At its Feb. 24 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved approximately $14 million in grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.

Some of the 17 funded projects will benefit fish and wildlife – including some endangered species – while others will provide the public with access to important natural resources.

Several projects will also demonstrate the importance of protecting working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, landowners and the local community.

The state funds for all these projects come from initiatives approved by voters to help preserve and protect California's natural resources.

Some of the funded projects include:

– A $410,000 grant to the county of Fresno for a project to extend an existing boat launch and provide shade pavilions for boaters in the city of Shaver Lake on privately owned land, approximately 45 miles northeast of the city of Fresno.

– A $282,720 grant for the acquisition in fee of approximately 185 acres of land by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the protection of core wildlife linkages and endangered species habitat, located near the community of Jamul in San Diego County.

– A grant of up to $3.5 million to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) under the California Forest Legacy Program Act of 2007, to assist with the acquisition of three separate conservation easements, totaling approximately 15,620 acres. The easements will protect significant forest, natural, ecological and open space conservation values on lands located near Willits in Mendocino County.

– A $407,000 grant to the California Rangeland Trust for a cooperative project with the Natural Resource Conservation Services to acquire a conservation easement over approximately 1,547 acres of land for the protection of oak woodlands, deer and mountain lion habitat, watersheds and wildlife corridors located in Bear Valley in Colusa County.

– A $332,500 grant to the California Rangeland Trust for another cooperative project with the Natural Resource Conservation Services to acquire a conservation easement over approximately 2,507 acres of land for the protection of oak woodlands, deer and mountain lion habitat, watersheds and wildlife corridors located in Bear Valley in Colusa County.

– A $1 million grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for a cooperative project with the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Santa Clara River Trustee Council to remove non-native invasive plants and restore riparian habitat, on TNC's Hanson property, located two miles southwest of the City of Santa Paula in Ventura County.

– A $3.3 million grant to the San Diego Unified Port District for a cooperative project with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways to replace the Shelter Island Boat Ramp, located on land held and maintained in a public trust by the district within the city of San Diego.

For more information about the WCB please visit www.wcb.ca.gov .

COBB, Calif. – Local mindfulness teacher, author and life coach JoAnn Saccato, M.A. will be the guest speaker at two upcoming events.

She will speak to the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County, 3810 Main St., Kelseyville on March 6 at 11 a.m. and the Unity Clearlake Center, 15898 Kugelman St. in Lower Lake on March 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Saccato will speak on using compassion-based mindfulness as one of many tools for recovery from stressful situations, including disasters such as the 2015 Valley fire.
 
“Is there anyone you know in our community that wasn't affected by the Valley fire in the fall of 2015?” she asks. “While we all were impacted in varying degrees, everyone has had a physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive response.”
 
Saccato will share some common patterns of reaction and helpful coping skills that can benefit both the individual and the community at large.

“When we recognize how all of us our operating in response to this disaster, we are more likely to bring a little more compassion to ourselves and those we interact with on a daily basis,” she said.
 
Mindfulness is a body-based practice that invites one to purposefully pay kind, non-judgmental attention to our experience moment by moment.

Studies indicate that mindfulness can help reduce stress and stress-related illnesses; increase focus and attention; decrease incidences of, and relapses with, depression; reduce anxiety; aid with addictive and compulsive disorders; aid the immune system; and aid in sleep and digestive disorders.
 
“My own experience and response to the fire has created the perfect opportunity for me to see that compassion-based mindfulness is a valuable and practical tool for anyone's recovery,” Saccato said.
 
A native of Lake County, Saccato lives in the fire-affected area and is the author of “Companioning the Sacred Journey: A Guide to Creating a Compassionate Container for Your Spiritual Practice” and a forthcoming book, “Compassion-based Mindfulness for Peace, Clarity and Freedom.”
 
For more information on Saccato visit www.Compassion-basedMindfulness.com or call 707-350-1719.

Contact the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County at http://www.uuclc.org/ or call 707-587-4243.

For information on Unity Clearlake Center, visit https://www.facebook.com/unity.clearlakespiritualcenter or call 707-995-1419.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club will meet on Tuesday, March 8.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the social hall of the Lower Lake Community United Methodist Church, 16255 Second St.

Meetings are open to the public. Membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The Lake County Democratic Club is an officially chartered club of the Democratic Party of Lake County.

For more information visit www.lakecountydemocraticclub.org or contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20
 
– Pavement repairs from Rosemont Drive to the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
– Rocky Fire repairs from Gravel Plant Road to the Lake/Colusa County line will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 29

– Valley fire cleanup from the Lake/Napa County line to Hidden Valley will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
– Pavement repairs from Main Street in Kelseyville to the junction of Routes 29/175 near Lakeport will continue through Friday, Feb. 26. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
Highway 175

– Fire recovery work from the junction of Routes 29/175 in Middletown to Loch Lomond will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays.
 
MENDOCINO COUNTY
 
Highway 1

– Bridge painting at the Navarro River Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Highway repairs just north of Ocean Meadows Circle will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 222
 
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from Route 101 to West Road beginning Monday, Feb. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 253

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from just west of Singley Cattlepass to Stipp Lane beginning Monday, Feb. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 271

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from Grizzley Creek to the Caltrans yard in Leggett beginning Monday, Feb. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from Bear Penn Road to the Reynolds Overcrossing beginning Monday, Feb. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Storm damage repairs near Piercy will continue. A full road closure will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should seek an alternate route.
 
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming near Piercy beginning Monday, Feb. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Parks and Recreation Committee has canceled its March 3 meeting.

The committee's next scheduled meeting is Thursday, March 17, at 3 p.m. in the back conference room at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Robert Boccabella, certified interior designer, will speak at the Lakeport branch of Lake County Library about how to handle changes when an interior design project has been knocked off balance.

He will speak at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27.

Boccabella’s program, “Designing to Fit the Vision: Addressing Interior Design Challenges,” will cover questions that many people in Lake County are now facing. Lives have been turned upside down and people are struggling to rebuild their lives and their homes.

This program is free and open to the public.

“A disaster can be as big as the Lake County wildfires, or as 'small' as a change in relationships, a tragic personal event or a major change in work or career. When such things land in your life, funding suffers. Sometimes, agreements you depended on fall apart,” Boccabella said.

Boccabella is an expert when it comes to re-grouping, re-thinking, and re-planning interior design projects that have been knocked off balance.

The library is located at 1425 N. High St.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .