Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Invasive Species Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake County supervisors approve appeal, letters and interim budget to keep Clear Lake mussel monitoring funded
Summary
After a state grant denial the county on a 5-0 vote affirmed an appeal, authorized advocacy letters to state leaders and approved a budget amendment using cannabis-related funds to maintain ramp monitoring for quagga and zebra mussel prevention at Clear Lake.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors on a 5-0 vote affirmed continuation of a formal appeal of a denied state grant application, authorized letters to state leaders urging restoration of funding, and approved an interim budget amendment to keep ramp monitoring for quagga and zebra mussel prevention operating at Clear Lake.
The action came after the Lake County Watershed Protection District and the county’s Water Resources Department were notified that their 2025 quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention grant application through the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways would not be funded in the current cycle. Water Resources Director Pawan Upadhyay told the board the application requested $399,520 and that “our application was denied due to a clerical oversight, as opposed to any substantive concern or deficiency,” and that staff filed a formal appeal on July 24, 2025.
The board approved three sets of measures to shore up operations while the appeal and additional advocacy proceed: (1) affirmation of the formal appeal process; (2) authorization for Pawan Upadhyay and County Administrative Officer Susan Parker to cosign a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Senate President pro Tem and Assembly leadership asking for state intervention; and (3) authorization for county staff to partner with the county’s state legislative and regulatory advocacy firm to press the Division of Boating and Waterways to reconsider its award decisions.
Why it matters: County staff and a local conservation group said the ramp-monitoring program is the first line of defense against invasive mussels that can quickly and permanently alter lake ecology, damage infrastructure and disrupt fishing and recreation. With the grant funding unavailable in the current cycle, staff told the board the program needed interim local funding to continue monitoring until the county can reapply.
What the board approved and the budget details: Upadhyay said the Watershed Protection District currently holds roughly $13,000 in inspection-sticker revenue for mussel work and asked the board to make $341,445.86 in interim funding available from county cannabis-related accounts to continue ramp monitoring. After discussion about balancing impacts on other departments, Assistant County Administrative Officer Steven Carter confirmed staff could split the proposed draw between two cannabis-related allocations. Supervisors approved a resolution amending the recommended FY 2025–26 budget and directed staff to add the necessary account codes; the board amended the recitals to reflect a roughly 50/50 split of the interim allocation and adopted the resolution by a 5-0 vote.
Public comment and technical cautions: Ansel Palma Dow, executive director of the Lake County Land Trust and a former invasive-species program coordinator for county Water Resources, urged the board to prioritize ramp-monitoring staff and to reference the Clear Lake Integrated Preparedness and Resilience Plan in appeals and letters. Dow also advised caution about referencing golden mussels in grant appeals because, he said, the Division of Boating and Waterways’ grant program does not fund golden mussel prevention work and including that language could risk disqualification.
Board discussion and next steps: Supervisors debated whether the lobbying letters to elected officials should mention golden mussels, with some members concerned that including the term could jeopardize the appeal while others said noting the broader regional threat would help draw attention. Several supervisors asked that the county’s lobbyists review the final language; the board approved sending the letters to state leaders and directed staff to circulate the draft to the full board for signature by electronic means. The board also authorized staff to partner with the county’s lobbyists and to reallocate the identified interim cannabis funds to sustain ramp monitoring while the appeal and alternative funding searches continue.
Ending note: The board recorded unanimous votes on the motions and the budget resolution. Staff said they will pursue the appeal, seek other grant opportunities, and implement the budget transfer to maintain ramp-monitoring operations while the county works to restore the larger state grant award.
