Our mountain communities face unique challenges, and recent federal policy decisions are adding new pressures to the people and services we depend on every day. Funding reductions, proposed public land sales, and changes to healthcare reimbursement are creating uncertainty for rural communities like ours.

These decisions have real local consequences. Mountains Community Hospital is working to modernize its facilities while facing reduced federal healthcare funding. Community traditions like Jamboree Days and its fireworks celebration rely on financial support that has become increasingly difficult to secure. Proposals to sell public lands could permanently change the forests and open spaces that define our mountain lifestyle. At the same time, local governments continue to struggle with limited resources to maintain the services our residents need.

This page explores how these issues affect the San Bernardino Mountains and what residents can do to stay informed, speak up, and help protect the community we call home.

Betrayed by:

"The Ugly Bill"

The Mountains Community Hospital Board of Directors is considering placing a local bond measure on the November 2026 ballot to help repair, upgrade, and expand hospital facilities to meet current standards and community needs. By law, any potential measure would be subject to strict fiscal accountability. To share your priorities and feedback, please complete our community survey by visiting Click HERE

753531337_1558765732926896_4910456465360995507_n — Click HERE

A quick update on the bond measure: The Mountains Community Hospital District Board has voted to place the bond measure we discussed on the November 3 ballot. As a reminder, the measure would help repay the $48.5 million USDA loan supporting our $72 million hospital expansion and modernization project. As we discussed, we had a plan in place to finance the project. However, changes to Medi-Cal funding under the OBBBA are expected to reduce our annual revenue by approximately $4 million—more than our current bottom line—and put us into a negative cash flow position. This makes the bond measure an important part of our plan to ensure we can continue moving forward with the project. The project includes mandatory seismic upgrades, a new emergency department, a new acute care wing, and an expansion of our skilled nursing services. This is critical work to ensure that our hospital remains here for our community when we need it most—during disasters and for generations to come.

Willow Creek at Risk!

By Bob Sherman (2026-0913 posted)

On May 23, 2026, our Mountains Group of the Sierra Club became aware of a very
significant violation on a series of adjacent lots approximately 0.6 miles North-north-east of the intersection of North Bay Road and Hwy 173 in lake Arrowhead. There, within the watershed of Willow Creek, there has been unpermitted clearing of forest and complete removal of ground cover that have occurred on more than 10 acres (not yet formally determined) within land adjacent to the Willow Creek and its associated riparian banks and wetlands areas. (Note- Riparian areas act as "critical green infrastructure", serving to protect water quality and aquatic & terrestrial biodiversity).

The Sierra Club refers to it as the “Willow Creek Clearing Violation” (WCCV). Other illegal alterations on this site included unpermitted grading, including alteration of pre-existing natural drainage patterns leading to Willow Creek. All of the above violates multiple state and local regulations, including:

San Bernardino County Code Violations: Land disturbance took place without approved grading permits, erosion control plans, environmental reviews, or protections for the native tree canopy. The County agency with jurisdiction is Land Use Services, hereafter abbreviated as LUS.

Fish and Game Code Violations: Disruption of natural stream channels, banks, and riparian vegetation occurred without a required Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement.

Water Code* Violations: (*the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, hereafter abbreviated as LRWQCB): the unpermitted grading and soil destabilization was in violation of standards that protect water quality in state-regulated waters. (Note- There may be other state regulatory agencies, such as CalFire, that may, yet, become involved.)

On June 9, 2026, The Sierra Club Mountains Group formally submitted a Demand for Disclosure and Immediate CEQA Compliance review to the San Bernardino County
Department of Land Use Services (LUS), calling for issuance of a Cleanup and Abatement Order alongside a technical information order for certified engineering and ecological assessments. Specifically, it called for:

Full Disclosure of Records: Immediate access to all project-related documentation, including permits, site plans, inspection reports, and all CEQA-related environmental documents.
Verification of Agency Consultation: Confirmation on whether the County has consulted with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding the project’s impact on Willow Creek.
Transparency on Mitigation: Disclosure of any existing correspondence between the County and the property owner regarding mitigation measures for environmental impacts, specifically habitat loss and sediment discharge.
Initiation of CEQA Review: Formal confirmation that a CEQA review process has begun, including copies of any completed documents or a specific timeline for its completion.

- CDFW Demands: The agency is called upon to issue a Notice of Violation and a Draft Restoration Order. Since that time, the Mountains Group has contacted both CA-F&W LRWQCB, formally seeking their intervention. Both agencies have become involved (as they should have been from the start, with the involvement initiated by the County Land Use Services Department!) However, in our (Sierra Club Mountains Group) experience, there exists an Agency Communication Breakdown: Both CA-F&W and the LRWQCB have been involved with coordinating with LUS, with the LRWQCB also having advised us with updates on meetings and other coordination details. However, LUS. has been consistently remiss in communicating and sharing basic compliance details. We were told we could send (email) documents to them, and that they would respond to our inquiries. But questions we have posed – even as basic as: what on-site meetings have been held, what environmental impacts are being looked at, and (especially) what erosion control measures (to prevent sediment migration into Willow Creek) have been ordered?

HAVE GONE UNANSWERED!
Timeline and Ecological Vulnerability: over three and one-half months have passed since the initial complaint without a complete analysis of ecological damage (it has not even been established if Willow Creek itself has been impacted-- leaving the area vulnerable and lacking information on erosion controls as El Niño rains arrive due to
institutional failures. (Note- the rains on September 6 and 7 – most definitely linked to El Nino- have already resulted in the advent of erosion, which will only get worse,unless best-management-practices for erosion control are immediately mandated and enforced by the San Bernardino Land Use Services Department).

This article has been written by myself (Bob Sherman) serving as the technical consultant for the Mountains Group of the Sierra Club. Before my retirement to Lake
Arrowhead, for sixteen years, I served administering the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. I have a B.S. from the Univ. of Massachusetts in Wildlife Management and was nationally certified as a Professional Wetlands Scientist. For more information contact Bob at silabob@gmail.com .

WCCV- Post Rain - 9.8.26With Caption -Jpeg

Trump's Drilling Attack on California Public Lands

The Trump administration has acted to eliminate protections from more than 86 million acres of U.S. public lands, prioritizing industrial extraction, mining, and fossil fuel development over conservation. These sweeping changes target national monuments, endangered species habitats, and multiple-use public land regulations across the American West and Alaska.

National Monuments and Land Reductions
President Trump signed proclamations shrinking Bears Ears to just 8.9% of its prior size and Grand Staircase-Escalante to 9.7% of its prior size, totaling nearly 3 million acres of culturally and ecologically vital red-rock landscape. The reduction opens iconic terrain containing ancient cliff dwellings and potential mining sites to industrial development.
Broader California Public Lands Actions
Oil and Gas Leasing: Federal initiatives have pushed to reopen massive acreage of public lands and mineral estates across California to oil drilling and fracking, overriding state-level buffer laws and environmental safeguards. National Policy Shifts: Efforts to scale back protections on federal monuments and alter forest service management continue to draw pushback from regional conservation coalition.

For more information: Click HERE

The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)

The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)—often called a bed tax or hotel tax—is charged on short-term lodging stays of 30 days or less. It is explicitly designed to offset the heavy infrastructure and service demands caused by visitors in high-tourism and mountain regions. When funding from TOT is cut or diverted, destination communities face acute strains.

Purpose and Function of TOT in Mountain Towns
*Infrastructure Relief: Funds local road repair, snow removal, and traffic management.
*Public Safety: Supports increased 911 dispatch, paramedic availability, and firefighting/wildfire prevention.
*Community Upkeep: Pays for trash removal, trail rebuilding, and park maintenance.
*Local Balance: Offsets the hidden costs that short-term visitors place on small local workforces and municipal systems.

Impact of Funding Cuts
*Deteriorating Infrastructure: Roads and public facilities wear down faster under heavy tourist traffic without enough repair money.
*Budget Shortfalls: Local governments struggle to maintain basic public safety and emergency response levels.
*Strained Housing: Programs aimed at workforce and affordable housing lose critical dedicated revenue streams.