Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues in environment
Streambed permitting breakthrough with Fish and Wildlife
A routine maintenance agreement with state Fish and Wildlife — in the works for over a year and a half — would clear the CEQA permitting hurdle so landowners and agencies can actually clean out channels. Fish and Wildlife is being unusually cooperative, though the Army Corps and State Water Board may still have a say.
Kit fox habitat protections at Road 166 site
Neighbors produced trail-camera videos claiming kit foxes — a protected species — live in the White River/Wachumna Ditch area; staff concluded the animals look like common gray foxes but added conditions halting construction if a kit fox is ever confirmed.
Golden mussel invasion risk
Invasive golden mussels have infested the lower 30 miles of the Friant-Kern Canal and aren't going away. Control will cost at least $3 million next year, and costs flow to water districts and ultimately growers.
Illegal Dumping Reporting Access
A Lindsay resident urged the county to build a mobile app for reporting illegal dumping, saying the current website system is hard for older and Spanish-speaking residents to use. The chair noted the county is already working on an app with IT.
Assembly Bill 2494 and Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest
Supervisor Townsend opposes a bill that would limit Cal Fire's timber harvest tools in the Mountain Home Demonstration Forest, which he says saved old-growth sequoias in past fires and supports Balch Park management.