Full Council Meeting

Cloverdale Veterans Memorial 9-2PM

Thanks to Fred Euphrat for facilitating our meeting! A quorum of members (18) was present at 9:15.

AGENDA/MINUTES OF 11/15/03 APPROVAL-Published agenda for the meeting and November 15, 2003 meeting minutes were approved with 20 ayes after minutes were revised to reflect the " RRWC should develop orientation" rather than specific individuals.

AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS--Fred started the announcements by reviewing a recent proposal to cut funding for the California Conservation Corps who perform many stream restorations while employing young people. The proposal cuts their budget by $12.8M, eliminates 125 staff positions and closes 3 dormitories used by crews in season.
The officers will discuss and draft a letter for the Steering Committee to support existing funding for CCC.

Keenan Foster (Sonoma County Water Agency) announced the draft biological assessment from the Section 7 consultation is now available from SCWA at local libraries, their offices or their website (www.scwa.ca.gov). Copies are available for sale in hard copy or digtial forms. The public is invited to a presentation at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Friday, February 6, 2004 from 9AM-noon to review the findings.

Keenan Foster also announced a public workshop on the low flow proposals for the Russian River on January 22 from 5-8PM at the Guerneville Veterans Memorial.

WORKGROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS--Chuck Vaugn announced the Data Collection Research and Evaluation (DCRE) work group will be hosting a meeting on January 29 from 2-5PM at the Healdsburg library to allow potential partners in long term hosting and maintenance to view the system.

Peggy Maddock announced that Public Outreach and Education work group of the Connections between Human Activity and Habitat work group is gathering inputs from RRWC members and the public about potential venues for public outreach in 2004. There will be a meeting of the work group on January 20 at 4PM at the Windsor library.

Fred Euphrat announced the first successful alternative funding secured by our officers. A RiverWatch suit against Syar Industries was the source of $25,000 that is administered by Rose Foundation for our high flow monitoring grant ($11,500) and Community Clean Water Institute restoration grant. After the Community Foundation charges for administrative handling, there will be $10,927.14 available for monitoring six sights during this winter and spring storms. There will be two points in the main stem at Wohler bridge and Healdsburg railroad bridge. The four tributaries points will be in Porter Creek, Foss Creek, Mill Creek and Dry Creek.

In response to an audience question, DFG and SCWA representatives stated that 6 thousand chinooks have been counted moving through the system at Wohler by SCWA with also several pink salmon sighted as well. Difficulties of maintain traps during high flows was cited in limiting full accounting of all fish moving upstream. Fish census information is available on the SCWA website. DFG counted 7 steelhead in Green Valley Creek.

ANNOUNCEMENTS--Mike Sandler of the Community Cleanwater Institute introduced himself and announced another grant his organization has received $13K from the Rose Foundation as the other half of a $25K fine paid for middle reach mitigations. Those funds will be used by CCWI to perform several projects in the middle reach that will address erosion control and habitat enhancement. Mike provided a handout for interested members on the project and contact information for his organization.

Scott Barrow announced the Willow Creek Technical Advisory Committee is meeting at the Jenner Community Center on January 29 from 6:30-8:30PM to gather community inputs on the watershed management plan for Willow Creek. Brock Dolman added that 75% of the headwaters of Willow Creek is now protected in state/nonprofit ownership by State Parks and Recreation and the Coastal Conservancy with 2 parks in development.

Scott Barrow announced the Sonoma Coast State Beach Plan has released a draft environmental impact report to outline how the coast would be managed from Jenner to Marin. Comments will be accepted till February 20, 2004.

Bob Clemens announced the Russian River cleanup in Sonoma County will take place on September 25, 2004.

Brock Dolman announced a Blue Circle meeting is being planned for Sonoma County in early March. These meetings are opportunities for interested citizens to network with potential colleagues from people in their watershed to agency representatives. The proposed agenda will address funding for salmon restoration in the face of the current state financial crisis. Wes Chesbro, Robert Judd and representative from Russian River Watershed Association will be invited to present their most current information.

Angela Bolton announced the Coho Recovery Work Group is meeting on February 13, 2004 from 11AM-2PM at the Lake Sonoma Visitors Center. The Institute for Fishery Resources has been supported by Congressman Mike Thompson and State Senator We Chesbro. Information on the meeting is posted on their website (www.ifrfish.org).

2004 GOALS-Fred reviewed the handout in the meeting packet that outlined the proposed goals for the RRWC in 2004. Brock Dolman made a motion (Scott second) to add the West County Watershed Network's Watershed Day to the activities in #4 that are formally supported by the RRWC. The motion was tabled to allow Brock to develop a flyer to explain the West County Watershed Network and Watershed Day so that the resolution of support could be submitted to the RRWC at the same time as the spring resolutions to support the Celebration of the Russian River and Russian River cleanups.

The 2E item to develop indicators will also be addressed by the Sonoma County General Plan update process with a special committee being formed. RRWC members are encouraged to participate so that their volunteer time can be leveraged more efficiently and reduce any redundancy between general plan work and RRWC work.

Others expressed concerns that the listed goals are incomplete. For instance, ongoing projects like the resource directory are not mentionned. Each work group is responsible for developing their inputs to the RRWC goals for the upcoming year during the fall planning cycle. The Steering Committee will perform any needed edits during their February 10 meeting.

Goals as written were adopted by 25 ayes, 1 no with the provision that the Steering Committee can edit the language, though not the intents of the approved goals.

WMP TECHNICAL PANEL REPORT ON REVISED SCOPE OF WORK-Zeno Swijtink presented the Technical Panel that reviewed the original scope of work developed by the Watershed Management Plan (WMP) Committee. The panel was moderated by David Lewis, UC Cooperative Extension, and included Robert Klamt (North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board), Tom Schott (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Liza Prunuske (Prunuske& Chatham, Inc), Derek Acomb (Dept of Fish and Game). Other panelists not in attendance Neysa King (Tomales Bay Watershed Council), Paul Martin (United Dairymen), Jeff Redding ( Redding Associates), Rhonda Smith(UC Cooperative Extension), Ken Tate (UC Davis), and Steve Chatham (Prunuske & Chatham, Inc). Handout of Powerpoint slides is available.

David Lewis thanked the Council for the good work that went into developing the scope of work and acknowledged the support of Karen Rippey and Linda Curry and presentations by Brock Dolman, Fred Euphrat, and Karen Gaffney. This scope of work has been thoroughly vetted by public participation and scientific review. The value of the Russian River Watershed Adaptive Management Plan (RRWaMP) is more in the process of creating a plan that is coherent and understandable by a wide audience so that many partnerships can be built in order to leverage scarce financial and staff resources. Panelists were grateful for a focused review of the material and pointed out the need for a public outreach element in all aspects of the work.

Avoiding duplication of previous or existing efforts is a budgetary imperative. The goal of is a dynamic process in which there are direct feedback mechanisms that can be used to adapt practices based on sound information and new technology. Performing an initial assessment that inventories current information for the watershed is an important first step.

The panel's recommendations are:

1. Provide the contractor or consultant more direction on the plan purpose through a clear goal and objectives statement

2. Restructure the Scope of Work and task order into Watershed Assessment and Management Plan and Research Sections

3.Public Outreach tasks need to be substantially increased throughout the entire scope of work.

4. This council in implementing this project should have continual technical assistance and review.

5. Increase the amount of direction and planning for plan implementation.

6. Increase the amount of direction and planning for plan monitoring.

Now the contract will be published and bid similar to the RRIIS project. WMP Committee members should be designated individuals to interact with the contractor with dedicated representation so that if an individual is not able to attend a meeting, an alternate is available to continue the group's work. The WMP committee will be working with the contractor to make progress and report to the Council at regular intervals. RRWC, as a whole, should have opportunity to approve any work products that bear our name.

A motion to change the name to Russian River Watershed Assessment and Management Plan was defeated by 12 no, 9 aye.

Motion to approve the revised scope of work for the Russian River Watershed Adaptive Management Plan dated 12/22/03 passed with 24 ayes, 0 no.