Supervisors To Discuss Impacts From Drought

Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Supervisors will talk about solutions to deal with dying trees, and also look at proposed changes to ordinances related to defensible space.

The items are on Tuesday’s meeting agenda. County documents note that a Forest Service report in July surveyed 3.6 million acres in the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada, and approximately 526,000 acres had dying trees. The number of dead trees was estimated to be 6.4-million. The types of trees dying are Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar and various types of Oak. Last week T.U.D. notified the county that they have recently removed 120 dead trees on various district properties, but still have 240 that need to be removed. It is an increasing problem on public and private property across the county. The Supervisors will discuss several scenarios, like possibility establishing a local task force, drafting a State of Emergency Declaration due to the public safety impacts, or potentially pass a county ordinance mandating that private property owners remove dead trees. Several other scenarios will also be up for discussion.

In addition, the Supervisors will also vote whether to accept a total of $265,822 in Homeland Security and Emergency Management program grant money. The funding will help purchase a new hose for the Sonora Fire Department, mobile and portable radios for the Sonora PD, chest compression devices for Tuolumne County Public Health, a safety vest for animal control, and the remaining money will go toward the purchase of a Medcat Vehicle for the Sheriff’s Department. Update: the resolution to accept the funding was approved unanimously.

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 9am in the Board meeting room.

Follow-up story: “Supes Support Serious Measures To Address Dying Trees” here.