California Biodiversity Council
Regional Meeting with the Regional Council of Rural Counties
September 20, 2000
DoubleTree Hotel
Rohnert Park, California
Introduction
Members
Present:
Mary
D. Nichols (Chair), Resources Agency
Bill
Ahern, California Coastal Conservancy
Eileen
Ansari, Southern California Association of Governments
Art
Baggett, State Water Resources Control Board
Doug
Balmain, San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties
Tom
Bamert, Regional Council of Rural Counties
Jim
Bybee, National Marine Fisheries Service (alternate)
Julie
Cobbs, California Conservation Corps (alternate)
Michael
Delbar, North Coastal Counties Supervisors Association
Robert
Floerke, California Department of Fish and Game (alternate)
Bertha
Gillam, USDA Forest Service (alternate)
Alex
Glazer, University of California
Jerry
Harmon, San Diego Association of Governments
Bob
Haussler, California Energy Commission
Dale
Hoffman-Floerke, California Department of Water Resources
Nancy
Huffman, Northern California Counties Association
Colonel
David Linnebur, US Marine Corps
Mary
Knapp, US Fish and Wildlife Service (alternate)
Deborah
Maxwell, USGS Western Ecology Research Center
Deborah
McKee, California Department of Transportation
Robert
Meacher, Regional Council of Rural Counties
Frank
Michny, US Bureau of Reclamation
Gary
Miller, California Department of Food and Agriculture (alternate)
Larry
Myers, Native American Heritage Commission
H.
Wes Pratt, California Conservation Corps
Carl
Rountree, Bureau of Land Management
Jim
Shevock, National Park Service
Mike
Shulters, US Geological Survey
Paul
Stein, Sacramento-Mother Lode Regional Association of California Counties
Alexis
Strauss, US Environmental Protection Agency
Paul
Thayer, State Lands Commission
Andrea
Tuttle, California Department of Forestry
Tom
Wehri, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
Al
Wright, Bureau of Land Management
Mary
Wright, California Department of Parks and Recreation
Patrick
Wright, Resources Agency
Bill
Vance, CA Environmental Protection Agency
Jeffrey
Vonk, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
Darryl
W. Young, California Department of Conservation
Meeting
welcome by Resources Agency Secretary Mary Nichols acting with RCRC President,
Tom Bamert of Amador County, as co-chairs for the meeting.
Executive
Committee Report
Carl
Rountree, Committee Chair, again welcomed the Council and audience members to
this annual meeting of the CBC and the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC).
Mr. Rountree pointed out that the current version of the California
Biodiversity News was inserted into the meeting folders and congratulated
the Editorial Board on another outstanding edition.
Carl took this opportunity to introduce the newsletter’s new managing
editor, Erin Klaesius. Erin
accepted the position of the Council’s full-time Communications Coordinator in
June. She is also serves as the
Council’s webmaster and handles a large portion of the logistical planning for
these quarterly meetings.
The
next Council meeting will be on November 8 and 9 in Santa Barbara. A draft program was provided for review by Council members.
This meeting will focus on California’s coastal and ocean resources and
the impact of urbanization on those precious resources.
On the morning of November 8, there will be a forum on nonpoint source
pollution. Carl requested that
staff attend this event as well in order to address the technical issues. The nature of the meeting necessitates that the Council
members, as directors of their agencies, request attendance by their local and
regional staff. Next on the meeting
schedule is a joint conference with the California Association of Resource
Conservation Districts. This will
take place in Chico on March 14 and 15, 2001.
Additionally, the Council staff is working with the Great Valley Center
to plan our fall conference in Stockton for November 14 & 15, 2001.
A
special Executive Committee meeting will be held tomorrow morning (Thursday,
September 21) in the Sonoma Room to take a look at the direction and current
work plan for the Council. You do
not have to be a member of the Executive Committee to attend; you must only have
ideas for the future direction of the Council.
Also,
Janine Stenback (DFG) has long been a big part of the Biodiversity Council.
But this will be Janine’s last meeting as she is moving to Oregon.
Please help us say goodbye at a get-together tonight in the Bodega Room.
Council
Announcements
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Dale Hoffman-Floerke (DWR) made special note of an upcoming training course entitled, “Working at the Watershed Level.” This will take place January 22-26, 2001 at CSU Fresno. More information is available on page 21 of the Fall/Winter 2000 California Biodiversity News. Scholarships for the $300 registration fee are available.
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Gilberto Ruiz, (SCAG) announced “Missing Linkages,” a free conference November 2nd at the San Diego Zoo to discuss habitat connectivity issues.
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Mary Wright (DPR) announced a 630-acre acquisition in Coal Canyon. Escrow on this property closes at the end of September. This is a multi-agency project that has received national attention as one of the two most important unprotected biological corridors in Southern California. Mary recognized and thanked CalTrans, California Transportation Commission, Wildlife Conservation Board, Wildlands Conservancy, Legacy Program, Orange County, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and St. Claire Company as the collaborators.
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Al Wright (BLM) announced that the Bureau of Land Management is preparing to welcome its new State Director, Mike Pool. Director Pool will report to the State Director’s office on October 2 and his installation will be on October 12.
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Secretary Nichols announced that the Vegetation Mapping Memorandum of Understanding would be available throughout the day for signing by Council members. Current signatories on this MOU crafted by the Science Coordinating Committee include Department of Forestry, Dept. of Conservation, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Reclamation, USDA Forest Service, Resources Agency, and the Department of Parks and Recreation.