Activist's Corner

The Sonoma County Water Agency is studying the feasibility of projects in the Laguna-Mark West Watershed that could provide flood control, groundwater recharge, and other benefits. GHD (formerly Winzler & Kelly) is the consultant on this project and will be holding an update meeting from 10 AM to noon on Monday, February 27. Please join us at the North Coast Builder’s Exchange at 1030 Apollo Way, Santa Rosa. The agenda for the meeting is below:

1. Overview of Scoping Study

2. Hydro-geologic Analysis

3. Development of Project Concepts

4. Project Screening and Preliminary Feasibility

5. Discussion

6. Next steps

Meeting Date/Time:
Monday, February 27, 2012, 10:00 AM

Meeting Location:
North Coast Builder’s Exchange at 1030 Apollo Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95407

Maeve Daugharty, PE Senior Water Resources Engineer

“The Sonoma County Vintners received a $300,000 grant from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to PROMTE Sonoma County wines and wineries
to new consumers across the country.”"  PD 2-5-12

Wonder how this compares $/gallon with corporate welfare recd by the oil
giants … otherwise called “advertising” for private business interests – must  be nice.

S

I have learned that the Conservation Fund has purchased the 14,700 acres of Gualala forestland from Rich Padula.

You might remember that we lobbied the Wildlife Conservation Board for Conservation Easement Money to help subsidize this purchase along with money for a Conservation Easement for REFFI

I understand it is a done deal. Now our project is close to 55,000 acres (24,000 acres Garcia Forest Project, 8,000 Salmon Cree, 8,000 Big River, and now 14,700 Gualala).

This is great.

Now – the next job is getting a similar result on the Calpers owned lands – Preservation Ranch – with 1,200 acres of proposed conversion of forestland to vineyard.

It is possible that the pressure on Calpers and help from Chris Kelly of the Conservation Fund would lead to this conclusion. Wow – the Conservation Fund forest projects would be over 70,000 acres if this were to occur.

Go Gualala ! I hear Calpers is looking for a buyer.

Alan Levine Coast Action Group Affiliate of Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance

Hello,

The 30th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference is fast approaching. I
have pasted below some information regarding the Conference agenda,
registration and Poster Session.

Please feel free to distribute this information liberally to your
constituents, co-workers, and collaborators or post it on your calendar,
newsletter or website.

Also, please let me know if you would like to receive a stack of the
Conference Agenda and Registration Packets, which are going to print
this week.
Thanks!
Heather Reese
______________________________________________________________

The 30th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference is April 4-7 in Davis,
CA. The conference agenda and online registration are now available at
www.calsalmon.org.

This year the conference will feature workshops on topics including Fish
Passage and Protection, Analytical Measures to Determine Instream Flow
Needs for Salmonids, Restoring Floodplain Processes to Increase Salmonid
Populations, Integrated Population Monitoring in California, and
Community Partnerships to Promote Restoration. Field Tours will include
Yolo Bypass Tour: Managing a Seasonal Floodplain and Tidal Marshland for
Native Fish Habitat and Passage, Cosumnes River and McCormack Williamson
Floodplain Tour, Restoring a Natural Hydrograph: Policy and Restoration
on Putah Creek, and Suisun Marsh Fish Habitat Restoration&  UC Davis:
From Habitat Needs to Restoration.

Concurrent sessions include:

* Genetic Effects of Hatcheries on Chinook Salmon Population Dynamics in
the Central Valley
* The Downstream End: the Role of Coastal Lagoons and Ocean Conditions
on Salmonid Restoration
* Restoring the San Joaquin: A Future for Chinook Salmon
* Frontiers in River Restoration and Geomorphology
* The Role of Artificial Propagation in Recovering Salmon Populations
* Utilizing Existing Fish Tagging Data to Guide Restoration Planning,
Monitoring, and Evaluation
* Dam Removal to Benefit Salmonid Recovery
* Floodplain Processes and Restoration: Research and Application
* Managing the Bay Delta for Water and Fish
* Steelhead Restoration and Recovery

Keynote speakers include Jim Lichatowich, author of Salmon Without
Rivers, and new DFG Director, Chuck Bonham. Invited speakers include
California Secretary of Resources, John Laird, and NOAA Fisheries
Federal Administrator, Jane Lubchencho. Other conference events will
include the SRF Annual Membership Meeting and Social, a poster session
and reception on Friday night, and a cabaret and banquet with a Wild
Copper River salmon dinner and live music.

For more information about the conference, please visit
www.calsalmon.org. If you are interested in co-sponsoring the Conference
this year please email srf@calsalmon.org.

A PROGRESS REPORT AND COMMUNITY SOCIAL

Event will be held Sunday, February 26th from 3-6 pm at the Salmon Creek School Environmental Center Located at 1935 Bohemian Hwy Occidental, CA 95465 Please join us for an informational meeting and community gathering to report on the status of Coho Salmon recovery in the Salmon Creek Watershed. In addition, experts will share information on how landowners can improve salmon habitat.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

• Presentation of the Coho Salmon Broodstock program and release strategies

• The interesting genetics of Salmon Creek Coho

• Update on numbers and locations of Coho found in Salmon Creek Watershed

• Water conservation/rain catchment systems

• Instream habitat improvement for salmon

• Tools for soil erosion prevention