Hello
WMA Newsletter Subscribers:
Here is
a March 2005 Newsletter. (…my apologies for being a little less than
timely on certain issues.) - DC
NEWS
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SBCWMA Awarded $36,600 NAWCA
Grant
The
Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area has been awarded $36,600 for the
control on Arundo donax on
Carpinteria Creek by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program
administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This adds to an amount already
awarded by the
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APHIS Seeks Comment on
Proposed Rules Revisions on Nursery Stock
Imports
APHIS
is soliciting comments on whether and how they should amend the regulations that
govern the importation of nursery stock, also known as plants for planting.
A detailed background and justification for consideration of the changes
is included in the notice. APHIS seeks comment on 5 measures they believe
will provide a more appropriate level of protection against the risk of
introduction of quarantine pests via imported plants for planting than the
current regulations provide. They are:
1. Collect data on
the current importation of taxa of plants for
planting
2. Establish a new
category for certain taxa of plants for planting that would be excluded from
importation pending pest risk evaluation and
approval
3. Establishing
programs to reduce the risk of importation and establishment of quarantine
pests
4. Combining
existing regulations
5. Reevaluating taxa
whose importation is currently prohibited
The
full notice is available at: http://docket.epa.gov/edkfed/do/EDKStaffCollectionDetailView?objectId=0b0007d4804fb613
Perhaps, the most significant, and controversial,
proposal is the creation of a new category for nursery stock imports – certain
taxa of plants for planting are prohibited from importation pending pest risk
assessment. Plants that are already being imported in significant numbers
will be “presumed to be safe” and would be allowed in under the current
restrictions. APHIS is requesting comment on three options to implement
this proposed rule:
Option 1.) All new taxa
requested for import would be placed in the new category – prohibited pending
pest risk assessment.
Or 2.) Prohibit, pending pest
risk assessment, only those taxa of plants which are known in the literature to
be problematic, and loosen the requirements to document a problem, to include
any scientific literature or international database.
Or 3.) a combination of the
options.
(Considerable detail exists in the notice of rules
revision that is not presented here.)
The
comment period has been extended until April 11,
2005.
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SBCWMA Denied USFS
Grant
The US
Forest Service, through the California Dept of Food & Agriculture, recently
announced the grants that were awarded from their January 2005 Call for Work
Plan Proposals for the Prevention, Early Detection, and Eradication of Noxious
Weeds in Northern and
However, the
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2nd Year Release of
Puccinia jaceae var solstitialis
A
biological control agent of yellow starthistle, Puccinia jaceae var. solstitialis was released on East Camino
Cielo on March 14, 2005. This is the second release of the rust
fungus. The rust is an autoecious (infects only one host), obligate
parasite of yellow starthistle that attacks the stems and leaves of YST.
Last year’s release was made in the Upper Oso area of the
*************************************
The
Community Environmental Council and the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Surfrider
Foundation are sponsoring Beach Cleanup Events to celebrate Earth Day.
Pick your favorite beach, bring your work gloves and shoes, and show up on April
24, 2005 at 11:00 A.M. at
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EDUCATIONAL
EVENTS
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The Ecology and Conservation of
Coastal
Thursday, May 12th, 2005; the Moss Landing Marine
Laboratories Meeting Room
Presented by the Coastal Training Program,
The
conservation and thoughtful management of the riparian areas that line our
rivers and streams is an important area of concern for many citizens and
agencies in the central coast. Riparian areas have long been recognized as
important habitat for birds, fish, amphibians, and many other species. Due
to development, increased water use, introductions of invasive species, and
other factors, the historic extent of this habitat type in
The
workshop will address several questions including the most basic one of “what is
a riparian area?” and how is it defined, both ecologically and from a regulatory
perspective. To answer this question the workshop will delve into the
ecology of riparian areas and examine how they function. The workshop will
examine how our management of these habitats affects wildlife, especially birds
and fish, and will discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing riparian
habitats such as water use and invasive species.
The
workshop will feature presentations by leading experts on the ecology,
conservation, and management of riparian areas
including:
- Donna Meyers Regional Water Quality
Coordinator-NOAA
- Tom Gardali PRBO Conservation
Science
-
- Serge
The
presentations will be followed by a roundtable discussion period. The
workshop will end with a field trip to a local riparian area that will allow for
an up-close view of the concepts and ideas that were
discussed.
There
is no charge for the workshop. Lunch and Refreshments will be provided.
For more information about this workshop and to register for this event
please visit www.elkhornsloughctp.org or contact Jonny Nesmith by phone
(831-274-8700) or email (jonny@elkhornslough.org)
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GRANTS
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American Rivers-NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Program Partnership
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/community/index.html
Contact: Peter Raabe;
Email:
rivergrants@amrivers.org
American Rivers is seeking proposals for community-based
river restoration grants as part of its partnership with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Community-Based Restoration Program. These
grants are designed to provide support for local communities that are utilizing
dam removal or fish passage to restore and protect the ecological integrity of
their rivers and improve freshwater habitats important to migratory (anadromous)
fish. Grants will be limited to projects in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic,
Northwest and
Eligible groups will demonstrate how their project: (1)
will in a measurable manner successfully restore anadromous fish habitat, access
to existing anadromous fish habitat, or natural riverine functions; (2)is the
correct approach, based on ecological, social, economic, and engineering
considerations; (3) will minimize any identifiable short- or long-term negative
impacts to the river system as a result of the project; (4) has had community
involvement in project decision making and may have community involvement in the
implementation; and (5) will have the potential for public outreach and
education. Successful applicants will be given non-renewable grants to assist in
the technical application of fish passage or dam
removal.
Applications are currently being accepted for the second
cycle of fiscal year 2005 with a deadline of April 1, 2005. Applications
for projects need to be postmarked by the deadline for consideration for the
funding cycle. Potential applicants should contact American Rivers to
discuss potential projects prior to submitting an application. We expect to
notify applicants about funding by the first week of July
2005.
For a
complete application and eligibility guidelines, please go to the American
Rivers web site www.amrivers.org or contact us at
the address below. For more information on the NOAA Community-Based Restoration
Program and its partners, please visit www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/community/index.html.
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Native Plant
Conservation Initiative
http://www.nfwf.org/programs/npci.htm
Deadline (Pre-proposal
submission): February 15, 2005 and August 15, 2005
The National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the Plant Conservation
Alliance, has announced a Request for Proposals for the 2005 Native Plant
Conservation Initiative (NPCI).
Through the initiative, grants of
federal dollars will be provided to nonprofit organizations and agencies at
all levels of government to promote the conservation of native plants.
NPCI grants are modest, ranging from $5,000 to $40,000, with the average
grant size roughly $15,000. It is expected that all grant funds will be matched
by non-federal contributions from project partners. In-kind contributions
of goods or services are also eligible as matches for
the program.
There is a strong preference for "on-the-ground"
projects that involve local communities and citizen volunteers in the
restoration of native plant communities. Projects that include a pollinator
conservation component are also encouraged. NPCI funds cannot be used for
direct land acquisition costs or political advocacy.
This Request
for Proposals includes two separate grant cycles, with pre-proposal submission
dates of February 15 and August 15, 2005. For complete information on the
initiative and/or to submit a pre-proposal for consideration, visit the NFWF Web
site: http://www.nfwf.org/programs/npci.htm
For
additional RFPs in Environment, visit: http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_environment.jhtml
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Sincerely,
David
Chang
Agricultural Commissioner's Office
263
Camino
(805)
681-5600
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