable populations most at risk.
To minimize these impacts, projects in the first round will support local governments, community-based organizations, and tribes in assessing local hazards, conducting robust engagement, and creating equitable and community-driven strategies to minimize climate impacts experienced on the ground.
There is a clear need for investments of this kind as $63 million in awards was requested for only $8 million in funding.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research said the 14 projects represent “a significant step toward fostering cross-sector collaboration and equity in statewide efforts to adapt to climate change.”
Nine of the projects are located within Justice40 communities and will advance the Biden Administration’s goal to invest in communities burdened by legacy pollution.
Of the nine projects, three are led or coled by California Native American tribes.
One of the grant’s goals is to build local capacity to help position climate-vulnerable communities to leverage additional state and federal funding.
“These projects are transformative in nature as they meaningfully center California’s most climate-vulnerable communities and leverage the expertise of multiple stakeholders,” said Sam Assefa, Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. “We are thrilled to make these awards today to help local partners accelerate their work to build capacity, assess risk, and develop tailored solutions and partnerships- essential to our success in building a resilient California for All.”
Projects in the first round bring together eight cities, eight nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, seven community-based organizations, or CBOs, six counties, four special districts, three California Native American tribes, two universities, one joint powers authority, or JPA, one council of governments, or COG, and one metropolitan planning organization, or MPO.
The coalitions underscore a collective commitment to developing projects that yield multiple benefits and are rooted in diverse partnerships.
The Adaptation Planning Grant projects awarded Thursday include:
Planning for an Equitable, Climate Safe Lake: $649,350 Planning for an Equitable, Climate-Safe Lake will create an inclusive and collaborative framework for improving climate adaptation planning and implementing risk reduction projects in Lake County. The project supports the Community Risk Reduction Authority, or RRA, in becoming a self-sustaining climate action provider with an equity focus, including embedding diversity, equity and inclusion values into RRA's leadership and processes, assessing vulnerabilities, implementing actions from the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and tracking progress.
Yosemite Slough Adaptation Plan: $649,000 The Yosemite Slough Adaptation Plan aims to address the disparity in adaptation planning between the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood and the rest of San Francisco's urban waterfront. The plan focuses on building community capacity, developing equitable adaptation strategies, and positioning Yosemite Slough for federal funding. Project partners include the San Francisco Planning Department, En2Action, BAYCAT, San Francisco Estuary Institute, California State Parks Foundation, and other city agencies.
Hoopa Valley Tribe Climate Adaptation Plan: $338,448 The Hoopa Valley Tribe will complete climate adaptation scoping activities, a Vulnerability Assessment, and develop a Climate Adaptation Plan in partnership with the community and tribal staff.
San Rafael Climate Adaptation Planning Collaborative: $644,200 The San Rafael Climate Adaptation Planning Collaborative will work with disproportionately vulnerable communities in partnership with local organizations in the Canal neighborhood to cocreate solutions for improved safety and resilience. Partners will work to improve understanding of climate hazards, prioritize adaptation measures, and build climate capacity within community-based organizations while providing STEM educational opportunities for students from the Canal neighborhood.
City of San Fernando Climate Action and Resilience Plan: $599,918 The City of San Fernando will complete a Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) and update elements in its General Plan (land use, circulation, open space, and conservation) which are crucial for effective resiliency planning and aligning with local, regional, and state initiatives. The project will engage the community early on to gather input in an equitable manner, develop targeted strategies to address disparities, and support vulnerable populations to address climate-related concerns.
Shade Equity Masterplan for the Unincorporated Eastern Coachella Valley: $644,411 The Shade Master Plan for Eastern Coachella Valley's unincorporated communities in Riverside County will benchmark and develop strategies for shade in predominantly low-income, Spanish-speaking areas experiencing temperatures exceeding 120 degrees. The plan will serve as a blueprint for investing in new shade infrastructure and adapting to extreme heat and associated benefits to residents, agencies, and stakeholders in the area.
Ramona Barona Climate Adaptation and Action Plan: $596,600 The Ramona-Barona Climate Collaborative, led by the Ramona Municipal Water District and its partners the Barona Band of Mission Indians, Sustainable Ramona and the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, aims to develop a comprehensive climate adaptation and action plan to address climate impacts in the area including extreme heat, water shortages, landslides, flooding, and wildfires.
San Jose interdependent Water, Energy, Security Electrified Transportation Climate Adaptation Plan: $649,970 The San José Interdependent Water, Energy, Security & Electrified Transportation Climate Adaptation Planning Proposal aims to develop a comprehensive climate adaptation plan that focuses on critical infrastructure and incorporates the needs of vulnerable communities.
City of Berkeley Safety Plan and Environmental Element Update: $600,000 The City of Berkeley, in partnership with the Ecology Center and the Berkeley Climate Equity Collaborative, will cocreate with community an update to Berkeley’s General Plan Safety Element, development of a new General Plan Environmental Justice Element, and creation of metrics that incorporate equitable outcomes to monitor and evaluate progress toward meeting the City’s climate and resilience goals.
Stockton Climate Action and Adaptation Plan: $650,000 The City of Stockton will partner with trusted, local nonprofits and engage a highly qualified consultant to create a new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The City's current CAP hasn't been updated since 2014, leaving the City and its partners without a clear vision for the future of Stockton's environment. A new CAP that focuses on public health and equity will guide strategies to address the impacts of climate change, particularly for disadvantaged communities in Stockton.
Lake Elsinore Climate Adaptation Plan: $401,100 Lake Elsinore’s Climate Adaptation Plan will assess climate change impacts and the adaptive capacity of residents, especially Lake Elsinore’s most vulnerable community members, and develop strategies to respond to specific impacts.
San Mateo County OneWatershed Climate Resilience Framework: $649,648 The San Mateo County OneWatershed Climate Resilience Framework Project aims to develop a model for community-led risk identification, a replicable watershed approach, resilient neighborhoods and watersheds, and breaking down silos in water-related infrastructure planning to address climate adaptation challenges holistically.
LA’s Cool Capital Stack: $506,000 The LA Cool Capital Stack creates a pipeline of viable community-led climate resilient infrastructure projects designed to strengthen LA County communities most vulnerable to extreme heat and other climate hazards. It establishes an agency-community collaborative that brings together LA County, Metro, and Infrastructure Justice Los Angeles (IJLA) to cocreate an approach to equitable, climate resilient infrastructure development.
WRCOG Energy Resilience Plan 2.0 Microgrid Feasibility Studies: $421,000 WRCOG will develop an Energy Resilience Plan 2.0, which will identify up to 10 sites across Western Riverside County to conduct feasibility studies to determine the potential to implement microgrids and community resilience centers.
The Adaptation Planning Grant aims to enhance local communities’ resilience in the face of climate change impacts. The Adaptation Planning Grant Program, a key component of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program, provides funding to support integrated climate adaptation planning efforts in California.
The Office of Planning and Research, or OPR, serves as the comprehensive state planning agency for California. OPR's mission is to improve the quality of life for all Californians by developing and implementing innovative policies and programs that balance environmental, economic, and social equity objectives.
“Red.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs waiting to be adopted this week.
This week the shelter has 43 adoptable dogs.
The dogs that are available for adoption include “Red,” an 8-year-old male German shepherd-Labrador retriever mix with a reddish-tan coat.
“Red would enjoy a quiet home to let his personality flourish at his own pace. He has done well with other dogs at the shelter, and having another dog in the house might make him feel more comfortable,” shelter staff reported.
“Tinkerbell.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.
There also is “Tinkerbell,” a long coat Chihuahua mix with red and white coloring.
Another of the available dogs is “JuJu,” a female terrier mix with a black coat and white markings.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
“JuJu.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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