From: Chang, David
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 12:03 PM
Subject: [SBCWMA News] February 2008
SBCWMA
News
February 2008
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News
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National WMA Conference April 15 – 17, 2008
Save the date! “People-Powered Projects: The National Cooperative Weed
Management Area (CWMA) Conference” will be held April 15-17, 2008, in
Reno, NV. Representatives from all 50 states will gather to focus on CWMA
funding and logistics, working with volunteers, early detection and rapid
response, awareness and outreach, and state and national initiatives. The
conference will conclude with an all-day field trip to sites in the Reno area.
Cooperative Weed Management Areas mobilize communities to prevent and manage
invasive plants and to support healthy ecosystems. Join CWMA workers, land
managers, and concerned citizens in a national conference to learn from each
other, improve approaches to CWMA organization and management, and increase
support for CWMAs across the United States.
The event is organized by the Center for Invasive Plant Management and
co-hosted by organizations from across the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.weedcenter.org/CWMAconf/cwma_conf.htm
National Invasive Species Management Plan
The draft “National Invasive Species Management Plan, 2008-2012”
has been released by the National Invasive Species Council. Comments are being
accepted until Feb. 11, 2008. The plan can be downloaded at http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/,
specifically at http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/council/mpdraft07.pdf.
Invasive Weed Awareness Day at the Capitol
The California Invasive Plant Council’s Invasive Weed Awareness Day at
the Capitol to conduct state advocacy for invasive weed funding is scheduled
for March 12, 2008 in Sacramento, California. WMA funding has not been cut yet.
The California Invasive Plant Council will be talking to agency representatives
about forming an interagency coordinating body. This event will include
interesting speakers and opportunities to meet with legislators about the
importance of funding for WMAs and other weed
programs. This has been instrumental in securing funding so far. The weed
management areas and its partners should consider being a part of this event.
National Invasive Weed Awareness Week
National Invasive Weed Awareness Week is Feb 24 -29, 2008. For more
information visit http://www.nawma.org/niwaw/NIWAW%20IX/niwaw_index.htm
The California Invasive Plant
Council will be sending out solicitation for letters supporting federal
positions. Top issues are S 1949 (100th Meridian bill to fund invasive
species work) and Q-37 horticultural import regulations.
National Network of Invasive Plant Centers
The California Invasive Plant Council is working with the Center for Invasive
Plant Management and the United States Dept of Agriculture on the creation of a
National Network of Invasive Plant Centers.
East
Bay Municipal Utility District to Severely Restrict Boating on Its Reservoirs
This story is not related strictly to invasive plants, but is related to
invasive species – dc.
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in an attempt to keep two
destructive invasive mussel species from potentially shutting down the water
delivery system will limit boaters’ access to their reservoirs this
recreational season.
The restrictions will impact boaters’ access to Pardee
and Camanche reservoirs in Amador and Calaveras
counties as well as EBMUD local reservoirs including San Pablo, Lafayette,
Chabot and Briones. Additionally, EBMUD will
turn away all boats from outside
This story was excerpted, with permission, from the Barbed Wire - the
newsletter of the Regional Council of Rural Counties
Department of Fish and Game
Release Wildlife Action Plan
The California Department of Fish and Game has recently released their final
report, California Wildlife: Conservation Challenges, constituting the
state’s Wildlife Action Plan (Plan).
In 2000, Congress enacted the State Wildlife Grants Program and a requirement
of receiving funding under this program was that state wildlife agencies had to
submit a Wildlife Action Plan to serve as a comprehensive wildlife conservation
strategy.
The Plan addresses three primary questions and serves as a broad framework for
addressing the related issues. The three questions are as follows:
·
What are the
species and habitats of greatest conservation need?
·
What are the
major stressors affecting
·
What are the
actions needed to restore and conserve
The draft Plan was released in the first half of 2006 for public review and
comment. The draft Plan received over 4,800 comments including written comments
from RCRC and many of the public comments were incorporated in the final Plan.
The entire Plan or individual sections of the Plan may be accessed at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/wap/report.html
This story was excerpted, with permission, from the Barbed Wire - the
newsletter of the Regional Council of Rural Counties
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Grants
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Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants
Program (Closing Date: February 15, 2008)
NRCS - 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants
NRCS - 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants announcement, go to: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/index.html
(Deadline February 20, 2008)
North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program
US Fish & Wildlife Service - North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Grants Programs. U.S. Standard Grants proposals Deadline: March
7and August 1, 2008. Contact David Buie
(david_buie@fws.gov), (301) 497-5870, or
Bonnie Gaukler (bonnie_j -gaukler@fws.gov), (703) 358-2017.
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm
Strategic Agricultural Initiative/Food Quality Protection Act Grant Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9: Strategic Agricultural
Initiative/Food Quality Protection Act Grant Program: FY 2008 Request for
Proposals (Due Date: March 14, 2008) sound practices. For more background
information on FQPA, visit the EPA website at: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=H27G2RGq4tyf5pwn3qsyfWZmn4yKrzwnd5lLY9fpYlhnfRhp8c2R!963478001?oppId=16400&flag2006=true&mode=VIEW
For more information contact: Cindy Wire, (415)947-4242, wire.cindy@epa.gov
The Wetland Recovery
Project's 08-09 Community Wetland Restoration Grants Program: Request for
Proposals
The Wetland Recovery Project's (WRP) Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2008-2009 Community Wetland Restoration Grants Program (formerly the Small Grants Program) is now posted on the WRP's website - www.scwrp.org, under "What's New". The due date for Community Wetland Restoration Grants Program Proposals is March 28, 2008. The Program provides grants of $1,000 - $30,000 for community-based restoration projects in coastal wetlands and watersheds in the region. The purpose of the program is to further the goals of the WRP Regional Strategy; build local capacity to plan and implement wetland restoration projects; promote community involvement in wetland restoration activities; and foster education about wetland ecosystems.
The RFP materials include program information, application guidelines, and an application template. Contained in the application guidelines are the criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals, and the schedule for review and approval of potential projects. Projects funded in past cycles of the Program can be found on the WRP website: under “Projects and Planning”, then “Community Wetland Restoration Grants Program”. Moreover, documentation, including proposals, progress reports, and photographs, from a number of highlighted Community Wetland Restoration Grants Program projects can be found on the WRP website. These materials may be helpful to an applicant.
Please contact Shawn Kelly (805-984-9531; skelly@scwrp.org ) if you have any questions about the Program or application process.
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Educational
Events
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26th Annual Salmonid
Restoration Conference,
March 5-8, 2008 in Lodi, CA. For more information or to register, please see www.calsalmon.org or contact Salmonid Restoration Federation at 707 923-7501.
The Arundo/Phragmites
Symposium
March 13 and 14, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Anaheim, CA
Giant reed (Arundo donax) and common reed (Phragmites australis) are major invasive plants of riparian and wetland ecosystems in the US. The Arundo/Phragmites Symposium brings together experts from both coasts to present the current knowledge on the biology, ecology, impacts, and management of both species. While common reed is principally thought to be a problem of the east coast, invasive biotypes have been identified from California and Idaho. This will be an opportunity for “weed warriors” in the west to learn first hand about this potential new pest. Plan now to attend this important symposium.
Registration for the Symposium and Hotel reservations are available at the Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS) website (http://www.wsweedscience.org). Registration fee for the Symposium is $100 or $50 for students with current student identification. You can also register for the full WSWS annual meeting at a discounted rate. To register through this site you will need to join as a member (at no cost). This will also allow you to make a reservation at the hotel at the discounted WSWS rate of $145.00 per night. Online pre-registration cutoff date is February 22, 2008 and the Hotel reservation cutoff date is February 18, 2008. Cutoff date for mail-in registration is February 29, 2008. Onsite registration will be available subject to meeting room capacity. For the agenda and registration information visit: http://www.wsweedscience.org/Meeting/2008/Arundo-phragmites_symposium.pdf
2008 SCWRP Wetlands Symposium
May 6-8 in San Diego, CA. For more information visit www.scwrp.org. The Southern
California Wetlands Recovery Project is sponsoring the Symposium.
Continuing Education Email List
The Agricultural Commissioner's Office regularly receives announcements about classes related to pest control, habitat restoration, natural history, plant pathology and entomology. Many of these classes are accredited by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for continuing education for pest control licensees. While you may already be receiving these announcements in the mail, the Agricultural Commissioner may be receiving many announcements that you are not.
Since the announcements were electronically distributed in-house to Agricultural Commissioner’s Office staff for their use, it is easy for the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office to make the announcements available to the public.
If you would like to be added to this email list to receive educational event announcements, click here to reply to this email and put “Subscribe CE” in the subject line. The announcements will be delivered as an attachment to an email.
You can opt out of receiving the announcements at any time. To keep the administration of the list of receivers to a minimum, any deliveries that “bounce” will be deleted off the list, and no attempt will be made at re-delivery. Your email address will not be visible to other recipients, as you will be “blind copied” the announcements. To help you manage your email inbox, the subject will be preceded by [CE].
Delivery of an announcement as a part of this service is not intended as an endorsement of a class.
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Volunteering
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Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project
Join the Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project for a volunteer
trip to Santa Cruz Island on Friday, February 22
to Monday, February 25, 2008. This is a FABULOUS time to visit the
island, and the Project’s two trips in February are likely to be the last
weekend trips until June. Please contact Cindy Kimmick
(ckimmick@library.ucla.edu) to sign up for the trip! For more information
about the Project visit: http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/index.htm
Refugio Creek Planting Day
Please join Channel Islands Restoration in saving Refugio Creek on Saturday
March 1 at 9:00 AM. They need your help planting native plant species on
the banks and terraces where they have removed invasive plants. Come
visit the beautiful Refugio Canyon and see first hand how successful their
arundo removal and native planting project has been!
They have planted about two-thirds of the 3,000 native plant species that will
be installed, but volunteers are needed to move them closer to completion.
Please RSVP with their
Volunteer Coordinator Cindy Kimmick (ckimmick@library.ucla.edu)
if you can join them.
Bring: Work gloves (if you have them), your favorite digging tool (if you
have one); water, lunch, snacks; and sturdy shoes, long pants, hat, & sun
screen.
Directions: Take the U.S. 101 to the Refugio exit near Refugio State Park
(north of Goleta). Proceed up the canyon about a mile to the entrance of
El Refugio Ranch (it's easy to pass, don't go too far!) Turn left into
the entrance of the ranch (look for the "El Refugio Ranch" sign) and
park along the road.
Contact: Duke McPherson (805-705-9529) on Saturday if you need assistance
finding the site.
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Weed of the
Month
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Araujia sericifera on the Gaviota Coast
Araujia sericifera,
also known as bladder-flower, is a “B” rated noxious weed that can
be found on the South Coast of Santa Barbara County. A member of the
family Asclepiadaceae, it is a climbing vine that can smother trees. It
is an orchard pest where it occurs. It is rare on the South Coast but has
the potential to spread via wind borne seeds. Noxious weeds are
prohibited in nursery stock by the CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioner's
Office. For more information, visit http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/weedinfo/araujia.htm
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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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