About CLERC
Board of Directors Projects & Programs
History
In 2014, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was formed as a way to increase the amount of research being conducted on Clear Lake and using this research as a vehicle to improve the local economy.
In 2014, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was formed as a way to increase the amount of research being conducted on Clear Lake and using this research as a vehicle to improve the local economy.
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Through our founders' experience working in the public sector, they realized that spending public tax dollars on general scientific research is a tough sell to voters, especially at the local level. The public expects to see implementable results from the research, but often times, as is the case for Clear Lake, scientific studies result in more questions necessitating more studies. This has been demonstrated locally by several narrowly failed attempts to pass sales tax measures to fund projects to restore Clear Lake. This illustrates the public’s attention and willingness to fund projects on Clear Lake, but not enough to pass the high 2/3 threshold required to spend tax money.
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As a nonprofit, CLERC has the ability to raise funding for research independent of annual tax collections. |
CLERC's Purpose
The vision for CLERC is to locate a permanent research lab on the shores of Clear Lake that will serve as a driver of the local economy and increase the public’s understanding of Clear Lake at the same time. By locating the lab facility in Lake County, the County's economy will see positive results from research dollars regardless of the outcome of any individual scientific study. The benefits come from the creation of high paying jobs for scientists and research assistants. These new jobs will create a ring of positive development surrounding the facility as well as improvements for the County's economy at large. All of this occurs while increasing our understanding of Clear Lake, which helps guide public spending towards projects that create the most impact and have the greatest return.
Stakeholders
It has been established that there are numerous stakeholders invested in seeing Clear Lake and the surrounding communities thrive. These include:
It has been established that there are numerous stakeholders invested in seeing Clear Lake and the surrounding communities thrive. These include:
- Lake County Citizens, who benefit from overall economic, environmental, and human wellness.
- Lake County Government, with responsibility for the overall economic, environmental, and human wellness of the county and its citizens, as well as responsibility to meet federal and state mandated water quality objectives.
- The California Natural Resources Agency, which has recently established the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation for Clear Lake.
- Businesses, who benefit from economic wellness of Lake County citizens, as well as revenue generated from increased tourism and funding for programs from outside sources.
- Out-of-County Organizations, such as educational institutions and research companies seeking to find solutions to a wide spectrum of problems, including climate change, harmful algal blooms, and diseases.
Collaborative Umbrella Organization
CLERC acts as a collaborative umbrella organization to assist these stakeholders in achieving their objectives. CLERC plays a role in making Clear Lake a well-known and desirable destination location for scientists, educators, and the general public through the creation of the following:
Research facilities for individuals and organizations seeking to explore specific projects. The research unit will consist of a well-equipped, large science lab and accompanying office space. These facilities would be used by universities and local colleges. Representatives of these institutions have already expressed strong interest in making use of these facilities once available. The research unit would also be used by non-profit enterprises wishing to use a lake shore facility to accomplish their mission's goals, and by for-profit companies interested in studying Clear Lake in order to produce beneficial commercial products.
Research programs that are sponsored by CLERC and funded through successful grant writing efforts. Areas of interest in Clear Lake for scientific research include:
CLERC acts as a collaborative umbrella organization to assist these stakeholders in achieving their objectives. CLERC plays a role in making Clear Lake a well-known and desirable destination location for scientists, educators, and the general public through the creation of the following:
Research facilities for individuals and organizations seeking to explore specific projects. The research unit will consist of a well-equipped, large science lab and accompanying office space. These facilities would be used by universities and local colleges. Representatives of these institutions have already expressed strong interest in making use of these facilities once available. The research unit would also be used by non-profit enterprises wishing to use a lake shore facility to accomplish their mission's goals, and by for-profit companies interested in studying Clear Lake in order to produce beneficial commercial products.
Research programs that are sponsored by CLERC and funded through successful grant writing efforts. Areas of interest in Clear Lake for scientific research include:
- Climate change
- Human impacts on water quality
- Remote sensing applications for determining water quality
- Cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms (HABs)
- Benthic invertebrates
- Aquatic ecosystems
- Endangered and invasive species
- Mercury contamination
- Hydrology
- Limnology
- Geology/geomorphology
- Renewable energy
Education facilities and programs for local and out-of-county students of all ages. Ultimately, we intend to create hands-on learning labs, interactive exhibits, guided tours, and multi-day educational programs.
Local employment opportunities related to the development and maintenance of the above. Research teams will be required as part of their agreement to hire local support personnel, which will result in both administrative and field positions. There will ultimately also be staff positions created to support administration, programs, projects, and facilities.
The Ultimate Vision
Within 10 years, it is our goal to create a world class research and conference center on the shores of Clear Lake, complete with lab facilities, conference rooms, lodging, and educational exhibits. We see this as an active, year-round destination facility for scientists, educators, individuals and families from all over the world.
You can be part of this vision! Get Involved or Donate today.
You can be part of this vision! Get Involved or Donate today.
