Tulare County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Streambed permitting breakthrough with Fish and Wildlife
NOAA projects a 61% chance of El Niño this summer, making channel maintenance urgent. The district is still waiting on Fish and Wildlife routine maintenance agreements and exploring emergency declarations as a workaround.
Kit fox habitat protections at Road 166 site
Neighbors produced trail-camera videos claiming kit foxes — a protected species — live in the White River/Wachumna Ditch area; staff concluded the animals look like common gray foxes but added conditions halting construction if a kit fox is ever confirmed.
Golden mussel invasion risk
Invasive golden mussels have infested the lower 30 miles of the Friant-Kern Canal and aren't going away. Control will cost at least $3 million next year, and costs flow to water districts and ultimately growers.
Illegal Dumping Reporting Access
A Lindsay resident urged the county to build a mobile app for reporting illegal dumping, saying the current website system is hard for older and Spanish-speaking residents to use. The chair noted the county is already working on an app with IT.
Assembly Bill 2494 and Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest
Supervisor Townsend opposes a bill that would limit Cal Fire's timber harvest tools in the Mountain Home Demonstration Forest, which he says saved old-growth sequoias in past fires and supports Balch Park management.
Utility-scale solar farm extension near Ducor
The Avantus solar project got two more years to finish utility power upgrades before its permit deadlines.
Climate Action Plan annual report
The county's CAP update shows population and occupied housing in unincorporated areas declined while cities grew, and that greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled have not increased in ten years — putting the county on track with state targets.
Three Rivers wildfire resilience project
Fire Chief Norman highlighted a partnership with UC San Diego adding five early-detection fire cameras at stations including Posey, Oat Mountain, Blue Ridge, Barton, Lake Success, and Case Mountain — an early-warning tool against catastrophic fires.
Huff Energy solar facilities near Alpaugh
Two 3-megawatt solar projects totaling 13.22 acres on farmland near Alpaugh were approved with wildlife mitigation measures added after California Fish and Wildlife comments. Power generated will be sold off-site.
Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup Grant
The county accepted up to $38,590 from CalRecycle to clean up and abate solid waste on farms and ranches through April 2028.
Water Outage
A town in Tulare County has completely lost running water during a dangerous heat wave, and officials are treating it as a public health emergency. If you're in the area, find the official water distribution points now and don't wait until it gets hotter.