9:00 AM

Coordinator/Facilitator:  Jeannie Habben

MEETING MINUTES

Coordinator/Facilitator:  Jeannie Habben

1.              Introductions 

2.              Mission Statement

          Read by Don N. 

3.              Review of Minutes/Agenda

          The minutes were accepted as presented. 

Mandy Vance will do a presentation on the Sustainable Forestry project at the next CSWC meeting on February 24. 

4.              Updates, Handouts & Extra Information for Committee

Public Comment 

       December 16, 2009 at 3:00 PM Charles Leavitt past away. Chuck has been an active and involved member of our community and Central Sierra Watershed Committee for many years, his honesty and selfless service touched many lives. He will be missed.   

        Volunteers are needed for clean-up days at the Indian Lakes.  These are held monthly to increase water storage, reduce fire hazards, encourage safe, litter-free and healthy play, and improve water access by all living creatures.  Meet at the Park Pavilion at the Indian Lakes Park on Seminole.  Come for any part of the Workday.  The next work days are:  Sat. Feb. 20 – 10:00 am – 1:00 pm; Sat. Mar. 20 – 10:00 am – 1:00 pm; and Sat. Apr. 24 – 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (Includes Free Earth Day Luncheon).  Wear Protective Clothing (jeans & closed toed shoes) & Gloves; Bring Weed Whackers, Pruners, Saws, Chain Saws, Rakes, Shovels; and Please  RSVP w/ Jan by the Wed. before the workday:   642-4511. 

        Give a Day of Volunteer Service in 2010, Get a Day of Disney Theme Park Fun - Disney Parks has announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day." Disney hopes to inspire families to volunteer in their communities during 2010 through this first-of-its-kind program. One million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park. While the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program kicks off Jan. 1, right now guests can learn more about the program and how to get their free one-day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park by visiting www.DisneyParks.com  

       The California Water Quality Monitoring Council has unveiled the second My Water Quality internet portal to connect decision makers and the public with water quality information. The theme of this new portal is “is it Safe to Eat Fish and Shellfish from Our Waters?”  View the new portal at www.waterboards.ca.gov/mywaterquality/. 

       The Sierra Nevada Conservancy created a regional climate action plan that will help the range reduce its emissions and ensure the resilience of our communities and natural resources. Some highlights include: Addresses key regional issues including fire, forestry, watersheds, energy, wildlife and community quality of life as they relate to climate change; Identifies short and mid-term goals; Provides a process for an annual review and a bi-annual update of the plan; Identifies potential regional and local partners and points of collaboration; Provides an SNC staff person/Climate Change Coordinator to oversee the implementation of the plan and coordinate with the Climate Action Team and other partners; and Provides assistance from the SNC Funding and Resource Coordinator to identify and circulate funding opportunities to achieve the goals/objectives/strategies/actions of the SN CAP.
Check out the SNC’s Climate Action Plan and other climate change activities online (they are making a few changes now to the plan but it should be online soon): http://www.sierranevadaconservancy.ca.gov/climate_change.html 

       The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust, and the California Coalition for Rural Housing invite you to attend: The Small Communities Economic and Community Development Network Launch.  This is an interactive strategy session to be held on January 28, 2010 at 10 am-3 pm at the Chowchilla Public Library on 300 Kings Avenue in Chowchilla. Event is free and lunch is provided 

        Each year Sierra Business Council hosts an event to recognize and encourage leadership in the Sierra, honoring community members as their work continues to achieve excellence in projects and approaches that foster community vitality, environmental quality, economic prosperity, and social fairness. This prestigious regional award recognizes the thinkers and doers of the region; those that see challenge and create opportunity.  If you know of a person, organization or collaborative team who has embodied triple bottom line thinking in the Sierra Nevada in 2009, please nominate today! Visit www.sbcouncil.org/vision2020 to download a nomination form. 

       Ann Lombardo with SNAMP invited everyone to watch the February 17 class on line for the latest in fire modeling.  She will send out the contact information to watch this. 

 5.       Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment

            Steve Blumenshine – California State University, Fresno      

The presentation was as follows:

Project Sampling Overview – Field and Data Components

            Storm events,  Septic Influences, Sedimentation Influences

Effects of Septic Systems – status of septic systems on landowners parcels in the watershed

      Siting Strategy

            Concentrations of failing/repaired septic systems

            Potential for influences on surface waters

            Proximity and clusters – e.g. mostly dry channel, influence downstream

            Access

      Look at –

            1. Nitrogen Products: Nitrate, Ammonia, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

            2. Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen: 15N : 14N

            3. Microbes: Total Coliform, E.coli and Enterococcus (fecal indicators) 

**Coarsegold Creek and the bridge in town; the area by the Oakhurst Sewage Treatment Plan, and Poison Switch showed the Highest levels of Nitrogen contaminants; high levels of Enterococcus and Total Coliform, lower levels of E.coli. 

Sediment Sampling – areas of the study: Landscape, Water Quality, Fine Sediment (as an indicator of land use in the Watershed), and Macro invertebrates. Based on invertebrates all sites were good except for two sites in Coarsegold.  The Sampling sites scored using tolerance values derived from collected habitat and water quality variables. 

Impervious Surface Cover

      Upper Fresno River = ~4.5%

      Emerging ISC threshold for demonstratable loss of aquatic system function and bio-      integrity is around 10%.

Warning signs to look for:

      1. Changes in Hydrology (Baseflow, flow variability, frequency of maximum flows)

      2. Changes in geomorphology (width and depth)

      3. The resulting changes in bio-integrity 

These studies were completed to look for whatever could give the most information to be able to relate the findings of the conditions so the results are usable for decision making.  They will at the conclusion of this study, write up the results and give suggestions of what will be needed in the future to complete the assessment. 

 6.       Project Updates 

      Bio-Mass Collaborative – Sierra Nevada Conservancy – Elissa Brown/Mandy Vance

This is a Sustainable Sierra Initiative project is modeled after the Amador/Calaveras Consensus group.  They are looking to find economically feasible way to create green jobs such as a Bio-mass utilization business that does not rely on logs.   This could be fuel reduction and economically sustainable.  They will be meeting the first Thursday of every month and will be forming subcommittees to work on different areas.  

        Chowchilla/Fresno Watershed – Jeannie Habben

Jeannie H shared the activity booklet that she created to take to the schools to teach young students about their watershed.  The information was researched from articles and information on-line and in the newspapers from a couple of my partners: the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust and the State Water Resources Control Board. This will get printed at this point at a need to use basis; there is not funding to do a mass printing at this time. She also shared that she worked with Sierra Tel Internet to update the www.cfwatershed.org website with an article “Water – Our Mountain Gold” - an article explaining practical and economical water saving tips for the home and business.  She partnered with Madera County Natural Resource Conservation Service and Bobby Kamansky (of the Southern Sierra IRWMP) to put together a Small Farm Curriculum Workshop. One day before the event, NRCS had received only one RSVP so postponed the workshop until the first part of 2010.  The timing was wrong with the holidays. 

       Coarsegold Resource Conservation District – Larry Ballew

Jeannie H shared Supervisor Tom Wheeler’s Town Hall Schedule for 2010. It was reported that the Minarets High School is focusing on a Natural Resources curriculum and CRCD has been working with them on their conservation easement. Larry B shared maps that showed Fuel Treatment Projects completed in 2010. The CRCD is also working on a fisheries plan for Redinger Lake and Turkey habitat at the Kinsman Flat project.  Kinsman Flat will also be used as a five year training project for the Department of Fish and Game.  CRCD will be partnering with NRCS and the Native American Tribes in the area to give workshops and trainings on Tribal Lands.  Three are scheduled for this year.  

      Madera County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan –

Yesterday, Tuesday, January 26 the different groups/agencies that wish to participate in the Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) got together at the Madera County BOS Chambers and signed the MOU, They then met and set the first official meeting of the RWMG.  A couple weeks ago DWR held a Regional Roundtable to discuss the next steps of the IRWMP. DWR stated that they need to work on the clarification on the conditional approvals and what needs to be done to each individual region that is dealing with that because you can not receive implementation funds until the condition is met.  They also said that the draft guidelines for the next round of funding will be out in a couple of weeks.  It will be up for public comment for about 30 days and then they will move forward.  There will be $30 million for planning – with a cap of $1 mil for new plans and $500k for updating plans.  There is also $100 mil for implementation grants. 

       Madera County Water Advisory Commission – John Reed

They had their first meeting of the year last Thursday.  Steve Sagouspe is the new chairperson for 2010.  They discussed the MOU between the Southern Sierra IRWMP and the Madera Region but did not come to any agreement to sign it. 

       San Joaquin River Stewardship Project – Steve Haze

This project is focusing on Education and Outreach.  Jeannie H has been making contact with the schools in the watershed to find out who to work with on water and natural resource projects.  There will be various outreach/education programs for the adults as well as the students in the watershed. A couple that are in process are: the Watershed Stewardship Academy to train community leaders to be involve with their watershed and the CA Water Resource Student Symposium that will be like a Science Fair but focusing on water issues. For more information go to www.sanjoaquinriver.org 

       Southern Sierra Integrated Regional Water Management Plan – Elissa Brown

Their next meeting is today at 1:00 in Clovis.  They are working on getting the communities more involved.   Management and Planning is currently being worked on; not just to get a plan written but to make this plan useful in water management, give it value. The Southern Sierra IRWMP is moving forward to be accepted as a Region (remove the conditional acceptance) and have signed the MOU with the Madera Region.  Madera has not yet signed the MOU though it was presented to the MC Water Advisory Commission in January. 

        Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment – Elissa Brown

      See above presentation notes. 

       Upper Merced River Watershed – Terry McLaughlin

They are now working on their invasives grant for the Telegraph Fire area; there is three years of funding for this project. The Briceburg Visitors Center is up and running and the Park Service and BLM are providing staff during the high visitation times.  There will be a “Bird of Prey” presentation on February 10 at 6:00 at the Mid-Pines Community Hall.  They are working on a one or two day water catchment demonstration to be funded by SNC. 

Terry M reported that Central Cal. IRWMP has not been active since June 2009.  They are just getting started back up and are looking at revisiting their regional boarders. They will be working on their “conditional acceptance”  and she has been put in charge of outreach for this project. 

        Upper San Joaquin River Stewardship Council & Assessment –

The go ahead was received 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.  Jeannie H is working on data gathering; hitting every contact that had been made in the past based on the project team and the project breakdown by areas.  Brandi M is continuing to work with the Portal and she just received a new computer and ArcView program to work on GIS for the project.  Parts of the Education and Outreach will blend in with the San Joaquin Stewardship Project. 

      Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development –

The CHIP (Community Housing Improvement Program) 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.  Their goal was to do 200 acres and they have completed 100 so far.  They held the first “Masters of Disaster” program class to teach kids disaster preparedness. They are assisting with the North Fork’s Earth Day Celebration that will be on April 25. They are continuing their Ag Nature Tourism classes to be held at: Fresno Ag Building on February 23,24, and 25 and in Tulare on March 6, 13, and 20. 

7.      Pending Grants & Grant Proposals 

       California Department of Housing and Community Development are pleased to announce the release of an RFP for an innovative new Program: the Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program (Program).  Approximately 6 development projects will be selected as Catalyst Projects in communities throughout California to incentivize sustainable communities and testinnovative strategies designed to increase housing supply and affordability; improve jobs and housing relationships; stimulate job creation and retention; enhance transportation modal choices that reflect community values, preserve open space and agricultural resources; promote public health; eliminate toxic threats; address blighted properties; reduce green house gas emissions and increase energy conservation and independence.  As you will see, the Program reflects a coordinated effort by multiple state agencies to support local innovation, develop projects that integrate environmental, economic and housing goals and test strategies for broad implementation throughout the California.  The Program will also engage our regional partners and support efforts to implement Regional Blueprints and address the goals of SB 375. Completed RFPs are due February 11, 2009.  If you have any questions about the RFP or the goals of the Program please contact Cathy Creswell at 916-323-3176. 

       Through the NRCS office in your area WRP funds are available, as California has received an initial allocation of funds for WRP for Fiscal Year 2010.  WRP accepts sign-ups on a continuous basis and sets funding cutoff dates to select projects and commit funds.  To be considered for this currently available funding, landowners must work with the local NRCS Field Offices to submit applications and eligibility paperwork, and have ranking completed by the NRCS and USFWS Partners biologists by February 15, 2010.  For more information go to the website at: http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp.html 

8.      Legislative/Regulatory Updates  

9.      Adjourn

          Next Meeting: February 24, 2010; 9:00 am to 12:00 noon