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Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 5:18 PM
Subject: [SBCWMA News] May 2011
Hello WMA Newsletter Subscribers:
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NEWS
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University of Calif, Santa Barbara; USDA; & USGS Researchers Release Study on Water Use by Tamarisk
Carla D’Antonio and Tom Dudley, scientists from UC Santa Barbara, working with colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have published the first substantive data showing water savings that can result from using tamarisk leaf beetles for the biological control of tamarisk, an invasive tree of western rivers. The study is now published online and in print in the journal Oecologia.
The UCSB news release is available at http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=2438#description. The Oecologia study is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/k12234357320jj13/
Carpinteria Creek Watershed Coalition Celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary!
The Carpinteria Creek Watershed Coalition is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. The CCWC invites you to celebrate this enormous milestone on Saturday May 14, 2011, from 1pm - 4pm, at the mouth of Carpinteria Creek within the Carpinteria State Beach Park on the grassy lawn area adjacent to the creek. The event will include a tour of the recently completed Carpinteria Creek mouth restoration project, a few short speeches, tasty snacks and beverages, presentation of awards including the Watershed Hero, CCWC member organizations tabling with project information, children's games and activities including a watershed model, and more. The event is open to all who would like to attend. We look forward to having you join us for this fun and informative event. Limited parking is available, we encourage you to bike, walk, or carpool to the event. Please contact the CCWC if you have any questions at info@schabitatrestoration.org. More information is available at http://carpinteriacreek.org/pdf/flyer.pdf
NRCS Conservation Planning Initiative Sign Up – Free Conservation Planning for Farms and Ranches
Santa Barbara County’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing their first Conservation Planning Initiative Sign Up – a voluntary conservation initiative that encourages stewardship planning and improvements on agricultural land. The confidential free conservation planning service provides a professional analysis of a landowner’s natural resources and works with owners/managers to craft alternatives based on their goals and budget. The alternatives can include engineering, agronomic, soils and biological solutions to address problems such as erosion, water quality, stream habitat improvement, forage quality, irrigation and nutrient management, and more. Plans can also be developed to further enhance already healthy land or to augment properties with habitat beneficial to wildlife.
The deadline to request assistance through the Conservation Planning Initiative is July 1, 2011. Applicants who enroll and complete a plan through this initiative will receive a high screened application if they choose to apply for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) later on in the year. EQIP provides incentive payments for qualified applicants to implement practices within their conservation plans. It is a competitive application process; having a completed conservation plan on file, will greatly improve chances of funding through the program.
To enroll in Santa Barbara County’s Conservation Planning Initiative please contact Nikki Smith, Soil Conservationist at (805) 928-9269 x 108 or nikki.smith@ca.usda.gov. You can also visit the NRCS office in person at: 920 E. Stowell Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93454.
US EPA Seeking Comments On Draft Watershed Protection Document
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comments on a recently released draft technical document titled "Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds: Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches." This draft technical document provides the basis for implementing the Agency's Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which, in partnership with states, tribes, local governments, nongovernmental organizations and others, is intended to protect the nation's remaining healthy watersheds, prevent them from becoming impaired, and accelerate restoration successes. The Healthy Watersheds approach, as part of the initiative, is based on a holistic, integrated, systems view of aquatic ecosystems that acknowledges their dynamics and interconnectivity in the landscape.
The draft technical document includes an overview of the key concepts behind the Healthy Watersheds approach, examples of assessments of healthy watershed components, an integrated assessment framework for identifying healthy watersheds, examples of management approaches, sources of national data and key assessment tools. It contains numerous examples and case studies from across the country. The intended audience and potential beneficiaries of this document include aquatic resource scientists and managers at the state, tribal, regional and local levels, non-governmental organizations and federal agencies. Local government land use managers and planners may also benefit as they develop protection priorities.
EPA is seeking comments on this draft document until June 3, 2011. For more information and the draft document please visit www.epa.gov/healthywatersheds.
2010 California Forest Pest Council Report on Forest Pest Conditions
The California Forest Pest Council has released its 2010 report on forest pest conditions. The report includes a summary of invasive plant tool development and management status for specific weeds, as well as lots of information on other forest pests. Dave Bakke in the USFS Region 5 office coordinated the weed section, and he requests that all natural resource managers consider what information they might contribute to next year’s report. The hefty 22MB report is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/spf/publications/pestconditions/conditions2010_110405_web.pdf.
Listening Session Set For California Invasive Species Advisory Committee’s Draft Strategic Framework
The state’s draft framework on invasive species is being released for a second comment period until June 17, 2011 and there will be a webcast listening session on May 12 (see press release below from CDFA and the Natural Resources Agency). Take a look over the document and revisions since round 1 at www.iscc.ca.gov/cisac-strategic-framework.html. If you feel that it’s a good thing that the state is making this effort to coordinate and strengthen its work on invasive species, simple comments of support would be very useful. Comments can be sent by email to cisac@iscc.ca.gov.
SACRAMENTO, April 28, 2011 – The California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Natural Resources Agency have scheduled a listening session to ask for public input about the draft Strategic Framework. The schedule is:
May 12, 2011
5:30pm – 7:30pm
California Environmental Protection Agency
Coastal Hearing Room, Second Floor
1001 “I” Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
The session will be webcast at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Broadcast/
The listening session is open to the public. Comments will be accepted through June 17, 2011. Comments may be submitted vie email to cisac@iscc.ca.gov, via phone at (916) 651-3990 or may be addressed to the following:
California Invasive Species Advisory Committee
Attn: Strategic Framework
1220 N Street, Suite 221
Sacramento, CA 95814.
The Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) was created in 2009. The ISCC appointed 24 diverse stakeholder representatives to CISAC. As a critical baseline task, CISAC developed a draft Strategic Framework, which was modified after one round of listening sessions in October 2010. Comments received have been incorporated into the draft document. The framework will recommend to the ISCC a series of interrelated actions to strengthen the state’s response to invasive species over the next several years.
More information about the ISCC and CISAC can be found at www.iscc.ca.gov.
The draft Strategic Framework can be found at http://www.iscc.ca.gov/cisac-strategic-framework.html.
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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
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UC Davis Weed Day 2011
Register now for Weed Day 2011, July 14, 2011. (Visit http://wric.ucdavis.edu and click on Weed Day) The 55th annual Weed Day event provides an opportunity for pest control advisors, farm advisors, chemical company cooperators, college faculty and students, and regulatory officials to learn about current weed science research at UC Davis. The event begins with a morning field tour of the UC Davis weed science research plots and the USDA-ARS Exotic and Invasive Weed Research Laboratory. Lunch and afternoon presentations will be indoors in the Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center. UC staff and students will present information on projects that are not in-season for viewing or located off-campus. Presentations will include basic research showing the scope of the Weed Science Program.
Society for Ecological Restoration (Ser-Cal) Conference
May 10-12, 2011
Marina Village Conference Center San Diego, CA
http://www.sercal.org/conference.htm
H2O 2011 - Early Registration Ends Tomorrow (May 3)
9th Annual 2011 Headwaters to Ocean ("H2O") Conference May 23-26, 2011
Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa
San Diego, CA
The 2011 "Headwaters to Ocean (H2O)" Conference is being organized by the California Shore and Beach Preservation Association, California Coastal Coalition, Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, Society of Wetland Scientists - Western Chapter and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program.
The conference will cover a wide spectrum of coast and ocean issues. In fact, the conference organizers received so many excellent abstracts that an extra half-day has been added to this year's conference.
The day prior to the conference, registrants will be able to choose among three field trips (South San Diego Bay Restoration, Tijuana National Estuarine Reserve and Famosa Slough), a training session on Climate Vulnerability Assessment & Alternatives, and a public meeting of the state's Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup - all at no cost.
The conference program is available online at: http://www.coastalconference.org/h20_2011/2011_program1.php
The deadline for early registration is Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The link for online registration is: http://www.coastalconference.org/h20_2011/register.php.
The conference hotel is offering an excellent conference rate for a single or double room at $110 per night. Also, the hotel is offering a triple rate at $130 per night and a quad rate of $150 per night.
Reserve a hotel room online at: http://www.coastalconference.org/h20_2011/hotel_info.php or call (800) 422-8386 and mention the “H2O Conference.”
Advances in Desert Weeds Symposium, 2011
June 16, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
At the UC Riverside Palm Desert Campus in Palm Desert, CA
Registration fees are $55 before the early bird deadline of May 27th and $80 thereafter. For more information including registration go to: http://saharamustard.ucanr.org
This one-day symposium will cover weeds that are encroaching the desert region of Southern California, Arizona and Southern Nevada. Talks will focus on the ecology and biology of invasive species including: invasive plant biology and population dynamics, ecology of seed banks, integrated pest management (IPM), low budget weed management and more... The goal is to give you enough information to answer your pressing management questions.
For more information contact: Chris McDonald, cjmcdonald@ucdavis.edu, (909) 387-2242 Or Carl Bell, cebell@ucdavis.edu, (858) 694-3386
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GRANTS
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EPA Environmental Education Regional Grants
Application Due: May 2, 2011
Eligible Applicants: Local education agencies, colleges or universities, state education or environmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entities.
EPA is seeking grant proposals from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques as described in this notice. Under this solicitation EPA expects to award environmental education grants from the 10 EPA Regional offices. EPA expects approximately $1,943,000 to be available for grants in amounts of a minimum of $15,000 and a maximum of $100,000. Each of EPA’s 10 Regions anticipates funding a minimum of 2 grants resulting in a minimum number of grants issued to be approximately 20 grants nationwide. For more information, contact Karen Scott at EEgrants@epa.gov or read the full solicitation at http://www.epa.gov/education/pdf/solNotice2011.htm.
Native Plant Conservation Initiative Grant Program Accepting Applications
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Plant Conservation Alliance seeks proposals that will help control invasive plant species, mostly through the work of public/private partnerships such as Cooperative Weed Management Areas. In order to maximize conservation outcomes, projects that emphasize NFWF priority landscapes in coordination with federal agencies are strongly preferred:
- Eastern North America Early Succession Habitat
- Prairie Coteau Grasslands
- Sky Islands Grasslands
- Gunnison sage-grouse habitat
- Southeastern Grasslands-especially Longleaf pine forest
- Shortgrass Prairie
- Upper Colorado River
- Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Applicants must complete the online pre-proposal application form at www.nfwf.org/grantapplication. The pre-proposal form deadline is July 15th, 2011. Applicants that are invited to submit a full proposal will receive instructions via e-mail for accessing the full proposal form. Full proposals are due on October 14th, 2011. Click here for more information
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Volunteering
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Educational and volunteer opportunities are listed on the SBCWMA calendar
May Volunteer Opportunities
Anacapa Island Iceplant Removal, May 4 and May 18 – RSVP to Jonathan Appelbaum, volunteer@cirweb.org
San Marcos Foothills Community Planting Day, May 7 – RSVP to Jonathan Appelbaum, volunteer@cirweb.org
Carpinteria Marsh and Bluffs Weed Pull, May 7 – Marsh volunteers meet at 10:00 AM at the telescope entrance. Weeding at Bluffs Park begins at 1:00 PM. Volunteers meet at the Bailard Ave parking lot.
Foothill Open Space Planting Day, May 14 - RSVP to Jleipner@cosbpw.net or by phone (805) 882-3614
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Acknowledgement
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This newsletter is compiled from various sources, including emails I receive from people who are involved in the invasive weed field, and from listserves. I modify the emails, but sometimes they are inserted here nearly verbatim. I thank those people for this information and for their devotion to protecting and conserving habitat. If you recognize something that you wrote and object to its use here or on my website, contact me and I will promptly remove it from my website.
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Sincerely,
David Chang
Agricultural Commissioner's Office
County of Santa Barbara
(805) 681-5600
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