Low carbon cement coming to California ........................................... A10
Restoring kept forests ......................... A9
SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879 www.triplicate.com
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
Crescent City, CA
As mask mandate lifted, Omicron continues to surge By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Triplicate
At the state of California begins lifting COVID-19 mandates, the Omicron variant was still raging in Del Norte County. On Monday, the county reported 81 new COVID cases, bringing the case count over the last two weeks to 481. Del Norte County Public Health reported 276 active COVID cases with nine people in the hospital. Del Norte County did report one new death in the last week, bringing
the death count since the pandemic began to 43. There was also a new outbreak reported at Pelican Bay State Prison, with 13 new cases in the last week. Cases at the prison are not included in the community case count. Since the beginning of the pandemic almost exactly two years ago, Del Norte County has reported 5,727 COVID cases. Just more than half have been among men with 76% of cases in people under age 50. After weeks of high case
counts and low hospitalizations, the number of people in the hospital has ticked up in the last week. A week ago, four people were hospitalized, but that number has ranged between eight and 11 for the last six days. As of Monday, Del Norte County reported 54.9% of residents 12 and over are fully vaccinated with another 7.1% partially vaccinated. Del Norte County Public Health did announce due to the Presidents Day holiday, the COVID-19 vaccine site behind
Sutter Coast Hospital will be closed from Friday through Monday. The clinic will re-open at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The clinic offers vaccines and booster shots. At Del Norte County schools, masks are still required, but the district is making some changes due to changing recommendations from the California Department of Public Health. Superintendent Jeff Harris explained the changes in a message to parents this week. “In response to changing COVID guidelines, we hosted a webinar last Wednesday that
provided an update on the recent changes made by CDPH,” Harris said. “During that webinar, we let families know we have transitioned to a group-tracing approach for students exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 setting. As a result, students who are exposed to a positive case may still attend school as long as they are asymptomatic. CDPH recommends but does not require that the student test within 3-5 days after their last exposure, regardless of vaccination status. This means that whole class quarantines have basically ended.”
California Leopold Conservation Award Seeks Nominees
CDFW Photo
2021 winner in the 5th-8th grade category, Veronica Cid.
Youth Art Contest rallies Californians to unite to fight invasive species The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce the ninth annual California Invasive Species Youth Art Contest. This year’s theme, “Unite to Fight Invasive Species,” reflects the need for all Californians to work together to prevent the spread and impacts of invasive species. “The Youth Art Contest is
an opportunity for students to combine science with artistic expression while learning about an important environmental issue,” said Elizabeth Brusati, an environmental scientist with CDFW’s Invasive Species Program. “We want young people to look for ways to stop the spread of invasive species. Helpful actions could include choosing
Livermore native Sue Crow Griffin’s image of affection displayed by a mother bobcat to her offspring along an Alameda County walking path has earned the 2021 grand prize in the 10th annual California Wildlife Photo of the Year contest. In a virtual celebration today, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham named Griffin’s photograph the best among all entries in the yearlong contest. The contest is presented by California Watchable Wildlife and CDFW’s Outdoor California magazine and sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Out of This World Optics. “When you see this image, your jaw will drop,” said Bonham. “What’s special about this particular image is the way it shows emotion. There’s caring here, love and a sense of tenderness. And on top of that, it’s just
a super cool photograph.” California Senator Steve Glazer (D–Contra Costa) joined Bonham to present Griffin with a Legislative Resolution for her accomplishment. Traditionally the winner’s legislative representative invited him/her to the floor of the California Legislature to announce and honor the winning photo. For the last two years, the presentation has been virtual as a result of pandemic restrictions. Griffin recalled how she captured the shot. She said the adult bobcat had just called the youngster to her to offer a fresh caught ground squirrel. The pair greeted each other on the limb of a felled tree before the youngster accepted the squirrel and disappeared into the wooded background. “I know we’re not supposed to put human emotions on the cats, but it was just so tender,” she
native plants for landscaping, not releasing unwanted pets into the wild, reporting invasive species sightings and cleaning clothing and gear to prevent unintentionally moving organisms from one location to another.” The contest is offered by CDFW’s Invasive Species Program in conjunction with California Invasive Species Action Week,
which will be June 4-12 this year. There are three age divisions for youths in grades 2-4, 5-8 and 9-12. All types of media are welcome and encouraged, including (but not limited to) drawings, paintings, animations, comic strips, videos and public service announcements. Entries Please see CONTEST, Page A2
Bobcat photo takes 2021 California Wildlife Photograph of the Year honors
Please see PHOTOGRAPH, Page A2
Contributed photo
This photo of two bobcats in their natural habitat was chosen at the California Wildlife Photograph of the Year.
Founders of lighthouse society honored Salute to U.S. Coast Guard AT TRIPLICATE.COM
Know a California farmer, rancher or forester who goes above and beyond in the care and management of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2022 California Leopold Conservation Award®. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 23 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In California the $10,000 award is presented with state partners: Sustainable Conservation and California Farm Bureau Federation. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders. The application can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ ApplyLCA. The application deadline date is July 18, 2022. Applications can be emailed to award@sandcountyfoundation.org. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by July 18, and sent to: Leopold Conservation Award c/o Sustainable Conservation 98 Battery Street, Suite 302 San Francisco, CA 94111 “As we grapple with another year of potential drought, our collective conservation ethic must guide how we build a climate-resilient future for our state,” said Ashley Boren, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Conservation, which has co-sponsored the award since its California launch more than a decade ago. “California landowners are on the front lines of environmental stewardship. The Leopold Conservation Award celebrates these inspiring individuals and families, and we hope farmers, ranchers and other private landowners come forward this year to be recognized.” “The Leopold Conservation Award provides outstanding recognition of farmers and ranchers who take steps every day to realize significant gains in managing their farms in a sustainable and profitable manner,” said Jamie Johansson, California Farm Bureau Federation President.
Please see LEOPOLD, Page A2
INDEX Crossword................................................A3 Classifieds................................................A5 Crossword Answers..................................A7
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