Clear Lake Environmental Research Center: October 2022 |
One of the visions for CLERC is to be a hub for environmental technical expertise in Lake County that can be available to anyone looking to gain a better understanding of complicated and complex environmental issues. We’ve made a lot of progress advancing this goal over the last several years by growing our staff and programs. On our staff we now have a certified lab analyst, multiple biologists, an FAA-certified drone pilot, and numerous staff members versed in forest health and wildfire resilience. We’ve also built an administrative team to keep everyone organized and pushing in the same direction!
Please take a few minutes to get to know our staff. We’re looking forward to working with you to make a difference in our community! Thanks for your support!
-Will Evans, CLERC Executive Director |
CLERC Now Calls Carnegie Library Home |
Lakeport's Carnegie Library, built in 1918 is one of Lake County's many gems and it is now home to CLERC!
The origins of the Carnegie Library began with the Ladies' Improvement Club whom secured an $8000 Carnegie grant in 1914. This beautiful and surprisingly intact building functioned as a library from 1918-1985 when the library outgrew the space. It was used for a short time in the late 1990's by researchers with the UC Davis, Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, which is where CLERC (the 501c3 nonprofit) gets our name.
Earlier this year, CLERC officially moved in and set up The CLERC Lab and its main offices downstairs. There are a few things that need to be fixed upstairs before it is functional. Once upstairs is all fixed up CLERC plans to open an interactive Environmental Education Center exploring the amazing natural science of Lake County and the surrounding areas.
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North Shore Restoration Project |
Last week a decision was sign by Joseph Rechsteiner, acting forest supervisor for the Mendocino National Forest on a plan to move ahead on the North Shore Restoration Project. This project covers 40,000 acres and it will include a variety of fuel treatments for fuel reduction such as prescribed burning, hand thinning and more. It will also include restoration and research projects on burned portions of the forest. The project includes several Lake County partners such as CLERC, the Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Alliance (TERA) and The North Shore Fire Protection District fuel crew to name a few.
The Mendocino National Forest was heavily damaged during the Ranch Fire in 2018. There is a serious need for restoration and reforestation in the burned areas as well as fuels reduction within the wildland-urban interface. CLERC is providing resources to complete forest health treatments across more than 700 acres of USFS land. These acres will be the first projects within the Mendocino National Forest carried out directly by CLERC's staff and our contractors. This new partnership is a way to increase the amount of land being treated within the national forest by having CLERC take more of a lead role in implementation of projects.
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Image courtesy of Mendocino National Forest |
CLERC is making a positive impact in our community find out how you can make a difference too! Stay tuned.... |
