Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area

Educational Resources Ordered by event date

24th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference and Steelhead Festival www.calsalmon.org February 22 -25, 2006; Santa Barbara, California The 24th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference will be held at the Santa Barbara Veterans Center in Santa Barbara, California on February 22 – 25, 2006. Workshops and field tours will be held on February 22nd and 23rd and are individually priced at $50 by advance registration. The conference begins on February 24th and is priced at $80 for Salmon Restoration Federation members or $130 for non-members. While there doesn’t appear to be any conference topics that deal specifically with noxious or invasive weeds, those of us in the weed field are often involved in riparian habitat quality and would otherwise be interested in the seminar. For a complete agenda, lodging information and the registration form, visit www.calsalmon.org. . 1st Annual Santa Barbara Steelhead Festival www.sbsteelheadfest.org February 22 - 25; Santa Barbara, California Join the Community Environmental Council in celebrating and honoring the endangered Southern Steelhead Trout by participating in the 1st Annual Santa Barbara Steelhead Festival! The festival will involve a multi-dimensional set of events including: a public art display of steelhead sculptures; a 5K fun run and an all day festival after the run. All events will focus on educating the public and bringing attention to the steelhead and how efforts are underway to restore habitat in our local watersheds. To learn more about the festival, fun run, or become a sponsor, visit www.sbsteelheadfest.org or contact Katie DeLeuw at (805) 963-0583 x116. . 2006 Wetlands Symposium www.scwrp.org March 8 - 10, 2006; Santa Barbara, California The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project will hold its fourth biennial Wetlands Symposium on Thursday and Friday, March 9 and 10, 2006, at the University Center on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The two-day conference will feature a number of nationally and regionally prominent speakers and cover a variety of important issues relating to the protection, conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands and watersheds in Southern California. . The Symposium will be preceded by optional field workshops on Wednesday, March 8 at two coastal wetlands in the Santa Barbara area. The Wetlands Recovery Project’s Board Governors and Public Advisory Committee will also meet in Santa Barbara on March 8th. . Information about registration, hotel accommodations, program topics, field workshops, and other aspects of the Symposium is now available on the Wetlands Recovery Project’s website at www.scwrp.org under “What’s New.” The registration fee for the two-day Symposium is only $75 if paid before February 10. . You are urged you to register early for the Symposium. Because of space constraints, registration is limited to 160 people for the entire conference. In addition, each of the optional field workshops will be limited to the first 25 people who register for that site tour. The discounted room rates being offered by three hotels near the beach in Santa Barbara are available only for room registrations made prior to February 1. So please make your plans now to attend the Symposium. . Save the date! 15th Annual Cal-IPC Symposium Save the date! The 2006 Cal-IPC Symposium will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Sonoma Wine Country in Rohnert Park, California on October 5 – 7, 2006. . Weeds Across Borders Conference http://www.desertmuseum.org/borderweeds>www.desertmuseum.org/borderweeds May 25 - 28, 2006; Hermosillo, Mexico Save the date! Plan to attend the Weeds Across Borders Conference sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Early registration (save $30) is before December 15, 2005. Plans for the May 25-28, 2006 meeting in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico are developing very well with over 30 invited speakers. Leading scientists will give overviews of the status of invasive species in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as well as updates on current research, prevention, management, and control of weeds, and restoration of habitats. Dr. Heike Vibrans of the Laboratorio de Etnobótanica in the Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas in Mexico City will give the keynote address at the banquet. . Ongoing The Foundation Center http://www.fdncenter.org./ The Foundation Center's mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy. They collect, organize, and communicate information on U.S. philanthropy; conduct and facilitate research on trends in the field; provide education and training on the grant-seeking process; ensure public access to information and services through our Web site, print and electronic publications, five library/learning centers, and a national network of Cooperating Collections. . Sedgwick Reserve Hikes nrs.ucop.edu/reserves/sedgwick/moreinfo.html Ongoing; Santa Ynez, California Starting October 11, 2003 and continuing on every second Saturday of the month through next spring, the Sedgwick Reserve will be offering a series of hikes on the reserve. The hikes will be led by trained volunteers, and range in difficulty from easy to strenuous. Hikers should wear long pants and sturdy shoes, and bring a hat, water, sunscreen, and a lunch. Hikes will begin at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 1:30 p.m. . The 5,996 acre Sedgwick Reserve is located in the Santa Ynez Valley, and covers a wide variety of landscapes and habitats. It is one of 34 reserves owned by the University of California, and serves as a research facility. It is also the home of educational outreach programs that encompass all ages. . For further information and directions, please call the Reserve at 805/686-1941. Reservations are required. . Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA) www.papaseminars.com/ PAPA conducts frequent pest and weed management seminars. Visit their schedule of seminars to find a weed management topic at a location near you.   Invasive Plant Videos   Xenobiota Production and Ecovisions Inc. www.xenob.com Instructional videos on invasive plant videos. Topics include tamarisk, pampas grass, yellow starthistle, and brooms.   Books and Reports Ordered by title . A Practical Guidebook to the Identification and Control of Invasive Aquatic and Wetland Plants in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Region. www.sfei.org/nis/ The San Francisco Estuary Institute has published a new website and publication, "A Practical Guidebook to the Identification and Control of Invasive Aquatic and Wetland Plants in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Region." Be familiar with the top plant invaders and the methods used to control them. Written without technical botanical terminology, this guidebook can help land managers, marina owners and restoration project personnel identify fifteen of the most serious invasive plants in the region, and learn about methods for their control, including local Bay-Delta experiences. References to control studies and additional invasive plant information on the web and in print are also provided. The guidebook was made possible through support from the CALFED Bay-Delta Authority and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. . A Primer on Habitat Project Costs http://www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org/files/PrimeronHabitatProjectCosts.pdf This 51 page book is designed to help watershed groups identify the capital costs of restoration projects and habitat acquisition. It's a great tool for estimating the costs of construction, design, permitting, monitoring, and maintenance for different types of projects including culvert improvements, fencing, riparian planting, land acquisition and more. The document was developed in Washington, but the concepts can be applied elsewhere in the Pacific region. For more information, contact Margaret or Carol at Shared Strategy for Puget Sound at 206-447-3336. . An Introduction and User's Guide to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore NOAA and EPA announce the publication of a new interagency document entitled "An Introduction and User's Guide to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement". Written for conservation groups, private landowners, and anyone else interested in wetland restoration, this document contains background on wetlands and restoration; information on project planning, implementation, and monitoring; and extensive appendices of resources and contacts. You may request a free copy of this report from EPA or NOAA: EPA: Call 1-800-490-9198 or by e-mail at ncepimal@one.net. Ask for publication number EPA843-B-03-001. NOAA: Send an e-mail requesting the document by title to John.Foulks@noaa.gov. Please include a complete mailing address. Some time in October 2003 the publication will also be available on the EPA website at www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore and the NOAA NMFS website at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/habitatprotection/wetlands.htm (click on the "Publications" link). . Atlas of the Biodiversity of California atlas.dfg.ca.gov The California Department of Fish and Game is pleased to announce the publication of "Atlas of the Biodiversity of California." The "Atlas of the Biodiversity of California" is a guide to the state's biological resources. This book is a bound collection of maps, stunning photographs, and artistic illustrations - all depicting the state's rich diversity of plant and animal species. It includes 87 nature photographs, 48 full-color maps, and 10 wildlife illustrations. . "Atlas of the Biodiversity of California" is on sale now for only $20.00. The Atlas will appeal to college students, outdoor enthusiasts, environmental planners, biologists, policy makers or anyone with an interest in California's diverse biological resources. . Building Local Partnerships. A Guide for Watershed Partnerships. www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/BuildingLocal.html One of a series of informative guidebooks published by Know Your Watershed, the Building Local Partnerships brochure explains why watershed partnerships are formed, what kinds of activities and events they conduct and offers advice on developing a successful partnership in your watershed. Potential stakeholders and how they can contribute to watershed planning efforts are also included. Although the series is written for watershed-based planning areas, the ideas and process can be used for developing other types of plans (such as wildlife areas) to match the concerns of the partnership. The Know Your Watershed campaign is coordinated by the Conservation Technology Information Center. . Field Guide for Volunteer Stream and Wetland Monitors The Izaak Walton League's Watershed Program announces the release of a New Field Guide titled "Field Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates". This waterproof two-sided laminated card fits conveniently into a bag or monitoring kit. Macroinvertebrates are organized based on biological type rather than sensitivity to water degradation. In addition, sensitivity classifications for a few macro-invertebrates have been modified based on current scientific understanding of their distribution patterns. To get your copy go to www.iwla.org/sos/sostools.html and click on Field Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates link or call (800) BUG-IWLA (284-4952). The cost of the guide is $4.00 plus shipping. . Getting in Step: Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Your Watershed. Getting in Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed. www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/outreach/documents/ These guides provide the tools needed to effectively identify, engage, and involve stakeholders throughout a watershed to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions. Key concepts highlighted in the guides include the following: Identifying driving forces; Forming a stakeholder group; Differentiating between positions and needs; Keeping the process moving forward; Dealing with conflict and hidden agendas; Making decisions using a consensus-based approach. . The Getting in Step guidebook provides some of the tools you will need to develop and implement an effective watershed outreach plan. If you're a watershed practitioner trained in the sciences, this manual will help you address public perceptions, promote management activities, and inform or motivate stakeholders. . Watershed groups and public agencies conduct outreach activities every day, but often not in a planned, coordinated fashion. Many times someone in an outreach brainstorming meeting will exclaim, "We need a fact sheet!" But is that really what's needed? The step-by-step approach to outreach planning and implementation in this guide will help you determine if a fact sheet is really the appropriate format for your information, or whether some other vehicle might be more effective for reaching your target audience. . Guide to Watershed Project Permitting www.carcd.org/permitting/main.htm CARCD's Guide to Watershed Project Permitting, formerly titled the Guide to Stream Project Permitting, was originally published in 1996. The guide is used by Resource Conservation Districts, watershed groups and partners to assist with the basics of the permitting process. Revised in 2002 and almost double the number of pages, the new "Guide" now includes new sections, updated information and web resources. . NPS Encyclopedia http://carmel.tetratech-ffx.com/canps/ency.html The NPS Encyclopedia is a condensed quick-reference guide that provides an entry point to information on nonpoint source pollution management practices in California. It includes a brief discussion of the main elements and intent of the 61 nonpoint source management measures. The NPS Encyclopedia also includes descriptions of management practices and how they can be used to meet each management measure, as well as their applicability to various situations in California and their cost-effectiveness in different climatic and land use settings. The information in the NPS Encyclopedia is intended to assist state agencies, regional boards, local agencies, and nonpoint source practitioners in identifying and implementing practices to protect high quality waters and restore impaired waters. For more information on the NPS Program, visit http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/nps/index.html. . Online Guide to Wetland Flora 11/8/05 The USGS has now posted on its website a field publication prepared about 10 years ago for agency staff: Western Wetland Flora: Field Office Guide to Plant Species. The guide contains information on 300 species of vascular plants, arranged by groups and including colored photographs of the plant, maps depicting its distribution, and descriptions and other notes about such characteristics as growth form, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. The guide can be downloaded from the USGS’s website at www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/florawe.htm. . Removing Barriers to Restoration: Report of the Task Force to the Secretary for Resources 2002. www.resources.ca.gov/reports_and_publications.html The Resources Agency has issued a new report, "Removing Barriers to Restoration: Report of the Task Force to the Secretary for Resources 2002." This report from the California Resources Agency is the result of a multi-stakeholder group, including Executive Director Tom Wehri for CARCD, working for the past year to examine impediments to environmental restoration for landowners and others, and develop recommendations for removing them. . The report contains 10 specific recommendations: Create a Categorical Exemption under CEQA for Small Scale Restoration Projects Create a Permit Assistance Center to aid landowners doing voluntary conservation projects Develop a Regional Pilot Technical Review Team for Large Scale Restoration Projects Assist the Expansion of Watershed based permit coordination programs (an example is given of the NRCS, RCD and Sustainable Conservation Foundation permit coordination program in Elkhorn Slough and other pilot watersheds) Develop a State Recommended Watershed Planning Guide Implement a Pilot Project to develop a Program EIR in conjunction with a watershed plan County ordinance to indemnify landowners performing conservation work Enable advance or expedited payments for government funding of restoration projects Develop mechanism to pay environmental review and permit fees for restoration projects Support Safe Harbor Program . Science-Based Restoration Monitoring of Coastal Habitats, Volume One: A Framework for Monitoring Plans Under the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000 (Public Law 160-457) http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ecosystems/estuaries/restoration_monitoring.html The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean Program has brought together key restoration monitoring information applicable to coastal habitats nationwide. Prepared under the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000, the new document “Science-Based Restoration Monitoring of Coastal Habitats, Volume One: A Framework for Monitoring Plans Under the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000 (Public Law 160-457)” offers technical assistance, outlines steps, and provides useful tools for developing and carrying out monitoring of coastal restoration efforts. A companion volume, titled “Science-Based Restoration Monitoring of Coastal Habitats, Volume Two: Tools for Monitoring Coastal Habitats” is due for release later this calendar year. . US EPA Grant Writing Tutorial http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/grants.html An interactive software tool that walks the user through the grant-writing process and helps them learn to write more competitive grants.