FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2014

Contact: Sara Kokkelenberg, Education Coordinator & AmeriCorps member or Kay Ogden, Executive Director, at (760) 873-4554.

The Eastside Pollinator Garden Project is in Full Bloom!

Returning Pollinators to the Eastern Sierra

Have you seen those Sierra-sky blue plaques around town? Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) has been hard at work visiting gardens, schools, and ranches, spreading the word about habitat preservation and installing certification plaques in pollinator-friendly spaces. Do you have a garden that is pollinator-friendly or have you considered creating one? Contact Education Coordinators and AmeriCorps members, Sara Kokkelenberg and Ali Amberg, at (760) 873-4554 to get your garden certified and receive your plaque and materials reimbursement today!

The Eastside Pollinator Garden Project has been working to bring pollinators to backyards throughout Inyo and Mono Counties since April of this year. This summer, already ten participants have met ESLT’s certification criteria and many more are in the process, including individuals, community gardens, businesses, and college campuses.

For tips and tools to help your garden meet ESLT’s certification criteria, join ESLT on August 16^th from 9am-1pm at the Bishop Nursery. The nursery will be hosting a free pollinator workshop in conjunction with their Customer Appreciation Day. Taste a variety of roasted chilis, sample local honey, and purchase pollinator-friendly plants and habitat features for your garden! Jaimie Pawelek from the UC Berkley Urban Bee Lab will be joining ESLT at the workshop to talk about the Eastside’s native bees and simple tricks for making your garden vibrant and pollinator-friendly.

Unable to make it, but still interested in getting involved? Gardeners who have certified through the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project have recently been helping Jaime and the UC Berkley Urban Bee Lab research Eastern Sierra native bees. Take part in similar research and citizen science projects on the Eastside by certifying your garden today! Applications must be sent to ESLT by September 12^th to receive a materials reimbursement, so don’t wait – call Sara or Ali to learn more about the project.

ESLT is committed to keeping the Eastern Sierra community up-to-date on upcoming workshops, events, and citizen science projects. Anyone interested in certifying a garden or backyard as pollinator-friendly habitat is encouraged to visit www.eslt.org to learn more, or contact ESLT’s Education Coordinators and AmeriCorps members, Sara Kokkelenberg and Ali Amberg, at (760) 873-4554.

ESLT works with willing landowners to preserve vital lands in the Eastern Sierra for their scenic, agricultural, natural, recreational, historical, and watershed values. ESLT’s goal is to preserve a healthy balance of land uses that can be sustained forever, ensuring both a strong local economy and environment. For more information about ESLT’s mission and preserved lands, visit our website at www.eslt.org.

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The Eastside Pollinator Garden Project is in Full Bloom!

https://www.kibskbov.com/eastsidepollinatorgardenproject/

Eastside Pollinator Garden Project / Pollination / Eastern Sierra / Gardening / Eastern Sierra Land Trust / pollinator-friendly / Bishop / Garden Project

Ooolation Singers to Perform Music from Around the World

Ooolation Singers / Performance / Mono Lake / Lee Vining / Eastern Sierrea / US Forest Service / Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association / Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve

Inyo County Correctional Officers Graduation

Congratulations Seneca and Angilberto!

* Picture (from left to right): Lieutenant Eric Pritchard, Seneca Willis, Sheriff “Bill” Lutze, Angilberto Castaneda

Defensible Space Inspections Begin
In Mono County

Mono County – CAL FIRE inspectors have begun conducting Defensible Space inspections throughout the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA) in California. The defensible space inspections will begin on August 8 – 15, 2014, in State Responsibility
Areas in Mono County. Cal Fire is working with your local fire department during the inspection process. Creating defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a
wildfire.

California Public Resources Code 4291 requires homeowners living in State Responsibility Areas to maintain 100 feet of Defensible Space around structures. CAL FIRE inspectors will be
educating residents and evaluating properties to make sure they are in compliance with state law.

Defensible space inspections are supported by the SRA Fire Prevention Fee, which is an annual fee assessed to rural residents for fire prevention activities in the SRA. The Fire Prevention Fee
resulted from a law signed by Governor Brown in 2011 which imposed a fee to residents owning habitable structures in the SRA.

Here are some tips that can help homes survive wildfires:
– Maintain 100 feet of Defensible Space around all structures.
– Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters.
– Trim branches six feet from the ground.
– Use trimming, mowing and power equipment before 10 a.m.
– Landscape with fire resistant and drought tolerant plants that require little water.
– Remove branches away from roofs and 10 feet from the chimney.
– Keep wood piles and flammable materials at least 30 feet from the home.
– Use fire ignition resistant building material.

CITY OF BISHOP
377 West Line Street – Bishop, California 93514
Post Office Box 1236 – Bishop, California 93515
760-873-8458 publicworks@ca-bishop.us
www.ca-bishop.us
Public Works News Release 24 July 2014 

Drought Affects Bishop Water Supply

The drought is measurably affecting the wells that supply water to City of Bishop and the city continues to encourage its customers to conserve water. The City of Bishop monitors the water level in the two wells that are the source of water provided to city water customers. The water levels in these two wells is measurably
lower than usual due to the drought. Even though ground water is lower that usual, so far it is not a critical risk to the city water supply.

The wells are both about 400 feet deep and the water level is still close the surface but now 5 to 15 feet lower than usual. Seeing the affect of the drought on the Bishop water supply makes this a good time to remember what can be done to conserve this precious resource, and save money too.

Most people in California are affected by mandatory 20% reductions in water use. Although these mandates do not affect City of Bishop water customers due to the small size of the city, water conservation is still strongly encouraged.

Water use in the City of Bishop is always high, especially during the warm parts of the year. In fact, water use in Bishop is several times the national average. Water use in Bishop is high even when compared to other communities that have a hot arid summer
climate. Reducing the amount of water used protects ground water levels in the Bishop area and reduces the amount of electricity needed to pump the water out of the ground.

Reducing electricity use to pump the water saves money so water rates can be lower.

Here are some water saving tips:

Irrigation: Irrigation of lawns and landscaping uses the most water in Bishop by far. A huge amount of water is wasted by over-watering lawns and plants in the yard. Just water what your lawn and plants need, no more. Public Works News Release 24 July 2014 Page 2 of 2

Gutter Water: A clear indicator of over-watering is irrigation water running into the street gutter. Water running down the street is a distressingly familiar sight this time of
year and is prohibited.

Water Mornings: In most cases watering in early morning is best to get the water to your plants and lawn. Whenever you choose to water, avoid watering in the heat of the day.

Adjust Sprinklers: Well adjusted sprinkler heads and properly timed automatic sprinkler controls waste less water. Check your sprinkler heads to make sure water is going just where it should and check your automatic controls to make sure the time and duration your sprinklers operate is right. Consider a “smart timer” for your automatic sprinkler control that adjusts for the weather.

Thirsty Plants: Landscaping with native plants and other plants that aren’t so thirsty is becoming more popular. Swapping your thirsty plants with ones that are less thirsty (and still look great) will save a lot of water.

Indoors: Most Bishop water is used outside but saving water inside can add up too. Don’t leave water running if you don’t need it and replace fixtures with water saving types.

Incentives: The City of Bishop offers water conservation incentives to its customers in the forms of giveaways and rebates. Saving water saves money, reduces water rates, protects groundwater, and is the right thing to do.

Contact the City of Bishop Department of Public Works at 873-8458 for more information on water conservation and the City’s water system.

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To:                  All Media Partners

 From:             Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Officer

 Date:               July 22, 2014

 RE:                 Search and Rescue Team Operation: Aid to injured backcountry pack riders

On the afternoon of Friday, July 18, 2014, at approximately 3:00pm, Mono County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call regarding two injured backcountry pack trip participants.

A multi-day guided pack trip was returning from their trip, when approximately 1.5 miles from the Agnew Meadows pack stations, two mules became spooked and the riders were thrown from the mules. The Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) team responded to aid the two injured riders. One rider suffered a bruised leg. The other rider sustained serious injuries. Eight SAR members hiked in and stabilized the seriously injured rider for evacuation to the trailhead via a wheeled litter. Mono County Paramedics met with SAR team members and the victim and transported them by ambulance to Mammoth Hospital for treatment.

Written and prepared by Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Officer