Archive for the 'Coastal Impacts' Category

Sonoma -Mendocino Coastal Alert!–MLPA Meeting 4-22&23

Published
by
Larry
on April 21, 2008
in Coastal Impacts
. 0 Comments

Sonoma -Mendocino Coastal Alert!

April 22 & 23rd - Marine Life Protection Act - Blue Ribbon Task Force Meeting– Speak up for Strong Coastal Protection as BRTF selects one of 3 proposals!!

PROTECT YOUR COASTAL WATERS MLPA - BRTF to Select the North Central Coast Marine Protected Areas Tuesday-Wednesday, April 22-23, 2008 Embassy Suites Hotel 101 McInnis Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903

California is in the process of creating Marine Protected Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena. These underwater state parks and wilderness sites will help protect diverse habitats and let fish and marine wildlife thrive. On April 23, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters. We need your help to make sure they choose the best plan that includes the most important places along our coast — Package 4.

Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists and provides the highest level of protection to special places like the rocky reefs along the Sonoma Coast, seabird-nesting areas at Point Reyes, historic Fitzgerald Marine Park and the Farallone Islands. Package 4 offers the most protection to the best places in the region, while still allowing small boat fishermen access to the sea to sustain traditional fisheries and preserves most ablone diving spots. Designed with input from local residents, conservationists, abalone divers and fishermen, Package 4 offers California a true ocean legacy.
———————————————————-

1. Send an email supporting Package 4:
Email MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov Please copy: mlpa@russianriverkeeper.org Note: Your name and comments will be published on the MLPA website, unless you request otherwise.

Sample text: Please feel free to personalize the message!

Dear MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force,

I support the network of marine protected areas in Package 4 for the North Central Coast Region of the Marine Life Protection Act. I ask you to select Package 4 as your preferred alternative. Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists, provides the highest level of protection to special places along the coast, and enjoys support from a wide range of interests.

Marine protected areas, especially fully protected marine reserves, are an investment in the future health of our coastal waters. Scientific studies confirm that marine reserves harbor more and bigger fish and support a greater diversity of life than other areas. Healthy oceans support our coastal communities and our economy. Please give California the strongest possible legacy of ocean protection by recommending Package 4.\

Sincerely,
(your name)
———————————————————-

2. Attend the BRTF hearing in San Rafael on April 22-23

On April 22-23, the state’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters.

We need your help to make sure decision makers hear loud and clear that local communities support “Proposal 4”, the strongest plan for protecting the North Central Coast.

If you’re able to attend a meeting in San Rafael on April 22 or 23rd and speak in support of marine protected areas, email both keith@CalOceans.org and rrkeeper@sonic.net or Click here to RSVP. We can help you prepare by sending along important points to make to the BRTF. We will be arranging a bus or carpools for those wishing to attend the meeting to reduce our greenhouse gases - e-mail rrkeeper@sonic.net if you’d like to carpool or take a bus!

Actions to Protect Our Coast!

Published
by
Larry
on April 14, 2008
in Coastal Impacts
. 0 Comments

NOW is the time to speak up for Coastal Protection!

"MLPA - Our Living Ocean Legacy" Slide Show of Underwater World of the North Coast

MLPA informational meeting - April 15th - 6-8pm Oddfellows Hall, 545 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa

Hosted by Russian Riverkeeper and featuring Marc Shargels underwater photos of our Coast!

Come learn about what is under the waves with stunning images of the underwater world of the North Central Coast and learn how you can help protect it for today and future generations.

We will have information on how you can take action to protect your Coastal waters and answer questions on the three MPA packages that will be considered by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on April 22-23.

Event is Free!

We need to speak up for the most protective Marine Protected Area package that will be considered by Governor Schwarzenegger’s MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force on April 22-23. Please send letters of support before April 17 to have most effect!

Five ways you can help protect your Coast!

1. Send an e-mail today supporting package #4 that gives our Coastal waters the highest level of protection for marine life.

2. Attend the BRTF hearing in San Rafael on April 22-23

3. Tell your friends to help support Coastal protection by forwarding this

e- mail to them!

4. If you belong to a conservation group please urge them to write a letter of support for package #4!

5. Attend the North Central Coast MLPA informational meeting MLPA - Our Living Ocean Legacy - Tuesday April 15th with stunning photographs by Marc Shargel of the underwater world of our local Coastal region!

Sonoma -Mendocino Coastal Alert! April 22 & 23rd - Marine Life Protection Act - Blue Ribbon Task Force Meeting– Speak up for Strong Coastal Protection as BRTF selects one of 3 proposals!! PROTECT YOUR COASTAL WATERS MLPA - BRTF to Select the North Central Coast Marine Protected Areas Tuesday-Wednesday, April 22-23, 2008 Embassy Suites Hotel 101 McInnis Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903

California is in the process of creating Marine Protected Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena. These underwater state parks and wilderness sites will help protect diverse habitats and let fish and marine wildlife thrive. On April 23, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters. We need your help to make sure they choose the best plan that includes the most important places along our coast — Package 4.

Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists and provides the highest level of protection to special places like the rocky reefs along the Sonoma Coast, seabird-nesting areas at Point Reyes, historic Fitzgerald Marine Park and the Farallone Islands. Package 4 offers the most protection to the best places in the region, while still allowing small boat fishermen access to the sea to sustain traditional fisheries and preserves most ablone diving spots. Designed with input from local residents, conservationists, abalone divers and fishermen, Package 4 offers California a true ocean legacy.

1. Send an email supporting Package 4: (by April 17th - Midnight!) Email MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov Please copy: mlpa@russianriverkeeper.org Note: Your name and comments will be published on the MLPA website, unless you request otherwise.

Sample text: Please feel free to personalize the message!

Dear MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force,

I support the network of marine protected areas in Package 4 for the North Central Coast Region of the Marine Life Protection Act. I ask you to select Package 4 as your preferred alternative. Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists, provides the highest level of protection to special places along the coast, and enjoys support from a wide range of interests.

Marine protected areas, especially fully protected marine reserves, are an investment in the future health of our coastal waters. Scientific studies confirm that marine reserves harbor more and bigger fish and support a greater diversity of life than other areas. Healthy oceans support our coastal communities and our economy. Please give California the strongest possible legacy of ocean protection by recommending Package 4.

Sincerely,
(your name)

2. Attend the BRTF hearing in San Rafael on April 22-23

On April 22-23, the state’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters.

We need your help to make sure decision makers hear loud and clear that local communities support “Proposal 4”, the strongest plan for protecting the North Central Coast.

If you’re able to attend a meeting in San Rafael on April 22 or 23rd and speak in support of marine protected areas, email both keith@CalOceans.org and rrkeeper@sonic.net or Click here to RSVP. We can help you prepare by sending along important points to make to the BRTF. We will be arranging a bus or carpools for those wishing to attend the meeting to reduce our greenhouse gases - e-mail rrkeeper@sonic.net if you’d like to carpool or take a bus!

Links for more information on MLPA process:
Please visit www.CalOceans.org to get information from the conservation community on every aspect of the state’s MLPA process CalOceans.org- Our coalition’s mission is to preserve a slice of undersea habitat — to allow part of our oceans to remain undisturbed by human activity so our children’s children can explore and discover the wonders of our ocean habitat and the wildlife that it supports.

For the official MLPA website visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/northcentralcoast.asp

For the maps of the three MPA packages visit:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/nccrsg-proposals.asp

For general information on MLPA and levels of Marine protected areas (MPA’s) and FAQs on MLPA visit: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/index.asp

Marine Birds and the Marine Life Protection Act Packages Package #4 has the strong support of the Pt Reyes Bird Observatory organization since it greatly increases protections for marine bird species by reducing boat traffic in sensitive areas, reducing disturbance of nesting, roosting and foraging areas and by reducing competition between fishers and birds at bird foraging sites especially those close to nesting areas.

Fishing Concerns The supporters of package #4 worked hard to listen to the fishing community, abalone divers and harbormasters and used that information to make compromises to accommodate continued fishing and diving in key areas while maintaining the highest scores for protection from the MLPA Science Advisory Team. If you are concerned about your fishing access please

e- mail to get the straight scoop as there is a lot of misinformation being passed around about the impacts on recreational and commercial fishing!

Thank you for helping protect California’s oceans for future generations!

Don McEnhill

On Low Salmon Returns

Published
by
Larry
on February 18, 2008
in Agriculture Impacts, Coastal Impacts, Gravel Mining Impacts, Logging Impacts, Pesticide pollution, Salmonid/Wildlife Impacts, Streams and Wetlands, Waste Discharge and Watershed Related
. 0 Comments

To All,

On my note (included below) to groups and individuals on the subject of low salmon returns I was properly reminded by my friend Brian Hines that the conditions for these low returns, as presented by me, failed to account for poor ocean conditions and potential global warming effects.

It is true. All of these elements have an effect on salmon survival - we need both productive ocean conditions that will bring the fish back, fat and happy - and - we need spawning and rearing habitat in our rivers to will sustain salmon in their various life stages.

This does not mean that hatchery practices do not have an effect - and ditto for predation by bass in the Bay Delta (see notes below)?

Alan:
How are we going to improve conditions? Three ways:

1) The Public Trust Doctrine.

2) The Clean Water Act.

3) The Endangered Species Act.

– Brian

Brian,
I agree with your take on this. We need,both, an ocean with conditions to support salman - and - reviers that support spawing and survival of youg (during those life stages).

The question is; how do we get this to happen?

Alan:
I have always resisted claims, “It’s the Ocean Conditions!” made by spoilers of watershed habitat. It sounds kind of like, “It’s those damn seals!”. But now we really have to start looking at the ocean conditions when the salmon meat turns white from lack of krill and populations from good watersheds drop like Lagunitas. When people used to say “It’s Ocean Conditions!” I would say, “That’s funny, Lagunitas had a normal run of 500 Coho last year. I wonder what ocean they were swimming in?”

– Brian

Brian,

I think ocean conditions play a big role.

On the Sacto - Why now? Why not before now?

The smaller coastal rivers all went down in one big wumpf (short time frame) - after many years of obuse. It was not all that gradual.

Alan:
Don’t forget Climate Change and its negative effect on upwelling off the Pacific Coast. A very scary prospect if it continues. When the wild Lagunitas Coho returns go down we have to look at ocean conditions and what happened in the watershed when this year class was spawning (winter 04/05) and rearing in 05 and 06.

– Brian

Brian,
Low salmon run returns have been reported up and down the coast for both coho and chinook (King).

A hole in the Marin county returns is a bad sign for coho.

On the Sacramento the low chinook returns are making DFG and the SWRCB nervous. The causal factors for this fishery collapse can be many - or - cumulative. Large amounts of water diverted from the Bay Delta is one reason often pointed at. Another reason pointed at by Ag is the maintenance of large bass populations in the Delta. The bass love to eat the millions of chinook salmon fingerlings dumped in the delta every year. The finger also can be pointed out to loss of spawning habitat.

The one issue that is rarely mentioned is the reliance on hatchery fish for the Sacto salmon run. For many years DFG has dumped millions upon millions of hatchery raised fish in the delta. Hatchery fish are genetically and physically weak. Hatchery monoculture progeny are subject to disease and lacking genetically disposed skills for feeding and survival in various conditions. The hatchery fish, if they do return, compete with wild fish and alter wild fish genetics - thus imposing limiting factors on wild fish survival where enough problems already exist.

This hatchery problem extends to coho also - but to a somewhat lesser extent - as the practices are done on such a smaller scale. Coho salmon need specific conditions for survival. If these conditions are altered - removal of riparian shade, warm water, and silted spawning gravels all will limit coho production, return, and survival.

Alan

Alan Levine

Important Coastal Protection Meetings

Published
by
Larry
on January 27, 2008
in Coastal Impacts
. 0 Comments

Dear Ocean supporter, (Please forward!!)

This February, there are 4 important public meetings for people who care
about our ocean environment and in particular our Sonoma and Mendocino
Coasts! We need your help to make sure decision makers hear loud and clear
that local communities support strong protection for our coastal waters!

As you may know, California is in the process of creating Marine Protected
Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena.
These underwater parks will protect and restore important habitats that
our diverse Ocean wildlife needs to thrive.

There are different proposals on the table developed by a diverse group of
stakeholders – some with better protection than others. These public
meetings are your chance to provide feedback about which plans you like,
and which areas you want to see strongly protected.

Please RSVP to 707-433-1958 or don@russianriverkeeper.org so we can give
you more information about the meeting you are attending a few days ahead
of time. Here is the meeting schedule:

Public Workshop in Petaluma
Monday, February 4th at 6 PM
Sheraton Sonoma County
745 Baywood Drive, Petaluma, CA 94954

Public Workshop in Gualala
Tuesday, February 5th at 6 PM
Gualala Arts Center
46501 Gualala Road, Gualala, CA 95455

Public Workshop in Pacifica
Wednesday, February 6th at 6 PM
Best Western Lighthouse Hotel
105 Rockaway Beach Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044

Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting in Pacifica
Public Comment Session
Wednesday, February 13th (time to be announced)
Best Western Lighthouse Hotel
105 Rockaway Beach Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044

Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting in Pacifica
Public Comment Session
Thursday, February 14th (time to be announced)
Best Western Lighthouse Hotel
105 Rockaway Beach Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044

Thank you for helping protect California’s oceans for future generations!

Book: California Water II by Solano Press

Published
by
Larry
on January 17, 2008
in Coastal Impacts, Groundwater, Lakes and Resevoirs, Logging Impacts and Streams and Wetlands
. 0 Comments

I am please do let you all know that Solano Press has their new water book out - CALIFORNIA WATER II

For those of use who work in water, fishery, and forestry resources, this book will be a great help - meaning we all should own a copy.

From Water Rights (riparian and appropriative) to Endangered Species implications and the responsibilities of the State and Regional Boards - this book is well organized to help interested parties understand and apply the law.

Very much like another Solano Press publication, The Forest Practice Act and Related Laws (another indispensable publication for those interested in forest practices with good grounding and references in CEQA, ESA, and the Clean Water Act), activists will be much more effective owning a copy of CALIFORNIA WATER LAW II.

Please review attachments - Announcement and Table of Contents.

You can contact Solano Press at spbooks@solano.com or by phone at 1-800-931-9373

Alan Levine

On the Water Board’s Sediment Control Plan

Published
by
Larry
on December 17, 2007
in Coastal Impacts, Gravel Mining Impacts, Logging Impacts and Streams and Wetlands
. 1 Comment

Daniel:

You comments are spot on - and - appreciated. I am copying them to other concerned parties that might make use of them. Thank you.

Anderson is correct. It will be tough to get money for staffing in this environment. That is why we all must work hard on supporting this and at approaching our political reps.

Anderson is in a peculiar position. He has conflicts of interest that he must be aware of. This policy may effect his grape growers interest group. He should not participate on issue that effects them.

You are correct there are legal mandates that support completion of tasks outlined in the Sediment Work Plan. I do mention them in my comments.

The Sediment Work Plan should in no way effect voluntary work or voluntary compliance plans. I do not understand the basis of that complaint or issue. I will mention it to staff.
Alan Levine
Coast Action GroupAllen,

Alan,

Thanks for your draft letter and comments on the excess sediment work plan. I attended the meeting yesterday in Eureka. There was no significant organized opposition just the usual whining. On balance a lot of positive feedback supporting the approach. Holly L said that it has general board support and should be approved at the next board meeting. Anderson characterized it as a Christmas Wish List and didn’t see how it could be funded in the current atmosphere. He asked how much do the 19 Pys represent as a percentage increase in staffing.(21%)

My public comments were mostly responsive to his—the fact the addressing the impaired watersheds is not optional but mandated by CA and federal law—the funding issue is a debate for Sacramento not the board, and that the staff levels have been reduced in recent years by far more than this recommended increase.

There were some comments that the proposed plan would make it harder for watershed groups to do voluntary remedial. You can respond to that. I would suspect the opposite is true and part of the reason for not replicating the Garcia as a model.

I believe the draft resolution is weak and should make a step by step case that this program must be funded, tacitly acknowledging liability should it not go forward. I recall you did a lot of the word smithing on the resolution of 2004.

I’ll send you the SC draft for comment.

Daniel

Oh Cobett mentioned something about the Klamath work starting to have another life and the board may have to take some additional action to keep up?

PHOTO OF SF BAY SHOWS IMPACTS OF OIL SPILL

Published
by
Larry
on November 30, 2007
in Coastal Impacts and Watershed Related
. 0 Comments

Check out the satellite picture of the spill - it gets around unfortunately

- Don

NEW SATELLITE PHOTO OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY SHOWS IMPACTS OF OIL SPILL

Unique image released today by conservation groups

The new photo shows numerous dark slicks around the Bay itself, as well as on the nearby open ocean, consistent with reports of oil appearing around the region and with beach closures at that time. The image was taken by the Radarsat-1 satellite, operated by MDA
Geo-spatial Services Inc., at 6 a.m. Pacific time on November 12.Processing of the image data was sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Conservancy, San Francisco Baykeeper, and SkyTruth. Image processing and analysis was conducted on behalf of the sponsoring conservation groups by SkyTruth.

“We need to learn from the recent spill in order to increase society’s efforts at prevention. That’s why we’ve worked together to obtain this image and show it to the public,” said Richard Charter, with the Government Relations Program of Defenders of Wildlife. “San
Francisco Bay and the surrounding coastal waters represent one of the most productive and sensitive marine ecosystems on the planet, and we cannot leave their fate to the whims of oil spills moving on currents,
tides, and wind ever again.”

“This photo confirms that containing the oil in the first two hours is 100 times more important than chasing it all over the San Francisco Bay for the next two weeks”, said Warner Chabot, Vice President of Ocean Conservancy. “Our failure to contain the oil has created a catastrophe with a likely $100 million dollar price tag.”

“This new image seems to confirm Baykeeper’s experience patrolling the Bay by boat this week, where we witnessed widespread oil contamination,” said Deb Self, Executive Director of San Francisco Baykeeper. “If the oil has spread as widely as this satellite image
suggests, we may be looking at long-term harmful impacts to our critical tidal marshes in the South Bay.”

The Radarsat image shows San Francisco Bay as it looked on November 12, five days after the Cosco Busan struck a support pillar of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil. According to John Amos, President of SkyTruth and an
experienced radar analyst, the satellite image shows dark gray streaks and patches that are consistent with the appearance of oil slicks, including both very thin “sheens” and possibly thicker, isolated pockets of oil that remained in the area five days after the
spill.

The satellite image demonstrates that floating oil was widely transported around the Bay area in just a few days time, and that as of November 12, oily patches apparently remained in many areas. Built-up urban areas, port facilities, and bridges appear very bright in the image, while clean water is medium-gray.

The Radarsat image can be viewed and downloaded for publication or
video broadcast at the following website:

http://skytruth.mediatools.org/objects/view.acs?object_id=11286

Photo provided by Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Conservancy, San Francisco Baykeeper, and SkyTruth, from image taken by the Radarsat-1 satellite, operated by MDA Geospatial Services Inc.

Image by SkyTruth, Copyright 2007 — All rights reserved. RSAT-1 image data copyright MDA Geospatial Services Inc. Please contact SkyTruth (info@skytruth.org) for more information. JPEG format, 100dpi at 14″ x 17″ (a 200 dpi version is also available).

Don McEnhill