Dusting Off the Vineyardwatch Website because there is a new issue to watch...

NEW News in 2008!

Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyard applied for a permit to divert 1,300 acre feet of surface water per year from a tributary to Asbill Creek for a large reservoir. Responses to this application are due by April 14, 20008. There is only 3 weeks and counting to get responses in. The application shows this water diversion will be used to irrigate 590 acres of planting. Project Information, Procedure for protesting and protest forms are available at: www.waterrights.ca.gov the contact person for this matter Lauren Dailey at (916)341-5314 or by email at ldailey@waterboards.ca.govProtests must be received by the Division of Water Rights by 4;30 p on April 14th 2008

Links to the page where the documents can be viewed as pdfs is at this page

http://www.waterrights.ca.gov/Application/applnot.htm

The Latest 6 Sigma Application is # 31559

see a pdf of the original state notice at

http://www.waterrights.ca.gov/Application/AppNot/docs/31559_notice.pdf

or to see a pdf of the original application

http://www.waterrights.ca.gov/Application/AppNot/docs/31559_app%20.pdf

2 past water-related stories from the Lake County Record Bee

Giving water its own department

Thursday, February 09, 2006 -

Terre Logsdon -

Record-bee staff LAKEPORT -- With water an increasingly important issue in Lake County, the Board of Supervisors will discuss next week a proposal to separate the county's Water Resources Division from the Public Works Department. The proposal initially introduced on Jan. 24 and pushed back to Tuesday's board meeting was once again continued and will be considered on Feb. 14.

The board directed staff to investigate the possibilities of separating WRD from DPW and creating a new department, the Department of Water Resources, according to a memo from Matt Perry, Chief Deputy Administrative Officer for Lake County.

The county's 2005-06 adopted budget already assumes that DWR would be created and split off from DPW, but there are many issues that the board must discuss first.

Some of those issues include transferring budgets items and positions, but another big issue is the vacant Director of Water Resources position, which would oversee the newly created department. The position has been vacant since recruitment began in July of last year.

According to Bob Lossius, assistant director of Public Works, the response to the position has been minimal.

The position, he said, "is a lot of responsibility," as it oversees "flood management, water conservation, county storm water program, groundwater management programs ... manages lake bed management, watershed management and Clear Lake programs; ensures that services are provided in accordance with federal and state laws, ordinances, rules and regulations," according to the job description posted on the county's Web site.

Perry's memo also outlines that while this separation would save money for the new department, it would, "increase the overhead cost for Roads and other DPW divisions," but that, "the Board has made other department reorganizations (i.e. separations), which, despite increasing costs, have been enacted to better reflect the Board's policies and its determination of how to deliver public services."

In an interview Perry said that, although the county budget already reflects the split, if the board chooses not to move forward with it, they could just make adjustments accordingly during the mid-year budget review.

No vote on time-out ordinance

Wednesday, February 08, 2006 -

Terre Logsdon - Record-Bee staff

LAKEPORT -- The time-out ordinance was on the Lake County Board of Supervisors' agenda for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. By 1:15 p.m., though, it was standing room only in the chambers and more people continued to arrive to hear how the supervisors would vote on the modified ordinance.

The "time-out" that District 1 Ed Robey had proposed would only have applied to subdivisions which are proposed for areas outside of community growth boundaries in the new General Plan and consist of five or more residential units. It would have been in force until the county's new General Plan is completed.

It would not ban any developments, just delay them.

But at the end of long afternoon, after Board Chair Anthony Farrington and District 3 Supervisor Gary Lewis had given comments that indicated that they wouldn't support the ordinance and thought that the board could continue to look at proposals on a case-by-case basis, no vote was taken as it would have required four votes to pass.

District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said that there had been some unintended consequences of even considering a moratorium, and the planning department had received, "1,600 applications since last week."

Robey pointed out that the county is almost complete with the housing element of the General Plan, which is the most complex, and the geothermal element should be completed in March. Community Development Director Mary Jane Fagalde, though, was asked when she thought the plan may be finished and she couldn't give a date. Which is why many of the developers and Realtors in the chamber expressed a major concern that the 45 days Robey asked for was misleading, and that the moratorium could be extended for up to two years if the General Plan wasn't completed and approved.

Gretchen Morgan, with Coldwell Banker, addressed the board by saying, "Moratorium, mortuary it all says death. You have to let growth happen."

Many who spoke at the meeting Tuesday expressed their concern that the county would be sending the wrong message to the financial industry and developers that Lake County doesn't want development and they should look elsewhere. Robey, though, maintained that the ordinance would ensure that development proposals were in line with the new General Plan, not the old one, so that smart growth would be encouraged in the right areas.

In his closing remarks, Farrington said, "I really think we can address the concerns of Supervisor Robey and the proponents without an ordinance. We can decide not to support it if it is not in line with a general plan." Lewis, too, agreed that the county could look at each project individually.

So without the four votes of support the ordinance needed, no vote was taken.

Brown then asked, "Can we have a moratorium on this discussion?"

Contact Terre Logsdon at tlogsdon@record-bee.com.

GMO Alfalfa Moratorium? DOWN BUT NOT OUT

GMO MORATORIUM: DOWN BUT NOT OUT.

Tuesday, October 11th 2005, the BOS voted down the proposed ordinance establishing a 30-month moratorium on the cultivation of glyphosate-resistant ("Roundup Ready") alfalfa: Supervisors Robey and Farrington favored this moderate, prudent restriction on potentially hazardous technology, but Lewis, Smith, and Brown opposed it for reasons they seemed unable to articulate clearly. It now seems likely that the Coalition for Responsible Agriculture (the group that drafted the alfalfa ordinance, of which the LCPA is a member) will follow the lead of Mendocino, Marin, and other northern California counties by proposing a ballot initiative measure to restrict genetically engineered crops. Continuing information will be posted to the Coalition website, http://www.lakelive.org/alfalfa.

Read the older news about the 9/28 05 Lake County Record Bee story below

http://www.record-bee.com/Stories/0,1413,255~26901~3072629,00.html

more GMO alfalfa details are at the Coalition for Responsible Agriculture site

http://www.lakelive.org/alfalfa

Projects Projects everywhere..

Development is happening all over Lake County. Several large housing developments are in the works with names like...

Vintage Fair Subdivision off Butts Canyon Road

Valley Oaks Subdivision on Hignway 53

near Middletown. we need to find out what is going on with this subdivision project.

Projects of the Moment...Provinsalia

Clearlake City officials are extremely pro growth lately. Provinsalia project is going through it's approval process. Several groups oppose the project. Provinsalia will be impact the underdeveloped infrastructure, area roadways Cache Creek wildland and other environmental impacts.

The Provinsalia development is one of many pending projects that need your attention right now.

There is a website with all the critical details on that project at

http://www.lakelive.org/provinsalia/

The Lake county Sierra Club also wrote about Provinsalia and other current Lake county issues

http://redwood.sierraclub.org/articles/Current/LakeGrpRpt.html

Vineyardwatch VeryVintage Info 1994-1995

Our project of concern, Six Sigma Ranch/Vineyard's Diamond Mine Vineyard has faded out of he spotlight after reaching an agreement with the owner back in April 2005. Six Sigma is currently removing trees, grading and developing their Diamond Mine Vineyard and applying for a liquor license for their proposed winery. We are organizing area resident well testing soon, (probably mid October) and hoping for the best. We still need to have a fundraiser to help retire our legal debt. and could use help organizing an event.

There is a second, Middletown Times Star article that will be included here when transcribed

Old News Story

transcription of a recent Middletown Times Star Article titled "Board OKs settlement of vineyard lawsuit"

printed in the 5/27/05 issue of the Middletown Times Star Newspaper.

Board OKs settlement of vineyard lawsuit

by Middletown Times Star staff

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a settlement agreement with an environmental organization and a local citizens group to end over a vineyard development on Spruce Grove Road. The Concerned Citizens of Coons Flat Valley and Jerusalem Grade Road have fought the proposed expansion of Six Sigma Ranch Diamond Mine Vineyard for more than two years.

Although the 4000 acre ranch is located primarily on Spruce Grove Road, It backs up to residential properties along Canyon Road in the Coons Flat area of Jerusalem Valley. The residents were primarily concerned about the vineyard's effects on their water supply, as well as the loss of oak woodlands and other possible environmental effects.

The residents first appealed the county planning director's decision to allow grading for a project, but the appeal was denied by both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors last year.

The group filed a law suit, joined by the environmental group, Forests Unlimited that contended the project would adversely affect neighboring residents, oak woodland habitats, both surface and groundwater quality and quantity. The suit was rejected at the local level, but an appeal provided mediation that led to the agreement approved by the board Tuesday.

"The mediator was excellent" said Glo Anderson of the concerned citizens group. "He worked with all the parties." Anderson said the residents are pleased with the agreement, although it does not provide everything they wanted and requires some to monitor their own wells. The agreement is intended to lead to the dismissal of the lawsuit but all parties must still formally agree and get the paperwork to the court.

The settlement requires vineyard owner Kaj Ahlmann to pay for county monitoring of all wells serving the project area at the beginning and the end of each irrigation season for the period of five years after the last production well is developed.

Several adjacent property owners will also pay for annual monitoring of their own wells for the same period. All monitoring results will be available to the public through the Lake County Department of Public Works.

The settlement goes beyond the water issue, however, to push the county on some aspects of procedure that the environmental groups considered inadequate. Forest Unlimited will receive within 30 days a draft copy of a revised grading ordinance that a committee has worked on for a couple of years.

Weaknesses in the existing grading ordinance have been raised in several vineyard projects in the county, The Board of Supervisors appointed a committee to draft changes to the ordinance, but it is unclear how much they've accomplished. County planning director Mary Jane Fagalde was not available for comment by press time.

The county will also provide the flow charts used to address requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and will explore the possibility of grants to provide incentives for oak woodland conservation.

The county also agreed to include a mitigation monitoring plan as a condition of approval of a discretionary land use permit when applicable, according to the agreement.

Both of the last conditions reflect concerns that the approval and appeal process for the Diamond Mine Vineyard did not take into account the concerns of neighboring property owners, and that failure to mediate the process forced a costly lawsuit.

Anderson said the settlement was "the best we could do" and that some of the conditions were designed to get the county "moving on a process" that conforms more closely to state environmental guidelines.

------------- END TRANSCRIPTION ----------------

There is One Major things that we need to do :

Raise Money!

How can you help?

Donate Funds

We really have a lot of costs from our battle. Forest Unlimited still has an account set up for us to pay for Legal costs. Go to the Donate page for the address where you can send a tax deductible donation.

We also need to have a fundraiser or two or three.

Help Organize a Fundraiser

Want to Get involved with a minimum of funds? Help us organize a fundraiser. Do you play music or know a venue where we could hold a fundraising entertainment event? Are you good with hospitality or just know a lot of people who could help, We need to talk to you. If we were good at fundraising we wouldn't need your help now.

Volunteer

We Could always use a hand if you would like to offer your time or services.

Contact us if this interests you.

Please email webmistress@vineyardwatch.org or contact@vineyardwatch.org

You can STILL do things to help raise awareness about development at the expense of shared resources and the environment

Our immediate concerns may not be so pressing now (although we will still lose 100 acres of oak woodland) but development at the expense of shared resources is an ongoing concern. This board of supervisors and other public officials must hear from residents that the preserving shared natural resources(such as water and wildlife) needs to be a higher priority in future project development and future public policy.

It appears that Vineyardwatch.org will have to shift it's focus soon. There are plenty of other vineyards and other developments that need a little more attention, both here in Lake County CA and elsewhere. If you know of any projects you feel are worthy of more vineyardwatch scrutiny please email

webmistress@vineyardwatch.org or contact@vineyardwatch.org

You can sign up for our newsletter, Offer both moral and financial support, and learn of other things coming down the Pike and learn of other projects to watch.

newsletter@vineyardwatch.org

If you haven't been keeping up on this story, scroll down for old news and other details of the case

Vineyarwatch News: Vineyard stay lifted Jan 19, 2005 1100 oaks now at risk

Wondering what is going on in the ongoing Six Sigma vineyard struggle?

On January 19th the Court of Appeals in San Francisco lifted the stay they placed Dec 14th. While the stay was in place it halted any development of the Diamond Mine Vineyard project in a rural area near Hidden Valley in Lake County CA. Now that the stay lifted, trees and habitat are vulnerable. Vineyard developer Kaj Ahlmann may now cut trees, but can't put them back up if the Lake County Superior Court finds merit in pending court case scheduled May 27. The pending case and the appeal for the stay were both filed by plaintiffs Forest Unlimited and Concerned Citizens of Coons Flat/Jerusalem Grade. The appeals court decided that Judge Crone's original decision was a reasonable consideration of the evidence he had.

The stay protected the 1100 oak trees and saved potentially sensitive shared aquifer and streams from being disturbed. The citizen group contend that the vineyard project in its current location and scope would damage these things. Plaintiffs insist the CEQA required Environmental Impact Report (which the county should have done before approval) would show impacts and find agreeable mitigations. The Court case fighting Six Sigma Vineyard's grading of 109 acres of blue oak woodland habitat will be heard on May 27th by Lake County Superior Court Judge Crone.

Forest Unlimited is a co-plaintiff in this case because of the loss of 130 acres of sensitive blue oak woodland habitat. Although the media has focused thus far on the water loss issues the neighbors face, the loss of oak forest and habitat is also important. The loss of trees and habitat are the reason the Sierra Club supported the citizen's appeal and still maintains that the oak mitigations proposed by the vineyard owner do not make up for the loss of habitat.

SF Appeals Court granted "stay" Dec 14 2004

On Dec 14th The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco issued a "Stay" of all vineyard development activities of Six Sigma Ranch's Diamond Mine Vineyard Phase 2. This is the latest chapter in the story of the battle to protect sensitive oak woodland habitat and shared water resources from a vineyard project that experts say will have negative impacts that need better mitigations. Lake County Superior Court denied the preliminary injunction on November 24th. After the denial, Forest Unlimited and Concerned Citizens of Coons Flat and Jerusalem Grade, petitioners in the original case, filed an appeal for an "emergency stay". The emergency stay is now granted by the higher court. The status quo will be preserved for now. None of the 1100 oak trees will be cut and no large scale agricultural wells will be drilled or pumped until the case for the preliminary injunction can be heard on December 28. Upon learning of the latest ruling Karl Giovacchini, affected property owner and Citizen Group member had this to say: "I am pleased with the Appeals court ruling. Now the trees and water levels will remain as they are until we can have our day in court."

Lake County Judge ruling favors vineyard

Lakeport- On November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, Lake County Superior Court Judge Robert Crone rejected the preliminary injunction that would halt vineyard development plans until a case could be heard in Court. Co-plaintiffs Concerned Citizen of Coons Flat/Jerusalem Grade and Forest Unlimited filed a case against Vineyard owner Kaj Ahlmann and the County of Lake. The plaintiffs contend the Diamond Mine Vineyard phase 2 project would have negative environmental impacts. They hoped the preliminary injunction would keep area's groundwater resources and oak woodland habitat undisturbed until they could state their case.

The Judge denied the preliminary injunction. The court thought the vineyard owner would suffer more harm if the project was halted than the plaintiffs would if the project proceeded. He said that the evidence the plaintiffs presented didn't meet the burden of proof. The court basically agreed with the arguments of opposing counsel with some exceptions. The judge still thinks there is enough evidence to warrant an environmental impact report (EIR). The Citizen group is examining their options. A negotiation meeting is scheduled between counsel on December 10th, A court date is still scheduled.

Read the Details of the November 19 hearing on the press release.

Judge to decide Vineyard Issue by Thanksgiving?

Friday Nov. 19, 2004, at 9 am, Judge heard case to halt Vineyard Expansion

November 19 at 9 a.m. Judge Crone head the case for a preliminary injunction filed by Forest Unlimited and Concerned Citizens of Coon Flat/ Jerusalem Grade against Kaj Alhmann and the County of Lake on. In District 2 of the Lake County Superior Court on the 4th floor of the Lake County Court house, 255 N. Forbes in Lakeport California

Judge Grants Citizens' Temporary Restraining Order, Halts Vineyard Grading until Case is Heard on Nov. 19 2004

Lakeport CA - Monday Nov. 1, 2004 - Lake County Superior Court Judge Crone granted a Temporary Restraining Order, filed by the "Concerned Citizens of Coons flat/Jerusalem Grade" against Kaj Ahlmann's Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyard.

The restraining order prevents grading of 130 acres of Oak Woodland and related well and vineyard development called "Diamond Mine Vineyard phase 2" until a November 19th court date. The Citizens' appeal to the Lake County Board of Supervisors was recently denied in a 3-1 vote with one abstaining vote, on Tuesday, Oct. 26. This restraining order marks the first time the group has had a ruling their favor since becoming aware of the vineyard project over a year ago. Judge Crone reviewed the petition and deemed that there was enough evidence for the citizens to win a court case. The Judge hears the case on November 19 at 9 a.m. In District 2 of the Lake County Superior Court on the 4th floor of the Lake County Court house, 255 N. Forbes in Lakeport California.

Compare the latest news stories

Read Recent Blurbs in the media

Nov. 30 story Lake County Record Bee: Court Ruling a win for Six Sigma

webmistress note:A balanced article by the same reporter who wrote"Jerusalem Grade water battle." I was quoted in this story.

Nov. 25 Clearlake Observer Local Voices:An update on hearing for appeal of vineyard

webmistress note: My November 19 press release about the court hearing got printed word for word with my byline.

For map and directions to the Lake County Court House, Click on the link below

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/trial/lake/lakeport.htm

scroll down to read more details in the "Old News" section)

On Oct. 26th, The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 with one abstaining vote to deny our appeal of Diamond Mine Vineyard, phase 2.

Click on the Press Release for a full report Press Release 10/26/2004

Download a PDF of the Board of Supervisors Diamond Mine Vineyard Appeal Findings

They modified last the last page after we were given this document.

We will include the modified page when we can get it

Click on the Geologic Map of Area shows that the bulk of six sigma ranch is on non water bearing Franciscan rock formation. According to Geologist Dean Enderlin,Only a fraction of the ranch has water bearing rock. The same waterbearing rock that is under the coons flat subdivision

Click on September 14 applicant's water "offer".The short water Document submitted by Peter Windrem, Kaj Ahlmann's attorney on the day of the BOS Sept. 14th hearing has finally been scanned in for your review.

New Projects on the horizon...Project info added 9/23/04 on the projects to watch page.

Read about Our issue In the Media

California Performance Review Info: The "California Performance Review of the Environment" is the Governor's revamping plan for state agencies. Environmental agencies will be consolidated and perhaps eliminated.

The California Performance Review website is:http://cpr.ca.gov You can view or download the actual CPR report there. It is supposed to be a massive document. News stories and reactions are on the CPR website. (Consider the source.) http://cpr.ca.gov/updates/pressindex.php#cpr I Hope this is helpful information.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 with one abstaining vote to deny the appeal.

The decision was made during the October 26th 2004 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Background Information and Really Old News

Concerned Citizens Tried twice for a TRO

Unsuccessfully on Thursday Oct. 28, 2004, 3:15 pm

and Successfully on Monday November 1 2004, at 2:3O

Representatives went to court to preserve the status quo and file for a temporary restraining order to prevent vineyard grading or removal of trees before a judge could review the case. Although a public hearing was expected, the Thursday's 3:15 appointment with Judge Crone in Lake County Superior Court was just with Counsel. All others supporters and representatives anxiously waited in the hallway. The attorney's from Lake County, Six Sigma Vineyard and the Concerned Citizens met in closed chamber. The Judge found there was enough evidence to support the temporary restraining order but the TRO(Temporary Restraining Order) was rejected "without prejudice" on procedural grounds. Revised paperwork was filed Monday. The judge reviewed the case again in closed session with the various attorneys on Monday, November 1st and granted the restraining order until the case is heard in court on Nov. 19.

From Sept. 14 - Oct. 26, 2004, the appeal was "under submission"with the Board of Supervisors.

Appeal was "under submission"with the Board of Supervisors. The Appeal decision to reject a grading permit and expansion of Kaj Ahlmann's Diamond Mine Vineyard that includes; the grading and removal of 13O acres of Oak Woodlands habitat, the pumping of 55-acre feet of water annually from our currently unstudied and potentially limited aquifer and the use of roundup and other agricultural chemicals in proximity to homes and small organic farms, is in the hands of the five lake county supervisors

Details on the Sept. 14 2004 appeal hearing

We had the hearing. It was Civil and not very long. The vineyard owner submitted new documents. The first was an oaks mitigation report and the second was a letter from his attorney with 2 small statements on the water issue. The board heard from both sides and decided not to vote without discussing it first in private. They are now taking the appeal "under submission" which could take as long as 45 days. When they decide they will let us know.

We will post the new documents as soon as technically possible

Click on the link bellow to read an html conversion of the CDD Staff report

Webmistress note: I wanted to post a pdf of the staff report but due to technical difficulties I will have to settle for an html conversion, I may soon be able to post a pdf of the original document

The CDD Sept. 13 2004 Staff report for the BOS Meeting

We picked up the CDD staff report. Sept. 13 We hoped CDD would change it's position and order an EIR.. Despite strong DWR (and other submitted agency document) evidence of this project's water demands causing negative aquifer impacts, CDD stands firm on project approval.

N0 hydrology studies, well testing other mitigations were recommended. They are pushing to deny our appeal.

Initial Study Comment Period Ended

for the Diamond Mine Vineyard, Phase 2 IS O4-67

Please (cc.) us when you send email, or letters to the Supervisors especially If you want us to post them on the website. If you didn't send us your letters responding to Initial Study IS 04-67 "Diamond Mine Vineyard, Phase 2" or older response letters to Community Development Department about this project send them now.

This site is produced and maintained by members of the Concerned Citizens of Coons Flat / Jerusalem Grade in Lake County California. We are most fortunate to be represented by attorney Kimberly Burr.

We have come together in response to a potential threat to our livelihood by the Six-Sigma Ranch that plans to expand the large Diamond Mine vineyard on previously lightly used cattle ranch. This area is full of wildlife and Blue Oak Woodlands. Our concerns are: the threat to groundwater, soil, air, water contamination and the drastic permanent change to the environment by the removal of 130 acres of oak woodland habitat.

The Lake County planning department and Six Sigma Ranch put the project through the planning department and the state clearing house a second time BEFORE our original project appeal is voted on by the Board of Supervisors. We understood this was irregular behavior and wondered what was going on..

Click here to read our attorney's Aug. 26 letter to County Counsel

Help raise awareness about development at the expense of shared resources and the environment

Inform Yourself. Read this Website! Learn from our difficult 2 year journey

Important Agency letters:

Please read the Dept. of Water Resources Comments, the Dept. of Fish and Game Comments,

UCCE Greg Giusti's and Dean Enderlin's Final Comments before writing your comments.

Some of those recent letters are posted at the Board of Supervisors Appeal Page.

Write a Letter to the Editor

write a letter to the editor to one of the local papers who wrote articles on this topic

Read about Our issue In the Media then...

Click on the Media Contact Info page for where to send your letter to the editor.

Contact the Supervisors

You can still send emails or letters about important Lake County, CA issues to the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors email addresses are:

Ed Robey District 1 edr@co.lake.ca.us Ed Robey plans to retire at the end of his term.

Jeff Smith District 2 jeff_s@co.lake.ca.us

Gary Lewis District 3 is now the former Supervisor He was one of the supervisors that voted on our case. He was replaced in the last election by Denise Rushing

Anthony Farrington District 4 anthonyf@co.lake.ca.us

Rob Brown District 5 rbrown@co.lake.ca.us

visit the Board of Supervisors website at www.co.lake.ca.us/bos.asp

THE LAKE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

255 N. Forbes Street., Lakeport CA 95453

People have asked for the Board of Supervisors phone # is (707) 263-2368.

The planning department fax # is (707) 263-2225. (We couldn't find a fax # for BoS)

You can sign up for our newsletter, Offer both moral and financial support, and learn of other things coming down the Pike and learn of other projects to watch.

newsletter@vineyardwatch.org

Problems viewing the website? Contact webmistress@vineyardwatch.org

All Vineyardwatch webgraphics are copyright 2004 Alicia Lee Farnsworth, all rights reserved