Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce
Chamber News Newsletter
LARGEST BUSINESS ORGANIZATION IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY
CalChamber Backs Renewed Effort on Federal Water Bill Courtesy CalChamber U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced an updated proposal to provide long-term and short-term solutions to the state’s historic drought. The California Chamber of Commerce supports the effort to move drought relief legislation this year and improve the ability to capture and store water in wet times for use in dry ones. Feinstein’s proposal includes provisions to allow more water to be captured and stored during the drought, and to promote both the building of new reservoirs and increasing the capacity of existing ones. In introducing the bill, Feinstein estimated that if all the projects identified in the bill were completed, nearly 1.4 million acre-feet of “new” water could be made available. The CalChamber and other business, grower and water groups from the Western states have previously called for action on bipartisan Western water and drought relief legislation. There is a growing consensus that Western water users need every tool available to survive and recover from the current drought and to prepare for the hard, dry years that the future may hold. Water Storage Projects To help store water during wet years for use in dry ones, the bill: • Authorizes $600 million for water storage projects in California and other Western states. These may include both federal projects (Shasta) and nonfederal projects (Sites, Temperance Flat, Los Vaqueros). • Sets deadlines for the federal Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) to complete feasibility studies to allow Calfed storage projects to compete for the $2.7 billion of bond funding that California’s Proposition 1 earmarked for water storage. The Calfed Bay-Delta Program is a collaboration of 25 state and federal agencies to improve the state’s water supply and the ecological health of the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. • Updates U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam operations to increase water supply while reducing flood risk. Emergency Operations Emergency provisions to make water delivery more efficient during the drought include the following. The provisions would last as long as the Governor’s drought declaration is in effect or for two years, whichever is longer. • Improved data to operate pumps at higher levels when no fish are present and reduce pumping levels when fish are nearby. Continued on page 4
March 2016 #24
New Member Introduction The Harte of the Kitchen Located in beautiful downtown Twain Harte, CA at 22966 Joaquin Gully Rd under the Arch. The Harte of the Kitchen is owned and operated by Carol and Allan Hancock. We began our business in June 2011 and expanded to our present location in 2014. We carry an assortment of kitchen gadgets, Swiss Diamond Cookware, Naked Bee lotions and lip balms as well as aprons, towels, cook and bake ware and many specialty items. If we do not have an item you are looking for we would be happy to try to locate the item for you. We are open 7 days a week. Monday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
VIETNAM VETS EVENT March 25, 2016 Black Oak Casino Resort APRIL MIXER April 21, 2016 Gianelli Vineyards Jamestown TREE MORTALITY COMMUNITY FORUMS Various Dates in April See back page for more information
MISSION - To provide leadership for a healthy and vibrant business environment and encourage responsible economic growth that respects Tuolumne County’s quality of life.
Congratulations to all the Raffle prize winners at our February Mixer
Hosted By: ZOO-PHONICS Raffle Prize
Donated By
Winner
Host—Wine Basket Host—Beauty Basket Wine & Canvas Carrier Three Yoga Classes Inner Sanctum Wine $40 Dining Certificate, $25 Slot Play Eagle Castle Wine Two Pounds of Gourmet Mixed Nuts Wine Glasses Gift Certificates & Tea Candle Hovey Wine Wine Basket $25 Gift Certificate $25 National Hotel Gift Certificate Tupperware Half of the Night’s Raffle Proceeds $105
Zoo-phonics Zoo-phonics Gianelli Vineyard Sol y Breath Wellness Center Let’s Go! Travel Black Oak Casino Resort Randy Hanvelt Jazz It Up Iron-On Sparklers James Zaiter/Edward Jones Investments Stephanie Kaiser/Gold Canyon Signal Service Academy Mortgage Chicken Ranch Casino Cutler-Segerstrom Insurance Agency Kecia Entriken Chamber Ambassadors & Our Guests
Casey Dapello Claudette Runyan Randy Hanvelt Nancy Gottschall Tamelyn Job Mark Steichen Mark Steichen Valene Glenn Gottschall Margaret Davis Mike Sturtevant Carl Tucker Tamelyn Job Char Wrighton Randy Hanvelt Linda Eskandary
Website Member Business Spotlight Let’s Go! Travel Thank You To All Who Attended Gina Prock—Micro-Tronics, Auto Tech & Tires My name is Gina Prock and I have lived in Tuolumne County since 1992. I have a wonderful husband, Hal Prock, three beautiful daughters, a 10 month old grandson and another grandchild due later this year. I own Micro-Tronics which is an electronic manufacturing company. Hal and I also own Auto Tech & Tires. We bought Auto Tech two years ago. We provide quality, affordable auto repair. We care about our customers and always do our best to make them happy with our service. We are very involved in the community and try to help wherever we can, especially when it comes to our youth! I am the youth director for our local youth bowling league which is on Saturday mornings at Black Oak Lanes.
Supporting our youth, along with our community, is why I became an Ambassador in 2015. I enjoy the networking and meeting all of the wonderful people involved with our local Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce. I am a member of the Chamber’s Special Events Committee and love to coordinate the silent auctions. Our community is so wonderful about donating. We have a great bunch of people on our Special Events Committee! Just wait and see what wonderful events we will be helping the Chamber put on! If you own a business in Tuolumne County, and are not a member of the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce, now is the time to join! Come join us at one of our monthly mixers and see what we’re all about!
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January Mixer at Zoo-Phonics
L-R: Katie Edwards, Safari Learning, Our Host, Char Whighton, Zoo-Phonics & Chamber President, Teri Brockmire
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• Water recycling, conservation, efficiency. Authorizes $200 million in • Allow agencies to keep the additional transfers can be available during the spring increased funds for the Bureau’s water water they are able to pump during winter planting season. recycling and reuse program. Authorizes a storms. • Allowing 1:1 water transfer ratio, versus U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Require agencies to explain pumping the past practice of requiring water users to program to label water-efficient products reductions due to the Delta smelt send more water downstream than can be for consumers, similar to the Energy Star biological opinion. The agencies must pumped out. Environmental law and program. Authorizes a Department of the explain decisions to reduce pumping to biological opinions still must be followed. Interior program to establish an open protect the Delta smelt based on improved • Expediting review of water transfers and system with data on water quality, climate data rather than relying on intuition. construction of temporary barriers. and weather effects, and erosion. The • Require agencies to maximize water system would be accessible to the public supplies consistent with applicable laws Other Provisions online. and biological opinions. Agencies cannot Other sections of the bill provide: • Additional funding. Authorizes $200 harm fish in violation of biological opinions, • Desalination. Reauthorizes the million for a loan guarantee program to but should try to increase water supplies. Desalination Act and authorizes $50 million allow water districts and municipalities to • Open Delta cross-channel gates more over five years for desalination research leverage loans and loan guarantees for often so that water from the Sacramento projects, such as improving existing water projects. Also increases funding by River is used to control salinity instead of technology, reducing environmental $150 million for the Bureau’s WaterSMART water released from the Central Valley effects of seawater desalination and program. Project. developing next-generation technologies • Endangered/threatened fish and Three provisions aim to make greater use to reduce the cost of desalination. Also wildlife. Authorizes $55 million for shortof water transfers, a voluntary, market authorizes $50 million over five years for term, low-cost proposals to protect and process to move water to where it is truly feasibility and design of sea and brackish assist in recovering endangered or needed. water desalination projects. threatened fish populations, including • Extend by five months the period within • Assistance for drought-stricken Delta salmon and smelt. which water transfers may take place. By communities. Rural and disadvantaged What’s Next—Sen. Feinstein’s bill will be making the transfer window the months of communities with fewer than 60,000 taken up soon by the U.S. Senate Energy & April through November instead of the residents may apply for grants through the Natural Resources Committee, chaired by current July through September, water Bureau to help stabilize water supplies. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
CalChamber Backs Renewed Effort on Federal Water Bill
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Tree Mortality Update
NEW MEMBERS ADT Security Services American Quilt Works Mono Village Laundromat
RENEWING MEMBERS 49er RV Ranch* AAA-NCNU Auto Tech & Tires* Buzz Garvin-State Farm Ins.* CT Bioenergy Consulting LLC* California Wood Shavings* Carl & Charlotte Tucker Central Heat & Air Chicken Ranch Casino* Clark Pest Control* Comcast Spotlight Edward Jones - J. Zaiter* El Jardin Restaurant* Farmers Insurance* Friends and Neighbors Magazine* Frosted Vapors* Glenn S. Caldwell Ins.* Go Figure!* Hohne, Hoyt & Aguilera CPA JTM Cleaning Co.* Kamps Propane* Kelly-Moore Paints* Mother Lode Property Management* Randy Hanvelt* SCORE* Seniority Lifecare at Home* Sonora Express Lube & Wash* Sonora Fuel Depot* Sonora Smoke Shop* Standard Storage, LLC* Twain Harte Vacation Rentals Wal-Mart Stores, #01-2030* *Contributor to Chamber Activities
Addressing the continuing problem of removing dead and dying trees in our mountain communities has been on the front burner for me. Clearly more needs to be done to aid forested counties with the removal and disposal of dead trees, as well as helping homeowners absorb the cost of removing multiple trees from their private property. Below is a recap of where things stand at this point. In September, I sent a request to Governor Jerry Brown urging him to declare a State of Emergency on the issue of tree mortality. In October, he did just that and convened a Tree Mortality Task Force to determine priorities and next steps on addressing this problem. The task force has been meeting regularly since then. California forests have grown to be overly dense and are suffering from a fourth consecutive year of drought, causing them to be highly susceptible to wildfire and beetle infestation. In December, the Carnegie Institution for Science released a study, which determined that as many as 58 million trees statewide have been impacted by drought or disease. This number far surpasses what was previously believed to be the scope of the problem. The importance of removing dead and diseased trees cannot be overstated. Addressing widespread tree mortality is a crucial first step to not only safeguarding our forest communities, but also in creating a healthier and more resilient Sierra Nevada forest – which provides more than 60 percent of the state’s water supply. There are quite a few issues involved under the umbrella of tree mortality. Some of the more pressing ones are as follows:
Assessing and removing impacted trees. Counties are working with the Office of Emergency Services (OES), CalFire, the Forest Service, Pacific Gas and Electric as well as other utilities to remove dead trees and prioritize public roads and areas for tree removal.
Disposal of the trees once they have been removed. The sheer number of trees needing to be destroyed is mind-numbing. If left to rot, the felled trees will be nothing more than kindling for the next forest fire. Yet, the number of dead and dying trees far exceeds the capacity of the limited number of mills and biomass plants currently operating. The governor called for expedited action to ensure ongoing operation of forest bioenergy facilities in high fire hazard zones in his Emergency Proclamation on Tree Mortality, yet seven biomass plants have contracts set to expire within the next 2-7 months. Another 13 are sitting idle. We have been working with our state partners and the biomass industry to see what can be done to maintain the viability of that industry.
Tree Mortality Community Forms, organized by Tuolulumne County OES, will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about the County’s Hazard Tree Removal Plan, with the coordinated efforts of our area partners. April 7 - 6 p.m. Columbia Elementary Cafeteria - 22540 Parrots Ferry Rd. Columbia
April 14 - 6 p.m. Twain Harte School Cafeteria- 18815 Manzanita Dr. Twain Harte
April 12 - 6 p.m. April 19 - 6 p.m. Board of Supervisors Tenaya Elementary Chambers- 2. South Gym- 19177 Hwy 120. Green St. 4th Floor. Groveland Sonora Questions? Please call 209-533-5511 For more information visit the County Website