Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and the Environment (TuCare) held its annual dinner and auction Saturday evening at the Sonora Elks Lodge.
The organization, with strong backing by local supporters of vibrant timber and wood products industries, aims to educate the public on conservation and the wise use of natural resources.
The keynote speaker was Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa, who talked about issues ranging from wildfire prevention to the region’s aging infrastructure. He told the crowd that he describes Tuolumne County’s water infrastructure to Sacramento colleagues as being similar to the Matterhorn or Splash Mountain at Disneyland. Adding, “You know that big water thing that takes logs down the hill, and you get to ride on. And they are like ‘Yes, of course I know what that is.’ I said, great, that is how my communities get water and power. We are talking about pipes, while you are talking about broadband and high-speed internet. Can we get some modern pipes, first, before you start taking us to high-speed rail, or anything else that is happening?”
On the topic of fire resiliency, Tangipa highlighted challenges faced during major incidents like the Creek Fire in Fresno County and last year’s Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County. He cited UC Berkley research arguing that a healthy forest has between 20-200 trees per acre, while much of the Sierra Nevada has closer to 800 to 1,000 trees per acre. Tangipa also stressed the importance of having active mills for the timber to go.
He praised the work of Sierra Pacific Industries and others like local tribes for the work they do to improve the health of forested lands.
The event featured a packed house of local elected officials and business leaders. Money raised from the dinner and auction goes toward TuCare’s Tours for Kids program and other events put on throughout the year.
The night was emceed by TuCare Vice President Mike Olenchalk, the invocation was delivered by District Three Tuolumne County Supervisor Anaiah Kirk, and introductions were given by TuCare President Jerry Santoro.
In addition, there was a presentation and video on Sierra ForestWorks introduced by industry leader Stacey Martin and Sonora Area Foundation CEO Darrell Slocum, which focuses on training the next generation of forest industry workers.
It is a local collaborative effort between various industry, education, and non-profit partners.
