Minutes - Central Sierra Watershed For additional information on three watershed assessments in our local foothills, click on the link below:
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Articles by the Central
Sierra Watershed Management Committee |
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| Fifty Ways to Save Water | Noxious Weeds |
| Air Pollution | Fractured Rock and Hydrologic Cycle Diagrams |
| Drip Irrigation in your Garden | Water Saving Tips for home and business |
| Drought Tolerant Plants | Septic Systems |
| Erosion and Sediment Control | Dirty Water |
| Fire Safe - Fire Clearance | Yellow Star Thistle |
Please mark your 2010 calendars
| January
27, 2010 February 24, 2010 March 31, 2010 April 28, 2010 May 26, 2010 June 30, 2010 |
July
28,
2010
August 25, 2010 September 29, 2010 October 27, 2010 Nov./Dec. combined on December 8, 2010 |
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Agenda
CENTRAL SIERRA WATERSHED COMMITTEE Wednesday,
January 27, 2010
MEETING AGENDA 9:00
AM Coordinator/Facilitator:
Jeannie Habben
1.
Introductions 2.
Mission Statement 3.
Review of Minutes/Agenda 4.
Updates, Handouts & Extra Information for Committee Public
Comment 5.
Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment
Steve Blumenshine California
State University, Fresno
6.
Project Updates
7.
Pending Grants & Grant Proposals
8.
Legislative/Regulatory Updates
9. Adjourn
Next Meeting: February 24, 2010; 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
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CENTRAL SIERRA WATERSHED COMMITTEE Wednesday, December 9, 2009 9:00 AM MEETING MINUTES 9:00
AM
Coordinator/Facilitator:
Jeannie Habben
1.
Introductions 9:10
2.
Mission Statement Read
by Robyn S. 3.
Review of Minutes/Agenda
The minutes were accepted as presented
Elissa B requested to add Bio-Mass Collaborative with Sierra Nevada
Conservancy as a standing project
update and Steve H requested that we add San Joaquin River Stewardship
Program as a standing project update. 4.
Updates, Handouts & Extra Information for Committee Public
Comment -
The US
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is accepting grant applications for
a total of $3.4 million in funding for environmental education projects and
programs. EPA expects to award approximately 100 grants ranging from $5,000
to $200,000 and will accept applications until December 15, 2009. More
information on eligibility and application materials: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html
. The US EPA Environmental Education Grant Program provides funding to local
education agencies, state education or environmental agencies, colleges or
universities, not-for-profit organizations, or noncommercial educational
broadcasting entities. Tribal education agencies, which are controlled by an
Indian tribe, band or nation, may also apply, including a school or
community college. The purpose of the US EPA Environmental Education Grant
Program is to promote environmental stewardship and help develop
knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers and citizens. The grants
provide financial support for innovative projects that design, demonstrate,
or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques.
Projects should involve environmental education activities that go beyond
disseminating information. 5.
Upper Merced River Watershed Council
Conservation
Landscaping Demonstration Project Holly
W gave a little background about their organization: The Upper Merced River
Watershed Council was established in 2001 through a watershed coordinator
grant awarded to the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District. The
Council recruited stakeholders and partners, identified Watershed needs, and
formulated a work plan for the watershed. The
Conservation Landscaping Project was a thoughtfully designed yard that is
attractive and inviting wile reducing erosion, conserving water, providing
wildlife habitat, and promoting native vegetation. This conservation landscaping project was developed to
inspire foothill residents to create inviting landscapes that are easily
maintained, provide wildlife habitat, conserve water, and hold soil in
place, all considered Best Management Practices, which help reduce non-point
source pollution. The Sierra
Nevada Alliance enlisted the Upper Merced River Watershed Council to work
with volunteers to design and complete the project. The Sierra Nevada
Conservancy and Mariposa County Fairgrounds provided the model site. 6.
Project Updates
There
is an ample amount of bio-mass available with forest thinning projects, etc.
as a viable alternative to burning. These
burn piles can be turned into a bio-mass resource. We can look at replicating the project from Amador/Calaveras
County and what they are doing. The
Sierra Nevada Conservancy has created a committee to research this and
possibly the North Fork Mill site as the location as the focus site.
Jeannie
H is working with Bobby K from the SSIRWMP on a Small Farm Workshop.
This will be held on Tuesday,
December 29, from 1:00 to 430 PM; for an educational program designed to
help small farmers understand how to better participate in USDA NRCS
programs. Topics will include: Water Conservation and Irrigation
Technology; Organic Farming; NRCS Conservation Programs; Conservation
Planning for Farms; Technical Assistance; and more.
The curriculum will include a tour of a local Madera County organic
farm. The location of the event
will be at the Madera County Farm Bureau. Jeannie
H will be working with the MC NRCS office on another Dairy Workshop for the
beginning of 2010. She has also
received notice from the CA Department of Conservation that she is funded to
work through June 2010.
CRCD
in partnership with the EMC Fire Safe Council is continuing to work on fuel
breaks for fire safety in the foothills area.
They are currently working on nine miles (by 300 feet wide) of fuel
break right above the Chukchansi Casino.
They are also working on mitigation sites through Conservation
Easements. They have three in the research and contract stage that total
about 1,438 acres.
The Board of Supervisors today, November 24, 2009, adopted
the IRWMP and the agreed to sign the MOU. The
date for the signing ceremony is the 26th of January, at 1PM in
the Board Chambers. It will be on the Board of Supervisors agenda.
Immediately following the signing ceremony the initial meeting of the RWMG
will take place with the only items on the agenda being setting the date for
the true first meeting, along with asking for a volunteer to bring draft
bylaws and rules of procedure for consideration to that first true meeting.
Please put the date on your calendars, and make sure whoever is sent to the
meeting has signatory powers for your organization. Press will be
invited, our surrounding regions invited and a notice to DWR sent regarding
the event. I look forward to seeing everyone there.
The
November and the December MC WAC meetings were cancelled.
The MOU between the Madera County Region IRWMP and the SSIRWMP Region
is on the agenda and keep being pushed to the next meeting.
Funding
has been received from a private foundation to complete education and
outreach on the San Joaquin River. This
will integrate with the Upper San Joaquin Stewardship Project as the
education and outreach or the stewardship council portion of that project.
Jeannie H will be assisting with this portion of the project and has begun
contacting all of the school districts with in the project area.
The
committee is preparing to write the application for the IRWMP.
The guidelines are due out in January 2010 so Elissa B and Bobby K
will be working with the committee to further create a management plan as
well as a study by learning from the issues faced by Madera County and their
process in writing their IRWMP.
Elissa B announced that they have approval to re-start the
Fresno River watershed assessment however they are only assured of ½ of
their original funding at this time. She has re-worked the budget and has
determined that they will complete the Watershed Portal; document what has
been completed and archive the files; work with CSU, Fresno to complete the
analysis of their studies and assist with a report and then complete one or
two workshops to the public on their findings.
Steve B will be presenting a project update at the January CSWC
meeting.
On
November 14 they completed a Volunteer Water Monitoring training by Dr. Adam
Burns and followed it up by applying their knowledge on the river. Sierra
Nevada Conservative has given the OK to re-start the Telegraph Fire invasive
management project. She
has also announced that they received notice from the CA Department of
Conservation that they are funded to work through June 2010.
Steve H received the go ahead from DWR to resume work on this
project. At this time, the budget was reduced by about 1/3 of the
grant amount and there is still the plan for an April, 2010 completion
date. He will be reviewing the budget and the project deliverables to
realign them with the new budget and time constraints.
He has hired back on Jeannie H for education and outreach, Brandi M
to work with Wolf & Assoc. to complete the portal, and Tehema County RCD
to work with GIS and other portions of the report. They currently have been given the first set of raw data and
have completed 25 maps of the watershed.
Their
next meeting is on December 10 at 10:30am at the Tule Rivers Aero Industries
in Porterville. The Chipper
Program is up and running and they are looking to keep busy.
Anyone who needs chipping to be completed on their property who is 62
years of age or older or disabled can have it done for free; everyone else
there is a fee of $25.00. The Tribal Liaison has been hired; her name is
Jennifer Stanley. She will be
working on Tribal Conservation Districts, the Seventh Generation Plan, and
environmental issues and partnerships with the NF Mono Picayune, and the
Tule River tribes. The VISTAs
are continuing to work on Ag-nature Tourism, outreach and sustainability of
the RC & D, and moving forward on the SSIRWMP and the Bio-mass
Collaborative. Y/S RC&D is
supporting and promoting the Sierra Nevada Alliance license plate campaign.
If anyone would like to order a specialized license plate, please
contact their office. 7.
Pending Grants & Grant Proposals
See above (updates) 8.
Legislative/Regulatory Updates
None to report at this meeting
9. Adjourn:
11:40 am Next
Meeting: January 27, 2010; 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
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