LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Forecasters are predicting an atmospheric river headed toward California next week has Lake County and part of the North Coast region right in its bull's-eye.
The storm is expected to hit from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, according to the National Weather Service.
Lake County is forecast to receive heavy rain, along with the potential for heavy snow in the higher elevations. The forecast calls for the county to have an 80% chance of above-average precipitation.
More precipitation is expected through the middle of February, based on the extended forecast.
At the same time, temperatures are generally forecast to be above average.
In the run up to next week, rain is expected through Saturday night, with a break until early next week, as the new storms head in.
The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook shows that none of California currently is in drought or forecast to experience it.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport is moving forward with its first police chief recruitment in nearly 20 years.
At its Jan. 16 meeting, the council unanimously approved an agreement with Bob Hall and Associates to conduct an executive recruitment to find the successor for Chief Brad Rasmussen, who intends to retire later this year.
The $27,000 agreement was approved along with a budget amendment to allow for the expenditure.
Last spring, Rasmussen announced his plans to retire at the same time as he revealed his intention to run for District 4 supervisor. He’s now in the midst of a four-way race that also includes Scott Barnett, Laura McAndrews Sammel and Chris Read.
Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Kelly Buendia told the council that after Rasmussen’s announcement, staff discussed the recruitment and decided that it “quickly gets out of our scope,” and that “hiring an executive recruiting firm makes most sense in our opinion.”
Her written report explained that the firms were asked to “conduct a comprehensive outreach campaign aimed at producing the highest quality candidate pool; coordinate the interview selection process; assist in compensation negotiations and conduct a POST-level background investigation.”
Buendia reported that the city issued a request for quote and qualifications and received five proposals to do the work.
A selection committee that included Buendia, Rasmussen, City Manager Kevin Ingram and Assistant City Manager Nick Walker interviewed the top three firms and decided that Bob Hall and Associates was the best overall fit for the city, demonstrating the strongest law enforcement experience and credentials.
“They also exhibited experience in understanding and working with the challenges of small agencies,” Buendia’s report explained.
Buendia said Bob Hall and Associates’ bid was in the middle of the amounts proposed by the other firms.
Todd Freitas of the Lakeport Police Officer’s Association said he believed the city has a very good vision for how to move forward. He also noted that the contract amount will cover the background investigation cost.
Freitas lauded Rasmussen for doing “a very good job of running the ship over the years.”
He credited the police department’s strong staffing position to current police administration, adding, “We hope that this hiring firm will assist us in continuing that vision in the leadership.”
Councilwoman Kim Costa moved to approve the agreement, with Councilman Brandon Disney seconding and the council voting 5-0.
The contract commences on Feb. 1 and continues until Jan. 31, 2025. It will be overseen by Buendia.
Rasmussen has been chief since May of 2011, and was promoted to the position from within the police department’s ranks after the departure of Chief Kevin Burke, whose hire resulted after a recruitment begun in 2005 when Chief Tom Engstrom retired.
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. — Following the weekend’s heavy rain, flooding was reported by residents of Upper Lake on Monday.
The area around First and Washington streets in Upper Lake was taped off on Monday due to water going over the road.
That location also experienced flooding in 2023.
Flooding also was reported in Scotts Valley on Monday.
In response to questions from Lake County News, Public Works Director Scott De Leon confirmed that the area along Washington Street in Upper Lake experienced flooding from the overnight rainfall, with the worst area being between First and Second streets on the west side of Clover Creek. He said the area on Washington Street south of First Street also had some minor flooding.
De Leon said debris in the original channel of Clover Creek between First and Second streets is contributing to the situation.
“There is a large wood jam consisting of several large trees, limbs and berries, and from what we can see, it appears the flows hit that debris jam and got pushed over the private levees,” he said.
Lake County News received reports that one of the levee's diversion gates has been broken for months and couldn’t be closed to stop the flow.
De Leon acknowledged that one of the gates is damaged, but he said, “the damage prevents the gate from completely opening – not closing – and that gate is closed. The diversion structure actually has 5 culverts, two with gates and the other three have steel plates covering them to reduce flows. Based on our inspection today, the Clover Creek channel downstream of the diversion structure carried the flows, and it was the debris jam that created the problem.”
He said his county road department staff worked with the Northshore Fire Department to place pumps to help drain the area, “which according to staff was effective.”
By the end of the day Monday there was approximately 6 inches of water on Washington near First Street, with the rest of the street clear, De Leon said.
“Water Resources staff will be evaluating the wood jam to see if any of the outside contractors currently in the county performing vegetation management can tackle it,” he said. “This is all private property, so county crews can’t perform the work, but we are trying to utilize whatever resources we have available to help the situation.”
Lawmakers and tribal and law enforcement users of the year-old Feather Alert, found use of the notification system delivered positive results in locating Native American persons who have gone missing but some wrinkles need to be addressed for a more effective use of the program.
The assessment came at a Wednesday hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs.
“This alert is a great tool for Native Americans trying to bring attention to loved ones who are missing and possibly at great risk of physical or even fatal harm. New programs should be assessed to ensure that they are working effectively,” said Assemblymember James C. Ramos, who authored legislation creating the notification system.
He added, “One thing we do know about the Feather Alert is that when there is no alert, there is a much greater chance that we’ll be grieving and not celebrating.”
Ramos said the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, or MMIP, has been an issue since his election in 2018 when he became the first California Native American elected to the state legislature.
“California has the greatest number of Native Americans within its borders than any other state, but we’re also in the top five in the nation with the highest number of unsolved missing and murdered cases for Native people, especially for women and girls. They are victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and murder. One study by the Sovereign Bodies Institute reports 18 new cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people each year in California,” Ramos said.
Ramos noted that one challenge is making tribes and the general public aware of the Feather Alert and another is bridging communication gaps among various law enforcement agencies and the tribes.
Over the past year Ramos said he has conducted summits with tribes, the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement to foster awareness and understanding of the program, but also to foster better communication among Indian Country and city police departments, sheriffs and the CHP.
Ramos said he has held summits in the counties of Fresno, San Bernardino, Mendocino and Los Angeles and added that he hopes to hold more summits.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has announced a partnership with fire protection associations, safety organizations and environmental sustainability groups to advance wildfire resilience in Lake County.
The partnership, called the Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaboration, provides financial support for local fuel reduction projects, a dynamic Community Wildfire Protection Plan specific to Lake County and an environmentally friendly biomass usage program.
“We are very proud of the Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative, which leverages the strengths of many organizations — each with unique skills and areas of focus — that together are dedicated to building capacity and improving wildfire resilience in Lake County. Through partnership and innovation, the work executed by this Collaborative will reduce the threat of wildfire and keep our hometowns safer,” said Dave Canny, vice president for PG&E’s North Coast Region.
PG&E launched the collaborative in the fall of 2023 with a $500,000 grant to the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, or CLERC, allowing them to expand its existing fuel reduction partnership with the Northshore Fire Protection District.
The grant has allowed Northshore Fire to increase the size of its crew and stabilize wages so that they can better respond to the vegetation management needs in the area.
Since September, Northshore Fire has completed several local wildfire safety projects, many of which are focused on creating defensible space between dwellings and vegetation.
A particular area of focus for Northshore Fire is vegetation management work around some of Lake County’s elderly and assisted living facilities that may not have the resources to execute the wildfire safety work themselves.
In addition to the wildfire safety work, PG&E grant will also help fund a dynamic Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or CWPP, that outlines community-specific wildfire resilience analytics for all of Lake County.
This component of the partnership utilizes computer modeling to predict wildfire pathways to inform community discussions on the most effective and strategic locations for fuel reduction projects.
This science-based approach to identifying project areas could eventually serve as the county-wide CWPP project list for Lake County.
The final component of the partnership focuses on biomass utilization. This wood management partnership uses a carbonator to collectively reduce the cost of managing wood waste, and create biochar, a climate-positive wood product, to be deployed in Lake County at strategic locations.
The Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative Partnership members include PG&E, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, Northshore Fire Protection District, Lake County Fire Chiefs Association, California Fire Chiefs Association, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, US Forest Service and CalFire.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Health Services has issued a boil water advisory for residents drawing water directly from the southern half of Clear Lake using private intakes.
This precautionary measure comes in response to a sewage overflow incident on Burns Valley Road in Clearlake.
Residents and businesses relying on private intakes in the specified area are strongly urged to boil their drinking water until further notice.
The advisory is enacted to ensure public safety in light of the sewage overflow incident.
Advisory details
• Boil water for a minimum of one minute after bubbles quickly rise from the bottom of the pot to the top.
• Allow the boiled water to cool before storing it in clean, sanitized containers.
• Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food and baby formula, making ice and giving to pets.
This advisory remains in effect until Lake County Health Services, in collaboration with assisting agencies, determines that there is no longer a public health concern.
Ongoing assessments will be conducted, and residents will be promptly notified when the advisory is lifted.
Water recreation warning
Pending test results may indicate the presence of raw sewage in the water around the City of Clearlake.
Residents are strongly advised against recreational activities in the affected areas until further notice.
Lake County Health Services, in coordination with local agencies, is actively working to contain and address the incident using containment experts and large sewer pump trucks.
Community health information
No illnesses related to the community’s drinking water have been reported at this time. Residents with health concerns are urged to contact their healthcare provider or reach out to the County of Lake Health Services Public Health Division at 707-263-1090 or the Environmental Health Division at 707-263-1164.
Microbial risks
Fecal coliforms and E. coli, bacteria indicating potential contamination with human or animal wastes, may pose health risks.
Short-term effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms could result. Infants, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
Residents at increased risk are advised to consult their healthcare provider regarding drinking water safety. General guidelines on minimizing the risk of microbial infection are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Road closure information
The sewage main has ruptured, causing a release and lifting part of Rumsey Road at the Bowers Avenue intersection.
Rumsey Road is closed at the Bowers Avenue intersection, and the timeline for reopening is unknown. An investigation is currently underway to assess and address the situation.
Residents drawing water directly from Clear Lake through private intakes, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, are encouraged to share this information with others.
For more information, please contact the County of Lake Health Services Department at 707-263-1090 or 707-263-1164.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday was joined by local leaders in Sacramento for a roundtable discussion to address gun violence.
The roundtable is the first in a series of meetings led by Attorney General Bonta across the state to bring together leaders of nonprofits, churches and community groups to discuss best practices in preventing gun violence.
The primary objective of the roundtables is to formulate effective approaches for addressing gun violence in communities, fostering knowledge about accessible resources for the public, and enhancing partnerships statewide to avert gun violence occurrences more effectively.
Attorney General Bonta stressed the importance of preventing gun violence at the roundtable, which falls a year after the shooting in Half Moon Bay killing seven victims and injuring one on January 23, 2023; and just after another shooting in Monterey Park, California, where 10 people were gunned down and nine injured on January 21, 2023.
“California continues to collectively mourn those lost to gun violence, including those we lost due to the horrific shootings in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park. We continue to heal together, and we look for ongoing solutions to prevent America’s disease and its effect on our communities. Preventing gun violence must begin in our communities by strengthening relationships and fostering an environment of support and collaboration,” Bonta said.
“I’m proud to stand with our local partners to identify best practices, foster community involvement, and work toward community-driven solutions to eliminate gun violence. As California Attorney General, I am doubling down on California’s gun safety efforts by defending our common sense gun safety laws in court, cracking down on enforcing those laws, and working in collaboration with local community violence intervention and prevention experts to disrupt cycles of gun violence,” Bonta said.
“For too long gun violence has caused tremendous trauma for so many families,” said Kim Williams, Hub Manager at Sacramento Building Healthy Communities. “Preventing gun violence requires a collective effort so we must come together as community organizations, system leaders and residents, allocate more resources, and work tirelessly towards a common goal. By joining forces, we can build safer communities where our loved ones can thrive without the fear of gun violence.”
“Mutual Assistance Network is an essential part of an intentional continuum of violence prevention that seeks community led and racial equity centered solutions to gun violence,” said Danielle Lawrence, Executive Director of Mutual Assistance Network. “As we collectively and collaboratively strive for a safer future, we call on all individuals, organizations, institutions, and policymakers to join hands in addressing the multifaceted challenges and impacts of gun violence to our communities in Sacramento County.”
“We’ve all seen and experienced the impact of gun violence across our state,” said Senior Pastor Les Simmons of South Sacramento Christian Center. “Can you imagine a world without Violence? It is my hope that the Office of Gun Violence Prevention has that very imagination and action towards a collaborative solution, creating space for a deeper understanding between community lead organizations and other public safety entities for a shared vision of ending gun violence.”
In September of 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the launch of the California Department of Justice’s first-in-the-nation Office of Gun Violence Prevention, or OGVP, dedicated to developing strategies and working with stakeholders statewide to address the gun violence epidemic.
This innovative new office — the first Office of Gun Violence Prevention under the leadership of a state attorney general — provides centralized support from DOJ for partners to implement strategic and innovative programs to reduce gun violence.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s mission is to reduce and prevent gun violence, firearm injury, and related trauma. OGVP supports DOJ’s ongoing gun violence reduction efforts led by the Bureau of Firearms and DOJ's litigation sections — including the DOJ’s seizure of firearms from dangerous individuals using the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, prosecution of firearms trafficking cases, and defense of California’s commonsense gun laws. OGVP examines a broad range of factors — from firearm availability to effective resources for crisis prevention — to reduce the harm caused by firearms and make Californians healthier and safer.
OGVP aims to reduce gun violence by promoting research and data collection, increasing awareness about effective legal and policy strategies, and collaborating with federal, state, and local partners.
In 2023, the office released its first data report to provide a robust review of gun violence data in California and throughout the U.S. to help guide policy and strategy discussions related to reducing gun violence. The report highlighted California’s successes in preventing gun violence, and it shined a light on successful strategies and further areas for improvements.
For example, over the last 30 years, California has reduced its gun violence rate compared to the rest of the United States; once 50% above average, California’s firearm homicide rate is now 33% below the rest of the United States.
Additionally, if the firearm mortality rate in the rest of the United States had matched California’s between 2013-2022, there would have been nearly 140,000 fewer firearm-related deaths nationwide in that decade alone.
Also In 2023, the office released the second data report that provided an in-depth look at the ties between domestic violence and firearms. The report examined data illustrating the impact of firearms-related domestic violence, including both family and intimate partner-related violence with firearms.
The report documented California’s long-term progress in reducing domestic violence involving firearms, and highlighted California’s efforts to empower and protect survivors by providing a range of support services, offering crisis intervention and safety planning options, providing for domestic violence restraining orders and enforcing laws to protect against gun violence.
In a significant milestone for public safety, the California Highway Patrol documented a substantial reduction in the number of freeway shootings across the state.
The number of confirmed freeway shootings in California dropped from 349 to 274 last year — a reduction of more than 21% from the previous year and a 38% reduction from 2021.
In addition to the reduction in the number of freeway shootings, CHP data confirms the number of victims killed and injured in highway violence incidents also decreased.
Last year there were four people killed in freeways shootings, which is a 60% reduction from 2022.
Additionally, there was an 8% reduction in the number of people injured — from 74 to 68 last year.
Reflecting the good work that contributed to these reductions, the number of arrests by the CHP in freeways shootings increased nearly 9% from 2022.
“While this downward trend marks progress, let's be clear: one life lost by gun violence is one too many. California will remain relentless in our pursuit to improve public safety, reduce gun violence, and invest in smart crime-fighting strategies that deliver real results,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Freeway shootings are serious crimes, and the CHP actively investigates every incident of highway violence,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “This accomplishment reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of our highways throughout California and fostering an environment where motorists can travel without fear.”
If you are driving on the freeway and a shooting takes place near you, you should remain calm, be a good witness and note any details such as vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers.
Maintain a safe distance from the suspect, and call 9-1-1 if possible, to report the incident and your current location.
Gov. Newsom established CHP’s Highway Violence Task Force to address the rise of violent crimes occurring on state highways, which surged nationally during the pandemic. At their peak in California in 2021, 447 shootings resulted in 16 deaths and 88 injuries. The new data show a 38% reduction in shootings and a 75% reduction in deaths compared to those pandemic highs.
Natasha Pilkauskas, University of Michigan and Katherine Michelmore, University of Michigan
Influential lawmakers have struck a deal that could increase the extent to which low-income U.S. families can benefit from the child tax credit for three years. The Conversation asked Natasha Pilkauskas and Katherine Michelmore, public policy researchers at the University of Michigan, to explain what may change and why.
Why does Congress want to expand the child tax credit?
The child tax credit, first enacted in 1997, was originally designed to help middle-class families with the costs of raising kids by giving them and upper-class families a tax credit of US$400 per child.
After several changes, this credit grew to as much as $2,000. Then the government temporarily expanded the credit in two main ways for the 2021 tax year.
Families could get up to $3,600 for each child, and nearly all low-income families could obtain it. In addition, half of this money was disbursed in monthly payments in the second half of 2021.
In 2022, the credit reverted to its previous terms, in accordance with the tax reform package that President Donald Trump signed into law in late 2017.
The maximum credit is currently worth $2,000. Families must earn at least $2,500 to claim any credit, but their earnings must be higher to get the full credit. For example, a family with two children must earn at least about $40,000 to receive the full $4,000 in child tax credits. Families with three or more children have to earn even more to get the full benefits.
What could change this time?
A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers agreed on Jan. 16, 2024, to expand the credit again. If Congress passes the $33 billion measure and President Joe Biden signs it into law, the credit would still be smaller than the 2021 version, and it would not be available to all low-income families.
The new proposal would adjust the earnings requirements. These changes would make it easier for many lower-income families – those earning roughly between $10,000 and $50,000 – to get the full credit. These families would get an average credit that is about $1,130 higher than in 2022.
Families with higher incomes will also see larger benefits in future years if this expansion is passed, because the credit would be indexed to inflation to help families keep pace with rising expenses.
Unlike the 2021 expansion, which gave families monthly checks for six months, this credit would come only at tax time as a lump sum.
For parents who worked in 2023 and have kids younger than 17 who live with them, it may be worth filing taxes in 2024.
What’s the rationale for this expansion?
Raising children can be very expensive.
Consider a mother who is working year-round in a full-time, minimum-wage job who has two kids. Assuming she earns the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, she would earn just over $15,000 each year. Once she pays her rent, food and utility bills, she likely has very little money left for other important expenses like child care or school fees.
For this woman, getting a bigger check at tax time could really help her make ends meet. This new plan would nearly double her child tax credit from about $1,875 to $3,600.
There’s also widespread support to expand the child tax credit because the 2021 child tax credit lifted 3 million children out of poverty.
In the past, bipartisan coalitions have voted to expand the child tax credit. Republicans and Democrats alike have proposed making it more generous over the years.
The current expansion also has bipartisan support, even though progressive lawmakers would have preferred a return to the 2021 version of the credit, which was larger, available to more low-income families and disbursed in monthly installments.
Some conservatives worry that bigger credits make people less likely to work. There’s not much evidence to support that claim.
Should Congress pass the tax package and Biden sign it by Jan. 29, American families would be able to claim this expanded credit in 2024 on their 2023 taxes.
Even so, this expansion would be short-lived. The current child tax credit is slated to become smaller after the 2025 tax year unless Congress takes further action. It’s one of the many 2017 tax reforms that will expire in 2026.
Forests are an essential part of Earth’s operating system. They reduce the buildup of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and land degradation by 30% each year. This slows global temperature increases and the resulting changes to the climate. In the U.S., forests take up 12% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions annually and store the carbon long term in trees and soils.
Most forests in the continental U.S. have been harvested multiple times. Today, just 3.9% of timberlands across the U.S., in public and private hands, are over 100 years old, and most of these areas hold relatively little carbon compared with their potential.
The Biden administration is moving to improve protection for old-growth and mature forests on federal land, which we see as a welcome step. But this involves regulatory changes that will likely take several years to complete. Meanwhile, existing forest management plans that allow logging of these important old, large trees remain in place.
As scientists who have spent decades studying forest ecosystems and the effects of climate change, we believe that it is essential to start protecting carbon storage in these forests. In our view, there is ample scientific evidence to justify an immediate moratorium on logging mature and old-growth forests on federal lands.
Federal action to protect mature and old-growth forests
A week after his inauguration in 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order that set a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 to address what the order called “a profound climate crisis.” In 2022, Biden recognized the climate importance of mature and old-growth forests for a healthy climate and called for conserving them on federal lands.
Most recently, in December 2023, the U.S. Forest Service announced that it was evaluating the effects of amending management plans for 128 U.S. national forests to better protect mature and old-growth stands – the first time any administration has taken this kind of action.
These actions seek to make existing old-growth forests more resilient; preserve ecological benefits that they provide, such as habitat for threatened and endangered species; establish new areas where old-growth conditions can develop; and monitor the forests’ condition over time. The amended national forest management plans also would prohibit logging old-growth trees for mainly economic purposes – that is, producing timber. Harvesting trees would be permitted for other reasons, such as thinning to reduce fire severity in hot, dry regions where fires occur more frequently.
Remarkably, however, logging is hardly considered in the Forest Service’s initial analysis, although studies show that it causes greater carbon losses than wildfires and pest infestations.
In one analysis across 11 western U.S. states, researchers calculated total aboveground tree carbon loss from logging, beetle infestations and fire between 2003 and 2012 and found that logging accounted for half of it. Across the states of California, Oregon and Washington, harvest-related carbon emissions between 2001 and 2016 averaged five times the emissions from wildfires.
A 2016 study found that nationwide, between 2006 and 2010, total carbon emissions from logging were comparable to emissions from all U.S. coal plants, or to direct emissions from the entire building sector.
Logging pressure
Federal lands are used for multiple purposes, including biodiversity and water quality protection, recreation, mining, grazing and timber production. Sometimes, these uses can conflict with one another – for example, conservation and logging..
Multiple large logging projects on public land clearly qualify as major federal actions, but many thousands of acres have been legally exempted from such analysis.
An analysis of 152 national forests across North America found that five forests in the Pacific Northwest had the highest carbon densities, but just 10% to 20% of these lands were protected at the highest levels. The majority of national forest area that is mature and old growth is not protected from logging, and current management plans include logging of some of the largest trees still standing.
Letting old trees grow
Conserving forests is one of the most effective and lowest-cost options for managing atmospheric carbon dioxide, and mature and old-growth forests do this job most effectively. Protecting and expanding them does not require expensive or complex energy-consuming technologies, unlike some other proposed climate solutions.
Allowing mature and old-growth forests to continue growing will remove from the air and store the largest amount of atmospheric carbon in the critical decades ahead. The sooner logging of these forests ceases, the more climate protection they can provide.
Richard Birdsey, a former U.S. Forest Service carbon and climate scientist and current senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, contributed to this article.
This is an update of an article originally published on March 2, 2023.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Service Annual Survey, or SAS, provides a detailed look at estimated revenue of employer firms for select indoor and outdoor recreation industries affected by COVID-19 and a glimpse into their recovery.
Many fitness, recreation and other social activities moved outdoors when the pandemic began in 2020.
An estimated 7.1 million more Americans enjoyed an outdoor activity in 2020 — the first year of the pandemic — than in 2019, according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report.
Estimated revenues of select industries related to indoor recreation rebounded from 2020 to 2021 but have yet to return to their 2019 levels.
In 2021, 164.2 million Americans participated in an outdoor activity, a 6.9% increase since 2019. While outdoor recreation participation increased, revenue of select industries related to outdoor recreation also grew from 2019 to 2021, according to SAS data.
Estimated revenues of select industries related to indoor recreation rebounded from 2020 to 2021 but have yet to return to their 2019 levels.
Impact of pandemic on recreation
Even some industries that were predominantly enjoyed outdoors experienced decreases in revenue for employer firms in 2020.
Golf Courses and Country Clubs in 2020 saw a 2.8% decrease in estimated revenue for employer firms, from $24.1 billion in 2019 to $23.5 billion in 2020.
Not surprisingly, some industries with employer firms that required indoor participation experienced significant revenue drops in 2020.
For example, Bowling Centers’ revenue dropped 46.2% (from $4.1 billion in 2019 to $2.2 billion in 2020), and Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets’ revenue declined 49.3% (from $7.3 billion in 2019 to $3.7 billion in 2020).
Although Amusement and Theme Parks are outdoor venues, their estimated revenue dropped 63.0%, from $20.1 billion in 2019 to $7.4 billion in 2020 due to pandemic-related closures.
Road to recovery: Revenue changes in 2021
While select recreation industries experienced double-digit percent decreases in revenues in 2020, they experienced double-digit percent increases in 2021.
Most notably, Amusement and Theme Parks’ revenue spiked 139.2%, from $7.4 billion in 2020 to $17.8 billion in 2021.
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) and Bowling Centers also experienced an increase in revenue of 64.0% and 52.7%, respectively.
Still, 2021 revenue for some industries did not fully rebound to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
Revenue earned by Amusement and Theme Parks in 2021 ($17.8 billion) was down 11.6% from $20.1 billion in 2019. Cafeterias, Grill Buffets and Buffets revenue in 2021 was $5.2 billion, up from $3.7 billion in 2020 but down 28.0% from $7.3 billion in 2019.
Some outdoor-based industries, however, exceeded 2019 revenue numbers. Mobile Food Services’ 2021 revenue ($2.8 billion) was 67.2% higher than in 2019 ($1.7 billion). Similarly, revenue earned by Golf Courses and Country Clubs in 2021 ($28.3 billion) was 17.4% higher than in 2019 ($24.1 billion).
The increase in outdoor activity is also reflected in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, inflation-adjusted GDP for the outdoor recreation economy increased 18.9% in 2021, compared to a 5.9% for the overall U.S. economy.
The latest SAS in 2021 includes estimates and accompanying measures of sampling variability and sheds light on additional industries like those outlined in this article.
Maria Villarreal is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Accommodations, Entertainment and Consumer Services Branch of the Economy-Wide Statistics Division.
Law enforcement, business representatives and legislators assembled today to urge support for AB 1772, a measure that would require jail time for repeat theft offenders.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the proposal on Jan. 3 when the legislature reconvened for the new year. Quickly signing on as joint authors were Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare).
AB 1772 calls for jail time of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances; offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft.
“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic,” Ramos said. “Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The findings are expected later this spring.”
He cited a Public Policy Institute of California September 2023 report. “The study reported that the 2022 rates for commercial burglary rates had increased by almost 16 percent compared to 2019. The PPIC also reported that shoplifting in 2022 had increased by nearly 29% from the pandemic years.”
Valencia said, “I am proud to join Assemblymember Ramos as a joint author on AB 1772. Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators. According to the PPIC, Orange County has experienced a 54% increase in commercial burglaries. This outrageous statistic demonstrates our current laws are out of touch and are not serving as a deterrence.”
He added, “Stricter penalties are needed to support our business community who is the backbone of our economy. It is time to revamp our laws and hold thieves accountable for their actions. Without proper adjustments, California businesses will lose out on profits and customers will end up paying higher costs. Law and order must be restored in our communities, and AB 1772 is a necessary step forward.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus, a bill sponsor said, “Thank you to Assemblymember Ramos for leading the charge on AB 1772, critical legislation addressing the surge in retail theft across California, particularly in the wake of the impact of Prop 47. This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities.”
In 2014, voters approved Prop 47 and categorized some nonviolent offenses as misdemeanors rather than felonies. One provision increased the threshold amount for theft misdemeanors from $450 to $950 and did not allow prior such convictions to count toward the new $950 threshold. If Ramos’s measure becomes law, it would become effective only upon voters’ consent at the next statewide election. AB 1772 does not state a new threshold for triggering the increased penalties for retail theft, only the existence of prior convictions on the suspect’s criminal record.
“California’s massive retail theft has hit retailers and consumers hard, and has been corrosive to the safety of our communities,” said Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside), Chairman of the State Senate Business and Professions Committee. “I am proud to co-author Assemblymember Ramos’ AB 1772 to combat rampant retail theft – by focusing on repeat offenders, this bill increases the consequences for those that have refused to course correct, giving law enforcement an important tool to hold serial thieves accountable for their actions, thereby stemming future thefts.”
Joining the event were business community members Orange County Business Council Chief Executive Officer Jeff Ball and Redlands Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Evan Stanford.
Also present but not speaking were law enforcement leaders President Steve Johnson of Los Angeles Professional Peace Officers Association, President of Riverside Sheriffs Association Bill Young, California Reserve Peace Officers Association President Dominic Gamboa and Santa Ana Police Officers Association President John Kachirisky.
AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is a co-sponsor.
AB 1772 has garnered bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature. Co-authors include Juan Alanis (R-Modesto), Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin), Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey), Tri Ta (R-Westminster), Senators Bill Dodd (D-Napa), Roth and Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta).
The bill had its first hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.