Dogs harassing animals in the DiamondXX
Hi all,
A few weeks ago I passed along a picture and report of a couple of problem dogs. It seems they are still harassing livestock, including horses, along Conestoga. Animal control has been contacted, but I think some residents will take matters into their own hands shortly. Dogs that harass livestock are also a danger to people. If these are your dogs, please get them contained immediately.
Water Board Hearing on Royal Mountain King Mine Site
Quick note for any who are interested, there is a March 27/28 public State Water Board meeting to discuss how groundwater concerns will be handled for the Royal Mountain King mine site. As you may recall, representatives from the RMK mine came to a past community meeting to talk about how the groundwater use designation affected the mine closing process. This State Water Board meeting is a follow up on that issue. You may submit written comments to the Water Board until Jan. 10. Here are the details.
Agenda for our Community Meeting on Saturday
Diamond XX Community Meeting
10:00 – 11 am, Saturday, Nov 9th - Armory
Agenda
- Stagecoach Bridge Update
- When will the bridge be built?
- How much money have we spent so far?
- How much money do we anticipate spending?
- Federal Funds for Future Creek Crossings
- Singletree
- Stagecoach South
- Horseshoe South
- How much money does Diamond XX have to spend on roads?
- Where should we spend it?
Another article on the bridge situation
From an article in the Calaveras Enterprise. Note that this is in regards to the Singletree bridge, not the low crossing on Stagecoach:
District 4 Supervisor Debbie Ponte questioned the extended timeline, but she acknowledged the reality of the environmental requirements.
When we talk about – ‘We’re going to replace a bridge’ – it’s not going to happen a year from now. It’s going to happen six years from now. It’s a little misleading,” she said in reference to the project that’s been in the works for nearly a year already. “Now, we have a proposal for approval, but it’s a four-year period for environmental studies. Our hands are really tied to that timeline.
On Tuesday, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to spend up to $1.2 million to design bridges proposed to replace the two crossings and study their potential environmental impacts.
Public Works Director Tom Garcia said design and environmental work may actually end up costing as much or more than the bridges themselves.
From RecordNet, a Stockton news site. Our supervisor, Debbie Ponte, is mentioned, so at least it seems she has heard of the issue. The article seems confused as to which bridge is being replaced. The Singletree bridge washed away in 2003, but to my knowledge the Stagecoach wet crossing is the only bridge being considered for replacement.
Note to Fish & Game – We will continue to drive over the red-legged frogs and tiger salamanders, squishing their cute little endangered bodies, until we have a bridge. When we have the bridge, they will all hop and slither happily underneath it.
Has anyone actually ever seen a red-legged frog or tiger salamander?
I saw this posted at the post office. Feel free to send me items like this if you want to reach your neighbors.
I might have ’em. Send an email to jim@jperry.net if you think they might be yours.
[Update – they have been claimed]
One of our neighbors on Conestoga is asking for help in dealing with a couple of problem dogs who are killing deer and threatening other livestock. If these are yours, please fix your fence and keep them contained. If they can take down deer, they are a threat to people. Animal control is already involved, so if they are yours, you need to get on it!
Stagecoach Road Low Water Crossing
or
Project# BRLO5930-039
(Official identifier used by CalTrans & the Federal Highway Administration to identify our Stagecoach Low Water Crossing project)
The status as of Sept 2013 of the Stagecoach Low Water Crossing is that CalTrans is waiting for a permit from US Fish & Wildlife to allow construction of the bridge. As explained by our Public Works Dept, US Fish & Wildlife is concerned about the notorious red-legged frog and the effect that building this bridge would have on them. Even though none of our neighbors here in the Diamond XX have ever seen evidence of the existence of this creature, the US Government is convinced they could exist around here. The Road Committee was told that a formal negotiation between CalTrans and US Fish & Wildlife will be taking place to address the issue of the frog and the issuance of a permit. We were given no idea when this will happen.
Considering that we started this project in 2007, and can’t seem to move it along, Bob Toynbee contacted Congressman McClintock’s office and spoke to his district director, asking him to intercede with Fish & Wildlife and see if he could expedite handling of our project. He agreed to look into it and offered to update the Road Committee with what he had found by the end of next week.
If you’d like to help, call Senator Feinstein’s office (415) 393-0707 and Senator Boxer’s office (916) 448-2787. Ask them to help move this project along and refer to Project# BRLO5930-039
Tell them that this project was initiated 6 years ago in response to a flood in our community that left many of our neighbors stranded when this low-water crossing became impassible. Our community has set aside funds needed to apply for grant money for 5 years now rather than spend them on other badly needed road projects. We have done our part. Now it’s time for the government to do theirs.
Respectfully submitted,
Diamond XX Road Committee members Bob Toynbee & Jeane Kennedy