Full Council Meeting

Lake Sonoma Visitors Center 9-1PM

Thanks to Fred Euphrat for facilitating our meeting! A quorum of voting members (14) was present at 9:15.

AGENDA/MINUTES OF 1/17/04 APPROVAL-After Fred clarified the source of Rose Foundation funds and consultation with members of the economic caucus before the grant was accepted. The minutes of January 17 were amended to reflect that information and approved with 17 ayes (0 no, 0 abstain) along with the agenda for 3/13/04.

AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS--Derek Acomb (Dept of Fish and Game) started the announcements with the URL for the next round of DFG funding in April with grant requests due by June. (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/nafwb/fishgrant.html) The organizational development grant for RRWC submitted in 2003 was not funded. Due to lower funding in 2004 (~$18M) than in 2003 (~$21M) DFG emphasis will be to award fewer grants that have large potential to avoid contract administration for many, smaller efforts. Funding will be directed towards project implementation (80%) and education and other categories (20%). Our POA goals for public outreach states we will seek additional grants for additional staff. Recent events now make some Prop 50 funding available to private contractors. RRWC should coordinate with other organizations like Laguna Foundation.

Tim Walls (Mendocino County Resource Conservation District) announced the Forsythe Creek watershed assessment. Forsythe Creek contains approximately 48 square miles of land in Russian River headwaters. It is estimated that 98 road milels and 60 stream miles will be included in the assessment. The five elements are: 1) rapid sediment analysis, 2) road erosion assessment, 3) stream channel and riparian surveys, 4) watershed oral history, and 5) wildlife and habitat assessments. Project is voluntary and needs input from local neighbors in the watershed. Contact Tim Walls at (707)468-9223x118 or send him an email at tim-walls@ca.nacdnet.org .

Tom Schott (National Resource Conservation Service) announced funding for ag and timber landowners to perform road and habitat improvements (such as exclusionary fencing) under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Counties will now adminster these federal funds through cooperative agreements with local RCDs, Farm Bureau and UC Cooperative Extension. Sonoma County office is the Petaluma office (707-794-8692 or 794-1242). Mendocino County office is Ukiah office (707-468-9223x3) Using techniques like integrated pest management to determine proper pheromones to interrupt lifecyle of coddling moth resulted in reducing the amount of pesticides applied by 400 pounds.

Tom also announced an opening in an office near Sonoma County airport for coordinator to manage a economic development study reviewing agricultural tourism and natural resource management. Another $5-6M is available to fund outreach to tribes about Sudden Oak Death and road erosion control on timberlands that are on 5-25 acre parcels and requires 25% cost share. Contact Jill Butler at CDF.

WORKGROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS--Zeno announced the Connections Between Human Activity and Habtat or CHAH workgroup has begun to meet regularly on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Work continues to finalize the resource directory and ensure its RRIIS compatibility. The work group is also working on a public outreach strategy and new brochures to explain our Plan of Action and the Scope Work for the Russian River Watershed Adaptive Management Plan. A meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 17 at 5PM at the Farm Bureau for a conference call on RRIIS. New members need to participate so that more projects from the POA critical issues can be developed by RRWC champions.

Richard Miller announced that the Fluvial Geomorphology work group (formerly Salmonid Restoration work group) is in need of new members, particularly a chairperson. Using our process to develop consensus on what makes a healthy river can help the fish by spreading information about good land management practices that conserve soil and water and reduce sediment in streams. Leonard Stewart asked the status of a proposal made by the Dams and Stream Channels work group and referred to the Steering Committee in August 2002. If that proposal is to be reconsidered, that work group is now part of the Fluvial Geomorphology work grouop. Brian Hines proposed to use the RRIIS for a virtual brainstorm of indicators for watershed health. Scott Barrow asked for a report from this workgroup in May.

Chuck Vaughn announced two meetings held by the Data Collection Research Evaluation (DCRE) to discuss the long term hosting and funding for RRIIS. Colin Brooks has made the site very accessible for folks who want to try it out. Fred shared a conference he and Rusty have had with Circuit Riders where a self sustaining business model for RRIIS was discussed. Karen asked that the yahoo lists be replaced with the RRIIS as soon as that is feasible. SCWA and MIG are also interested parnters for the RRIIS.

Eric Sunswheat announced that copies are available of a request for comments detailing projects for North Coast Integrated Watershed Management Plan due on March 19. Eric will followup on paperwork for dam proposals by Stewart as he is part of work group and Steering Committee. Perhaps existing funding for studies to improve the Coyote Dam spillway could be leveraged to support our RRWaMP needs.

Scott Barrow reviewed the Environmental Caucus meeting in which two motions were brought forward. He reminded all RRWC members that the energy to get these projects done comes from we the volunteers.

ANNOUNCEMENTS--David Berman shared plans for Watershed Day 2004 on May 22 at Salmon Creek Middle School on Bohemian Hwy. Dutch Bill Creek is home to many happy steelhead fry emerging. David has digital footage of the coho spawning and needs a way to convert the footage for VHS players. Getting the footage on RRIIS is desirable. The watershed map is in final development before distribution to 300 classrooms. Only 6 creeks are still unnamed after almost 2 years of research.

David continued with tales of the West County Watershed Network qualifying for a $55K grant from from the Coastal Conservancy and Southern Sonoma County RCD to get watershed divide signs erected. Medtronics donated funds for 3,000 students to perform a tree planting that will help erosion control. Dutch Bill Creek will receive $190K in funding to enact plans by the Camp Meeker Parks and Recreation to find alternatives to summer dams.

North Coast Water Network meeting is scheduled for Sunday March 21 at Hampton Inn in Ukiah. The Blue Circle meeting on watershed funding is still pending for late April. Contact the coordinator for more information.

Brian Hines thanked Peeter Vilms for converting a scanned file to a pdf so that it could be loaded onto RRIIS. This shows how effective real time information like this notice of riprap project for Vino Farms can be shared. If agencies can be persuaded to post notices in pdf formats, it will make for easy RRIIS sharing of the information.

MOTIONSFred reviewed each motion outlined in the meeting packet. Members added the Watershed Day support so that RRWC support could be acknowledged during the pre-event publicity. If we had waited till May meeting, there would be only a week before the event. Motion for Russian River Watershed Council to suppport Watershed Day 2004 at Salmon Creek School passed with 19 ayes, 0 no.

The Information Officer motion was brought forward by the Steering Committee after our officers conducted interviews with local supervisors and agency people. Our organization can gain more visibility for our work and attract new members by having the coordinator give public testimony consistent with the Plan of Action and/or RRWaMP Scope of Work. The POE work group is place to develop any guidelines for public speaking by RRWC members in attendance. POE needs members to help! Only items discussed and agreed upon by the RRWC can be used for testimony. Motion was passed with 20 ayes, 0 no, 0 abstain.

The Water Budget motion was brought forward by the Environmental Caucus after they reviewed our critical issues from the Plan of Action. Fred proposed to change the motion to the "RRWC proposes to partner with UC Cooperative Extension to develop a series of workshops to be offered to watershed groups/interested parties to develop local water budgets. Fred was teaching assistant at UC Berkeley for Professor Paul Zinke for "Forest Influences" class in which budgets with 50-75% accuracy were developed depending on the quality of of the data. Any work group or caucus can introduce a motion if it done according to the rules. Caucuses are work groups, but most caucus members would like to see the work groups become the focus of our efforts. Fred will act as champion for the water budget workshop. Members expressed a need for more accountability and details so Fred tabled the motion and will followup with the POE workgroup to share a potential syllabus for the class.

Karen Rippey reviewed the WMP Technical Committee motion. An outline was included in the meeting packet to detail how many of which kind of representatives would be available for the WMP Technical Committtee. Having one committee for oversight will save resources and manpower. Having designated representatives will save time during meetings so that agreements can be made and progress happens. Limiting the committee to less than 15 people will make scheduling meetings and conducting meetings more efficient. The committee has votes but the function is advisory similar to the WIAM workgroup oversight of the RRIIS contract. The new committee will do scientific review, contractor will conduct public outreach efforts. Local agencies and landowners can provide valuable "ground truthing" for work on the management plan. Project budget and availability of members will limit the number of meetings called. The panel provides quality assurance that the methods recommended are practical.

Concerns raised were the lack of public outreach and social considerations in favor of politically correct science. Perception that RRWC members were screened out of the process. Members expressed need to find the "right" answer. Members asked the number of at-large representatives be amended to read "8 or less" rather than "2-4 reps" and language that all committee members would be "invited by the RRWC". Meetings should be timed to accomodate as many RRWC members as possible.

First the amendments were considered with 16 ayes, 3 no 3 abstain. The amended motion passed with 15 ayes, 4 no, 1 abstain.

MAY MEETING The May meeting will be held in Cloverdale. Topics include a report from Rusty, update on RRIIS, report on Russian River Unlimited cleanups, and resolutions of support for cleanups and 2004 Celebration of the Russian River and motion for water budget workshop.