A first-of-its-kind independent advisory committee presented its recommendations for the implementation of the U.S. Forest Service’s 2012 Planning Rule to U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary Robert Bonnie and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, recommending strengthened collaboration, improved planning efficiencies and more effective and informed decision making.

The Planning Rule Federal Advisory Committee ( FACA) also made recommendations that strengthen ecological, social, economic and cultural sustainability objectives of the rule.

This includes recommendations intended to deepen the level of stakeholder collaboration in forest planning, as well as recommendations regarding outreach, adaptive management, monitoring, wilderness, climate change, intergovernmental relations, species protection, and water resources.

The committee, formed in January 2012, advises the Secretary of Agriculture through the Chief of the Forest Service by providing advice and recommendations on the new rule and its directives.

The proposed planning directives guide implementation of the planning rule which was published in the Federal Register in April 2012, and became effective a month later.

“The members of this committee collectively bring to the table a vast amount of knowledge, passion and interest in our national forests and grasslands,” said Bonnie. “We thank this diverse group of members for their hard work in rolling up their sleeves to provide us recommendations on the 2012 Planning Rule. This committee further illustrates our commitment to an open and transparent planning rule and process for implementation.

“This committee worked long and hard through a host of difficult issues to present us with these recommendations to help us manage our public lands for the greatest good,” Tidwell said. “The recommendations reinforce the importance of this Planning Rule and the role our national forests and grasslands serve for the American public – whether that be through recreation, clean water or supporting local economies.”

The committee is comprised of 21 members with varied backgrounds, who represent the full range of public interests in management of the National Forest System lands and who also represent geographically diverse locations and communities.

All FACA meetings are open to the public, and all proceedings and relevant documents are posted online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/planningrule/home/?cid=stelprdb5346267 .

The agency’s planning rule Web site has the latest information on the committee, the planning rule and its directives.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Community Radio, KPFZ, 88.1 FM, is hosting its annual Friends and Members Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The event will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 149 N. Main St. in Lakeport.

Please drop by to meet the radio programmers and volunteers, tour the facilities, enjoy a beverage and a bite to eat, and catch up on the latest at the radio station.

This is a no charge event and everyone is welcome.

For more information, call 707-263-3640.

REDDING, Calif. – As trees grow larger in even-aged stands, competition develops among them. Competition weakens trees, as they contend for soil moisture, nutrients, and sunlight. Competition also increases trees’ risk to bark beetles and diseases, and subsequently leads to a buildup of dead fuels.

A recent study, led by Dr. Jianwei Zhang, research forester at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station, considered if the onset of this risk could be determined.

The study, which appears in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, also considered if the relationship between density and mortality varies with site quality as ponderosa pine stands developed.

Based on the analysis of 109 long-term research plots established on even-aged natural stands and plantations from 1944 to 1988, and 59 additional ponderosa pine plots measured by the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis group, these researchers found that site quality affected the relationship between density and mortality.

“Any silvicultural treatments that enhances growth will reduce mortality rate for a given stand density.” Dr. Zhang said. “By establishing the self-thinning boundary lines from the size-density trajectories, the onset of mortality risk can be determined for ponderosa pine stands.”

The research also confirmed the added value of such long-term study sites which allow new questions to be addressed that were not included in the original studies.

Other recently published research from this group of scientists demonstrated thinning forest stands to a lower density reduces fuel buildup significantly, and enhances its economic value by increasing growth of residual trees.

Specifically, stand basal area, which is the cross sectional area of all trees in a stand measured at breast height, is not affected by thinning ponderosa pine stands to half the normal basal area of a specific site quality.

If the stand has experienced high mortality caused by bark beetles, it can be thinned more heavily without sacrificing timber, biomass, or volume increment and plant diversity.

In addition, results from these long-term studies show that early shrub removal and tree density control are the most effective and efficient ways to reduce fuel buildup.

Under Mediterranean climatic conditions, shrubs reduce overstory tree growth and keep tree crowns in contact with the shrub canopy. In turn, this growing fuel ladder can carry a ground fire into the crowns of the overstory trees.

Although carbon stocks may be the same with or without understory vegetation, by controlling competing vegetation, carbon is reallocated into the trees instead of shrubs; and carbon loss to wildfire is reduced.

These findings provide useful information for managers in their stand treatment projects within National Forest and private forestlands.

To read the full article, go to http://treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/45108 ; or http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/efh/staff/jzhang/ for other articles.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio is hosting a wine tasting event with vineyard manager Jonathan Walters, featuring the Glamazon wines from Robinson Lake Vineyard, and artist reception with a collection of watercolor, oil and pastel paintings by Annie Foushee on Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

The $12.50 ($10 per person for LCWS club members) wine sampler and appetizers presented at the Studio will showcase the 2012 Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc white blend, 2009 Merlot and 2011 Serious Red Blend. Cache Creek Vineyards Chardonnay and Cabernet also will be available for sampling.

Live musical guest both evenings will be MAJIDE! with Paul Kemp on keyboard and vocals by Machiko.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, artist Annie Foushee relocated to Klamath Falls, Ore., in December 1993.

Her avid interest in art has been enhanced through participation in various classes. When she and her husband moved to Illinois, she was excited to find many opportunities to pursue her artistic interests.

In classes she learned the many techniques and methods of oil painting. Foushee has attended classes in oils, acrylics, prismacolor, charcoal and watercolor.

She is currently studying advanced watercolor under Dorothy Hale, a well-known artist in Klamath Falls. Other studies have been under Richard Williams in Destin, FL., a retired professor from Aurora College in Illinois and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

Her subject interests include landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, flowers, lighthouses and windmills.

Foushee’s works have been shown in Clearwater Gallery, The Modoc Gallery, Klamath Art Association and Gallery 803, all in Klamath Falls.

Foushee’s family includes her daughter, Debbie McKee of Santa Rosa, her son Allan McKee, who lives in Tampa, FL., and four grandchildren.

Lake County Wine Studio is a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County.

Artists' shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month with the exception of January.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake and is open Monday 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Foushee art exhibit will be on display for the months of December and January.

Lake County Wine Studio will be closed Jan. 1-15, 2014.

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030 or 707-293-8752.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Ellen Brown will be Val Muchowski’s guest on “Women’s Voices” on KZYX 90.5 fm and KZYZ 91.5 fm on Monday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m.

They will discuss public banks.

Brown developed her research skills as an attorney practicing civil litigation in Los Angeles.

She is the author of “The Public Bank Solution,” tracing the evolution of two banking models that have competed historically, public and private; and explores contemporary public banking systems globally.

Brown developed an interest in the developing world and its problems while living abroad for 11 years in Kenya, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

She returned to practicing law when she was asked to join the legal team of a popular Tijuana healer with an innovative cancer therapy who was targeted by the chemotherapy industry in the 1990s.

That experience produced her book “Forbidden Medicine,” which traces the suppression of natural health treatments to the same corrupting influences that have captured the money system.

Brown’s 12 books include the bestselling “Nature’s Pharmacy,” co-authored with Dr. Lynne Walker, which has sold 285,000 copies.

KZYX is streamed at www.kzyx.org .

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.

Caltrans will suspend work on Northern California highways from Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Dec. 1, in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it may be necessary for Caltrans Maintenance forces to respond to emergency situations.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 53

– Highway widening and rehabilitation from 40th Avenue to the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor ‐ Teichert Construction of Davis.

Highway 175

– AT&T of Santa Rosa has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from the Cobb Post Office to Anderson Springs Road. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge 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. Contractor – Golden State Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

– Replacement of a culvert with a bridge at Dunn Creek 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 5-minute delays. Contractor – Shasta Construction of Redding.

Highway 20

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from 2.0 to 3.0 miles east of the James Creek Bridge. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. 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. LC#M101GA

Highway 175

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from Buckman Drive to 1.5 miles east of Buckman Drive. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Caltrans wishes to advise motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

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. (Bold type denotes a change from the previous bulletin.)