Donner County Fish and Game Commission members agreed to prepare a written request asking the Sacramento staff working on the Lake Earl Wildlife Management Plan to present their progress at a commission meeting or by Zoom and to arrange a field visit so local staff and commissioners can show on-the-ground conditions.
The request grew out of repeated delays to a five-year management-plan update that commission members said has fallen behind schedule and lacks clear local outreach. “We would like to have the staff in Sacramento ... come to 1 of our meetings,” said a commission member during the discussion. Members said a visit or a Zoom presentation would help Sacramento staff understand local conditions and collect local input.
Commission members asked that the letter specifically invite the staff member leading the plan — identified in the meeting as Lisa, who works in Sacramento on the Lake Earl management plan — and allow Lisa to bring any colleagues she wants. Commissioners said the letter should ask when the draft plan would be available and how and when local people can submit specific comments. An attendee provided a Sacramento contact number for Lisa during the meeting: (916) 539-2997.
Commissioners discussed drafting the letter collectively. One member suggested that Helen and another commissioner work together to write the invitation and then give it to staff member Jackie to transmit. The commission also discussed offering to alter a meeting date if necessary so Sacramento staff could attend.
Members suggested supplementing the invitation with local technical input; for example, the commission discussed asking volunteer Jeff Reed, who provides water-level data, to supply information that could be referenced in the letter. Jesse Nolan was mentioned as someone who could provide a report to the commission at a future meeting.
The commission set a target of having information to bring back by the next scheduled meeting; a meeting date was noted on the agenda as October 13. Commissioners said a written invitation would formalize the request and prompt a response from the state staff.