August 2026
Greetings,
This month I would like to highlight the University of California's Cooperative Extension Program and its Agriculture and Natural Resources Placer County Spotlight and the great they do.
UC ANR Mission
UC ANR cultivates thriving communities, sustainable agriculture, resilient ecosystems, and economic prosperity in California through development and sharing of equitable and collaborative science-based solutions that have national and global impact.
UC ANR Academics Supporting Placer County
•Andrea Warner – Livestock & Natural Resources
•Matt Rodriguez – 4-H Youth Development
•Bruno Pitton – Environmental Horticulture
•Ben Baldi– Horticulture & Small Farms
•Katie Low Academic Coordinator– Fire Ecology and Wildfire Preparedness
•Kitty Oppliger – Community Nutrition & Health
•Olivia Henry – Food Systems
•Clarissa Reyes – Orchard Systems
•Whitney B Brim-Deforest - Rice and Wild Rice Advisor
Statewide Programs in Placer County:
•4-H Youth Development
•UC Master Gardeners
•UC Environmental Stewards
•UC ANR Fire Network
•CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE
Fire Ecology & Wildfire Preparedness Presented by Katie Low
Extension Highlights
•Reached 91 Placer and Nevada county residents through hosting 3 workshops related to home hardening, defensible space, and targeted grazing.
•Presented science-based wildfire preparedness solutions at 8 community events and meetings, reaching over 330 Placer and Nevada County residents.
•Administering the Placer County Firewise Community Volunteer Hour Reporting Tool. In 2025, 133 Placer County residents reported Firewise Community volunteer hours and investments.
Livestock & Natural Resources Presented by Andrea Warner
Extension Highlights
•Hosted workshops on grazing management for beef and sheep/goat producers
•Coordinated the Nevada-Placer-Yuba Disaster Pass, provided training on fire behavior, the incident command system, and disaster planning
•Coordinated an “Ag Legacy” event for farmers and ranchers to learn hands-on about succession planning
•Co-hosted a “Sheep and Goat Health” and “Beef Cattle Health” webinar series in collaboration with UC Davis Veterinary Medicine, which reached more than 200 livestock producers across the state
Research Highlights
•Prescribed fire for reduction of barbed goat grass on annual rangelands
•Efficacy of fly control products to control pinkeye in cattle
•Cost study of applying fertilizer to annual rangeland
•Understanding impacts of long-term climate change on annual rangeland productivity and forage quality
4-H Youth Development, Presented by Matt Rodriguez
4-H provides a variety of experiential learning opportunities supporting positive youth development.
Placer 4-H numbers:
•10 Clubs
•480 youth
•134 volunteers
Extension Highlights
•4-H Junior Master Gardener Program inside the Placer County Juvenile Detention Facility with a focus on Therapeutic Horticulture to support youth mental and emotional well-being
•Implementing 4-H Drone STEM program with Western Placer Unified schools (Phoenix HS, Atlas, and Lincoln HS)
•Providing 3 upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings to 4-H volunteers, school educators, and youth practitioners.
Environmental Horticulture Presented by Bruno Pitton
Extension Highlights
•Published Fire-Smart Landscaping in the Sierra Foothills
•40% of attendees said horticulture advice was most valuable part of Wildfire Preparedness Walking Tours
•Over 650 residents attended Fire-Smart Landscaping outreach events
•Initiated a Fire-Smart Demonstration Garden with Master Gardeners at South Placer Fire District Station in Loomis
CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE
The goal of CalFresh Healthy Living is to inspire and empower under-served Californians to improve their health by promoting awareness, education, and community change through diverse partnerships, resulting in healthy eating and active living.
Highlights:
•Educators reached 2,168 youth & 218 adults in Placer County
•Nutrition, Physical Activity, Gardening, Resource Management, and Food Safety
•Supported school gardens in 14 schools
•Volunteers extended 4,262 hours of direct education
•Snap-Ed funding will end September 30, 2026
UC Master Gardner Program
•143 Master Gardener Volunteers
•20,324 Voluteer Hours
•260 outreach and education events
•Kids in the Garden Project & California Native Plant Journal funded by CA Native Plant Society
As always, I encourage you to contact my office with any questions or concerns you may have. You may do so by calling 530-889-4081 or via email at crivera@placer.ca.gov.
Anthony DeMattei
Placer County Supervisor, District 3
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Events, News and Resources
 Placer County celebrated a special moment in our 175th anniversary year with the unveiling of a commemorative clay pipe at the Community Development Resource Center in Auburn. The pipe was generously donated by Gladding McBean and handcrafted at their historic Lincoln factory using local Placer County clay. As one of the county’s oldest institutions, Gladding McBean has shaped California’s built environment for more than 150 years. This beautiful piece, engraved with the Placer County logo, stands as a tribute to our shared history, local craftsmanship, innovation, and enduring community pride
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A new chapter in Placer County officially began Monday as 30 recruits from nine agencies reported for the inaugural Placer County Sheriff Training Academy. The need for law enforcement training has increased in recent years.
Watch video
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CAL FIRE/Placer County firefighters are on high alert responding to fires daily throughout unincorporated Placer. As temperatures heat up and fuel loads dry out, Fire Chief Jim Hudson encourages residents to prepare now in case of an evacuation.
Watch video
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For our 175th anniversary year, we’ve launched an interview collection project, inspired by StoryCorps, to record and preserve the stories of community members. Interviews will be archived at the Library of Congress and locally.
Learn more |
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Our Board of Supervisors is urging the state Legislature to take action to restore wage parity between sheep herders and goat herders, citing the critical role prescribed grazing plays in reducing wildfire risk across the state.
Read more |
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Environmental Health staff work year‑round to ensure public pools across Placer County stay safe, clean and enjoyable. Check out this new video highlighting the steps you can take to keep your family safe and healthy this summer!
Watch video
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The future Ophir Water Treatment Plant advances one of PCWA's largest water infrastructure investments into its construction phase and marks a major step forward in expanding long-term water reliability for western Placer.
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 Join us for the Gold Country Fair! Enjoy fun for the whole family, delicious fair food, entertainment, and something for everyone.
Support Placer County youth in agriculture! Attend the daily livestock shows and cheer on our young exhibitors. Then, show your support at the annual Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday, September 12, starting at 9 a.m. Come celebrate the hard work and dedication of our local youth!
Come make memories with us September 10–13!
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