NEWSLINES DOWNSTROKE CAMP FIRE DEATH TOLL RISES
The Camp Fire claimed its 86th victim on Aug. 5, according to a Butte County Sheriff’s Office press release. Paul Ernest, a 72-yearold Paradise man, spent the last nine months of his life at hospitals being treated for burn injuries. According to news reports, Ernest and his wife, Suzie, became trapped in Paradise on Nov. 8 while fleeing the blaze. They sought refuge behind a boulder, where Ernest shielded his wife. They were rescued and flown to UC Davis Medical Center. Suzie was discharged earlier this year, and has been recovering in Chico. Ernest was on a ventilator and died at a rehabilitative facility in West Sacramento after his lungs stopped functioning. Of the 86 dead, BCSO has yet to conclusively identify six.
On the prowl Ranchers concerned about increased predator sightings following Miocene Canal shut-off
ESCAPE ROUTE UPDATE
For folks who live in Butte Creek Canyon— particularly those on the middle stretch of Centerville Road—an improved escape route is in the works. It just might take a year to get it completed. That’s because the county has come to an impasse with a group of property owners whose land is needed to expand Centerville Road where a full lane collapsed during a rain storm in January 2017 (see “No way out,” Newslines, Aug. 1). The Butte County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 13) voted unanimously to move forward with claiming the land through eminent domain. That process will take at least a month, at which point work would have to be delayed till after the rainy season. A second portion of the road, which washed out after the Camp Fire, is set to be repaired this fall.
ANIMAL CRUELTY ARREST
Chico Police arrested a woman for animal cruelty after she left eight dogs in an RV in Chico on Tuesday (Aug. 13) in 95-degree weather. One of the animals died. According to a press release, officers could see and hear small dogs through the windows of the vehicle parked on Orchard Drive around 1 p.m. They contacted Annabella Ray, 42, who allegedly admitted she’d left them unattended for more than three hours. Officers noted there was poor ventilation and no water in the RV. The surviving dogs were taken to a local veterinary clinic and Ray to Butte County Jail.
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CN&R
AUGUST 15, 2019
Lhorses on Aug. 2 to the sound of screaming at her boarding facility, Wade Arena. yndi Wade woke with a start around 2 a.m.
She did some investigating, “running around [the ranch] with no gun, just a flashlight and my slippers.” After speaking with other folks at the ranch, she determined that a gunshot must have spooked them, and went back to bed. The next morning, however, a boarder found scratches on her horse’s rear, and there were mountain lion tracks nearby. The mare’s colt was trampled during the attack, and had to be put down. Wade said she was shocked by the incident. Her family has owned the property, at the intersection of highways 191 and 70, for 40 years. “We’ve never had [mountain lions] here. But I guess now we’ve got to expect by them,” she said. “It’s got Ashiah everybody on high alert.” Scharaga Wade isn’t the only as h i a h s @ rancher in the Butte n ew srev i ew. c o m Valley area who has experienced an unexFile a report: pected predator sighting Go to apps.wildlife. lately. Several folks who ca.gov/wir to report spoke with the CN&R an animal sighting, nuisance activity or reported coming across property damage to the bears and mountain lions. California Department In each case, the ranchof Fish and Wildlife. ers expressed concern over the animals’ proximity to their livestock and homes, and said they believed this year has been markedly different because of the Camp Fire, which destroyed the upper portion of the Miocene Canal. PG&E, which owns the upper and middle portions, has
since shut the canal down. All 25 miles of it, from Magalia to Oroville, have run dry. The animals are thirsty, Wade suspects, because “there’s no water out here,” she told the CN&R. In the past month or so there have been more bear- and mountain lion-related reports east and south of Chico, said Jason Holley, supervising wildlife biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) north central region, “but it’s nothing out of the ordinary.” The department is not aware of any significant population increases in the area, he continued. “Every summer we have different hot spots throughout Northern California,” he told the CN&R. Black bears and mountain lions have always resided in Butte Valley, Holley said. “This time of year, this elevation always dries out and gets brown and wildlife have to adapt and get resources,” he said. He urged residents to report sightings
directly to CDFW (see infobox). Then the agency can work with folks to develop plans to deter predators. This includes fencing and proper garbage containment, and in some cases the issuance of depredation permits, which allow property owners to kill an animal. Local residents aren’t convinced there
hasn’t been an increase. They are worried their encounters are yet another consequence of the fire that will only get worse. Gail Tozier, who has raised cattle in Butte Valley for 16 years, said she is concerned for the safety of her livestock, family and neighbors. Her husband spotted a bear with three cubs when he was checking on the cattle about three weeks ago. They also recently spotted a mountain lion sprinting through their property while being chased by a coyote. Tozier said it’s typical to see turkeys, deer, skunks and coyotes. But mountain lions and bears are “a rarity.”