District 1: Supervisor Larry Micari

Tulare County has seen nine drownings so far this season. They have happened in lakes, pools, and rivers. Whether you are a resident or just visiting, we want you to be safe while enjoying water recreation. Follow the Tulare County Fire Department and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for water safety information and learn how they help keep us all safe.

Cool off this summer safely by keeping these precautions in mind:

• Always watch children around water
• Wear a properly fitted life jacket when boating or recreating on lakes and rivers
• Never swim alone
• Be aware of hazards underwater: steep drop-offs, invisible currents, obstacles you can get stuck on or under, cold water that can shock your system
• Stay hydrated, especially in extreme heat
• Secure pools with proper fencing and self-latching gates
• Keep rescue equipment nearby and accessible
• Call 911 immediately if you think someone is drowning

Let’s all make it through the summer safely!

District 2: Supervisor Pete Vander Poel

Community Plans describe the demographics, land use, zoning, resources, and development standards applicable to each community. Tulare County has a plan for each of its unincorporated communities and the best plans are shaped by the community itself.

Allensworth recently completed their Community Plan Update with support from Tulare County’s Resource Management Agency's (RMA) Planning Division. Residents, local leaders, and the Allensworth Progressive Association played a central role in identifying priorities, participating in outreach, and helping define a shared vision for the future. Through town halls, community events, surveys, and hands-on mapping activities, residents helped guide decisions about land use, economic opportunity, and quality of life. The new plan recently received an award for Advancing Diversity and Social Change from the California Central Valley Chapter of the American Planning Association. With their new award-winning plan, the community, supported by the Allensworth Progressive Association, is now better positioned to actively promote Allensworth as a more attractive destination for investment and economic development.

Visit Community Plans to see plans in progress.

District 3: Supervisor Amy Shuklian

Every June, the Visalia community gathers at the historic Fox Theater for a long-standing tradition: the Visalia Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Celebration. For decades, this event has honored the standout small, medium, and large businesses, vital non-profits, and the highly anticipated Man and Woman of the Year. These awards run much deeper than a plaque or a trophy. Recognizing local excellence is essential to fostering a thriving, connected community.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

Non-Profit of the Year: The Source LGBT+ Center

Small Business of the Year: Pacific Employers

Medium Business of the Year: The Naxon Group (Bello Vita, The Woodlands, The Hyde, Watermill Grove, Sunny Hyde Up)

Large Business of the Year: Visalia Ceramic Tile

Man of the Year: Mark Perry

Woman of the Year: Merritt Wiseman

District 4: Supervisor Eddie Valero

Summer is a season of travel, family gatherings, and reconnecting with the people and places that make our communities special. It's also a wonderful time to enjoy everything Tulare County has to offer. I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Three Rivers Hot Dog Festival, where it was great to connect with residents and visitors while joining our dedicated first responders in serving food and celebrating community together. Events like these remind us that some of our strongest connections are built through simple moments of fellowship.

As summer continues, I encourage you to take advantage of the many Summer Night Lights activities happening throughout the County, offering safe, fun opportunities for families and youth to stay active during the evenings. Be sure to also check out the free summer lunch programs available at several of our local libraries, helping ensure that children have access to nutritious meals while school is out. And with triple-digit temperatures upon us, please remember to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day, and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.

District 5: Supervisor Dennis Townsend

Tulare County contains the Sequoia National Forest, the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest, and Sequoia National Park. These forests operate under separate management plans. During the SQF fire it was striking to see the way the same fire affected each of these forests. It was a real-time test of each management plan which was instructive and extremely destructive. We lost 20% of our mature Giant Sequoias in the two largest wildfires in Tulare County’s history. Amid this loss a sense of urgency emerged regarding the need to better protect these national treasures.

That the demonstration forest had done much better than the national forest and national monument was also apparent. The success was due to active management practices. CalFire used trimming, thinning, burning, and timber harvesting to keep the forest at a proper density and the forest floor clean preventing the spread and harmful effects of wildfire. Few Giant Sequoias were lost in the demonstration forest. We have asked the federal government to use the active management practices seen in demonstration forests and there is some movement in that direction. Unfortunately, AB 2494 currently moving through the state legislature, seeks to limit the very tools within these demonstration forests that were so successful in the SQF fire. We are now strongly advocating against AB 2494 so that we do not take a step backwards in active forest management practices.

To join Tulare County in their advocacy on this bill, read AB 2494 and see our letter.