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Projects Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program Call for Applications FY 2009: SWITZER_ENVIRONMENTAL_FELLOWSHIP_PROGRAM_CALL_FOR_APPLICATIONS_FY_2009.pdf
Eric Mruz is the new Manager of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
We are pleased to announce the selection of Eric Mruz to become the new Refuge Manager of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The 30,000 acre refuge is the largest of the National Wildlife Refuges around San Francisco Bay. Eric brings to this position a wealth of experience managing the Alviso Unit of the Don Edwards Refuge. During his 4 plus years in that position Eric has developed professional relationships with a variety of partners both within and outside government that are essential for his new position. We are grateful to Eric for stepping up to this leadership role. He will officially start in his new role on January 4, 2009.
USDA Secretary announces new Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets
ABAG has a new Water web pages, called "Bay Area Water." You'll find many links to watershed organizations there, in addition to watershed news. The Bay Area Water blog can be found at: www.abag.ca.gov/water.
The Urban Creeks Council has recently received a small amount of funding from the EPA that is specifically focused towards reducing sediment within our waterways. With a focus on reducing rates of erosion along our riparian corridors, we are currently looking for a few small streambank stabilization projects that could some financial assistance towards a potential project’s design / permitting phase. Currently, the projects need to be located within Contra Costa County. Specifically, we can provide matching funds up to $10,000 per project for design and permitting. These matching dollars can come from the landowner's own pocket or from any other non-federal source. Ideally, we are trying to schedule this design / permitting phase to occur in 2009.
California’s western and Clark’s grebes are Under Pressure, Outdoor California, September - October 2008: Grebes_Outdoor CA_optimized.pdf
See what Friends of the Petaluma River has been up to this year to protect our watershed in their Year End Report: Friends2008report.pdf
The Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration (CEMAR) announces the availability of Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Resources South of the Golden Gate, CA. This report, over four years in the making, is the most complete and authoritative steelhead reference ever prepared for the coastal watersheds of California south of the Golden Gate.
Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project released, EIR now available
On November 20, 2008, the California Department of Water Resources, as the Lead Agency, released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project. The EIR is available at http://www.water.ca.gov/floodmgmt/dsmo/ecb/maep/dutchslough/deir/. There will be a 60-day comment period which will close on January 19, 2009. Please provide your written comments to:
Patty Quickert, DWR Delta-Suisun Marsh Office, 1416 9th Street Room 1623, Sacramento, CA 95814. A public meeting will be held to allow public comment on the Draft EIR: December 11, 2008 from 1:00 to 4:00 pmOakley City Hall Council Chambers, 3231 Main Street, Oakley.
Nov 15: Urban Creeks Council Planting Day at Rheem Creek
Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase now online
The Resources Agency and Caltrans are pleased to announce the joint release of the Guidelines and Application for the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program (EEMP) for the 2008-09 grant cycle, which began July 1, 2008.
Alameda County Conservation Partnership Annual Report Published
PG&E to receive John Muir Business Conservation Award
UPDATE: Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Planning for the Cosco Busan Oil Spill: October 2008
: NRDA factsheet Oct 2008.pdf
REPORT: Economic Values of the World’s Wetlands
A new Your Wetlands podcast has just been published entitled “Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project" with guest Lorraine Parsons, Wetland Ecologist and Project Manager at the Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project. Check it out!
Oct 21: A FRONTLINE Special Screening HEAT. FRONTLINE's global investigation HEAT reports on the track record and capabilities of America's corporate and political cultures to aggressively respond to the challenge of climate change.
CANCELLED: Oct 15 Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee Meeting
California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network: TEACHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE [520 KB PDF]: Fall 2008 CREEC Connections.pdf
Please be advised that the State Coastal Conservancy has decided to circulate a new draft EIR (DEIR) for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail project. Comments received on the June 2008 DEIR will be carefully considered and incorporated, as appropriate, into the new DEIR as it is developed. The new DEIR is expected to be completed and distributed for public review and comment in late February or early March, 2009. A Notice of Availability will be widely distributed with the release of the new draft, identifying a new public hearing date and location and new comment period.
South Bay Science Symposium 2008: Research Supporting Restoration of the South Bay
Oct 7, 9:30 AM: Bahia Levee Breaching
Your Call Radio explores the adventurous world of bird migration and what role humans play in preserving these seasonal voyages. Guests Beth Huning, Coordinator, San Francisco Bay Joint Venture and Brad Bortner, Chief, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Migratory Birds and Habitat Programs
Governor signs important conservation bills: Bay Area Briefs October 2008.pdf
GOVERNOR SIGNS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER BILL AB 2537: 10-1-08 Media Release.pdf
Oct 25-26: CRAM Workshop - An Introduction to the California Rapid Assessment Method for wetland monitoring : CRAM workshop flyer reduced.pdf
Raising Bair Island : BayNature-Bair9-08.pdf
Oct 22 - Oct 24, 2008: 2008 CALFED Science Conference, Sacramento Convention Center
The San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project will establish a comprehensive and long-term vision for research, restoration and management of the subtidal (submerged) habitats of the San Francisco Bay. The Project is a collaborative interagency effort between the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the California Ocean Protection Council/State Coastal Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the San Francisco Estuary Project. The Project Objectives are to 1) Identify, document, and describe subtidal habitats, their function and relationships within the San Francisco Bay; 2) Identify, prioritize, and recommend research needs for understanding San Francisco Bay subtidal habitats and the current level and source of impacts to these habitats; and 3) Develop management, research, and restoration goals for subtidal habitats in the San Francisco Bay based on the best available scientific information, including for habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration.
State of the Estuary 2008: Conference Proceedings for the October 2007 State of the Estuary Conference [6.3 MB PDF]
Web Site Showcases East Bay Low-Impact Development Protecting Watersheds : BGBannouncement2.pdf
Sep 29, 2008: California Watchable Wildlife Inaugural Statewide Conference - Wildlife Tourism: It's Our Nature : Program_9-12-08.pdf
Key Coastal and Biodiversity Notes from CA Climate Change Conference Sep 8-10, 2008. Notes by Abe Doherty, California Ocean Protection Council: CA Climate Change Conference 08 Abe SCC notes.pdf
Oct 11 - 15, 2008: Restore America's Estuaries 4th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration : Restore America\'s Estuaries 2008.pdf
Federal Duck Stamp News
A new Your Wetlands podcast has just been published entitled “Snowy Plover” with guest Gary Page, co-director of the Wetland Ecology Division at PRBO Conservation Science. Check it out!
Water Board Meeting for waste water discharge for the South Bay Salt Pond Project
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants Program Proposals for the next yearly grant cycle must be sent no later than 13 November 2008
The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) announces new Executive Director and new Science Programs Director
August 13: Nature in the City and the Neighborhood Parks Council invite you to a very important meeting to discuss future conservation options for Lake Merced
Nobel Prize Winning Climate and Conservation Scientists Call Visionary Plan to Protect Vast Canadian Boreal Forest Unprecedented
NEW YOUR WETLANDS PODCAST: Bay Area Special License Plate - Nature Within Reach Amy Hutzel, San Francisco Bay Area Program Manager for the California State Coastal Conservancy, talks about the Bay Area Special License Plate campaign. The Bay Area Special License Plates will be issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles upon receipt of 7,500 paid pledges. The sale of these special plates will benefit the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program which provides funding for conservation, habitat restoration, recreation, and other environmental projects in the nine-county Bay Area. To learn more, visit bayarealicenseplate.org.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District has released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Alviso Slough Restoration Project. A public hearing will be held on July 16 at 7:00 pm at the George Mayne Elementary School in Alviso. Comments must be submitted by 5:00 pm July 18 to: Santa Clara Valley Water District, Attn: Mr. Michael Coleman, Environmental Planner, 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118. Phone (408) 265-2607 ext. 3096. E-mail: MColeman@valleywater.org. Copies of the DEIR are available at the: Santa Clara Valley Water District offices as per above, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Library, 180 West San Carlos St., San Jose, and at the Alviso Public Library, 5050 North First Street, Alviso.
The US Army Corps of Engineers public notice indicating the availability of the five template documents: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/pub/outgoing/co/reg/pn/200500420.pdf. The template documents can be found in PDF form at: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-co/regulatory/banking.html, and as Word documents at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/habcon/conplan/mitbank/mitbank.html
PRBO Invited to Testify: House Subcommittee Hearing on Decline in Bird Populations: Going, Going, Gone? An Assessment of the Global Decline in Bird Populations: House Committee Hearing.pdf
In July 2008 the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on declining birds. Synopsis of the hearing and links to the testimony of the witnesses. Of particular interest is the support for Joint Ventures in the testimony of Dave Erickson from the Missouri Department of Conservation, John Weins from PRBO, and Paul Schmidt. Also of note is the apparent interest of some Committee members in providing explicit legislative authorization for the joint venture program.
July 2008: Wingbeat - Monthly enewsletter of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
SPAWNERS Newsletter August 2008: enewsletterjuly08.pdf
NAWCA Update: The website for the NAWCA Small Grants is now updated with the new deadline of October 30, 2008
Proposition 50: The Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002. This PSP is on an extremely fast track, with a proposal submittal deadline of July 21, 2008
The John Muir Association is looking for nominees for its John Muir Conservation Award: John Muir Conservation Award Executive Summary 2008.pdf , John Muir Conservation Award Nomination_Form 2008.pdf
September 25: South Bay Science Symposium 2008: Research Supporting Restoration of the South Bay
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Oversight Hearing: Going, Going, Gone? An Assessment of the Global Decline in Bird Populations Testimony July 10, 2008 by John A. Wiens : PRBO Wiens testimony FIN 071108 House Resources Comm.pdf
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY: DRAFT PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ON THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WATER TRAIL PLAN [24 KB PDF]: WTNOA_2008.pdf
San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [120 KB PDF]: ESummary.pdf
Project Succeeding To Relocate Caspian Terns - Science Daily, June 21, 2008
The final 2008 Interagency Ecological Program Pelagic Organism Decline Work Plan is now available. The Work Plan, developed by the IEP POD Management Team, describes the 2008 research studies and monitoring to evaluate the decline of pelagic species in the Delta and Suisun Bay. The CALFED Science Program coordinates with the IEP to develop and distribute the workplan updates and fund elements of the POD research program. The final 2008 IEP POD Workplan can be found on the Science Program website at: http://www.science.calwater.ca.gov
Delta Waterfowl Press Release - From the Breeding Grounds: It's Dry...Real Dry...Bad Dry
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