LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department is hosting the National Night Out Against Crime in Library Park on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
The event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m.
This community-building partnership brings police and other government agencies together under positive circumstances.
Lakeport first hosted the event in 2013.
“Together we can reduce crime and build a stronger community,” according to Brad Rasmussen, Chief of Police in Lakeport.
The department invites the community to join together for a fun evening. “Get to know your neighbors and build relationships with your local public service agencies,” said Rasmussen.
One of the special activities to kick off that fun will be bicycle decorating on Park Street sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association. Children are invited to bring their bikes to the park.
Other activities for children will be available, along with raffle prizes for children and adults.
Local citizens and businesses are sponsors and donors; over 29 partner agencies will be present with booths providing important public information and resources.
Participating agencies include health services, animal care services, Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, Behavioral Health, Probation, Social Services, service dogs, California Highway Patrol, school district and educational services, victim witness services, disaster preparedness, Pacific Gas and Electric and city services.
Also participating are Redwood Community Services, Safe RX Lake County, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lake Family Resource Center, American Red Cross, Lakeport Fire Protection District, Lakeport Elks, Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Lake County Tribal Health Consortium.
The Kiwanis Club of Lakeport will be barbecuing hot dogs. Face painting by Chayo will be offered.
Everything at this event is free of charge due to generous sponsors, including Clearlake Club, Elite Barber Shop, Hong Kong Restaurant, J. Byrd & Associates, Kingdom Games & Comics, Lakeport Auto Movies Drive-In and Lakeport Cinema 5, Lakeport Grocery Outlet and Lakeport Tire and Auto Service.
Additional sponsors are Larios Photography, NAPA Auto Parts, Pak N Mail, Stonefire Pizza, Strings and Things, Throckmorton Jones, UCC Rentals, Ukiah Oxygen Co., Joy Madeiros Veteran’s Museum and Wine in the Willows.
Our pets are are family. Learn how to keep them safe when recreating in natural water bodies, like Clear Lake. Photo: Angela De Palma-Dow. Dear Lady of The Lake,
We will be visiting our relatives that live on Clear Lake and we have pets. We have an older large lab and a smaller dog and we are wondering if they can safely swim and go into Clear Lake? I have heard stories and sometimes see posts on social media about dog illnesses and death after they visit Clear Lake. Please help us keep our furry friends and family safe!
Thank You, The Barney family including Cha-Cha and Big Bear (the dogs!)
Dear Barneys,
On behalf of pet owners everywhere, thank you for asking this question! Another big thank you for being such responsible pet owners and being concerned about your pet’s safety.
As pet owners, we know that our pets are basically helpless and we are the ones that have to make the decisions for them to keep them safe and healthy. Furry friends are extended members of the family, and when they get hurt or are sick, we feel for them.In some cases, people don’t have kids - they just have cats or dogs!
It’s great that you are taking care of your fur family and making sure they are safe when recreating on Clear Lake - or any natural water body.
You might be surprised, but in my day job, I get about the same number of phone calls about pets and water safety as I receive about people and water safety. I also have many friends who regularly take their pets out on lakes and streams, and they call or text me to report local conditions and to ask questions about water quality.
The biggest concern for pet owners when recreating on Clear Lake is potential toxicity from cyanobacteria, or harmful algal blooms (HABs). Sometimes cyanobacteria are called blue-green algae, and they can sometimes produce green globs, thick mats, or clumps and films that can appear bright green, blue, teal, white, purplish, or red. Sometimes the cyanobacteria just makes the water thick, like pea soup, and sometimes they appear on the surface of the water in thick streaks, with paint-like films.
Cyanobacteria are single celled organisms that float in the water column. They can not be seen with the naked eye unless they reproduce into such large numbers that you can see them as colonies or globs floating in the water, called blooms. When you look closely, you can identify if they are globular or sometimes they look like small shards or irregularly shaped clumps.
Some genera of cyanobacteria can produce toxins, grouped together called cyanotoxins, that can be a health hazard to pets, children, livestock, wildlife, or people, depending on the exposure route, duration, and the toxin type.
First, let's define and discuss these terms:
Exposure route is defined as the pathway that contaminants can enter the body, including dermal, inhalation, and ingestion. To put it plainly, exposure can occur directly through the skin, breathing in water particles that contain toxins, or through consumption, like eating and drinking.
Duration refers to the time the exposure to the toxins occurred. So how long or short was the pet in the water when they could have been exposed. Duration might also include how long the pet was wet before being rinsed or bathed, after they got out of the water where they got exposed.
Toxin type, refers to the type of compounds that comprise the toxin that is produced by some cyanobacteria. They are named for their toxicological target, or what part of the body they impact, and include hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, dermatotoxins, and irritant toxins. Neurotoxins, which can affect the nervous system, are more concerning than irritant toxins or dermatotoxins, which might only cause a rash or itching.
Cyanobacteria affect humans and animals differently; some people and pets are more or less sensitive to a certain type of cyanobacteria, or not at all. They are sometimes like allergies, where the response can be negligible, mild, or severe and cause sickness.
You might not know how a pet will react to water conditions, meaning that just because someone else’s dog is swimming and playing in the water and seems fine, doesn’t necessarily mean your dog will have the same reaction or non-reaction. It’s best to know how and when to identify if a water body is undergoing a potentially toxic bloom event and what to do in case your pet becomes exposed.
Recognizing blooms and knowing when the water is safe for pets
If you are accessing a public beach or park on the water, make sure to be aware of any posted signs, permanent or temporary, that could contain useful and current information about blooms being detected in the area. If you are unsure of conditions, you can always call an Environmental Health, Public Health, or Water Resources office, to get more information or get directed to where you can find more information.
Not all waters have cyanobacteria blooms that produce toxins, and cyanobacteria blooms that produce toxins are not present all the time throughout a season or a year. Clear Lake is a very big lake, and blooms can be present in some areas and during some times of the year while not present in others.
Cyanobacteria are usually single-cellular and can form colonies and dense mats at the surface of the water due to buoyant chambers some genera produce. The buoyancy characteristics of cyanobacteria means they can make themselves float at the surface of the water, usually in dense colonies. Cyanobacteria, when they grow in dense colonies can look like globs or mats or even look like spilled light blue or even white paint!
Usually there are parts of the lake where there are no cyanobacteria present, and pets can enjoy the water. You can usually physically see - or smell! - when there is a problematic bloom, but unfortunately, toxins can be present sometimes when there is not a visible bloom. However, this doesn’t occur that often, and keeping your pet out of water that is questionable is the best, safest course of action.
A general good rule of thumb to follow is; “when in doubt, keep them out!”. If you wouldn’t swim in the water, then your pet should probably also not go in.
Of course, the best method to determine if an area of the Lake has toxins is through water monitoring and lab analysis. The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians EPA department monitors about 20 locations around the lake every two weeks Spring through Fall. They collect samples from the shallow, shoreline area, where people and pets are most likely going to be accessing the water.
You can view the most recent cyanobacteria monitoring data here, at the Big Valley Rancheria Cyanotoxin webpage.
The San Francisco Estuary Institute also has a really species satellite tool that maps the cyanobacteria present in the lake over the last 10-day period based on pigments. This tool does not reflect toxins, but it’s usually a good indicator of general good and bad places around the lake.
While this information is extremely useful for humans, the recommendations for safe recreation thresholds of cyanotoxin concentrations in samples are based on the science for adult, male, humans - not pets or animals!
Since pets, usually dogs, are much smaller than humans, smaller concentrations or smaller exposure time, might lead to sickness when a human would not be impacted.
Additionally, humans know not to drink the lake water, but dogs don’t know that, and would probably like the taste of green, globby water if given a choice.
Lastly, and obviously, humans don’t lick themselves after being in the Lake, but guess who does? Man’s best friend can become exposed to toxins that remain on wet fur after the dog has left the water.
If you are at a water access site, in Clear Lake, or any natural waterbody, and you notice a bloom, play it safe and assume it is producing toxins. Don’t let your pets drink the water, or play in the water, don’t let livestock eat near the lake shore, as grass that has been irrigated or splashed with lake water could be covered with live toxins.
Don’t let dogs or pets eat the bloom mats or any dead animals or trash that is in the water or near the water's edge, and lastly, don’t let dogs lick their fur after they get out of the water, until they have been rinsed or washed with clean, filtered or tap water.
What to do if your pet has been in the water or been exposed?
As pet owners we know that pets don’t always listen to us and they sometimes run off and do things out of our line of vision. That’s why it’s good to be prepared in the event that your pet does come into contact with the water. There are some easy, free things you can do to reduce and limit the chance of them becoming exposed or sick from exposure to cyanobacteria toxins.
Make sure your pet is hydrated and has lots of clean, drinking water options. There are several types of water bottle- bowl contraptions that travel well that make it fun for dogs to drink clean water on the go, so they are less likely to be extremely thirsty and gulp lake water.
You don’t need a fancy drinking water bowl, a clean poop-clean up bag will work as a bowl if needed in a pinch! The goal is to limit the potential for your pet to want to drink the lake water, so give your pet fresh water as much as possible prior to and during water play.
Bring lots of clean water so you can rinse off your pet after they have played or waded in the lake. Rinsing with clean water and drying with a clean towel, rug, or blanket, is the best option for removing the toxins from the wet fur. Once you get home, a more thorough wash or plunge in a clean pet pool will remove any remaining toxin and prevent any skin irritations that were initially unobvious.
If you are kayaking or paddle boarding with your pet, these activities greatly reduce the exposure potential for pets, however if they fall in or lean over to drink the water, they will be exposed and become susceptible to any toxins present.
Some dogs love to swim and can inadvertently drink the water they are swimming in. Providing your pooch a life vest or float shirt will help keep their head raised above the water, and they will be less likely to ingest lake water. This is also helpful to prevent a tired pet from being in the water longer, increasing exposure. If they are wearing a life vest, they can swim easier to shore and will be spending less time in the water.
And lastly, if you think your pet has been exposed and is becoming sick or ill from being in the water, take them to your veterinarian immediately. Make sure to tell the vet that the pet was in a natural water body and exposed to cyanotoxins.
Even if it has been a few days, report all information to the vet so they can make the best diagnosis and start treatment. There are some symptoms that can be treated, but without that knowledge of previous water activities, veterinarians might not be able to help your pet.
Some dogs have died after being in Clear Lake because their owners didn’t wash them off after being in the water and then they waited too long to take them to the vet and didn’t communicate the water activities they were engaged in before falling ill. It’s very sad and unfortunate, and possibly could have been prevented.
Video: “Pet Tips, Cyanobacteria & Water Safety” brought to you by County of Lake, Water Resources Department and partners at Send Rover on Over in Lakeport, CA put together this video PSA to help you keep your pets safe when recreating on natural water bodies like Clear Lake.
Let’s review how to keep your furry friend safe when recreating natural waters!
Be a responsible pet owner! Prevent exposure by limiting where and when your pet goes in the water to places that are free of blooms. Take precautions to limit the impact of toxins if they are present in the water, by following all the easy tips that were provided, including:
• Be aware of local conditions, look for any posted signs or warning notices for the area. • Keep your pet hydrated, and maintain clean, drinking water options before and during their water play. • Prevent pets from licking their fur during and when they are done playing. • Rinse or wash your pet immediately after playing in the water. • If your pet does appear sick, take them to the vet immediately and communicate to your vet any water activities your pet engaged in even if it has been several days.
If you are not sure what cyanobacteria symptoms look like in pets, there is a useful graphic from the CDC describing how to keep pets safe from cyanobacteria toxicity. Here is the full CDC Pets and Cyanobacteria Blooms webpage, which contains lots of useful information necessary for every pet owner.
Figure. CDC guidance card for recognizing when your pet has become ill from a possible cyanobacteria exposure. Source CDC https://www.cdc.gov/habs/pdf/algal_bloom_tall_card.pdf. More information and how to report a bloom or illness
If you want more information on cyanobacteria, beyond that related to pets, you can visit my previous Lady of the Lake column from July 11,2021, “Concerned about Cyanobacteria in Soda Bay."
If you or your pet become sick from a suspected cyanobacteria bloom or toxin exposure, there is a team at the State Of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that wants to know about it and has resources to help you respond, and in some cases can help offset costs for testing. OEHHA can provide specialized guidance that is beyond the resources available at the local level.
To report a health impact from a bloom or cyanobacteria bloom, suspected bloom, from the lake, you can submit a report to OEHHA via the Harmful Algal Bloom Incident Reporting tool, called “Report a Bloom”. You can submit a report here online or by calling their Report a Bloom hotline: 1-844-729-6466 (toll free).
It takes about a minute to fill it out, but it’s essential that the state receives this information so that they can respond and direct more adequate resources to cyanobacteria management and mitigation.
If you are interested in knowing where reports of blooms are in Clear Lake, or other lakes, you can visit the HAB Incident Reports Map.
I hope this column has helped provide you with the needed information to keep your fur family safe while recreating in lakes, reservoirs, streams, and creeks. For many of us, our pets are a precious extension of our family, and just like we would take care of any human family member, we extend that sentiment to our pets.
Sincerely,
Lady of the Lake
Angela De Palma-Dow is a limnologist (limnology = study of fresh inland waters) who lives and works in Lake County. Born in Northern California, she has a Master of Science from Michigan State University. She is a Certified Lake Manager from the North American Lake Management Society, or NALMS, and she is the current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The new tents at Huttopia Wine Country in Lower Lake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. LOWER LAKE, Calif. — After seven years of planning and work, a new upscale camping experience is open and welcoming visitors to Lake County.
Huttopia Wine Country, located at 13444 Spruce Grove Road in Lower Lake, is the newest hospitality offering in Lake County.
It’s located at Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, owned by Kaj and Elise Ahlmann and their family, but run by Huttopia, a company based in France with locations worldwide.
Six Sigma, tucked into the oak woodlands between Lower Lake and Middletown, can feel like a world apart, with its rolling hills and valleys, and unique microclimates.
Now, the 4,300-acre property, home to winegrapes and cattle, is also now dotted with new tents that are part of Huttopia's particular style of camping.
These aren’t the tents of old, but modern creations, with names like “Trappeur Pacific,” “Trappeur Pacific” and “Canadienne Pacific” that recall the history of French trappers in the American West.
The tents are specially fabricated in France to quality specifications and then brought to the site for setup “like Legos,” Kaj Ahlmann said.
Kaj Ahlmann, right, and Philippe Bossanne, right, at the Huttopia Wine Country opening in Lower Lake, California, on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Ranging in size from 350 to 425 square feet, they can house two to five people, with full-sized beds and, in some units, additional bunk beds, plus a sitting area with a ceiling fan, kitchenette, and a deck with a barbecue.
They are self-contained, featuring rooftop solar panels that run lighting and, in some of the tents, refrigeration units.
Some of the tents also feature their bathrooms, and so have accompanying septic tanks. Other tents share communal bathrooms.
“It fits the ranch so well,” said Ahlmann.
Huttopia Wine Country features 63 upscale tents; a main lodge situated on a hilltop with events, games and food; hiking and biking trails; bikes for rent; a brand new large swimming pool and playground; and a bistro with a pizza oven. It’s a pet-friendly facility with access to all of the winery’s existing amenities.
It also includes plenty of Six Sigma’s cows, some of whom like to wander through the campsites, grazing on the knee-high wild grasses. Some have been known to mosey in to join the move night held in a field near the main lodge.
Kaj Ahlmann, left, and Supervisor Moke Simon, right, at the Huttopia Wine Country opening in Lower Lake, California, on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Simon honored Ahlmann for his vision and Ahlmann thanked Simon for his support. “You can work with Lake County,” Ahlmann said. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Seven years of effort
Ahlmann said bringing Huttopia to Lake County was an effort seven years in the making.
Now, “All of a sudden, it’s standing here — right in front of me,” he said to a group of community leaders and visitors who came for a Friday grand opening reception at the main lodge, a brand new structure with an American West feel.
On hand for the reception were Philippe and Celine Bossanne, who founded Huttopia in 1999, setting up their first camping facility focusing on families in the Alps. Later, they came to North America, first opening camps in Canada.
When they came to the United States, their first camping facility was at Paradise Springs in Los Angeles County.
Today, they have 1,800 employees across 104 camps in nine countries. The newest country to join the Huttopia fold is Sweden, where a new camp has been set up in the north of the country.
Six Sigma is the second Huttopia site in California. Philippe Bossanne said they think California loves their way of camping.
As a result, Bossanne said a third site is in the works on Catalina Island.
The porch at the Huttopia Wine Country main lodge in Lower Lake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon, who Ahlmann credited for his support of the project, attended the reception, taking time to come and offer his support before heading off to fulfill his coaching obligations at a high school football game.
“I love visionaries,” said Simon. “I love people who follow through with a dream.”
He recalled first hearing about the idea and, hearkening to his tribal heritage, likened the project to taking a piece of obsidian and turning it into a spearhead to provide for one’s family.
Simon said it’s necessary to embrace and understand new ideas, and he thanked Ahlmann, whose stewardship of the land he also lauded.
“Lake County is the most beautiful place in California and you couldn’t tell me any different,” Simon said.
He added, “Lake County is putting a stake in the ground and staying, ‘We’re here, come and see us.’”
He said he’s looking forward to bringing his two grandchildren for a stay at the camp.
Asked how he thinks they’ll like the pool, he said, “They’ll love it.”
The Huttopia Wine Country main lodge in Lower Lake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Making a change
In 1999, the same year that the Bossannes started their glamping adventure, Ahlmann — a Danish native who came to the United States with his family — began his own search.
He had built a respected career in the quality management industry and rose to the top of the corporate leadership of General Electric’s Reinsurance division. However, he decided he wanted to make a change, one that would ultimately lead him to apply Six Sigma quality principles to winemaking.
Ahlmann said he began looking for land in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, but didn’t find what he wanted.
Then a real estate agent called him and asked if he would like to see a ranch in Lake County. He said, sure, but he didn’t know where Lake County was.
Ahlmann came to see the property, and there he met the owner — Russell Rustici, a bachelor rancher who had owned the property for 33 years.
Rustici took him for a three-hour tour of the land before asking if he would like to take it. Ahlmann said he needed to know if wife Elise would approve; when imaging a piece of land, she had been thinking more like 10 acres, not 4,300 acres.
Elise Ahlmann clearly approved, because they purchased the land. Rustici moved to Clearlake but, according to a story on the Six Sigma website, he kept a few cattle on the ranch so he could remain chairman of the Cattlemen’s Association.
Rustici, who died in 2008 at age 84, also was a philanthropist. His legacy includes donations to the University of California that established a scholarship program, a rangeland and cattle research and outreach support program, and three perpetually funded rangeland faculty positions.
Closer to home, he donated $300,000 to Carle Continuation High School. Today, the county park at 16375 Second St. in Lower Lake is named in his honor.
The new pool at Huttopia Wine Country in Lower Lake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Finding a special place
Like Ahlmann’s search years before, about seven years ago the Bossannes were on the lookout for a special place in California for another glamping site. They sent one of their staffers to find that location, and he came to Lake County. When he came across Six Sigma, it was exactly what they wanted.
Within three weeks, the Bossannes had come to meet the Ahlmanns to begin discussing plans. “Working with Huttopia is a special experience,” Kaj Ahlmann said.
Philippe Bossanne said they want to set up in beautiful, natural places. When they found Six Sigma, he said, it was, “like, wow!”
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic landing in the middle of the work, and the heavy rain and snow earlier this year, the project moved forward.
Bossanne also spoke of the partnership with Six Sigma, which is unlike the company’s efforts elsewhere.
“This is an adventure,” Bossanne said.
Both the Ahlmanns and Bossannes have businesses in which family is important.
At Six Sigma’s camp, Huttopia has appointed the husband and wife team of Fabrice and Emmanuelle Masson to manage the site.
The French natives joined the company in 2018, working first at sites in France and, more recently, at East Coast locations in Maine, New Hampshire and New York.
Emmanuelle Masson said they were looking forward to coming to California. “We were waiting for this one,” she said of Huttopia Wine Country.
Masson said she and her husband are enjoying the friendly atmosphere of Lake County and looking forward to exploring it more in the months ahead.
Hospitality is an important part of Huttopia, and the Massons exemplify that. On Friday evening, they were busy serving at the reception, taking people on golf cart tours of the property and stopping in to check on campers.
As the evening drew on, and more visitors showed up for a camping weekend — some with children in tow, some with dogs, some with both — Emmanuelle Masson was busy loading suitcases into her golf cart to help people to their campsites, as cars are not allowed to drive into the clusters of tents.
While the opening reception was Friday afternoon, Huttopia opened on June 30. Masson said they have received very good feedback from visitors in these first three months of operation.
Huttopia will remain open for another month before it closes for the winter, she said.
Ahlmann said that, over the winter, they plan to give staff a break.
While Huttopia is on its winter break, the next phase of construction will take place.
Additions will include a conference tent that will seat up to 52 people. It’s being manufactured in South Africa by a company that makes such tents for safaris, Ahlmann said.
He said there also will be another 40 or so tent units constructed for visitors which will open up next year.
On a tour of the property, Masson pointed out the area where the next phase of tents will go, across the winery’s interior road from the current tent sites.
Ahlmann said Six Sigma’s contract calls for a full capacity of 150 tent units.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A proposal by the Lake County Rodeo to use a portion of Special Districts property for its annual event will go before the Board of Supervisors this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 915 6297 6277, pass code 943858. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,91562976277#,,,,*943858#.
In an item timed for 11:30 a.m., sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, the supervisors will hear a presentation regarding the potential use of Lake County Special Districts property by the Lake County Rodeo, and consider giving staff direction.
“Members of the rodeo board have approached Special Districts about possibly utilizing District property to host the rodeo on a long-term basis,” said Special Districts Administrator Scott Harter in a memo to the board. “District staff and rodeo board members have made multiple site visits to determine feasibility of the proposal prior to any formal presentation or negotiation. Due diligence has proceeded to the point that it makes sense to approach the Board of Directors to provide an informational presentation and seek consensus of the concept prior to proceeding further with any actions.”
The property in question is in the north Lakeport area, to the northwest of Highway 29 and Whalen Way.
“The Rodeo Board is proposing a multi-use area which would accommodate the rodeo on an annual basis, but also provide the possibility of a public access trail head for equestrian trails, as well as the ability to coordinate with Lake County Animal Care and Control to facilitate large animal sheltering in the event of an emergency,” Harter said.
He said the proposed area is approximately 86 acres out of the district’s 1,186 acres in an area with minimal district infrastructure. “Any proposed use in this area will not negatively impact current or future District operations.”
If the board supports the concept, Harter said district staff intends to begin negotiating a lease with the rodeo board, which “would likely be an interim measure prior to declaring the property surplus and listing if for sale.”
That possibility already has been discussed with County Counsel, which along with the County Administrative Office and the supervisors would be involved in future discussions.
In other business, at 10 a.m. the board will receive a presentation on the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and consider approving it.
At 1 p.m., the board will hear a presentation on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Clear Lake Hitch Barriers Removal Project.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the week of Oct. 1 to 7, 2023 as National 4-H Week in Lake County.
5.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.3: Adopt proclamation declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Lake County.
5.5: Adopt proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in Lake County.
5.6: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.7: (a) Appoint Chief Climate Resiliency Officer Terre Logsdon to the High Road Transition Collaborative Sector Table, as part of the Redwood Region RISE (Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Economy) Community Economic resilience Fund (CERF); and (b) approve Redwood Region RISE Community Economic Resilience Fund High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) Collective Partnership agreement letter and authorize the chair or designee to sign.
5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.1, as an extension of an annual agreement; and (b) approve Amendment No. 5 to the contract between county of Lake and Granicus Inc. for agenda management and government transparency services in the amount of $25,154.91, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.9: Approve purchase order for $30,000 grant funding for fiscal year 2023-2024 to 1Team 1Dream and authorize chair to sign.
5.10: Approve agreement between county of Lake and BHC Heritage Oaks Hospital Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the amount of $100,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.11: Second reading, adopt ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Lake County Code Relating to permitting temporary cannabis processing structures, and amending Chapter 27 of the Lake County Code regarding mitigation fees, and Amending Article 68 of the Zoning Ordinance regarding definitions of temporary building types.
5.12: Approve long distance travel for Judy Garcia, Health Services Program manager, Dean Eichelmann, Emergency Preparedness coordinator, and Christine Hannigan, Emergency Preparedness SSA, to attend the National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference Training in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Nov. 28 to 30, 2023.
5.13: Approve the memorandum of understanding between county of Butte and Lake County for a regional facility use agreement from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, for a per diem rate of $175 for each 24-hour day per youth; and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.14: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve and authorize the Lake County Watershed Protection District to file grant application for the Hitch Habitat Improvement Planning and Assessment for Tule Lake, Scotts Creek and Adobe Creek with the Wildlife Conservation Board in an amount not to exceed $2,591,000.
5.15: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the Joint Funding Agreement with US Geological Survey for the annual maintenance of the Kelsey Creek Flow Gauge Station in the amount of $17,860 from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024, and authorize the Water Resources director to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of Oct. 1 to 7, 2023, as National 4-H Week in Lake County.
6.4, 9:09 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating Oct. 7, 2023, as Ageism Awareness Day.
6.5, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.6, 9:11 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in Lake County.
6.7, 9:12 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Lake County.
6.8, 9:13 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.9, 9:15 a.m.:Consideration of presentation by Rural County Representatives of California's Senior Vice President Craig Ferguson.
6.10, 10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of presentation of the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan; and (b) consideration of approval of the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and authorize the chair to sign.
6.11, 11:30 a.m.: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of presentation and direction to staff regarding the potential use of LACOSAN property by the Lake County Rodeo.
6.12, 1 p.m.: Presentation on California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Clear Lake Hitch Barriers Removal Project.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of appointments to the Emergency Medical Care Committee.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(4): Two potential cases.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Earthways Foundation, Inc. v. County of Lake, et al .
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.
Tractors, classic cars and all manner of attractions lined Main Street in Kelseyville, California, during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Thousands of people came out to Kelseyville on Saturday to take part in the annual Pear Festival, which brings together friends, neighbors and visitors in a celebration of Lake County’s farming life.
The 29th annual event saw thousands of people packed into the downtown throughout Saturday, starting with the parade and lasting into the evening.
A handsome horse was a draw for visitors to Main Street during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. There were entertainers, classic cars and tractors, contests, the annual horse fair, and Mexican music and dancing horses behind the St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
And there was plenty of food. The highlight was everything pear — from pears in their whole form to all sorts of pear treats, from popovers and pies at the California Women for Agriculture booth to pear milkshakes, which made their return at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church after a four-year hiatus.
The historic Main Street offered the perfect backdrop for vintage autos during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. The festival once again gave a proper kickoff to fall in Lake County.
The weather was cool, overcast and comfortable, with steady rain falling later in the afternoon and evening, as much of the event was starting to wind down.
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.
Horses with ornate tack danced behind St. Peter’s Catholic Church during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Pear shakes gave people a tasty reason to stop by and take a break at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Children lined up for pictures and hugs with a pear during the Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — What started out as an emergency search for a missing Lucerne man had a happy ending on Friday when authorities located him and his damaged vehicle not far from Highway 29 in northern Napa County.
Greg Restani, 74, was found at around 2 p.m. Friday.
Restani, who has dementia, had last been seen at around 3 p.m. Thursday driving his white 1999 two-door Honda Accord on Highway 29 in the area of Butts Canyon Road near Middletown.
His disappearance led to a Friday search by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office along Highway 29.
Family and friends reported early Friday afternoon that a California Highway Patrol plane spotted the Honda on the Old Lawley Toll Road, which splits off Highway 29 near the Calistoga Grade.
Restani’s vehicle was found crashed about a fourth of a mile off the highway.
A search and rescue team found Restani huddled in a barn.
Family members posted a picture of him safe and on the way home on Facebook a short time later.
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.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced the selection of Laphonza Butler — the president of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List — to complete the United States Senate term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024.
Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor leader, and advocate for women and working people, will be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate.
She will also be the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history and the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate following Vice President Kamala Harris.
“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” said Gov. Newsom. “As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.”
Butler comes from a working-class family. Her father — a small-business owner — was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died when Butler was 16 years old. Her mother was the household’s sole provider, working as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard and a bookkeeper to provide for Butler and her two siblings.
With her selection to the Senate, Butler will step down from her role as president of EMILY’s List, where she was the first woman of color and mother to lead the organization.
Prior to joining EMILY’s List, Butler ran political campaigns and led strategy efforts for numerous companies, organizations, and elected leaders — including for Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Butler was a key leader of Vice President Harris's presidential campaign.
For more than a decade, she served as the president of the largest labor union in California — SEIU Local 2015 — a union representing more than 325,000 nursing home and home-care workers throughout the state.
Previously, Butler served as President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers and also as SEIU’s Property Services Division Director, in which she was responsible for the strategic direction of organizing on behalf of more than 250,000 janitors, security officers, window cleaners, and food service workers across the country.
Butler also served as an SEIU International Vice President and president of the SEIU California State Council.
Butler was the former director of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System. In 2018, she was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents by Gov. Jerry Brown, where she served until 2021.
She served in various other roles, including as a board member for the National Children’s Defense Fund, BLACK PAC, and the Bay Area Economic Council Institute, and as a fellow for the MIT Community Innovators Lab.
Butler was named a “Champion for Change” by President Barack Obama.
She received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Jackson State University.
Butler is married to her wife, Neneki, and together they have a daughter, Nylah.
Ever since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into orbit on Oct. 4, 1957, America has been struggling to recruit and retain STEM teachers in its public middle and high schools.
The situation has been getting progressively worse over the past decade or so. For instance, in the 2011-2012 school year, 19% of public schools were unable to fill a teaching position for biology or life sciences. By the 2020-2021 school year, that number had grown to 31%. The situation was similar for other subjects, going from 19% to 32% for mathematics, and 26% to 47% for physical sciences, such as physics, geology and engineering.
Science shortages were a problem even before Sputnik, but the launch served as a wake-up call. Three months afterward, President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated during his Special Message to the Congress on Education that federal action was necessary to educate more science and mathematics teachers.
We think endowed chairs have the potential to retain and attract more STEM educators at the K-12 level, but it requires a willingness to rethink the ways that schools employ STEM educators.
What’s behind the gap?
Two factors contribute to so many unfilled vacancies in STEM education:
1. There are fewer college students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education that ever before.
Between 1959-1976, bachelor’s degrees in education were the most popular college major in the United States, and they accounted for about 20% of all degrees. Between 1975-2021, the percentage of students majoring in education fell from 17% to 4%.
2. STEM graduates can earn more money outside of education.
But this only tells a portion of the STEM teacher salary story. In 2021, K-12 teachers’ weekly salary was only $1,348 – about $660 less than the $2,009 earned weekly by other college graduates.
Prior efforts to close the gap
Since developing a strong STEM workforce is vital to the nation’s security and economic well-being, several U.S. presidents have used their position to advance a STEM education agenda.
For example, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, Eisenhower and Congress came to realize that the nation needed to focus on what takes place in the classroom space – not just outer space.
Fifty-three years later, President Barack Obama utilized his 2011 State of the Union address to advance the national STEM agenda. “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” he said. “And over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.”
A shortage of STEM teachers remains. According to a survey of 53 states and territories, 39 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands had teacher vacancies in all subjects, STEM disciplines included, as of Feb 9, 2023. One additional reason for the current shortage is that public schools lost approximately 7% of their teachers – 233,000 instructors – between 2019-2021, which included STEM teachers.
Federal investments in programs and fellowships to produce more STEM teachers are good. But those alone will not be enough to retain and attract the quality STEM educators we need.
Traditionally, an endowed chair is a prestigious faculty position funded through annual spending from a university’s endowment fund.
The interest earned on the endowment will partially or fully fund the salary of the position for as long as the university exists. Endowed chairs are awarded to those who are the best in their field.
The benefit of an endowed chair is that it will be paid for decades to come by the interest on investment. In our paper, we suggest that K-12 schools could use endowed chairs to support a K-12 STEM teacher’s salary, benefits and professional development, all the while saving money for the district and state.
If structured right, the interest on the endowment will pay a teacher’s salary and benefits, something the district would subsequently not have to pay. The endowment can be used to purchase STEM supplies. The money saved by the district can be used to invest in another teacher. The money could come from private individuals, corporations or foundations.
An endowed chair could also provide funding for teachers and students to have access to state-of-the-art learning technology. As part of the endowed chair contract, a teacher can participate in a fully paid externship at a STEM-focused public or private sector company during the summer months. The goal would be to bring to the classroom the experiences and insights the teacher learned from the externship.
An endowed STEM chair salary may never outpace what educators could earn if they entered the private market. But it can potentially help elevate their position and, perhaps, enable educators to make a salary that would be higher than what it would otherwise be.
The death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, announced on Friday, has elicited responses from across government, including Lake County’s representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) honored Feinstein, who died at age 90. She was the longest serving woman in the U.S. Senate.
“Sen. Dianne Feinstein was a legendary and iconic public servant and a champion for California and our nation. She put her heart and soul completely into serving her beloved San Francisco, California, and our nation, and we owe her a debt a gratitude for the incredible work that she has done throughout her career. Dianne broke many glass ceilings, from serving as the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first female mayor of San Francisco, to the first female senator from our state. She was a trailblazer in every meaning of the word,” Thompson said.
“Dianne earned and held the love and trust of both her constituents and her colleagues because of her tremendous work ethic, deep knowledge of issues, and her willingness to work across the aisle to get things done. She would study the issues to make sure she was making the most informed decision possible for her constituents. As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Intelligence Committee, she tirelessly fought for our country, no matter how difficult the challenge or complex the issue.
“Dianne and I worked closely together on projects that have improved the lives of the people of in our state, particularly on the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act that protected hundreds of thousands of acres and will ensure these pristine lands and opportunities for outdoor recreation will be enjoyed for generations to come. She was a champion for gun violence prevention issues and was a tireless advocate for keeping our communities safe. Her legacy will never be forgotten.
“Dianne Feinstein was an outstanding public servant, and her voice and advocacy will be sorely missed. Jan and I send our thoughts and prayers to her friends, family, and staff during this sad time,” Thompson said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is now tasked with naming a successor to temporarily fill Feinstein’s seat until a special election can be held to fill the remainder of her term, which continues until January 2025.
Electric vehicle sales are growing faster than expected around the world, and sales of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles have been falling. Yet, the U.S. government still forecasts an increasing demand for oil, and the oil industry is doubling down on production plans.
Why is that, and what happens if the U.S. projections for growing oil demand are wrong?
On Sept. 12, 2023, Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization that advises the world’s major economies, drew global attention when he wrote in the Financial Times that the IEA is now projecting a global peak in demand for oil, gas and coal by 2030.
The new date was a significant leap forward in time compared with previous estimates that the peak would not be until the 2030s for oil and even later for gas. It also stood out because the IEA has typically been quite conservative in modeling changes to the global energy system.
Birol pointed to changes in energy policies and a faster-than-expected rise in clean technologies – including electric vehicles – along with Europe’s shift away from fossil fuels amid Russia’s war in Ukraine as the primary reasons. He wrote that the IEA’s upcoming World Energy Outlook “shows the world is on the cusp of a historic turning point.”
EV sales have been growing quickly, particularly in China. China’s BYD produces several of the top-selling models globally.VCG/VCG via Getty Images
The United Nations also released its “global stocktake” report in early September, assessing the world’s progress toward meeting the Paris climate agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial temperatures. The report found serious gaps in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by soon after mid-century. However, it noted two bright spots: The world is more or less on track in the growth in solar photovoltaics for renewable energy – and in the growth of electric vehicles.
The dynamics of EV expansion are important because each vehicle that uses electricity instead of gasoline or diesel fuel will depress demand for oil. Even though demand for petroleum products in other sectors, like aviation and petrochemicals, is still increasing, the IEA expects a decline in road transportation’s 50% share of oil consumption to drive an overall peak in demand within a few years.
EVs are now on pace to dominate global car sales by 2030, with fast growth in China in particular, according to analysts at the Rocky Mountain Institute. If countries continue to upgrade their electricity and charging infrastructure, “the endgame for one quarter of global oil demand will be in sight,” they wrote in a new report. As electric trucks become more common, oil demand will likely drop even faster, the analysts wrote.
Based on the data, it appears that global oil demand will peak relatively soon. Yet, major oil companies say they plan to increase their production, and the U.S. Energy Information Administrationstill projects that global demand for oil and fossil fuels will continue to grow.
It’s fair to assume that large industries should have a good handle on future developments expected to affect their fields. But they often have a competing priority to ensure that short-term gains are preserved.
Both Shell and BP recently backpedaled on their previous climate commitments in spite of tacit admissions that increasing oil production is inconsistent with climate change mitigation. Exxon’s CEO said in June 2023 that his company aimed to double its U.S. shale oil production over the next five years.
In 2020, then-BP CEO Bernard Looney declared that the oil company would achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In 2023, after record profits, BP announced it would increase fossil fuel production investment by about $1 billion a year for the rest of the decade.Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images
What is happening in the fossil fuel industry seems to be an example of the so-called “green paradox,” in which it is rational, from a profit-maximization point of view, to extract these resources as quickly as possible when faced with the threat of future decreased market value.
That is, if a company can see that in the future its product will make less money or be threatened by environmental policies, it would be likely to sell as much as possible now. As part of that process, it may be very willing to encourage the building of fossil fuel infrastructure that clearly won’t be viable a decade or two in the future, creating what are known as stranded assets.
In the long run, countries encouraged to borrow to make these investments may be stuck with the bill, in addition to the global climate change impacts that will result.
Extractive industries have known about climate change for decades. But rather than transform themselves into broad-based energy companies, most have doubled down on oil, coal and natural gas. More than two dozen U.S. cities, counties and states are now suing fossil fuel companies over the harms caused by climate change and accusing them of misleading the public, with California filing the latest lawsuit on Sept. 15, 2023.
The question is whether these companies will be able to successfully adapt to a renewable energy world, or whether they will follow the path of U.S. coal companies and not recognize their own decline until it is too late.
What's up for October? Some great Moon-and-planet pairings, a mission to a metal-rich world, and a partial eclipse of the Sun.
On Oct. 2, the Moon rises a couple of hours after sunset, appearing super close to the Pleiades star cluster. Look for them low in the east after around 10 p.m.
They travel across the sky together that night, leaving another opportunity to see them the following morning. In the predawn sky on Oct. 3, the Moon appears a couple of finger widths apart from the Pleiades, having moved a bit in its orbit around Earth during the night. Look for them high in the southwest, flanked by Jupiter and the bright, red giant star Aldebaran in Taurus.
On Oct. 10, look for Venus in the east before sunrise, accompanied by a slim crescent Moon. And in between them, the bright heart of Leo the lion, bluiush-white star Regulus.
On Oct. 23, look toward the south an hour or two after sunset to find the Moon, about 70% illuminated, hanging just beneath the planet Saturn. Their close proximity in the sky will make for some easy telescope viewing of these two skywatching favorites. The following evening, the Moon will still be nearby, having moved to the east of Saturn.
The full moon on Oct. 28 rises together with planet Jupiter. These are two of the brightest objects in the sky, and seeing them so close should make for quite an impressive sight.
When you gaze up at Venus, Mars, Mercury (or even down at Earth beneath your feet), do you ever wonder how these planets formed out of stardust? That's how planetary scientists think, too. And this month, NASA's launching a spacecraft to seek new insights into how the "terrestrial" planets developed. NASA's Psyche spacecraft is planned to launch in October on its multi-year journey to an asteroid of the same name. It's the first mission to a metal-rich asteroid, which could be part of the interior of a planetesimal – a building block of a rocky planet.
Asteroid Psyche could also turn out to be a different kind of iron-rich object that's not been seen before. Whatever its story turns out to be, it's hoped the mission might show us how Earth’s core and the cores of the other terrestrial planets came to be.
On Oct. 14, skywatchers in the Americas will have an opportunity to see a special type of solar eclipse called an annular eclipse. Along a path about 125 miles wide, the Sun will appear as a narrow ring of light, which is often called a "ring of fire." This narrow circle shape is also known as an annulus, giving this type of eclipse its name.
Solar eclipses happen when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun, and covers at least part of the Sun in the sky. When the Moon covers the Sun completely, we get to observe a total eclipse. But sometimes the Moon is a bit farther away in its orbit when an eclipse happens, making it look a little smaller in the sky, and just a bit too small to completely cover the Sun. When that happens, it enables us to see an annular eclipse.
The path of this partial eclipse sweeps across the Americas, beginning in Southern Canada and crossing the Western U.S., before moving across Central and South America. Outside the annular eclipse path, those within the viewing zone will still see a partial eclipse. The maximum amount of the Sun that will be covered by the Moon depends on your location.
Now, eclipse fans won't have to wait long for more excitement. Next April, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the U.S. Check out NASA's eclipse resources online for info about both eclipses, where they'll be visible, and tips for safe viewing.
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.
Over the last decade, smartphones have become ubiquitous not just for sending texts and staying abreast of news, but also for monitoring daily activity levels.
Among the most common, and arguably the most meaningful, tracking method for daily physical activity is step counting.
Counting steps is far more than a fad: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dedicated a sizable portion of its most recent physical activity guidelines to documenting the relationship between daily step counts and several chronic diseases.
Unfortunately, the guidelines have little to say about how step counts might be used to aid in weight management, an outcome of critical importance given the high rates of overweight and obesity in the U.S.
While the evidence is clear that increasing numbers of adults are living in a chronic energy surplus that leads to weight gain, a key question is – why? What has changed so dramatically since 1980 that could explain why obesity rates have tripled?
Although the American diet is likely a key contributor, a wealth of research points to a reduction in physical activity as a major culprit behind the expanding waist lines – and step counts are an excellent indicator of physical activity.
Step counts may – or may not – lead to weight loss
A number of recent studies have looked at whether increasing step counts can lead to weight loss over a certain period of time. One large-scale study called a meta-analysis concluded that increasing physical activity by way of step counts was effective for attaining modest weight loss. However, many if not most studies examining the effect of exercise on weight loss report modest outcomes, with results that are variable and often disappointing.
That may be in part because the step count targets used in many weight management studies are most often set in an arbitrary manner, such as targeting 10,000 steps per day. Or, if they’re individualized at all, they’re based on initial behavioral characteristics, like adding a given number of steps to what a person is already accumulating in a typical day. Rarely, if ever, are the step targets in research studies based on any physical attributes of the participants.
My team’s research has compiled weight, body fat percentages and average step counts for large numbers of adults between 19 and 40 years of age. From that data, we have identified a way to determine specific step count goals based on key physical attributes – namely, baseline body weight and composition, and the desired body composition.
When it comes to health, it is important to remember that body weight does not tell the whole story. In fact, body composition is much more predictive of health status than body weight. Someone who weighs more than another person may be in better health if they have more muscle mass and a lower percentage of body fat than the other person who weighs less but has a higher proportion of body fat.
Parsing the numbers
We have used our data to develop a model that predicts average daily step counts per unit of fat mass from body fat percentage. We believe that this model can be used to determine how much people would need to walk to achieve a specific amount of weight and body fat reduction.
Take, for instance, a man who weighs 175 pounds (80 kilograms), of which 25% is fat. Our model suggests that he walks an average of 10,900 steps a day. Then consider another man who weighs 220 pounds (100 kilograms), of which 20% is fat. Although they have different amounts of lean mass, both men have about 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of fat. So our model predicts that the heavier man walks an average of 15,300 steps a day. In other words, the heavier person has a lower percentage of body fat and walks more to maintain that leaner body composition.
A person’s body fat percentage is every bit as important as their weight. That’s because how much muscle you have affects how hungry you get, as well as how many calories you burn. Muscle mass requires energy to maintain, and this requirement leads to increased appetite, which means taking in more calories. In this example, the heavier man probably eats more than the lighter man in order to maintain his lean muscle mass, and he must walk more to maintain his lower body fat percentage.
If you want to lose body fat, and therefore weight, you basically have two choices: You can eat less, or you can move more. Eating less means you’ll be hungry a lot, and that’s uncomfortable, unpleasant and, for most people, not sustainable. Moving more, on the other hand, can allow you to eat until you’re full and keep body fat off – or even lose it.
Therefore, we wanted to know how much a person who eats until they’re full might have to move to offset the calories they’re eating.
It’s easy to add in extra steps – for example, park a little farther from the grocery store or take an extra trip to the mailbox.
Step counts for weight loss
Currently, our model applies to young adults, but we are now collecting data for middle-aged and older adults too. To use this model, you need to first have your body composition determined, a service that is being offered by increasing numbers of fitness centers and medical practices. With our model, you must determine your body weight and fat weight in kilograms – to do this, simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.
With this information in hand, our model can provide a step count target that is specific to a person’s current body weight and body fat percentage, and their goal for fat loss and weight reduction.
For example, our model predicts that a woman weighing 155 pounds (70 kilograms) with 30% body fat currently accumulates an average of about 8,700 steps per day. If she wants to lose about 10 pounds and reach a body fat percentage around 25%, she could consult the model and discover that people who maintain that body composition accumulate an average of about 545 steps per kilogram of fat per day. Since she currently has about 46 pounds (21 kilograms) of fat, her goal would be to accumulate a total of 11,450 steps per day.
While that may seem at first glance to be a sizable increase in daily steps, most people can accumulate 1,000 steps in 10 minutes or less. So even with a comfortable pace, this additional daily dose of walking would take fewer than 30 minutes. Furthermore, steps can be accumulated throughout the day, with longer or more frequent trips, or both, to restrooms, vending machines and the like.
While steps certainly can be accumulated in dedicated walking sessions, such as a 15-minute walk during lunch hour and another 15-minute walk in the evening, they can also be accumulated in shorter, more frequent bouts of activity.
Researchers have learned a great deal in the past 70 years about appetite and energy expenditure: Appetite imposes a drive for food based largely on our fat-free mass, no matter how active or inactive we are, and we must accumulate enough physical activity to counter the calories that we take in through our diet if we want to maintain an energy balance – or exceed our intake to lose weight.