Clear Lake Environmental Research Center:

October 2023

We serve as a steward for environmental and economic sustainability of Clear Lake, its neighboring lands and waters, local communities, and beyond.

Clear Lake Environmental Research Center is excited to unveil a new logo and website at theclerc.org! 

Our new logo reflects our increased emphasis on wildfire resilience in upland ecosystems and forests. While CLERC's origins revolved around Clear Lake's ecology and mysteries, the numerous wildfires we've faced prompted a shift toward supporting our community in tackling the ongoing wildfire and forest resilience challenges.

To date, CLERC's Fire & Forestry Program has secured millions of dollars in funding and have established three full-time positions to oversee and execute on-the-ground work. Furthermore, we engage local contractors to carry out a significant portion of this work, which not only aids in workforce development but also enhances our ability to address these issues within our local community. Most of these projects are provided at no cost to property owners. Given our growth and the expanding scope of our activities, we believe it's essential that our brand and logo encompass the full spectrum of CLERC's work today. Our new logo continues to honor Clear Lake and its unique wildlife and ecology, while also incorporating the mountains, where many of our forestry projects are situated.

So please visit our new website at www.theclerc.org and bookmark it for convenient access. Please note that our email URL is transitioning from "clerc.co" to "theclerc.org," although messages sent to "clerc.co" will continue to reach us.

Additionally, don't miss the intriguing Livingston Stone observations for August and September at the end of this message. Despite a 150-year gap and changes in pollution levels as well as geology, Clear Lake's historical water quality and features remains a fascinating aspect of its natural cycles.

CLERC Community Chipping Program Update

In May 2023, we launched a county-wide no-cost chipping program, which benefited over 180 local residences. The pilot phase, managed by CLERC and executed by the Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew (a subdivision of the Northshore Fire Protection District), undeniably demonstrated its importance. We're now in the process of advancing the project, drawing from the lessons of the pilot phase. The next stage hinges on a pending federal grant, and once secured, we'll relaunch the program to strengthen our community's wildfire resilience efforts.

Meet Our Newest Team Member Cindy Jassar!

Cindy joined the CLERC team in September 2023, taking on the role of Fire and Forestry Project Coordinator.  Originally from Pennsylvania, Cindy has been a Lake County resident since 2011. Embracing a strong interest in our natural world, she attained a double major BS in Biology and Zoology from CalPoly Humboldt in 2003. 

With a rich background in non-profit work, Cindy served as the Executive Director of Kelseyville Riviera Community Association for 10 years, and, prior to her current role, she held the position of Office Manager for Riviera Heights Homeowners Association.

Following the Valley fire in 2015, Cindy worked as a community leader with the Home Owners Association (HOAs), enhancing fire mitigation strategies, promoting evacuation preparedness, installing emergency sirens and attaining accreditation as a Firewise Community. Cindy serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator and the Secretary on the Board of the Konocti Fire Safe Council. She is also a member of the Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) team for the Konocti region.

Cindy, her teenage daughter and four friendly felines are residents of Kelseyville Riviera. She enjoys participating in community activities and is enthusiastic about nature and the environment. Cindy’s true passion is wildlife rehabilitation. With over 20 years of experience, she previously served as Executive Director of the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center and volunteers locally with Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic. Cindy is extremely excited to contribute to CLERC's mission and devote her time to creating healthy, resilient landscapes in Lake County.

CLERC is making a positive impact in our community find out how you can make a difference too! Stay tuned....

Livingston Stone Monthly Observations

This year we celebrate 150 years since Livingston Stone visited Clear Lake and documented the seasons of the lake, the fish species and their abundant populations. This year we will share Stones' observation by month in each of our E-Newsletters. (Understand, these statements are framed in the context of 1873 and the perspectives of that era, and the phrasing and descriptions used at that time.)

July

"This month does not differ much from the last in respect to the fishing; but the water during this month becomes warm, and the fish get soft, and are not good." - Livingston Stone July Observations 1873

August

"The lake is not fished much this month, the water being warm and the fish soft and inferior. The Indians, however, continue to fish for trout around the cold springs which feed the lake. There is one spring in particular fished by the Indians, two miles east of Morgan Young's, which is forty feet in diameter, and which boils up so that one cannot row a boat across it. This spring would make a small river if confined. It is thought that it furnishes the chief water-supply of the lake in the summer. It is, of course, cold all the year round. A great number of dead black-fish are seen about the lake this month, and some dead perch and roach around the shores and among the tules, which, in many parts of the lake, line the edges densely to a depth of twenty or thirty feet." - Livingston Stone August Observations 1873

September

"Fish and fishing are about the same as in August. The weather is a little warmer. No one fishes during this month except the Indians, who still keep after the trout. The water this month is in its worst condition. It is full of the frothy product of the soda-springs. A green scum covers a large part of the surface, and it is not only uncleanly to look at, but unfit to drink; and yet, strangely enough, this lake, which one would think uninhabitable by fish, fairly teems and swarms with them." - Livingston Stone September Observations 1873

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