CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

Representing Resource Conservation Districts in the counties of:  
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare

Officers:  Tom Wheeler, Chairman - Phil Erdman, Vice Chairman - Barbara Helton, Secretary-Treasurer

Representing Resource Conservation Districts in the counties of:  
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare

CARCD-SJV Annual SPRING Meeting

Friday, May 30, 2008
New Date

Don’t forget your Raffle Items!!

Hosted by:  Coarsegold RCD

North Fork Town Hall, North Fork, CA 

DRAFT AGENDA 

9:30                    REGISTRATION  

10:00                  Welcome                                                                         TOM WHEELER

                           Roll call                                                                          San Joaquin Region President

                           Approve Minutes & Agenda                                        Coarsegold RCD President

                           Treasurer’s Report                                                        

                           Discuss Treasurer and Secretary positions for SJ Region

10:45                  Public Comment

11:00                  San Joaquin Region updates -ALL RCDs

11:30                  Presentation and Overview of Kinsman Flat

                           Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project.

12:00                  Lunch           

12:30                  Travel to tour Kinsman Flat Wildlife Habitat Project

3:00                    Travel back to North Fork Town Hall

                           Adjourn

Minutes

Fall SJV Area Meeting- September 28, 2007

NorthWest Kern RCD welcomed the group and turned meeting over to Tom Wheeler.

Tom Wheeler called meeting to order and a roll call of RCDs in attended was taken.  

Motion entered by Toby Horst to accept spring meeting minutes and 2^nd by Ernie Beck.  

Treasurer’s Report presented by Barbara Helton, a printed copy was also provided.  

Motion to approve Treasurers report was made by Brian Hockett, 2^nd by Toby Horst.

Area IX Business- Request for officers made.

Motions made:

·        To pay secretary a $125 for meetings w/lunch made by Terry Sandridge and 2^nd by Brian Hockett. Motion carried.   

·        To keep Tom Wheeler President made by Toby Horst  and 2^nd by Jack Fry.

·        To appoint Donna Harris as Secretary/Treasurer made by Toby Horst and 2^nd by Ernie Beck.

·        To appoint Cindy Lashbrook as Vice President made by Brian Hockett and 2^nd by Jack Fry.

All Motions Carried

CARCD Report-Tacy Currey- Provided information on annual conference scheduled for Nov. 7-9. Farm Bill is still in process. Lobbying has been going on for FSA to take over administration of NRCS programs, will continue to monitor. Continuing to work on Waterbond, AB1074 Statewide EQIP permit, bottle fee, and 10% grant money fee for RCDs. Prop. 50 for this year to the DOC, need to make sure Prop. 80 money for next gets to them.  

Department of Conservation -Jenny Distefano -New Water Shed Grant is in the works. RFP workshops, next one scheduled Oct 4. Email: wcgp2007@conservation.ca.gov for input. New Staff person, Tom Campbell.  Web site will be updated to allow access to grant writing and director training. Starting data base of RCD Projects. 

Water Shed Project Reports- Jannie Habbon completed Sierra Smart brochure. She is working with Central Sierra Watershed Committee. Also, currently working with Madera County Levee Maintenance Project.

Cindy Lashbrook- Merced River Allience. Working on 2 different grants projects.

District Reports

Coursegold-Funding to maintain previous fire break projects. Nursery w/ school site project is in process

Chowchilla Redtop- Received Watershed grant and has concerns for water quality with Dairies. Arundo has been declared Class B Invasive weed, state wide.

Excelsior/King River RCD-Received contribution agreement with NRCS to host workshops for dairymen on new regulations.

Los Banos- RCD is meeting and interested in education and outreach.  

Sierra- Will be working on Upper San Joaquin next year. Completed 2^nd conservation easement, grant for week workshops, and working on combining with Navelencia.

Northwest Kern-Has continued to work on irrigation water management and has worked with 100 farmers so far this year.

CARCD-Ron Harben- Provided update on Air Quality Issues. New research projects on Electrostatic and Misting.

Noon- Break for Lunch.

1-2 pm-Speak off- Contestants:

1. Brandon Cornell, Excelsior/KingsRiver (received 3^rd)
2. Rachel Wilson, Los Banos (received 1^st, $100 bond winner)
3. Rachel Wright, Sierra RCD (received 2^nd, $75 bond winner)

NRCS State Update- Curtis Tarver (for Ed Burton) RCDs can contact DC’s to utilize staff for support. Staff is working on conservation planning ahead of program; Merced is piloting this right now. Farm Bill is in process. Agricultural Secretary has retired.

NRCS Area Report- Staffing is in process, Hanford will have new Engineer-effective Oct. 28: Larry Norris retired -Elizabeth Palmer will be new Area Biologist: Madera – Gary Ford: Fresno Area office-John Byer retiring after 30years-effective next Tuesday but may assist for next 6 months/ New part-time Admin. Assistant: Carol Rush-Bakersfield leaving Area 3. Progress- 1 million range land acres, aiming for 1 million crop land acres. EQIP deadlines are moved up to Nov. 2 deadline. Continue working together, a lot of work left to go.

Spring 2008 meeting will be hosted by Chowchilla Red Top RCD.

Fall 2007 meeting will be hosted by Tulare County RCD 

Representing Resource Conservation Districts in the counties of:  
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare

Minutes
Spring SJV Area Meeting- April 13, 2007

Tom Wheeler called meeting to order and a roll call of RCDs in attended was taken.  

Motion entered by Norman Kuhr to accept fall meeting minutes and seconded by Toby Horst. Motion carried. 

Treasurer’s Report presented by Barbara Helton, a printed copy was also provided.   

Motion to approve Treasurers report was made by Ernie Beck, seconded by Cindy Lashbrook. Motion carried. 

Barbara Helton retired as Secretary and Treasurer. Jenny Gabor thanked her for her service and presented her with a small gift. 

Area IX Business- Grant Funds are coming in per Barbara Helton. Don Neilsen retired from NRCS in Madera and is replaced by Rob Roy. 

NRCS Projects- Sharon Nancy from NRCS discussed trellis project for South East Asian farmers, a workshop is to be held on April 22^nd. The Curriculum project for education for small scale operators includes working with the USDA and equipment suppliers. The goal is to educate small operators to be able to participate in any USDA program. Funding has been received for both projects this year and similar funding expected for next year. Coordinators will attend Fall meeting to update area on projects.  A video was demoed from the “Many Faces, Many Dreams” project and a handout announcing the Area 3 team (who worked on the project) won the National Civil Rights Award.  

Department of Conservation -Jenny Distefano -New Water Shed Grant is in the works. Staff changes taking place in the Department. Andrew Rush is leaving the Department and will be working on the Williamson Act. Grant Writing workshop is being held in Lake County, willing to hold one here if RCD’s would like to participate.  

CARCD Report-Tacy Currey, -Day at the Capitol May 16th. CARCD is currently tracking over 300 bills as well as over 400 on Conservation. Sending letters to RCDs on bills for local areas, CARCD will not take a position on the bill without an RCD request.

New logo created for RCD’s to adopt if they choose to, there are templates for business cards and there will be others available. .

Speak off information was handed out and all Ag teachers in the state have been emailed the information on two occasions. Also, a hand out for the Natural Resource Camp on June 17-22 was given.  

Tacy is available to help RCDs; they need to let her know what issues they would like assistance on and she provided her cell number.

Some additional funding ideas available to RCDs are Goodsearch.com and a phone recycling program, flyers were provided on both. Goodsearch.com is donating .01 per search to CARCD.  

Requesting support for SB917, this bill will implement a water royalty fee on bottle water manufactures. This funding will be used to fund restoration, conservation and water shed programs, a hand out was provided. 

Motion-after discussion both for and against, Toby Horst moved to send a letter supporting SB917, motion was seconded by Terry Sandridge. Motion was carried 12 to 3.  

Tom called for a vote to adopt new logo on letterhead. The letterhead was approved 

With thanks to Sierra RCD, the meeting broke for lunch. 

Friant Water Users Authority-Ronald D. Jacobsma -San Joaquin River Settlement Agreement, power point presentation on lawsuit settlement on restoration of the San Joaquin River. Part of the settlement includes restoration of the Salmon. The agreement is currently in place for twenty years. The settlement was reached because an adverse judgment would have lead to impacts on water supply and financial impacts. Funding still needs to be secured and legislation still needs to be past.  

NRCS Updates- Dave Kreitemeyer (standing in for Curtis Tarver)-EQIP is funded and applications ranked. Several student interns are being brought on for the summer. Farm Bill for 2007 is being worked on and an effort is being made to make it friendlier to use.  

San Joaquin Valley Region meeting for Fall 2007 will be hosted by Northwest Kern RCD and the Spring 2008 meeting will be hosted by Chowchilla Red Top RCD. 

Raffle was completed and meeting was adjourned by Tom Wheeler.   

Donna Harris

Recorder