Pioneer fights to keep your electricity rates as low as possible, saving most customers 15% or more. Pioneer guarantees savings for 100% of its E1 residential customers and for more than 85% of its residential solar customers. Learn More : Call (916) 758-8969 or visit pioneercommunityenergy.org.
172
C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
nd
– E S T. 18 51
VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 55 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2023
Project Frontier applicant withdraws Mountain Democrat staff El Dorado County was notified at 3:57 p.m. today that the Project Frontier applicant has withdrawn its application, according to a statement from county officials. “The Project Frontier applicant team would like to thank county leadership and staff for their commitment and dedication in working with the applicant team on Project Frontier,” reads a note from the law firm representing the applicant. “At this time, the
applicant has decided to withdraw the application and is considering other alternatives.” County staff had no further information to share. Thursday evening, hours after the announcement, the El Dorado Hills Community Services District Board of Directors had expected to hear a presentation from the EDH Area Planning Advisory Committee regarding Project Frontier. After noting the application’s
Graphic courtesy of Lucy & Company
n See PROJECT FRONTIER, page A6
The Project Frontier warehouses, parking and other amenities would have covered 4.8 million square feet on a 208-acre property in south El Dorado Hills.
Placerville’s Christmas tree placed on the disabled list Odin Rasco Staff writer
Courtesy photo
Sugar Pine seedlings resistant to White Pine Blister disease will be planted on the Caldor Fire burn scar in the Grizzly Flat area May 20.
Sprouting hope for Grizzly Flat Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
In an effort to help restore the Eldorado National Forest in the Grizzly Flat area, South Lake Tahoe-based Sugar Pine Foundation will lead a tree replanting effort at ground zero of the Caldor Fire scar May 20. The forest restoration nonprofit seeks to plant 500 sugar pine and 500 ponderosa pine seedlings, who got approval from the Placerville Ranger District. Planting will
“We would like to restore sugar pines with this strain of resistant trees and help heal the community as much as we can ...” Maria Mircheva, Sugar Pine Foundation Executive Director commence off Capps Crossing Road, 1.3 miles from the junction with Sciaroni Road. The foundation is hoping to secure 50 volunteers for the replanting. Thirty more are needed but the effort will take as many as it can get, the foundation’s superiors said. Volunteers can go to the site to help plant the trees. No sign up is required. Planting is expected to begin at 10 a.m. and continue through 12:30 p.m. Visit the event page online at bit.ly/GRIZZsugarpine for more information. Once planted, it will take about 80 years before the trees become fully grown, Sugar Pine n See PLANTING, page A6
Placerville’s landmark redwood located at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Main Street will have to sit out its traditional role as the city’s Christmas tree this year, the City Council decided Tuesday. A one-two punch of prolonged drought conditions and fierce winter storms rocked the 95-foot tree earlier this year and in late 2022, putting it in visibly rough shape with multiple broken and cracked limbs. The council reviewed a report on the tree’s current condition from arborist Chad Dykstra during its May 9 meeting and determined the tree will have to be benched for this year’s Festival of Lights and possibly future ones as well. “It’s going to have to be on the disabled list for a while,” Mayor Michael Saragosa said. Boughs that broke during the winter storms tangled and tore the strands of decorative lights that were strung around the tree for the holidays, leading to potential future risks until they are removed, according to Dykstra’s report for Foothill Forest Care. “Obviously we need to get all the Borg components off of this tree — all the Christmas stuff, the star and everything that is up there, all the mechanical pieces,” council member John Clerici emphasized at the start of discussions about the arborists’ report.
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
The Placerville City Council has decided the coastal redwood on Main Street that gets lit up as part of the Festival of Lights may have to sit out a holiday season or two after a rough winter. Placerville’s Director of Community Services Terry Zeller identified three potential avenues of action regarding the tree from the information found in the arborist report: leaving the tree as-is with no further action, pruning the tree and introducing chemical agents to encourage limb growth or — complete removal of the tree. Dykstra, who has worked on the tree for many years, shared his personal opinion on
“In 50 years or so we won’t know, but for the next decade or decades, it’s not going to look right. But the tree is still doing fairly well, and I’m trying to be the Lorax to speak for this tree and say that it’s still pretty enough.” — Chad Dykstra, Foothill Forest Care arborist the matter. “Pruning the remaining branches would cut them back a bit, closer in toward the tree,” Dykstra explained. “In 50 years or so we
BING Be Safe, Warm & Toasty PLSPUM ECIAL
FURNACE OR A/C SAFETY CHECK Repair or Service Call
JUST
59
$
00
Reg. $189.00 Multi Point Safety and Efficiency Test With Our One-Year No Break Down Guarantee*
*with recommended repairs • Please present coupon • Not valid on prior services • Expires 5/31/23 4/30/23
Mt. Democrat
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
won’t know, but for the next decade or decades, it’s not going to look right. But the tree is still doing fairly well, and I’m n See CHRISTMAS TREE,
page A5
Lic. #559305 • Est. 1979
HEATING • AIR • PLUMBING H
O
M
E
S
E
R
V
I
C
E
S
5000 530-303-2727 OFF
$
*
*When work is performed. Not good with any other discount. Not valid on prior services. 4/30/ 4/30/23 23
©Gilmore Inc. 2023
702
www.gilmoreair.com
Gilmore’s Red Carpet Care for Your Heating & Air Our Technicians Keep Your Home Neat & Tidy