Amador County – A Shasta County group that has used collaborative forest resource management is visiting next month with members of the Amador Calaveras Consensus Group.

Brandon L. Sanders, of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and an organizing member of the Amador Calaveras Consensus Group, said Burney-Hat Creek Collaborative Group “has been discussed in recent meetings of the ACCG as a potential partner” in the “triple-bottom-line” “Sierra-Cascade All Lands Enhancement Demonstration Project.”

Burney-Hat Creek will visit Sept. 18-19 to “tour in and around the Mokelumne Watershed, including current and planned projects” and plan to attend a full ACCG meeting, likely Sept. 19.”

According to June minutes, liaisons of Amador Calaveras Consensus Group visited Burney, in unincorporated Shasta County, on June 13, meeting with representatives of the Burney-Hat Creek Collaborative Group, including Sierra Institute for Community & Environment, the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra Pacific Industries and ranchers: “Both groups agreed there were clear differences between each place-based effort and much to learn from each other, such as from projects under way, infrastructure, involvement of native people, group sizes and meeting periods.”

Burney-Hat Creek Group was invited to view ACCG projects and tour with the liaison group, made up of Teresa McClung, Doug Barber, Steve Wilensky, John Heissenbuttel, Katherine Evatt, Robert Smith and Rick Breeze-Martin.

The Burney-Hat Creek Group was initiated by Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee with “primary resource concerns” of “fuels management, watershed restoration, sustainable forests, sustainable economy, improved recreation opportunities,” and a collaborative process, according to a presentation posted by Group partner Sierra Institute of Community and Environment.

Sierra Institute said the location was chosen because it had three cogeneration plants, two sawmills that take small logs, a high risk of severe wildfire and an “out-of-the-box” District Ranger. With willing players including the U.S. Forest Service, SPI and large ranchers, the project sought to blend forest and stream work and restoration with fire and fuel management and saw-log harvesting.

The Burney-Hat Creek Group builds on “success of collaboration and improving resources and community health.” It also gives an “increased understanding and respect of multiple stakeholder needs,” builds confidence in the role of “local communities for improving resource conditions and economic viability,” and creates a “legacy project.”

Sierra Institute said stakeholders were actively engaged, stimulated to “implement projects.” It “improved understanding of community needs resulting in efforts to make the connection from land-based projects to community improvement.” It has also “encouraged adjacent watersheds to consider” this “community forestry” model.

Sierra Institute said project priorities included local unemployment, declining forest industry, and opportunities and challenges for recreation and tourism.

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Amador County – The Amador County wine grape harvest is creeping closer and a local vintner said the harvest is smaller than normal, and will begin about three weeks later than normal.

Paul Sobon, winemaker and vineyard operations manager of Sobon Family Wines in the Shendandoah Valley, said the harvest will be late by about three weeks pretty much state-wide, though some areas will have earlier harvests. He said the bulk of vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley would likely be starting to harvest in the next 2-4 weeks.

Sobon said he did not expect that they will have the harvest start for about 2 weeks, until probably Sept. 15, or “about three weeks later than normal.” He said the late harvest will change the grapes, as “it always does.” The late harvest will be good because it is “not a very big crop.” But it will be bad because it is a “light crop,” meaning that they will have less grapes and they “must spend more money on grapes,” and it could increase the need for blends.

Sobon, whose family keeps the Sobon Vineyards and Shenandoah Vineyards wineries in Amador County, said they are trying to get the wineries ready for grapes and for bottling. They took in some fruit over the weekend from Brentwood. The sauvignon blanc was processed on Saturday and was in the tank fermenting on Tuesday.

He said typically some Amador County grapes will get riper earlier, such as in vineyards on Ridge Road and in Ione. But he said in the Shenandoah Valley, “it will be about a good month until people are really in the harvest full blast.” He said during the Big Crush event, Oct. 1-2, there will be a lot of harvesting going on, as there usually is during that time.

Local Real Estate Agency Al Bozzo said he has a lot of clients in Amador County wine country. He said now more than ever vineyards are getting purchased by Napa Valley-area winemakers, including a recent purchase of Renwood Winery, whose vintner is Napa-based.

Bozzo said Napa owners have never been more prevalent in owning vineyards in Amador County, and it helps the county, because of their skill and craft, which will benefit county production and sales. It will also help raise the quality.

Bozzo said visitors have increased from recent medals won by Shenandoah Valley grapes and vintners, and other Amador wines. He said that showed too in a busy September calendar of events across Amador County wine country.

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Amador County – A new Orthopedic Surgeon, Doctor Christopher J. Krpan, a doctor of orthopedics, has begun seeing patients at Sutter Amador Hospital’s “Specialty Clinic.”

Sutter Amador Hospital announced Aug. 16 that Krpan has started seeing patients from his new office in the Sutter Amador Hospital Specialty Clinic. Krpan began seeing patients on Aug. 5 from his new office on the first floor of the Sutter Amador Outpatient Services Center, and within the Specialty Clinic.

Sutter Amador Hospital Chief Executive Officer Anne Platt said: “We are thrilled that Dr. Krpan is seeing patients in Jackson. He has been a respected member of our medical staff for seven years and is a highly skilled orthopedic surgeon.”

Krpan is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and has been an orthopedic surgeon for more than 12 years. He received his medical degree from the Western University of Health Sciences and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the Meridia South Pointe Hospital, Cleveland Healthy Systems in Warrensville, Ohio.

Having been in private practice in Calaveras County since 2004, Krpan performs a wide range of surgeries for patients with bone, joint and muscle conditions. He specializes in total joint replacements and sports-related injuries.

Dr. Krpan utilizes minimally invasive procedures and computer-assisted surgery. He has been performing surgeries in Sutter Amador Hospital’s Surgery Department for many years.

He meets with his patients at his new office located in the Specialty Clinic on the first floor in the Sutter Amador Outpatient Services Center at 100 Mission Boulevard in Jackson.

To schedule an appointment at his Jackson office, call (209) 736-1147.

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors last week approved an agreement with Amador County Supervisors to extend the maturation date of a $900,000 loan for its Gravity Supply Line project.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said the AWA board last week approved its updated Urban Water Management Plan, and in a special meeting approved an agreement with Amador County Supervisors to extend the maturity date of a Water Development Fund loan of $900,000, to Sept. 30, 2012.

Supervisors last week approved the extension of the loan due date, and discussed the merits of the GSL, which it supports as a necessary project.

Mancebo said there were “not a whole lot options” for the AWA board because the Agency is not ready to proceed with the Gravity Supply Line. He said Sunday, Sept. 28, was the previous deadline, and the Agency needs to get a rate increase to proceed with the GSL, or look to repair the pump system.

In order to make payments back to the county, the Water Development Loan was set up so that once the USDA loan and grant are received, “the first draw was intended to pay back to the county.” That was built into the whole concept that the GSL project will be moving forward.

Mancebo said if the rate increase is not approved for the Central Amador Water Project service area, the Agency would need to come up with a loan repayment plan and agreement with the county, or would need to find another source of financing.

A cash report last week said cash grew in the AWA in July. Mancebo said cash grew with help from an agreement AWA executed with JTS Communities in Ione which “allowed us to obtain some participation fees up front, instead of sometime in the future.”

Cash impact by the JTS agreement was about $385,000 paid to the Agency, Mancebo said. It was a significant portion of the $1.1 million agreed to be paid for pending will-serves. JTS will pay $240,000 next December, and in 2013 will make another payment.

Mancebo said the payments come early, with less cost to the developer, but the Agency gets the funds sooner, as opposed to the previous agreement, which would have payments only when they sold lots or pulled building permits, whichever would come first. He said without the concessions “it could have been years,” but they moved the money forward, paying some now and it “gives us a revenue stream” in the future, until it pays off by 2013. ¶ He said the Agency had more money than we anticipated” in July. It was ahead by $100,000 over projections.

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