EDITOR’S NOTE: The Plumas County Board of Supervisors addresses numerous issues at each of its three monthly meetings. Following are reports on several of the smaller items considered at the board’s April 15 meeting.
Wolves
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency citing the “extreme peril” caused by wolves. The unanimous action, which included no board discussion, followed an April 1 report from California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirming 14 head of livestock in Plumas County killed in wolf attacks since December 2024.
The resolution asks both state and federal wildlife authorities to grant sheriffs the authority to investigate wolf incidents and declare a specific gray wolf a public safety threat, “thereby authorizing its removal under clearly defined and lawful procedures.” It follows similar actions taken by supervisors in Modoc and Sierra counties.
The emergency declaration to allow shooting wolves is largely symbolic. “Every sheriff in California already has that ability if a public safety incident is a threat to human beings,” said Kaitlin Talbot, a spokeswoman for CDFW. “We are standing by to support local law enforcement any way we can.”
After the emergency declaration, the supervisors discussed a letter they proposed to send to Chuck Bonham, CDFW director. In it they asked him to encourage Wade Crowfoot, California secretary of natural resources, and Governor Gavin Newsom to work with CDFW to initiate the regulatory changes outlined in their approved resolution.
“This is not just about ranchers and farmers,” said Rick Roberti, a Sierra Valley rancher. “This is a public safety issue. Ranchers have had enough.”
Plumas County is host to at least 13 “and likely more” of California’s 50 or more grey wolves, said Talbot. Five of the state’s seven wolf packs are in the county or close to its boundary. State biologists have also identified three areas in Plumas County and one in neighboring Lassen where they have documented wolves but have not confirmed the presence of pups.
Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns suggested the letter to Bonham also be sent directly to Newsom and the county’s state legislators. “I don’t know how we’re going to get anywhere just with the director,” Johns said in a Zoom comment.
“I’m sorry it has come to this,” said Supervisor Jeff Engel. His motion to approve the letters passed unanimously.
ENGIE
County officials have paused energy-saving installations by ENGIE, the international energy service company holding a $10.9 million contract with Plumas County. The work stoppage will allow Plumas County Facilities Director Neil Collin to gather feedback from county department heads on what energy changes they do or do not need.
Work will continue on installation of solar panels at the courthouse annex, said Supervisor Mimi Hall. That is one of the county’s best opportunities to realize energy savings, she said.
Earlier this month Hall and Collin reported that the county could save as much as $3.7 million by making changes in the number of generators and heating/air conditioning units planned for ENGIE installation in county-owned facilities. Collin’s current assessment is aimed at making changes only if they produce a net gain for the county.
How any amendments to the ENGIE contract would affect the county’s complicated $10.9 funding package is still unknown. Hall is working with Plumas County Treasurer-Tax Collector Julie White to assess the financial impacts of renegotiating a contract with ENGIE officials.
The supervisors did not set a date to continue the ENGIE issue.
North Fork Tributaries project
A U.S. Forest Service project designed to restore and recover national forest lands heavily impacted by recent wildfires is circulating for public opinion, said Tracey Ferguson, Plumas County planning director. The North Fork Tributaries Forest Recovery project encompasses over 163,000 acres from Grizzly Ridge to Lake Davis and to the east around Antelope Lake toward Genesee Valley.
The area was heavily burned in the 2019 Walker fire, followed by further damage in the 2021 Dixie Fire. Plumas Corporation Director Jim Wilcox said the project goal is to help communities and the forest recover.
Engel endorsed the project: “We’ve got to rebuild these places.” The Plumas supervisors approved a letter in support of the recovery project.
The environmental assessment completed by Plumas Corp is available for comment at the Plumas National Forest website.