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Special Sierra Club informational meeting, Saturday, March 25 2006
The best laid plans. The San Jose Water Company (SJWC) has insisted it would be resubmitting its 1000 acre NTMP by the end of March. The latest word is that they will re-submit by mid-April. In the meantime, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club will be holding an informational meeting on the plan on March 25: A Seminar On Watershed Protection
Date: Saturday, March 25 Time: 7:00-9:00 PM Place: Los Gatos Neighborhood Center, 208 East Main St. Los Gatos (entrance on Fiesta Way, across from Los Gatos Civic Center parking lot) Topics: Status of Logging Proposal, Water Quality and Watershed Protection, Protecting Communities From Fire. Refreshments will be provided.  Healthy Rivers, Happy Fish Watershed Conference October 29-30, 2005 Saturday, 9-4:30 First
Congregational Church, 900 High St., Santa Cruz
Learn about obstacles
to fish survival in our Central Coast streams:
Presenters include:
*Hikes limited to 35
people
Event
schedule here (PDF)
CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD MEETING
The RWQCB will hold hearings July 9 on waivers for waste discharge (sediment) for three timber harvest plans. These are items #23-25 on the Board agenda and include the Estrada NTMP in Corralitos, the Jennings THP in Soquel and the Cal Poly Little Creek THP in the Scotts Creek watershed on the North Coast. Of particular interest is the Little Creek THP. The water
board Staff has deviated, without any explanation, from their previous
position of requiring water quality monitoring. This THP is the one
that most certainly should include water quality monitoring.
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ACTION ALERT TIMBER HARVEST MONITORING WORKSHOP June 28, 8:30am-3:30pm Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisor's Chambers 5th Floor, County Building 701 Ocean St Santa Cruz The Central Coast Regional Water Board (RWQCB) will host a Timber Harvest Monitoring Workshop, The line-up of presenters will bring some reknowned experts to Santa Cruz, who will be looking at a wide variety of issues including how to protect endangered salmonids and drinking water. Presenters include: Dr. Leslie Reid, Dr. Robert Curry, Dr. Mary Ann Madej, Dr. Elizabeth Herbert, Randy Klein, Kristen Schroeder, plus others including participants from CDF and the timber industry. This is a "don't miss" opportunity. Full details - click here. 1. Schwarzenegger’s "No Tree Left Behind" Budget Trailer Bill If you haven't contacted the Governor yet about the horrendous Budget Trailer Bill, email or fax immediately and ask him to direct his staff to withdraw it. (FAX 916-445-4633, email governor@governor.ca.gov). Also let Senator McPherson know you do not approve of this trailer bill and want to see it killed (Phone: 831 425-0401). This tacked-on bill proposes to raise $10 million
in fees for timber harvest review, while allowing NTMPs to grow from 2500
acres to 10,000, THPs to be good for 8 years instead of 3, and creation
of Certified Forest THPs, apparently good forever, which can be certified
by industry certifiers. These fees would prohibit any other fees
being levied against timber harvest plans. And, oh yes, the fees are only
collected after harvesting (they are effectively an additional timber yield
tax), but they sunset January 1, 2008.
2. FROM MOUNTAINS TO MARINE RESERVES Informational
Workshop
TUESDAY JUNE 15 - 8:30 am to noon
(SANTA CRUZ, CA: June 3, 2004): Save Our Shores is sponsoring a workshop highlighting the land-to-sea connection on June 15, 2004 at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, in Santa Cruz, CA. The half-day workshop will emphasize the importance of healthy watersheds for achieving successful marine protected areas. The workshop is FREE, but interested persons are asked to please register by calling Save Our Shores at 831-462-5660 ex 10. All watershed managers and interested persons are welcome. Please visit our website at www.saveourshores.org for more information. Guest speakers include Fred Keeley, and will explore the complicated and multi-faceted nature of the land-to-sea connection and the challenges to ecosystem-based management of our coasts and oceans. The benefits of protecting clean water quality do not end at the beach; rather, the potential effects of wise watershed management may be identified miles out to sea in improved fish stock health and abundance. The work to ensure clean water quality flows beyond the ocean's edge, and extends into the sea, affecting marine life and habitats, and ultimately, our ocean ecosystems and the economies that depend on them. "Our watersheds may be the single most important resource available for protecting the health of our coasts and oceans," said Jane De Lay, Executive Director of Save Our Shores, "Given the recent attention on marine protected areas, and the efforts to promote a holistic, ecosystem-based management regime, we need to acknowledge the role of watershed managers in maintaining healthy oceans. Watershed managers are vital to promoting healthy land-to-sea connections." The half-day workshop, "Mountains to Marine Reserves" will feature three panels highlighting the current science, policies, and opportunities surrounding watershed management and proposed marine protected areas. The workshop will be the beginning of a central coast land-to-sea coalition dedicated to addressing watershed issues related to proposed marine protected areas. Guest speakers include: DR. STEVE PALUMBI, professor of marine sciences at Stanford University Hopkins Marine Lab, focuses on genetics, and population biology, including identification of whale and dolphin products in commercial markets.
3. DAVENPORT GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Meeting,
Saturday, June 26, 2004
WATERSHED RESEARCH @ CAL POLY - SWANTON PACIFIC RANCHMeet 10 a.m. @ the Al Smith House on Swanton Pacific (NOT the cement plant's Old Hospital). Directions: Turn off Hwy. 1 at "Y" about a mile north of Davenport onto Swanton Road; go about 3 miles, past Fire Station, then shortly take side road uphill at "Logging Sports" sign; curve uphill about 1/3 mile, take left fork at sign to Al Smith House. There! We do a.m. snacks, you bring brown bag. Presentation, then lunch with Queseria video, then Field Trip. Meeting ends about 3 p.m. DUES ARE DUE: $5/YR! (Wow!) (Planning 1 or 2 Fall Meetings - local karst (with collapse under Davenport water line) and uplifted terraces revisited, hopefully with JERRY WEBBER & RON TASKEY.) (For queries, email Roberta
@seapo174@sbcglobal.net or call 831-429-9535, or Louis
@ lschipper@rmcpmi.com or
4. Regional Water Quality Control Board THP Monitoring Workshop, June 28 The Central Coast RWQCB is holding a workshop in Santa Cruz County on June 28 to educate the Regional Water Board about water quality monitoring as it relates to timber harvesting. No location has been announced as of yet, and
an official notice will be forthcoming from the RWQCB Staff, soon we hope.
Among those we believe have been confirmed as speakers are: Dr.
Stay tuned for more info. 5. NMFS Proposes "Endangered" Listing for Central Coast Coho Following a September 2001 U.S. District Court Ruling that rejected how NMFS treats hatchery stocks in its listing determinations, the Agency received several petitions seeking to delist, or to redefine and list, 17 salmon and steelhead ESUs on the basis of the Court's ruling. In response to these petitions (one of which was submitted by the Central Coast Forest Association and another by Homer T. McCrary) NMFS initiated status reviews for 16 of these ESUs, and elected to conduct status reviews for an additional 11 ESUs. Based on these reviews, NMFS is now issuing a proposed rule to list four ESUs as endangered and 23 ESUs as threatened. NMFS, after extensive review, is proposing to change the listing for coho south of San Francisco from "threatened" to "endangered". Petitions to delist submitted by the Central Coast Forest Association and Homer T. McCrary have been found to lack sufficient grounds for delisting. Following are a few excerpts from the May 28, 2004 released NMFS document, "Endangered and Threatened Species: Proposed listing determinations for 27 ESUs of West Coast Salmonids" "Findings on Delisting Petitions With regard to the six petitions (detailed above in the "Summary of Petitions" section) seeking to delist a total of 15 salmon and O. mykiss ESUs, NMFS finds on the basis of the best available scientific and commercial information that the petitioned actions are not warranted. " "Informed by the BRT’s (NMFS’ Pacific Salmonid Biological Review Team) findings (NMFS, 2003b) and NMFS’ assessment of the effects of artificial propagation programs on the viability of the ESU (NMFS, 2004b), the Artificial Propagation Evaluation Workshop concluded that the Central California Coast coho ESU in-total is "in danger of extinction" (NMFS, 2004c). "...the southern portion of the ESU (south of San Francisco) [is] where natural populations are at the highest risk of extinction..." (that's us folks) " There is no information documenting whether the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project program is increasing local abundance of natural steelhead, but the program was recently converted from one that supported a fishery to one that is attempting to restore the local natural population. Effects of these artificial propagation programs on productivity are uncertain, and no efforts are currently underway to assess the effects of productivity on the naturally spawning component of the ESU." "The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Program uses wild broodstock to minimize domestication effects and is operated to assist in the restoration of local stocks. However, it is uncertain to what extent the program serves to preserve genetic diversity in the ESU. Informed by the BRT’s findings (NMFS, 2003b) and NMFS’ assessment of the effects of artificial propagation programs on the viability of the ESU (NMFS, 2004b), the Artificial Propagation Evaluation Workshop concluded that the Central California Coast O. mykiss (steelhead) ESU in-total is "likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future" (NMFS, 2004c)." "Activities that NMFS believes could potentially "harm" salmon or O. mykiss (see ESA 3(19) and 50 CFR 222.102 [harm]) in any of the proposed ESUs, and result in a violation of the section 9 take prohibition include, but are not limited to: 1. Land-use activities that adversely affect salmon or O. mykiss habitats in any proposed ESU (e.g., logging, grazing, farming, urban development, road construction in riparian areas and areas susceptible to mass wasting and surface erosion);....." Read the Proposed
NOAA listing determinations for 27 West Coast Salmonids (Word*doc, 267
pages!) here.
The SDSF THP has hit a bit of a snag. DFG and the County have submitted comments of varying concerns about SDSF’s plans to draft water from the East Branch of Soquel Creek for use in road construction and to water dust on the more than one mile of proposed roads. Soquel Creek is a fully-adjudicated stream, which means either you have water rights (precisely spelled out including drafting locations) or you do not. SDSF has not indicated whether they have such rights to use the water, nor have they discussed any impacts such water drafting might have on the steelhead that live in the stream. DFG would like to see the proposed road abandoned and helicopter yarding utilized instead. Additional concerns include using a "wet ford" crossing of the East Branch and cutting down a large, leaning old growth tree which SDSF believes will be a "hazard" once they construct their new road next to it. The legislation which created SDSF requires protection of all old growth redwood on the property. CRFM has commented that cutting that old growth would be a violation of the law as well as the SDSF Management Plan. SDSF intends to fell the tree and leave it as LWD. A second review team meeting is planned to try
to resolve these and other issues. No date has been set. Stay
tuned.
Redwood Empire's THP 1-03-192, Mt. Madonna/Gamecock Canyon, was withdrawn finally, after CDF Review Team Recommendations found numerous unresolved problems and suggested in no uncertain terms that the plan be withdrawn. However, it has been re-incarnated and re-submitted as THP 1-04-124 SCR. This time, RE has not included the road construction for the haul road across the lands of the Kim Sun Monastery as part of the plan. However, they still intend to haul across the monastery lands. The road just doesn't exist yet. What this means is that, once again, RE and RPF Peter Twight, are submitting a THP for which they have no current legal access. While there is an agreement between RE and the Monastery to allow for road construction, there is currently a red-tag on the Monastery property. It is at the Planning Director's discretion whether to issue a grading permit while the red-tag is in place. No grading permit has been applied for. CDF has also requested better and more accurate
maps ("the maps are not acceptable"), plus re-noticing the Plan in conformance
with the rules.
The Governor has made three new appointments to
the Coastal Commission.
9. Central Coast Forest Association Slams Frediani and CRFM The webmaster of the Central Coast Forest Association seems to have too much time on his hands. A whole "page" on the CCFA website has been allocated to "Jodi Frediani?", in which Mr. Alvarado takes me to task for failing to uphold the truth. This continuing tirade against me and CRFM began after I submitted for publication in the Scott Creek Watershed Council Newsletter (funded by DFG) an article rebutting the CCFA Petition to Delist Coho South of San Francisco which was published in the newsletter in its entirety. The article had been solicited by the newsletter editor, but was never printed (it was apparently found to be unsuitable). I was advised by the next newsletter editor that the SCWC would like to post the article on the web for their membership to view. I gave permission only to find it "linked" on the CCFA website, not the SCWC website as I had been led to believe. And Mr. Alvarado criticizes me for attributing things to CCFA instead of Mr. McCrary. Hard for me to tell who's who. If you have time on your hands you can check out the latest diatribe at: http://ccfassociation.org/alvaradomarch04.htm 10. Log Truck Accident Closes Hwy 9 in Ben Lomond, June 9 An unofficial report claims that a loaded log truck improperly negotiated a turn on Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, taking out a utility pole and closing the road for much of the day. SBC has had difficulty accessing the pole and the report indicated that the highway would again be closed for a portion of the day. We can be thankful that such accidents do not
happen more often. If anyone has more information, please contact
me via email. I do not know if other vehicles were involved in the
accident or if anyone was hurt.
Past notices: REVIEW TEAM MEETING and PUBLIC HEARING Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF) THP 1-04-046 SCR 201 acres along the east branch of Soquel Creek REVIEW TEAM MEETING MAY 20,
2004 9:00 AM
PUBLIC HEARING MAY 20, 2004
7:00 PM
The SDSF Timber Harvest Plan proposes felling one "protected" large old growth tree to make way for the new road. Plans include drafting water from three locations along and in the vicinity of the East Branch of Soquel Creek. Four miles of road, including numerous watercourse crossings, are to be constructed on exceptionally unstable ground. To learn more, attend the Review Team Meeting.
To have your voice heard, attend the Public Hearing.
Help Santa Cruz Save California's Ancient Trees
Please join Julia Butterfly Hill for an evening of fun, food, drinks and music. Learn about the Heritage Tree Preservation Act (SB 754) and help protect the last 1%. Hosted by Leonore Clow and Assemblymember John
Laird
Co-Hosts:
As you can imagine, the timber industry is spending
TICKETS:
For more information or to make a donation, please go to: www.ancienttrees.org or call Lisa Beyer at: 510-444-4710 ext. 308. Please act now, for once they are gone, they are gone forever. ** All contributions are tax-deductible**
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