April
2004
To read any of the articles
listed, click on the link. To return to the list, click on the arrow
at the end of the article.
Open
Space Plan Hangs in the Balance
Ojai
Valley Conservancy - May Events
Key
River Habitat Protected
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers - Call to Reform
Oil
Piers Artificial Reef Update
Opportunistic
Beach Fill Project
San
Jon Estuary
Volunteers
needed
Open Space District
Plan Hangs in the Balance
The placement of the Ventura
County Open Space District on the November 2004 ballot could take
one step closer to reality next Tuesday, when the Ventura County Board
of Supervisors meet to discuss the matter at 1:30pm at the Government
Center in Ventura. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting
or call their Supervisor (Steve Bennett 654-2703; Kathy Long 654-2276;
Judy Mikels 582-8010; Linda Parks 373-2564 and John Flynn 487-6331)
to voice their opinions about the District. Supervisors John Flynn
and Kathy Long are considered important swing votes in this matter.
During the last two years,
a 41-member panel of business persons, environmentalists, farmers,
taxpayer advocates and community leaders developed the open space
district recommendations. County-wide polling in 2001 and 2004 have
shown strong, consistent public support for the formation of the district
and a 1/4 cent sales tax for the protection of farmland, wild lands
and coastal resources. Funding from the district could provide as
much as $7 million per year for open space protection in Western Ventura
Co unty (Ojai Valley, Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore). The remainder
of the County will be eligible for approximately $14 million in funds.
These funds may be used to match State open space grants and give
Ventura County a competitive edge in seeking grant over neighboring
counties who don't have a district. Strong fiscal safeguards would
be put in place and the district's funding would expire in ten years.
Confluence Preserve
Dedication-May 19
Open space enthusiasts
will gather on Wednesday, May 19 at 6:00pm to dedicate, tour and learn
about future plans for the newest Conservancy acquisition. The thirty
acre parcel includes old growth cottonwood/sycamore forest and a half
mile of the Ventura River and San Antonio Creek. Parking is very limited,
so those planning to attend should consider alternative transportation
including: a special trolley that will leave the Fox Street Park and
Ride at 5:30pm. Space is limited to 35 people. The site is also accessible
by public bus, bicycle, horseback or on foot. Please call 646-0251
or email ovlcevents@ojai.net
to reserve your space. Please visit www.ovlc.org
and click on the 'Preserves' link to learn more about the Ventura
River-Confluence Preserve and other Conservancy Preserves.
Rancho El Nido Volunteer
Training Scheduled
A Volunteer Preserve Patrol
training session will be held on Tuesday, May 11 at 6pm at Riverview
Ranch. The ranch entrance is located near the intersection of El Roblar
and Rice Road, just around the corner from the Riverview trailhead.
The event will be a potluck so please bring a dish of your choice.
Jim Barrett will be assisting
Preserve Manager Rich Handley in educating volunteers on how to greet
visitors to the preserves and how to handle issues that come up while
on patrol and answering your questions. Future volunteer opportunities
in environmental education, trail work and preserve monitoring will
be described. Volunteer Patrol T-shirts are available volunteers who
participate in the training session.
For more information call
Rich Handley at 646-7930 or email at ovlcpreserve@ojai.net.
MAY
EVENTS
Please call 646-0251 or
email us at ovlcmembership@ojai.net
to make a reservation for any of these Conservancy events and visit
our website at www.ovlc.org
to learn more about our open space protection efforts.
Seed Collection Program
Saturday May 1 - 9am
Location: Ilvento Preserve. Meet at the Fox Street Park and Ride.
Join Chris Bysshe, environmental consultant and Conservancy volunteer
for our first seed collection walk of the year. No experience necessary,
just an interest in taking the first step to restoring our native
habitats. Bring water and a snack. Rough trail.
Ventura River Preserve Hike With Jim Engel
Friday, May 7 - 8:30am
Location: Riverview Trailhead. Rice Road, just south of El Roblar
Join our executive director, Jim Engel for a wildflower walk through
the Ventura River Preserve-Rancho El Nido. Learn about the Conservancy's
latest open space protection efforts. Bring water and your open space
questions.
Confluence Preserve Dedication
Wednesday, May 19 - Shuttle: 5:30pm Ceremony: 6pm
Location: Shuttle Service from Fox Street Park and Ride
Come celebrate and explore the Conservancy's latest acquisition, the
beautiful 30-acre Confluence Property. In the old growth cottonwood
and sycamore will be in full foliage, wildflowers will be blooming
and the river and creek will be flowing strong. You can bicycle,walk,
ride a horse or take a shuttle to the dedication site near Casitas
Springs. Shuttle leaves at 5:30pm from the Fox Street Park and Ride.
Ceremony starts at 6pm.
Ventura River Preserve Bird Walk- New Time!
Saturday, May 22 - 8am
Location: Riverview Trailhead. Rice Road just south of El Roblar Join
our birding enthusiasts to learn more about the many colorful and
interesting birds of the VRP. Beginner and experienced birders welcome!
Wind Wolves Preserve Weekend Tour-New Program/Limited Space! 5/22/2004
- 6am
Location: Kern County
The Land Conservancy will be offering two overnight camping trips
to the Wind Wolves Preserve, the largest privately owned nature preserve
in the western United States. This trip is scheduled for Saturday,
May 22 and Sunday, May 23.
Back
To Top
Key River Habitat Protected
OVLC Now Protecting Over
Three Square Mile of the Ojai Valley
On April 7, 2004, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and California
Coastal Conservancy completed a thirty-acre land protection effort
of old growth forest and riparian habitat at the confluence of San
Antonio Creek and the Ventura River. The new preserve will become
a unit of the Ventura River Preserve and is located immediately adjacent
to Highway 33 and the Ojai Valley Bike and Bridle Path near Oak View
and Casitas Springs.
The successful effort means that the OVLC will now protect an important
stretch of endangered species habitat along with almost one half mile
of year round stream. The Land Conservancy will own approximately
half the acreage, while the remaining land will be protected by a
conservation easement and remain with the Wallevik Family .
Open space advocates and
conservationists are optimistic this effort will become the cornerstone
of a larger strategy to work with landowners to safeguard more than
three miles of the middle reach of the Ventura River and lower San
Antonio Creek. Long term, the Land Conservancy plans to link this
stretch of riparian habitat with the Rancho El Nido Unit of the Preserve,
four miles to the north.
This project was funded
by a $ 362,000 grant from bonds provided through the California voter
initiative, Proposition 50. OVLC also received additional funding
for developing a management plan and expenses associated with completing
the transaction. Please visit www.ovlc.org
and click on the 'Preserves' link to learn more about the Ventura
River-Confluence Preserve and other Conservancy Preserves.
Back
To Top
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Call to Reform
Despite years of scandals,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to waste American tax dollars
on irresponsible coastal and water projects that pose serious harm
to wildlife, sensitive natural resources, and recreational opportunities.
These projects continue despite credible and mounting evidence of
numerous flaws in project designs and economic justification, and
a growing concern for the price they will extract.
Urge your senators to continue
to fight for strong Corps reforms. Let them know that too many Corps
projects are based upon unrealistic predictions of economic benefits
to taxpayers and grossly underestimate environmental harm.
You can take action on
this alert via the web at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/corps_reform_bill/i65ndb2hjtn3mw
A couple of things happening
in Ventura County:
Back
To Top
Oil Piers Artificial
Reef Update
The final design is almost
complete, and plans are to install an artificial reef at the Oil Piers
beach in Ventura County this summer.
Possible delays may push this back to summer 2005.
The project is part of
the Section 227 (ERDC/WES) program for innovative and non-traditional
erosion control methods and is managed and funded by the LA District
US Army Corp of Engineers, and supported by BEACON. Design work has
been carried out by ASR Ltd (New Zealand) http://www.asrltd.co.nz/index.html.,
with engineering by Prof. Lee Harris (Florida Institute of Technology)
and Jay Sample (Advanced Coastal Technology).
It will entail filling
geotextile sand bags to form a reef approximately 100 yards long.
The beach will be backfilled to mitigate any short term impacts to
alongshore sediment supplies.
Back
To Top
Opportunistic Beach
Fill Project
BEACON has been fairly
quiet about this project, which would permit ongoing deposition of
"beach quality" sand and sediment on area beaches.
Last month, the City of Ventura Planning Department ok's the project
for Surfers Point. The Oxnard Shores site met with significant public
outcry, so has been shelved. Where will they put all the sand from
dunes planned for removal and development at 5th and Harbor? Not on
the beach.
Back
To Top
San Jon Estuary
Almost 10 years ago, the
Surfrider Foundation began trying to get action to clean up the water
at the San Jon estuary. This historical wetland has been channelized
upstream, and discharges from the Puretec (formerly
Culligan) Industrial Water Treatment Plant on Thompson Blvd were obviously
affecting the coastal water quality. This site, just half a mile from
the Ventura Pier, had stagnant water with obvious visual and odor
problems.
Over the years we have
had representatives from the Regional Water Quality Board come out
and look at the issue to no avail. In 2000, we approached Santa Barara
Channelkeeper in the hopes they could use their contacts to get action
on the issue. Finally, in 2001, the newly formed Ventura Coastkeeper
took this issue on with vigor.
In 2003, Puretec settled
out of court on an intent to sue under the Clean Water Act by Ventura
Coastkeeper. Conditions of the settlement were that they would cease
their discharge and clean up the mess.
The City of Ventura wastewater
treatment plant would not take thier effluent. Why? Because they discharge
into the Santa Clara River estuary and Puretec's discharge would violate
the city's discharge permit. The result? Puretec will be moving to
Oxnard, where their discharge will be permitted for offshore sewage
disposal.
This week Surfrider attended
a stakeholder meeting to discuss a study plan to determine the extent
of Puretec's impact on the beach. This study will be completed this
year - if you see core drilling going on at the state beach you'll
know what that's about. The sad part is that IF there is a cleanup
required, thre will not be money available to do it. What next?
Back
To Top
Volunteers needed:
Our Chapter is beginning
to reorganize our volunteer activities. If you are interested in getting
involved with the Ventura Chapter of Surfrider, please contact
us. Some of our activities include beach cleanups, community outreach,
watershed restoration of the Ventura River, and more! This is your
chance to make a difference in your local community...