| Linking Conservation Efforts in Watersheds CBC Regional Meeting in Chico
The Sacramento Valley is a region of great abundance full with tremendous beauty, geographic area, geologic diversity, blue skies, and clean air. The CBC Regional Meeting in Chico on March 14 and 15, 2001 explored this unique abundance. The morning local forum focused on land acquisition and long–term management plans. Sam Lawson (The Nature Conservancy) explained how TNC transitions purchased habitat lands while continuing agricultural production. Dan Keppen (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) discussed how the Sacramento River Conservation Area is a forum for all parties to come together to solve land acquisition issues. Brendon Flynn (Sacramento Valley landowner) spoke of concerns of landowners farming adjacent to public lands, such as along side habitat conservation areas. Incentive programs for continuation of habitat restoration on private lands was explained by Les Herringer (M&T Ranch). The afternoon field trip had three stops: Chris Leninger’s ranch on the Deer Creek, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restoration site at River Vista, and a State Park Recreation Area at Woodson Bridge. The Deer Creek conservation easement blended agriculture and environment and the ranch has vernal pools, oak woodlands, and riparian habitats to consider. At the 1200–acre River Vista site, Ramon Vega (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) discussed the strategies with which they are changing the landscape from an unsuccessful almond orchard to natural habitat. As a final, impromptu stop, the group visited the Woodson Bridge and heard of the drastic changes made in the habitat and physical structure of the western bridge abutment over the Sacramento River. That evening, Kathy Klinestecker gave an inspiring speech about her work at the Sacramento River Discovery Center. The following day, Burt Bundy (Sacramento River Conservation Area) moderated a panel concerning the diversity of watershed groups in the Sacramento Valley. The panelists discussed different ways of accomplishing restoration. Dianne Gaumer (Deer Creek Watershed Conservancy) spoke of her experiences in a fairly small watershed. Suzanne Gibbs discussed the Big Chico Creek Alliance, a group with a much broader focus and a slightly different approach to dealing with watershed issues. Chet Vogt, a landowner and cattle rancher on Upper Stony Creek, spoke next about his experience on this west–side stream. Leah Wills shared her tales of restoration during her years as Coordiantor for the Feather River CRMP. The final panel, moderated by Bob Neale with Sustainable Conservation, focused on permit coordination. Jeff Souza (Western Shasta RCD), Peter Stent (Shasta Valley), Vickie Dawley (Tehama Resource Conservation District), and Daniel Mountjoy (Elkhorn Slough) formed this panel discussing regulatory hurdles for implementing restoration projects. They focused on barriers hindering the acquisition of permits and the unique, creative steps they took to remove those hurdles. The panel concluded with suggestions for regulators making the permit process more user friendly, thus allowing more restoration projects to occur at the local level. California Biodiversity News: Volume 8, Number 2 |