Lynette Short, CalFire Unit Forester, briefed on fuels reduction. CalFire’s main local effort this year will be the Redhill Vegetation Management Project. It is a 300-foot-wide shaded fuel break, starting in Pine Cove around the northwest, west and southwest sides. CalFire will treat dispersed plots extending down to the Nature Center. Over previous years, nearly…

The Mountain Area Safety Taskforce’s March meeting provided updates from the agencies responsible for protecting our mountain communities from catastrophic wildfires. Representatives from CalFire, Idyllwild Fire, US Forest Service, Riverside Sheriff’s Office, and the County Emergency Management Department gave briefings, as did the Executive Director of Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council (MCFSC), the nonprofit organization…

On Wednesday, March 12, Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, took major steps to deregulate environmental protection rules. In 31 separate actions, Zeldin announced proposed changes or modifications to how EPA will address future major environmental issues such as coal plants, electric vehicles and clean water. “Today is the greatest day of deregulation…

The Idyllwild Arts Academy is offering an opportunity for self-expression, creativity, hope, and healing at its “Day of Healing Through Art,” a special event for students whose homes, schools, families, and communities have been impacted by the recent devastating wildfires. Students, age 13-17, will be visiting Idyllwild on March 21 for a day of “art, reflection,…

At its Wednesday, March 19 meeting, the Riverside County Planning Commission will consider a rezoning request of a five-acre parcel in Idyllwild. This is located south of Marian View Drive, north of Saunders Meadow Road, east of Highway 243, and west of Crestview Drive. The applicant proposes to change the current designation from Rural: Rural…

The Idyllwild community is celebrating one of its own this week as Reba Coulter has been named Woman of the Year for Riverside County’s Fourth Supervisorial District. Recognized for her dedication to helping local seniors and residents in need, Coulter’s work—particularly through the Idyllwild Shuttle Service—has made a lasting impact on the town. Below is…

Although Idyllwilders may know Mick Lynch as part of the Irish musical ensemble Two Micks and a Chick, and for his spoken word performances, he is reaching new audiences as the director of the theater troupe Old Tyme Radio, which brings a new radio play to Middle Ridge Winery (almost) every month. Larry Kawano has…

While drought conditions still overlay most of Riverside County, the past four weeks have taken a toll on the dry weather. This weekend more than a foot of snow fell on the Hill and some more is expected this week. This is in contrast with the warm weather at the end of February, when Idyllwild…

On March 1, President Donald Trump signed two more Executive Orders. One is intended to increase timber production on the forested lands of the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Its purposes are to increase timber production and to improve land management. The EO specifies a schedule of actions, with which both…