From: Chang, David
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:44 PM
Subject: [SBCWMA News] January 2006

Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Green

Hello SBCWMA Members, Interested Persons and Newsletter Subscribers:

 

This newsletter contains an announcement for a SBCWMA membership meeting.  Those of you, who want to come, please make note of this announcement.  This will be the only notice about the meeting for non-members.  Members will be sent an agenda.

 

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MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

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Save the date.  A membership meeting for the Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area is scheduled for February 16th, 2006.  To make it easier to attend, there will be two meetings:

9:30 – 11:30 A.M                                               1:30 – 3:30 P.M.

Agricultural Commissioner's Office                       Agricultural Commissioner's Office

263 Camino del Remedio                                    624 W Foster Rd

Santa Barbara CA 93110                                    Santa Maria CA 93455 

Both meetings will have the same agenda.  I will send out an agenda to SBCWMA members as the day draws near.  If you, as a member, would like to have input on the projects that the SBCWMA tackles, plan on attending.  Non-members are welcome to attend.

 

 

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NEWS

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Water Hyacinth Found in Carpinteria Creek 01/04/06

Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, one of the world’s worst weeds, was found in Carpinteria Creek during a restoration assessment this past December.  All of the approximately 2 dozen plants we found were removed. 

Water hyacinth is Cal-IPC rated “A-2” and CDFA rated “C”.   It is still sold in nurseries, however.  It prefers to grow in fresh water, not tolerating salinity greater than 1.6%.  Dense patches can prevent sunlight and oxygen from getting into the water, exclude other aquatic plants, block access by waterfowl to open water, block boat traffic, prevent recreation, plug water pumps, create ideal conditions for mosquitoes, degrade fish habitat, and cause local flooding.  It produces beautiful flowers, which accounts for its popular use in ornamental ponds.  It is also used in the treatment of waste water.  

There are no known established wild populations in Santa Barbara County.  This plant, if it became established in any of the county’s lakes would cause significant problems, there.  Contact the agricultural commissioner, at (805) 681-5600, to report a sighting of water hyacinth in the wild.  More information about water hyacinth can be found at Cal-IPC’s website.

 

Clopyralid Prohibited on Residential Lawns 12/29/05

New regulations promulgated by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation will prohibit the use of clopyralid on residential lawns.  The new regulations, § 6576 and § 6950, require that a pesticide dealer obtains the assurance of the licensed or certified qualified applicator that the applicator will not apply clopyralid to a residential lawn and that grass clippings will remain on site.  The intent is to protect commercial compost from potential contamination.  The regulations will become effective on January 27, 2006.

 

Cal-IPC Membership Application and Donation Now Online 12/20/05

Membership application, renewal, and donations to the California Invasive Plant Council, (Cal-IPC) can now be made online.  Visit http://www.cal-ipc.org/about/membership/index.php.  The California Invasive Plant Council, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to finding solutions to problems caused by non-native pest plant invasions of the state's wildlands.  If you are concerned about the problems that invasive weeds cause, please help by donating or becoming a member, today.  If you are already a member, thank you for your support.

 

CDFA Publishes California State Noxious & Invasive Weed Action Plan 1/3/06

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has published the California State Noxious and Invasive Weed Action Plan.  The plan focuses on the identification of many collaborative actions deemed possible to undertake to control weeds with existing infrastructure.  The plan also delineates needs that will require new resources to accomplish.  The plan is a combined effort of over 100 active participants throughout the state.  The electronic PDF version of the plan can be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/noxweedinfo/pdfs/noxious_weed_plan.pdf.  If you would like to receive a printed copy contact Gina Skurka at gskurka@cdfa.ca.gov

 

Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project Newsletter 12/23/05

Channel Islands Restoration has created a newsletter about the Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project.  The newsletter is available at: www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/newsletters1.htm

 

Comment Period Extended for Draft EIS on Vegetation Management on BLM lands.  11/14/05

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addressing vegetation treatment on BLM lands.  The public comment period for the EIS has been extended to February 10th, 2006.  The draft EIS can be viewed at: http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/VegEIS/   Comments can be mailed, faxed or emailed to: Brian Amme; Vegetation EIS Project Manager, BLM; P.O. Box 12000; Reno, Nevada 89520-0006; Fax: (775) 861-6712; vegeis@nv.blm.gov. 

 

 

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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

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Grant Writing Workshop 1/6/06

Templeton Community Services District, in partnership with Grant Writing USA, will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Templeton, California on February 2-3, 2006.  This workshop is suitable for beginning and experienced grant writers who desire to increase their fundraising competitiveness and broaden their funder focus. All nonprofit and government disciplines are welcome to attend.  Tuition includes all materials and is $395. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary, walk-ins are not allowed.

For more information including venue location and maps, graduate testimonials and instant, online enrollment, please visit http://GrantWritingUSA.com or contact Cathy Rittenhouse, Grant Writing USA, 800.814.8191.

 

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GRANTS

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Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative due February 24, 2006

The National Association of Counties and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation with the Community-Based Restoration Program within NOAA Fisheries, have announced a new program targeting marine habitat restoration in coastal counties. The Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative provides financial assistance on a competitive basis to innovative, high quality county-led or supported initiatives that foster community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects through project planning and hands-on conservation. These projects will improve habitat for NOAA trust resources, including marine, estuarine, and anadromous fish habitat.

Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to eligible grant recipients. Grants that are community-based in nature and willing to work in partnership with NOAA will be given special consideration, as NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program is providing major financial support for this partnership. Grants will range from $25,000-$100,000, based upon need.

NACo member counties (Santa Barbara is a member county, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties are not), or public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations, educational institutions, and any form of local government (i.e., departments, townships, cities, villages, boroughs, conservation districts, planning districts, utility districts, or other units of local government) working in partnership with a NACo member county are eligible for funding. All applicants must include a letter of support from their chief elected county official. Non-county applicants should ensure that the letter demonstrates a substantial county partnership in the project.

The request for proposal is available at www.nfwf.org/programs/ccri.cfm

 

 

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Sincerely,

David Chang

Agricultural Commissioner's Office

County of Santa Barbara

(805) 681-5600

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P.S.  I have sent this newsletter to all the people on my member, interested, and newsletter subscriber email lists, because of the announcement of a members meeting.  If you haven’t been seeing this newsletter regularly, then you are probably not on my newsletter email list.  You may subscribe by clicking here. 

 

 

You have received this message because you are on the list to receive news about the Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area.  If you do not want to receive these messages, click here to reply to this email and place “Remove WMA NEWS” in the subject line.  For more information about the SBCWMA visit http://www.countyofsb.org/agcomm/WMA.