2/11/2022
Contact: Melinda Fleming, Executive Director
(209) 586-7816 or (209) 352-8012
TuCARE@mlode.com

SONORA – On March 12, 2022, Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources & Environment (TuCARE) will hold their 33rdAnnual Dinner and Auction. The event is an opportunity for members and the public to gather, enjoy a great dinner, have fun at the silent and live auctions, and be entertained and educated by a keynote speaker. Proceeds from the auctions go to support TuCARE’s “Tours for Kids” programs. This year marks the organization’s 33rd annual event (although the last 2 years were not held in-person).

Guest speaker will be Dave Daley, California Public Lands Council Chair, and there will also be a short presentation following Daley about the Community Wildfire Protection Fund, a program that TuCARE and the Sonora Area Foundation have created to fund fuel thinning on private property in Tuolumne County.

Speaker Daley is a fifth-generation commercial cattle producer from Butte County, running the family ranch near Oroville alongside his son Kyle. Daley is also a leader in California’s beef industry, holding leadership positions on the local, state, and national levels.

Daley’s family has had cattle on US Forest Service grazing permits in the Plumas National Forest for generations, making him well versed in the issues public lands ranchers face and enthusiastic about preserving public lands grazing, leading him to serve in multiple leadership positions. He is currently chair of the California Public Lands Council, chair of the Public Lands Council Forest Service Committee, and chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Federal Lands Committee.

For more than 30 years, through his involvement with the College of Agriculture at California State University, Chico, Daley has also been influential in the lives of other current and up-and-coming young cattle owners throughout the state. He recently served as the Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture at California State University and was an animal science professor at the university for many years. Today, Daley is still involved with the university through his role as farm administrator for the Paul L. Byrne University Farm.

Daley’s experiences as a cow-calf producer and an educator make him invaluable to California’s beef producers and the state’s cattle industry. In addition to his public land-related leadership roles, he currently serves as chair of the California Cattle Council. Daley is also past president of the California Cattlemen’s Association, and past president of the Butte County Cattlemen’s Association.

The dinner and auction will be held at the Elks Lodge in Sonora. Social-time starts at 4:30 p.m. with a chicken and tri-tip dinner following. The silent and live auctions will include some unique items such as a handmade quilt, one-of-a-kind artwork, gift certificates, dinner packages, and a wheelbarrow of wine. Cost for the event is $45.00 per person till February 28, then tickets go to $50. Tickets are not sold at the door.

TuCARE is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Anyone wishing to donate, or sponsor can contact the office at (209) 586-7816 or by email at tucare@mlode.com. Sponsorships include promotional opportunities and signage venues.

TuCARE advocates an increased awareness of natural resources in our schools and communities–believing that a more informed public will be able to make better decisions on how our natural resources are cared for and used. Learn more about the organization at www.tucare.com. To learn more about the Community Wildfire Protection Fund (CWPF) go to the website www.CWPFProject.com.

In an effort to help prevent wildfire devastation like that which took place during the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources & Environment (TuCARE) is kicking off a campaign for The Community Wildfire Protection Fund (CWPF). The project will create resources to fund fire fuels reduction projects on private land, within neighborhoods, and in and around subdivisions. In addition, funds will be used to assist private landowners who are adjacent to the proposed “North Tuolumne Private/Public Land Interface Shaded Fuel Break”. All funds raised will be used for actual work done on the ground. Sonora Area Foundation will accept the funds and facilitate funding disbursements.

A small demonstration project is underway. The purpose of this pilot project is to show the public and donors what an actual fuel break looks like at completion, and to dispel myths and misconceptions about fire fuel reduction on the landscape.

Project selection will be based on urgency of need, and funding levels will be based on a tiered schedule. TuCARE hopes landowners will “invest” in the project if possible, but allowances will made based on the need to complete the project and the financial need of the landowner.

The “North Tuolumne Private/Public Land Interface Shaded Fuel Break” is a benefit for all project and will be funded at 100% for private lands that abut public lands. Only the private land side of the fuel break will be funded through the CWPF. Our goal is for public agencies that comprise the other half of the fuel break, to fund the work on the public land portion.

Scheduled project maintenance will be a component of the CWPF. All projects invested in will be maintained for continued fire protection values.

The CWPF campaign was kicked off at TuCARE’s Annual Dinner on March 14th. Members of TuCARE’s Board of Directors are available to present the project at meetings and events. More information about the campaign is available on the website: www.tucare.com

To donate to the project, please contact Sonora Area Foundation. Your donations are tax deductible. TuCARE is a 501 (c)3 non-profit. When donating all checks should be made payable to: Sonora Area Foundation. Please note on your donation that it is for the “CWPF Project”.
Donations can be made online at www.sonora-area.org as well.

Have questions? Want a presentation? Contact TuCARE at (209) 586-7816 or email them at tucare@mlode.com.