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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Marty Stuart See Inside American Profile RED BLUFF Top Fuelers Sports 1B Sunny 64/33 Weather forecast 8B DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 In the first State of the State speech of his new administra- tion, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday urged lawmakers to let voters decide the direction of the state as leaders cope with a gaping budget deficit, saying it would be ‘‘uncon- scionable’’ for them to block his request for a special elec- tion. In a somber address to a joint session of the state Leg- islature, Brown again asked lawmakers to set aside their partisan differences for the good of California, which faces a $25.4 billion deficit through June 2012. The Democratic governor has proposed a ballot measure this June that would ask vot- ers to extend temporary increases in the state’s sales, income and vehicle taxes for five years, but Republicans have said they will not allow it to go before voters. Brown noted the recent Brown urges lawmakers to allow special election Local reaction SACRAMENTO (AP) — political upheaval in Tunisia and Egypt, saying the urge to vote had stirred the imagina- tion of people there. ‘‘My plan to rebuild Cali- fornia requires a vote of the people, and frankly I believe it would be irresponsible for us to exclude the people from this process,’’ Brown said. ‘‘They have a right to vote on this plan. This state belongs to all of us, not just those of us in this chamber. The voters deserve to be heard.’’ The budget shortfall has overwhelmed all other issues since Brown took office at the beginning of January. His budget proposal includes about $12.5 billion in spend- ing cuts and borrowing, in addition to the tax extensions and fees that are part of a plan to raise an additional $12 bil- lion. Even if his plan is adopted, it will leave little money to pay for a host of state pro- grams. Interest groups already have been lining up in protest over the expected loss of money, including mayors and other local elected officials who object to Brown’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies that divert local tax revenue to developers. Brown said none of those who have opposed the cuts or taxes has offered credible alternatives. The Legislature has until March to call the election, but GOP leaders have called the tax plan a ‘‘non-starter.“ While Democrats are the majority party in the Assem- bly and Senate, some Repub- lican support is needed to reach the two-thirds vote threshold to place the ques- tion on a ballot. Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, R-Tulare, disagreed with Brown’s con- tention that Republicans have not offered ideas. She said they have made proposals See STATE, page 7A For love of land Administrators optimistic on budget proposal By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Tehama County administrators remain opti- mistic since state budget proposals were issued by Gov. Jerry Brown Jan. 10, and some see a unique opportunity for county input amid the struggle. Brown’s realignment proposals that would shift the weight of many state programs to county levels are among the items that Tehama County officials are paying attention to, said Chief Administrator Bill Goodwin. “The state budget is so much in flux,” he said. Goodwin and several of the supervisors are working on ideas to submit to the state legislators, he said. They are asking each department to look at what core services and programs are absolutely essential so they can come up with concepts that are best for rural counties like Tehama. “We might be able to do more with less,” Good- win said. “We’re challenging ourselves to do some thinking department by department.” Locally there is a belief in a “can-do” attitude, he said. “We’ve learned how to cooperate and serve citi- Courtesy photo The Northern California Regional Land Trust has acquired two voluntary conservation easements on approximately 7,132 contiguous acres of rangeland in the Red Bank area. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Land preservation is something Bill Burrows has been interested in for just as long as he has been a cattle rancher and now he has found a way to ensure his ranch will be the way it was when his family bought the land decades ago. Burrows, who owns about 3,500 acres in the Red Bank area, has entered into a voluntary conservation ease- ment with the Northern Cal- ifornia Regional Land Trust. For Burrows, whose family has owned the land since the 1940s, the ease- ment means securing the ranch for many more gener- ations. There is a practical and emotional side to the decision, he said. “The bottom line when it comes down to it is it’s for the love of the land in its nat- ural state and the love of family and its future state,” “The bottom line when it comes down to it is it’s for the love of the land in its natural state and the love of family and its future state.” Bill Burrows Burrows said. “Without this easement I didn’t see how I could do it.” A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a land trust and a property owner that allows landown- ers to protect the conserva- tion values of their land from development while still having ownership over the property. The land trust purchased 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Burrows’ property and another property in Red Bank with a $3.9 million grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, land trust Executive Director Jamison Watts said. The Red Bank Project will permanently protect about 4,275 contiguous acres of diverse habitat along Red Bank Creek and North Fork Elder Creek and several special-status species, including valley elderberry longhorn beetle, foothill yellow-legged frog and California red-legged frog. While the easement will permanently prevent further development and place stricter regulation on land use activities, Burrows said things on the ranch will not change much. The easement serves as a collaboration between the land trust and Burrows to maintain and enhance the environment, something Burrows has been interested in for a long time, and he has already implemented ways to do so. He has applied a holistic management approach that involves improving the qual- ity of the land. He offers agritourism, guided hunts for various game, and oper- ates a carbon sequestration program, which traps car- bon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere helping combat global warming. For those achievements, Burrows and wife Kay were finalists for the Leopold Conservation Award, given to landowners who partici- pate in voluntary land con- servation and public educa- tion of land stewardship. The easement would contribute some financial See LAND, page 7A HAPPY BIRTHDAY Richard Allen Looking Fine at With Love “Keller” zens, even in hard times,” Goodwin said. The supervisors’ biggest concern in the budget is the funding for public safety, he said. At the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Goodwin and Personnel Director Reanette Filmer submitted a resolution with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association that deputies agreed to contribute 3 percent of their own PERS for this year and anoth- er 3 percent next year. The “bittersweet” agree- ment was a concession to safeguard against budget woes over the next three years, Filmer said during the meeting. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association was the first larger bargaining unit to take this initiative, Good- win said. Although things still look troublesome and cuts will continue, Goodwin remains optimistic that things will get better in the next three to four years, he said. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “We’re all anticipating the debate at the state.” This is the first time, however, that counties have had such an opportunity for input, Goodwin said. Following the governor’s budget proposal, each department has been trying to analyze the impact proposed cuts would have locally. “It would adversely affect every department in the county, but to what extent will vary depending on how it ultimately shakes out,” Goodwin said. ——— Andrea Wagner can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or awagner@redbluffdailynews.com. ATTENTION !!! Painful corns? WHO needs them! We can PERMANENTLY Remove these with very little pain Minimal down time. Most insurances cover. Call for info! DR. John Swaim, DPM (530) 527-7584 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2595 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530 527-9841 Senator Doug LaMalfa “Working on any major policy initiative that doesn’t repair the state’s fiscal problems is a misuse of time and energy. I was pleased with the Governor’s statements that the budget is job number one, and that creating a strong economy gets us there.” “There are areas where I agree with Gover- nor Brown, such as reducing the size and scope of government, but I believe he funda- mentally misunderstood the will of the people if he expects them to increase taxes.” Assemblyman Jim Nielsen “Governor Brown gave a short speech that was long on rhetoric but contained few specifics. I would have liked to have heard more about his plans for creating jobs or reforming our budget process or reforming our pension system, but sadly, this was not includ- ed.” “I also reject the notion that we need to have a ‘Legislative Check-in’ with the voters and ask them to increase our taxes.”