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VOLUME 171 • ISSUE 110 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
Hemp program could take seed in 2023 Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County leaders are making another attempt to incorporate legal cultivation of hemp through a pilot program meant to test the feasibility of the crop in the county. The program, discussed during the Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 13 meeting, would consist of at most five hemp producers for the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons with a series of contingencies. Those include a 200-foot setback in residential areas, adequate signage at the perimeter of grow sites, following California’s policies on THC testing and notifying schools located within 300 feet of a farm. The Industrial Hemp Joint Working Committee, authors of the pilot program, gave a presentation on getting cultivation of the crop back into the county while addressing concerns raised, including how hemp can be differentiated from the cannabis plant. There is a state regulation on not allowing a hemp crop to go past a .3% THC level, which would result in an illegal grow. Lexi Boeger of the Boeger winemaking family and also one of the authors of the pilot program touted the benefits of hemp cultivation and said it is an economic necessity, citing the various struggles wine and apple growers have experienced the last two years, including smoke damage from the Caldor Fire and now possibly the Mosquito Fire. Late-spring frosts this year also became an issue for growers. “The farmers cannot deal with another year where freezes and fires are prevalent,” Boeger said. “If they can diversify their farm with other crops, it is important they can do so.” The El Dorado County Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee members pitched in on the conversation, sending a letter to the Board of Supervisors in opposition of a permanent ban on industrial hemp cultivation. “The global industrial hemp market size is estimated at $4.13 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% from 2022-30,” states the CEDAC letter. “Industrial hemp is a federally recognized, non-intoxicating, agricultural commodity that is produced for a wide range of products including but not limited to: food, health and beauty products, textiles, building materials,
Photo by Torey Philipp
Homeland Fallers fire crew members make sure their chainsaws are ready for their next assignment while staged at Stumpy Meadows Reservoir Sept. 16 on the Mosquito Fire.
Weather swats Mosquito ■ 244 people remained
evacuated Tuesday after a high of nearly 12,000 Noel Stack Managing editor
W
Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Forest Service firefighters mop up hot spots near Volcanoville Sept. 14.
Candidates to take questions Eric Jaramishian Staff writer The League of Women Voters of El Dorado County will host a series of forums featuring candidates running in the Nov. 8 election. District 5 supervisor candidates Kenny Curtzwiler and PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Brooke Laine will field questions from the League of Women Voters and forum attendees at the Pinewood Elementary School multipurpose room beginning at 6 p.m. Sept. 22. Pinewood Elementary is located at 6181 Pine St. in Pollock Pines. Following that at 7:15 p.m. five vying for three seats on the Pollock Pines School District Board of Trustees will take the Pinewood stage. Trustee candidates include Michael Bird, Carmela Buenrostro, Dave Campbell, Susan McVey and Jackie Mullinax. An El Dorado Hills Community Services District candidate forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Pavillion at El Dorado Hills, 2288 Francisco Drive in El Dorado Hills. Five are ■
See FORUMS, page A6
et weather moved into El Dorado County Sunday, giving firefighters battling the Mosquito Fire muchappreciated assistance the past few days. “Containment on the Mosquito Fire has nearly doubled in the past 36 hours,” a Monday incident update reports. “This increase in containment can be attributed to the hard work of firefighters who have been working around the clock to strengthen and secure containment lines in and around the communities.” “Forward progression of the fire across the east side is pretty much halted,” Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Don Fergulia added ■
See MOSQUITO FIRE, page A7
■
See HEMP, page A5
Sierra-at-Tahoe back on track Tahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Sierra-atTahoe is on track to fully open this winter, resort management announced last week. Remediation of trees in West Bowl, the area hardest hit by the Caldor Fire, is complete and officials say they expect treefelling operations to move swiftly across the rest of the resort that was largely spared from flames. In West Bowl hazardous trees have been cut, decked and are being hauled to Tahoe Forest Products sawmill near Carson City with few scattered log-truck loads remaining. “With our latest updates of trees dropping and the daily changing landscape, some may still be wondering, ‘Is Sierra really going to open this winter?’ Our answer is
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Areas at Sierra-at-Tahoe hardest hit by the Caldor Fire where recovery work is complete are highlighted in green. yes. We are on track for a full reopening of our 46-trail network this winter season,” reads a statement on Sierra’s website. Officials state they
focused on the west side of the resort first since it was the most affected. Assessments of the east side of the mountain indicate
“The tree canopy and vegetation has limited to no fire damage across beloved areas ■
See SIERRA-AT-TAHOE, page A5
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