Helping Developers Navigate the 2019 General Plan – the Checklist

One role of a County’s General Plan is to provide developers with clear guidelines, standards and practices to implement the goals of the General Plan. “The general plan is more than the legal underpinning for land use decisions; it is a vision about how a community will grow, reflecting community priorities and values while shaping the future.”– California General Plan Guidelines The 2019 General Plan adopted by Calaveras... Read More

CCWD updating its Urban Water Management Plan

The Public Review Draft of the Calaveras County Water District (CCWD) 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Update is now available for public review and comment.  Draft Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) Update for required 5-year update cycle. Latest update incorporates new analyses related to water supply vulnerabilities, climate change risks, and drought water supply reliability. Also includes new Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), defining... Read More

What is an Urban Water Management Plan?

An Urban Water Management Plan is a check-up to see if a water district is on schedule to secure rights to, divert, store, purify, deliver, conserve and reclaim sufficient water to meet the needs of its service area over the next twenty years. Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP) are required of all water urban water districts in California. They must be updated every five years. Why does an UWMP need to be updated? The State... Read More

Open Space and Carbon: Calaveras County Greenhouse Gas Baseline Reduction Plan

CAP Governing Committee Member Muriel Zeller provided the following letter explaining the role rangelands play in carbon sequestration. A Greenhouse Gas Baseline and Reduction Plan for Calaveras County is under development, and the conservation of rangelands should be a positive part of that plan. Hello, Mr. Frisch. I understand the Sierra Business Council is working on the Greenhouse Gas Baseline and Reduction Plan for Calaveras County.... Read More

Conserving California – 30% by 2030

An exciting new plan to conserve 30% of  lands and waters in California by 2030 needs your input!  The Plan 30 x 30 aims to conserve 30% of the planet’s lands and waters by the year 2030. President Biden has embraced the plan, and Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order makes California the first state in the nation to formally adopt the plan. Now it is time for the rubber to meet the road as a “biodiversity collaborative”... Read More

CCWD to Sell Surplus Land in Copperopolis – CPC Keeps a Watchful Eye

CPC Member Ralph Copeland provided public comment to CCWD regarding a number of actions they are pursuing. On March 8, 2021, I received an email from CPC member Colleen Platt. She wrote: “you may be interested in the March 10 Calaveras County Water District Board meeting, agenda item 4b. :4b Discussion/Action on a Declaration of Surplus for a Portion of APN 055-051-008 This is the CCWD parcel with water/sewer treatment plants adjacent... Read More

Open Space Zoning Without an Open Space Plan

A long range and comprehensive plan for the preservation and conservation of open space lands is a statutory requirement (CA Government Code § 65563) for the open space element of the general plan, and open space zoning must be consistent with that adopted long-range and comprehensive open space plan (CA Government Code § 65910). The open space plan, of necessity, also requires an inventory of open space lands (CA Government Code § 65560(b)).... Read More

County Improves Accessibility of Zoning Update Map after encouragement from MVS.com

As Calaveras County planning staff move forward with the Zoning Update, regional groups have been diligent in their participation throughout the process. Recently MyValleySprings.com (MVS) seems to have made some headway with the County after multiple requests for improvements to be made to the GIS Map and related zoning update information. The original view showed only land use designations – it was not easy to figure out how to make the map... Read More

Regional Groups file legal challenge to protect the Ione Valley

  Friends of Greater Ione News Release For Immediate Release: February 5, 2021 For More Information, Contact: Marta Johnson 209- 223-3508 marta@foothillconservancy.org Friends of Greater Ione and Foothill Conservancy file legal challenge to protect the Ione Valley from poor planning   JACKSON, CA – On Thursday, February 4, 2021, the Friends of Greater Ione (Friends) and Jackson-based nonprofit conservation group Foothill Conservancy (Conservancy)... Read More

“Stay the Course”: BOS Sets Implementation Priorities for the GPU

Residents and visitors alike treasure open space in Calaveras County On January 26th, the BOS reviewed the General Plan Work Program and Implementation Priorities.  This was the Board’s opportunity to determine which aspects of the recently adopted General Plan Update they would prioritize for the year. They agreed to “stay the course” rather than take advantage of grant money available to help implement other parts of the General... Read More