MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Fire-use restrictions will go into effect for the Mendocino National Forest at 12 a.m. on Thursday, July 1.

These restrictions are designed to help minimize the chances of human-caused wildland fires.

Mendocino National Forest Fire Restrictions include:

— Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire is prohibited except in the designated recreation sites listed in Exhibit A of the order (MNF Forest Order No. 08-21-03) and wilderness areas.
— Barbeque grills using briquettes are not allowed outside of designated recreation sites.
— Smoking is prohibited except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or within the designated recreation sites.
— Operating an internal combustion engine, except on National Forest System roads or trails, or within the Designated Recreation Sites is prohibited.
— Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame is prohibited.
— Using an explosive is prohibited.
— Possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device is prohibited.

Exemptions include:

— Persons with a permit from the Forest Service specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission. Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above.
— Outside of designated recreation sites, listed in Exhibit A, forest visitors with a valid California campfire permit will still be able to use pressurized liquid or gas devices (stoves, grills or lanterns) with shut-off valves, in an area at least five feet from any flammable materials.
— Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
— Persons with a Special Use Permit from the Forest Service for a recreation residence on the Mendocino National Forest are exempt from Prohibition numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 while they are at their recreation residence.

Fire officials want to remind visitors to leave their fireworks at home this Independence Day. Fireworks are always prohibited on all national forest lands, regardless of weather or fire restrictions.

Similar restrictions are also in effect on the neighboring lands. Since restrictions can vary by ownership, visitors should contact the area they plan to visit for specific fire restrictions and conditions.

On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) lauded the $5 million in Federal funding that he requested that will be provided through the FY2022 Appropriations bill by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Subcommittee.

Thompson requested this funding in an April 2021 letter, citing the adverse effects of the recent fires on the wine community, both in California’s Fifth Congressional District and up and down the West Coast.

“As our district continues to recover from the worst fire season on record last year and prepare for an upcoming fire season, it’s crucial we have every federal resource and tool available to rebuild and mitigate the impact of future fires,” said Thompson. “That’s why it’s important that the Appropriations Committee included my request for $5 million in federal funding to study the impact of smoke exposure on wine grapes. This will allow growers and wineries to reduce the economic impact of future fires. It will in turn allow our entire local economy to recover faster after future fires. I will continue working to ensure this funding is included in the final spending bill so we can get this done for our district.”

This $5 million in funding would go to the Mitigating the Adverse Consequences of Wildfire Smoke of Wine Grapes program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It would allow industry representatives to collaborate with land grant university researchers in West Coast states to research what causes the grapes to be damaged by smoke and how to best mitigate this damage.

This research would provide for better testing and prediction of risk, thereby reducing the uncertainty for producers in fire-prone areas.

You can click here to read Thompson’s letter requesting this funding and click here to read the committee report.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties.

The Employment Development Department will begin inviting potentially eligible Californians to apply for the federal Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation, or MEUC, program starting June 30.

The federal program pays an extra $100 per week in supplemental unemployment benefits to those who earned both regular wages and more than $5,000 in self-employment wages.

The MEUC program, created by Congress during the pandemic, is a supplemental payment for eligible claimants. It is intended to further support workers with multiple income streams including self-employment.

Starting June 30, EDD will begin sending text messages and emails with a personalized application link to the claimants who may qualify for the supplemental benefit. Paper applications will be mailed to those who are not online. Claimants will have until September 6, 2021 to apply.

MEUC payments are retroactive to Dec. 27, 2020, and eligible claimants can receive up to a total of 36 weeks of payments.

These benefits are payable for any weeks in which an individual was unemployed and met requirements — even if they have since gone back to work.

To be eligible for benefits under the MEUC program, an individual must meet all MEUC requirements under federal law.

To receive MEUC benefits, a claimant must:

— Be eligible for benefits on a regular Unemployment Insurance claim, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation or Federal-State Extended Duration extension. People collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Training Extension benefits are not eligible for the MEUC program.

— Be eligible to receive at least $1 in unemployment benefits for each week between December 27, 2020 and September 5, 2021 the individual wishes to collect MEUC benefits.

— Apply for the MEUC program and provide documents proving net income (after all taxes and deductions) from self-employment of at least $5,000. The personalized application links being sent to claimants will include information about how to upload documents to prove net income.

Additional information about this program is available on the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation section of the EDD website.

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif.‌‌ ‌‌ — ‌ ‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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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. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ ‌or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Highway construction 3 miles west of Upper Lake near Bachelor Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌29

— Highway construction from Spruce Grove Road South to Hofacker Lane will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

— Highway construction from Route 281 to Private Drive will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight weekdays from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Electrical Work on the Albion River Bridge will continue Friday, June 25. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work at Blue Slide Gulch will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Emergency work from Hardy Creek to the Georgia Pacific Picnic Area will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

— Slide removal two miles west of Three Chop Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Construction near Comminsky Station Road will continue. A northbound lane restriction will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Striping and Rumble Restore has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for incident repairs from Geysers Road to Comminsky Station Road will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Paving from Reeves Canyon Road to Ridgewood Ranch Road will occur on Monday, June 28. Lane closures will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Emergency work on Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Paving from Truck Scales to South Willits Overhead will occur on Tuesday, June 29. Lane closures will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

Highway 162

— Core drilling from 1.2-0.2 miles south of Middle Fork Eel River will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, announced the introduction of the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021.

This bill uses the tax code to offer relief to survivors of natural disasters and includes several pieces of disaster relief legislation he has previously introduced.

“As our district continues to recover from the recent devastating fires and prepares for another Fire Season, it’s critical the federal government provide every resource possible to recover and mitigate the impact of future disasters,” said Thompson. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021, comprehensive legislation that uses the tax code to help people and small businesses impacted by natural disasters, such as fires.

Thompson said the bill eases the tax burden for survivors and gives them financial flexibility, and also incentivizes investment in disaster resiliency projects for both individuals and small businesses.

“It’s critical we pass this bill right away so that fire survivors don’t have to wait any longer,” he said.

You can click here to read more about H.R. 3954, the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021.

The bill includes:

Disaster tax relief in Sections 1-6, which:

— Allows qualified individuals in federally declared disaster areas to withdraw up to $100,000 from tax-exempt retirement plans with no tax penalty;
— Increases to $100,000 the limit on loans from retirement plans not treated as distributions for individuals in federally declared disaster areas;
— Creates an employee retention tax credit for employers affected by disaster, up to 40 percent of qualified wages for each employee;
— Expands eligibility for disaster-related personal casualty losses; and
— Suspends the limit on corporate charitable contributions for disaster relief programs.

Tax incentives for catastrophe mitigation in Sections 7 and 8, which:

— Stipulates that payments made under a qualified state- or locality-based catastrophe mitigation program do not qualify as income for federal income tax purposes; and
— Exempts from federal income tax calculations payments made under emergency agricultural programs, including the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP), the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Tree Assistance Program, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Expanded support for disaster affected small businesses in Sections 9-11, which:

— Provides relief funding for small businesses by authorizing the Small Business Administration, or SBA, to exceed the $100,000 cap on grants to Small Business Development Centers in disaster areas; and
— Authorizes SBA and the Farm Service Agency to issue loans to enterprises deemed vital to disaster recovery.

Tax credit for qualified wildfire mitigation expenditures in Section 12, which:

— Provides a tax credit equal to 30 percent of qualified expenditures to individuals and businesses who participate in a qualified state-based wildfire resiliency program, such as the California Forest Improvement Program.

This is meant to encourage individuals to participate in wildfire resiliency programs while stretching further the state budget for those programs.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

SACRAMENTO — Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help protect California from devastating wildfires through the expanded use of prescribed burning cleared the Assembly Judiciary committee on Tuesday.

“Controlled burning is one of the best ways to reduce combustible fuels in our parched forests and wildlands,” Sen. Dodd said. “It was used by native Californians for millennia and is one of the preferred methods of wildfire prevention today. My bill will expand our use of this proven tool and make our state safer as we face ever-worsening conditions caused by drought and climate change.”

Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire to the land to reduce wildfire hazards, clear downed trees, control plant diseases and improve wildlife habitats.

It is conducted by trained professionals — or burn bosses — and is one of the most cost-effective tools to manage wildfire. Rarely have prescribed burns caused unintended damage.

However, concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has prevented more widespread use, causing a buildup in our forests of brush and unhealthy trees.

Senate Bill 332 would encourage more controlled burns by raising the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence.

The bill is supported by a broad coalition including ranchers, conservationists and tribal governments. It passed the Assembly Judiciary committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

“The time is really right for this,” Lenya Quinn-Davidson, fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, testified before the committee. “Fire suppression cost is one of our biggest barriers. Prescribed fires have innumerable public benefits. I thank Sen. Dodd for his leadership on this.”

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.