The Trinity Journal PHOTO SHOW NEARS END: Galleries wrapping up February shows; prep for March. 9
DIGITAL CONCERT SERIES: ‘Classical Crossover’ live performance Friday evening. 9
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Trinity County’s newspaper since 1856
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Vaccination POD delivers 398 more doses
No room at the inn
Trinity falls back into Red BY TONY REED
THE TRINITY JOURNAL
TONY REED | THE TRINITY JOURNAL
Canine and feline residents at the Trinity County Animal Shelter wait for someone to take them home.
Shelter overflows as animal control calls continue BY TONY REED
THE TRINITY JOURNAL
Perusing the weekly dispatch logs from the Sheriff’s Office, one will find almost daily reports of loose dogs, dogs attacking other dogs, dogs killing chickens and more. In January, the Sheriff’s Office dispatched 42 calls related to animal control issues. Most were roaming or loose dogs and a few were reported to have been aggressive. One particular call regarding a dog killing chickens was reported to have been a recurring issue. A couple others involved reports of loud roosters. On Jan. 28, a resident reported that a pitbull terrier jumped his fence and attacked his dog, literally biting off its leg. The caller sustained bites to his own hands and face during the attack. The pitbull was scheduled to be euthanized at the request of its owner, according to the Trinity County Sheriff’s log. Names and addresses are redacted from the dispatch log and requests for more information were not returned as of press time.
As the nation contemplates the news that it has surpassed 500,000 COVID-19 related deaths and the state of California nears 50,000 deaths, county public health personnel and volunteers from around the county continue to administer vaccines as they are delivered. Winter storms have been an issue around the country, delaying shipments of vaccines and caused problems for delivery services like UPS and Fed-Ex. According to the Associated Press, as many as 6 million doses sat in airport hubs around the country for several days before resuming delivery. Trinity Public Health Branch Director Marcie Jo Cudziol said the storms delayed some shipments, but those resumed this week. “The Food and Drug Administration first must approve COVID-19 vaccines; as vaccines become available they will be distributed in phases,” according to county information. “The first phase will focus on vaccination of health care workers, first responders, and those at highest risk for getting very sick if they get COVID-19.” Phase two will focus on more prioritized populations, including critical infrastructure workers, essential workers, and those at risk for severe illness due to age or chronic health conditions. Once there is enough vaccine to vaccinate the entire population, the focus will shift to ensuring equitable distribution around the county. At a vaccination POD (point of distribution) on Friday and Saturday, staff administered 398 doses of Moderna Vaccine, bringing total doses so far to 2,168. That’s not to say 2,168 people have been fully vaccinated, since the Moderna vaccine requires two doses, administered weeks apart. Data showing the number of people who have received one or both doses was not available at press time. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control stated those who have received a second dose of the vaccine do not have to quarantine if they have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Trinity County had a population of 12,285 people as of July 2019. According to county data, Tuesday, there are 17 active COVID-19 cases
Animal Control Officer Christina Merritt deals with an aggressively affectionate feline.
See SHELTER, page 7
See COVID, page 8
Wilderness bills, including Huffman’s, introduced and combined TRINITY JOURNAL STAFF
A House wilderness bill affecting parts of Trinity County was introduced this month and later referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. The bill, titled H.R. 878, The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act, says it will provide for restoration, economic development, recreation and conservation on federal lands in Trinity and Humboldt counties. According to a release from the Office of Rep. Jared Huffman, the three-title legislation will protect communities by increasing fire resilience, restore forests and fish
habitat, strengthen local economies, enhance recreational opportunities, and protect important wild places on federal lands. “It will not expand federal land, limit hunting or fishing, close any legally open roads or trails to vehicles, or affect access to or the use of private property,” the release says. The proposal went through several public meetings within Trinity County, and before the Board of Supervisors, often to mixed and sometimes less-than-enthusiatic reviews. Title 1 would create a 730,000acre Restoration Area in the South Fork Trinity River, Mad River and North Fork Eel wa-
Obituaries Barbara J. Finch, 83 — Page 5
tersheds, authorized restoration of old growth redwoods, restores public lands and authorizes the building of visitor centers. Huffman Title 2 designates the Horse Mountain Special Management area, looks at the possibility of a recreational Trinity Lake trail, authorizes the study for the Bigfoot National Recreation Trail and directs a trail study of biking and other opportunities in Trinity, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Title 3 expands 10 existing wilderness areas and establishes
eight new ones, but according to the release, will not impact timber harvests. “The proposed wilderness and potential wilderness represent just 2.5 percent of land currently open and tentatively suitable for logging in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties. Wilderness designation only applies to federal lands,” the release said. It will also designate 379 miles of new Wild & Scenic rivers and mandates federal agencies to create management plans for 101 miles of existing Wild & Scenic rivers only on public lands. It will also designate 379 miles of new Wild & Scenic rivers.
Weather
Index
Sunny into next week; highs in the mid- to upper 50s. — Page 2
Classifieds............... 13-16 Club Calendar............... 10 Columnists.............. 10-12 Events | Arts....................9
Sunshine, lollipops
“By designating federal lands as ‘Wilderness’ and rivers as ‘Wild and Scenic,’ this title provides the strongest levels of federal protection to old-growth forests and endangered salmon and steelhead river habitat in this region,” the release stated. The full bill can be read at www.congress.gov/bill/ 117th-congress/house-bill/878/ text.
Western states combined However, it may be confusing to note that H.R. 803, Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act will be considered by See WILDERNESS, page 8
Life.....................................9 Obituaries.........................5 Opinion.............................4 Outdoors...........................6
Real Estate............ 14, 16 Sheriff’s Report...............2 Sports...............................6 Weather............................2