VENTURA COUNTY CHAPTER NEWSLETTER October - 2002 Ventura
County Chapter PAUL JENKIN RECOGNIZED FOR WORK ON VENTURA RIVER WATERSHED IN 2002 GREIG AWARDS 2nd Surfing Arts, Science and Issues Conference Protecting the Ventura River Watershed Draft Natural Resources Management Plan - California State Parks - Channel Coast District Surfrider Foundation Member Drive CHANNEL ISLANDS MARINE RESERVES DECISION OCTOBER 23! Future management of golf courses in the Santa Clara River floodplain "Rat Poisoning" Project Is Back Paving our way to water shortages: How sprawl aggravates the effects of drought STREAM TEAM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 ARTIFICIAL REEFS in New Zealand and Australia Persistent Water Quality Issue - Puretec Trash, oddities collected at Coastal Cleanup Day RUNOFF CONTROL / OCEAN PROTECTION Risk to Oceans Dire, Panel Says
PAUL JENKIN RECOGNIZED FOR WORK ON VENTURA RIVER WATERSHED IN 2002 GREIG AWARDS I am pleased to announce that Surfrider was recognized at the So Cal Wetlands Recovery Project symposium last night - I received the award described below... Ron Bottorf was honored by LA county for his work on Santa Clara River Greig Peters, a 2001 posthumous award winner, was a founding member of the WRP Managers Group and tireless and innovative wetlands advocate who worked for the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. He personified the criteria below which should be used in selecting this year's award recipient. 1. Achievement of a significant wetlands success of regional import (including local models with potential for broader application); 2. Working collaboratively with a broad set of interests to achieve more than one could achieve alone; 3. Persistence in overcoming daunting obstacles. PAUL JENKIN
The Groundswell Society Presents: The 2nd Surfing Arts, Science and Issues Conference DATE: November 9, 2002 9 am to 5 pm PLACE: The Holiday Inn at Surfer's Point, Ventura, California, USA THEME: "Modern Surfing: Where's the Aloha?" SUMMARY: SASIC 2 is for those surfers interested in taking a compelling look at where surfing's core values are thriving - and where they are dying on the vine. Longboard Magazine said, "The Groundswell Society's idealism could be surfing's new voice of conscience." SASIC 2 will be your chance to hear that voice and add to it. SCHEDULE: Hour-long sessions will be held concurrently in three conference rooms. Topics for panel discussion will include localism, corporate citizenship and protecting surfing’s physical and cultural environment. Other presentations and demonstrations will be conducted by innovative surfing artists, equipment designers, cinematographers and environmentalists. In addition, one room will be exclusively dedicated to creating new places to surf. Sessions will cover current and planned artificial reef projects along with new initiatives that could relieve crowd pressure on existing breaks. TICKETS: $75, $50 for students. Seniors and grommets (over 60, under 16) $10. Seating will be limited. Make checks payable to The Groundswell Society and send to 233 Ashland Ave #F, Santa Monica, California 90405. Registration confirmation will be sent upon receipt of payment. Payment for pre-registration will be accepted until November 2, 2002. ACCOMODATIONS: The Ventura Holiday Inn is offering us a discount on rooms booked before October 25. $92 a night single/double occupancy. Reservations must be made directly through the hotel at 805-648-7731. MORE INFO: info@groundswellsociety.org or call Glenn Hening at 805-382-0657. SOME TOPICS THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED: Hostile Takeover?
Corporations in the Lineup - Sirota,Cuddy, Hening, et al. How to Save a Surf
Break: Sandy Hook, New Jersey - Rosenblatt, Unger In the Shadow of Aloha
- Tom Linker, Hawai'ian Community College Making Waves: The
Wave Cannon Project - Tom Morey Grommet World: How
to be a Mentor of the Surfing Life - Brooks, Watson, Anderson The Pros and Cons
of Localism (video: The Swell Life) - McInerney/Panel/Flynn Protecting the Ventura River Watershed The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy has taken the first steps toward acquiring a key parcel of land in the Ventura River watershed - over the years this area has been the focus of many environmental battles over a proposed golf course and other development that would use large quantities of water and have other harmful effects on the watershed (i.e. water quality). see story below - please contact Jim Engel <ovlc@ojai.net> for more information or to help with fundraising efforts Protecting Open Space On A Large Scale In mid October, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy entered into an agreement with the Intell Management and Investment Company to protect 1,566 acres of their more than 2,000 acre ranch. The historic property lies in the western half of the Ojai Valley and is bordered by three miles of the Ventura River. The ranch has been known by many names over the last century. One of the early ranch owners, W.I. Rice, christened it 'El Nido', which means 'The Nest' in Spanish. More recently it became familiar to Valley residents as 'Farmont'. A long-time battleground for environmentalists and developers, the sprawling ranch has remained relatively untouched and is a haven for a biologically rich mix of animal and plant species. The importance of this open space property is made even more significant by its location adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest and other protected watershed lands. "Everyone who has toured the property is awed by its beauty, size and wild condition," explains Jim Engel, Conservancy Executive Director. "I've taken numerous trips to explore this incredible property and have yet to see it all. There are new discoveries around each bend of the oak forested canyons and on every chaparral covered ridgeline." As part of the agreement, the Conservancy will own 1,416 acres and hold a strict conservation easement on an additional 150 acres of land. In total, the Conservancy plans to raise approximately $4 million to acquire and provide for the long-term care and safeguard of the property. Acquisition must be completed before June 2003. The California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC) has shown a strong interest in helping acquire the ranch, but also expects the Conservancy to raise local funds through private donations and other funding sources. "In order for us to get involved in this outstanding project, we must feel confident that the Conservancy has the ability to handle the long-term protection of the property," said Peter Brand, Senior Project Manager for the CSCC. "We will work very hard to come up with the public funds needed, in conjunction with funds raised locally, to complete this project." CSCC's grant support would come from Proposition 40 Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act bond funds, which was approved by a large majority of California voters during the March 2002 election. "These funds do not depend on the financial health of the State's general fund and have been strictly dedicated to open space and environmental protection by the people of California," adds Brand. "The protection of this incredible piece of land is in keeping with our longstanding mission to preserve open space," said Jim Jackson, Conservancy President. "Ojai Valley residents and the Conservancy have considered this a high conservation priority for nearly two decades. We're now one step closer to realizing this dream." Draft Natural Resources Management Plan - California State Parks - Channel Coast District State Parks has been planning to change their management plans for the Park and campgrounds - this is an opportunity to find out what's in the works... Saturday, October 19 Program begins 6:00 p.m. McGrath State Beach Campfire Center Refreshments provided
by Friends of Channel Coast State Parks Questions? Call Virginia
Gardner, Resource Ecologist 805.899.1400 Calling all interested
parties - the general public, government agencies, non-profits, anyone
interested in: Copies of the Draft
Natural Resources Management Plan are available for California Department
of Parks & Rec City of Oxnard Main Library City of Ventura EP Foster Library Surfrider Foundation Member Drive Our chapter tallied 17 new members (one of which was a Measure A proponent!) Surfrider Foundation Chapter Chairs-- I wanted to take a moment to thank those Chapters who participated in this year's membership drive. It was an unprecedented success. The final results are in--Chapters raised 1017 new members and our National Board and Staff piled on with 68 for a grand total of 1085. SAN DIEGO CHAPTER---FIRST
PLACE @ 180 (whoa...) Many Chapters did very well and I would encourage you to check the upper left link at www.surfrider.org for the stats. This effort is significant and represents about 10% of the new members SF will attract this year, and it is also important as it gives a chance for Chapters to raise funds and hopefully attract new activists. With every new member we have brought in, we have created the opportunity to invest powerful information in the heart and mind of another person. Every one of those individuals has the chance to spread the news farther. The possibilities are almost limitless. Thanks again for your hard work and a huge congratulations to all of you.---Chris CHANNEL ISLANDS MARINE RESERVES DECISION OCTOBER 23! What: Channel Islands
Marine Reserves ** EARL WARREN SHOWGROUNDS
IN SANTA BARBARA SITE OF FINAL OCTOBER 23 Dear Friends: The proposal to create the largest marine reserve system in the western hemisphere --right here off Santa Barbara--is set for a FINAL DECISION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23 in Santa Barbara. This meeting will culminate an historic process of scientific advice, fishing community input, economic analysis and tremendous public participation. A specific location for this special hearing --with the Channel Islands as it's only focus-- has not yet been set, but we'll let you know as soon as the location is finalized. This is a call for "all hands on deck" to attend and support reserves at this meeting. A great deal has happened this summer to advance the prospects of this historic proposal, and we feel strongly that if we come together on Oct. 23 in large numbers we can achieve the most sweeping conservation victory in recent memory. (Please contact me for more in depth information on recent activities and for any other information.) A system of marine reserves for the Channel Islands will dramatically boost wildlife numbers and diversity, help restore depleted fish and wildlife populations, help bolster troubled fishing opportunities near the reserves, and provide outstanding diving and wildlife viewing here in our "North American Galapagos". And scientists and conservation activists across the country and beyond are watching our effort here as they prepare their own marine reserve programs -- the precedent set here on October 23 will have consequences across the world. The size and scope of these reserves is still very much an open question. A range of sizes from 0 - 35% is on the table (our bottom-line being 25% a.k.a 75% open to fishing), along with options to allow some kinds of fishing in what should be fully protected areas. We feel the Commission is struggling with this decision, and are likely to be undecided up to the final moment. Just the right situation for a meaningful, fulfilling activist experience! Your involvement thus far has made this moment possible. Please be on hand on October 23 to see and share in the final outcome. We'll be in touch later this week with the hearing location and with further information including speaking points, travel assistance and other information. Please email me to request more in-depth information, news accounts, etc. Thanks again to all of you for your help! A thought: environmental protection has seldom been given to the public for nothing. Whether it was setting aside Yosemite or passing the Clean Water Act, support from individuals was crucial. Most of you know that not everyone supports us, and many opponents will be present. Los Angeles Times
- Editorial 8-31-02 Federal and state agencies should stand firm on ocean reserves. In the long run the bans will work to the advantage of even the fishermen who are howling now. Fishermen trawling the edges of ocean areas where fishing is banned or restricted--from Cape Canaveral to New England's Georges Bank and marine reserves in South Africa and New Zealand--are rewarded with more abundant catches of larger fish. Aside from more and bigger fish, ocean reserves often have a greater variety of marine life than other waters, according to a UC Santa Barbara study. This same happy "spillover effect" could be expected in Southern California if state officials set aside 25% of the waters around the Channel Islands as "no take" zones where fishing is banned, and if federal and state managers hold firm against weakening an emergency ban on taking threatened rockfish that was imposed only this summer. The rockfish ban has made 8,500 square miles of California's continental shelf off-limits to fishing for rockfish and ling cod. These fish have been decimated not only because they are dinner table favorites--known as red snapper--but also because they don't begin to reproduce until they are older than most other species; catching younger rockfish is causing the population to crash because fewer adults survive to reproduce. Scientists predict that both species will plunge toward extinction if no ban is in place. Next month, the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council will decide whether to extend the ban into next year. It will take about 10 years to even begin to see recovery on such slow-growing species, so it makes no sense to consider easing it. The state Fish and Game Department, which is responsible for drafting rules to enforce the ban, is under pressure from commercial fishermen to carve out loopholes. It too should hold firm. The separate plan to create a string of no-fishing zones off the Channel Islands, near Santa Barbara, comes before the state Fish and Game Commission in December. It is the product of years of discussion with commercial and recreational fishermen, state and federal officials and environmentalists. The plan doesn't please everyone, but based on experience in Florida and elsewhere, it should protect kelp beds, plankton blooms, crabs, abalone, whales, dolphins and the many species of fish that flourish in the imperiled, unique underwater environment where warm and cold ocean streams meet off California. California's commercial and sport fishing industries, with revenues of $1.4 billion annually, are important economic engines. Many fishermen and sport guides, fearing loss of livelihood, understandably oppose new limits. Like loggers now cutting ever-smaller and less profitable trees, California's fishermen are being asked to make short-term trade-offs to secure their future economic survival. It's hard, but there's no better choice. Future management of golf courses in the Santa Clara River floodplain October 11, 2002 Subject: City Golf Courses - Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration EIR-2378 Dear Mr. Calderwood; We have reviewed the
notice for Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration, and we believe that this
document overlooks opportunities to change the management of the property
on which the Olivas Park and the San Buenaventura Golf Courses are located.
Most of the land is in the flood plain and could be restored to wetland
and riparian habitat as part of the golf course. Peter Brand of the California
Coastal Conservancy proposed this in planning for the Santa Clara River
Parkway. The City Council endorsed this concept and agreed to work towards
achieving its goals. Planning for city golf courses should include consideration of a habitat restoration project that addresses native plant and wildlife needs but which also accommodates a "riparian golf course". A "riparian golf course" may include the following features
Please seriously consider our recommendations and don't be afraid to consider alternative projects and to "think outside the box". Wetland and riparian restoration and flood control are imperative prerequisites to building a sustainable community. Additionally, numerous grant funding opportunities now abound to help a community attain such goals, e.g. land purchases and project funding. Thank you for your consideration of these issues. Sincerely, A. Paul Jenkin, M.S. "Rat Poisoning" Project Is Back Look for a 'silent spring' on Anacapa Island By Scarlet Newton If you see a white-crowned sparrow on Anacapa Island this fall, say, "So long." That may be your last encounter with that individual -- or a spotted towhee, or a Western meadowlark. These are just three of the 12 species of migratory birds that the National Park Service admits to poisoning as a result of the Anacapa Island "Restoration" Project Dec. 5, when the Park Service bombed the entire east islet of Anacapa by helicopter with a deadly poison. The NPS plans to poison the larger remaining portion of Anacapa Island this fall. The NPS targets the
black rat, claiming that this species harms Xantus' Several species of birds, however, do prey upon Xantus' murrelet. The rare Anacapa deer mouse is also a natural predator of seabird eggs. More notably, experts say that, by far, the worst threat to Xantus' murrelet is human disturbance. Tourists kayaking in sea caves disrupt this delicate seabird's prime nesting ground. And, all-night lights on commercial boats interfere with the circadian rhythms of this nocturnal animal. Ironically, man-made toxins in the Channel Islands environment already pose continual peril to seabirds. To this day, for example, every sediment sample in the region still contains DDT. This pesticide nearly caused the extinction of the brown pelican, which, incidentally, nests on Anacapa. The pesticide used by the NPS on Anacapa, brodifacoum, is nonwater-soluble, bioaccumulative and has a long half-life -- three properties in common with DDT. Bombarding marine habitat with pesticide is a problem, not a solution, for seabirds. In a document obtained by legal counsel for the Fund for Animals, the NPS estimates that the agency may have poisoned as many as 27 different species of federally protected birds on Anacapa during the project's first phase in December. Among the known victims was the entire burrowing owl population on east Anacapa. This rare bird, killed by the NPS, is a California Species of Special Concern, just like the bird that the NPS claims to be helping. Based on evidence in the report, the NPS slaughtered every wild Anacapa deer mouse on east Anacapa, with the exception of 175 allegedly held captive. This unique rodent is found exclusively on Anacapa Island -- nowhere else on Earth. A project painted as pro-conservation by the NPS is taking an already rare creature to the brink of extinction. Last year, the Fund for Animals asked the U.S. government to hold itself accountable to its own environmental protection laws. After a suit was filed against the NPS for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the NPS simply applied for a permit to kill birds protected by federal law and international treaty. The judge therefore ruled that the agency had a legal right to proceed with the poisoning. This summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted the NPS a second permit to poison "protected" birds. This gives a green light for the NPS to poison the remainder of Anacapa in November, unless the project is thwarted by other means. Taxpayers, who provide the salaries for these government "bio-crats" are left to ponder: Exactly how many rare, protected animals must the NPS poison before someone officially says, "No!" The NPS project on Anacapa signifies a dangerous, precedent-setting experiment. Never before in the world has the poison brodifacoum been aerially broadcast on an island that is home to nontarget mammals. Never before in the United States has this pesticide been applied in the wilderness. In the eyes of those who have participated in the environmental movement over the past 30 years, this deadly project shatters decades of progress. If the poisoning is carried to completion on Anacapa this fall, other U.S. islands will then be vulnerable. The contractor next intends to sell this expensive project on San Miguel, one of the Channel Islands, and on the Farallons near San Francisco. The poison dropped by the NPS is an anti-coagulant. The victim dies slowly of internal bleeding, suffering for three to 10 days. The loss of oxygen-bearing fluid translates into excruciating death by thirst and asphyxiation. A mere seven of the attractively colored bite-sized pellets will kill a human child. Wildlife rehabilitators who care for orphaned, injured and, yes, sometimes poisoned animals understand that the death toll on Anacapa represents individual lives. The victims, target and nontarget alike, feel pain. They are not merely statistics. The NPS is misusing $2 million of public money to poison wildlife on Anacapa Island. Environmental activists have but a short time remaining to halt "Phase II" of an eco-disaster that, like DDT, may hit hard many years down the road. -- Scarlet Newton of Santa Barbara is spokeswoman for the Channel Islands Animal Protection Association. Paving our way to water shortages: How sprawl aggravates the effects of drought Over this long, blistering summer, Americans from coast to coast have been suffering through one of the worst droughts in decades. Many blame erratic weather conditions for water shortages, while others point to population growth. But that's not the whole story. Another major contributor to our water problems is the way we develop land. As we pave over more and more wetlands and forests, this new report shows that we are depleting our water supplies. It's not only the arid West that is facing critical shortages. The rapidly suburbanizing Southeast, blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible water supply, is now in serious trouble, as are many other formerly water-rich regions of the country. For more info see
the report at California Coastal Commission September 27, 2002 There currently exists
numerous no trespassing, no parking, and private property signs, coupled
with an assortment of obstructions blocking the historic trail and trail
head to the sand. The result is that beach going members of the public
are wrongly deterred and obstructed from accessing the coast, and/or using
the two existing public parking spaces owned by Cal-Trans. Please uphold the
public access provisions of the Coastal Act and take appropriate action
to insure that the long existing public access to the beach at Breakers
Way is preserved for use by all of the public. Don't let Breakers Way
become another exclusive coastal community that excludes the public from
safe access to the coast.
Congratulations to this group of HARD CORE activists! Friends Tueday night at the
Oxnard City Council saw the final act in PVP's play to get its project
approved without an environmental review as the City Council voted unanimously
(sans Bedford Pinkard) to uphold the appeal filed by the Sierra Club,
Earth Alert, The Beacon Foundation and Ventura Coastkeeper. STREAM TEAM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 What: Help us collect water quality data throughout the Ventura River Watershed When: Saturday, October 5th from 9 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. Please be prompt! We will be departing shortly after 9 a.m. Where: Meet at the Ventura Surfrider office- 239 W. Main St., Ventura Who: Anyone interested in helping out and having fun! No experience necessary- new volunteers are always welcome! Contact: For more information, call Leigh Ann (805) 563-5665, Jessie (805) 563-3399, or Paul (805) 648-4005 Other notes: ARTIFICIAL REEFS in New Zealand and Australia I am forwarding this along since we are scheduled to hear from Gary Ross at the October Ventura Chapter Meeting - it provides updates on the artificial reefs in NZ and Australia. ASR Updates - September 2002 1. Lyall Bay - The detailed design and resource consent phase for the Lyall Bay reef is proceeding well. Recently, an ecological assessment of the site was undertaken. The results support initial observations that the major inhabitants of the reef site are marine worms. Dives on the fringing reefs, review of existing studies in the area and discussions with local ecologists, divers and fisherman has indicated that the reefs outside Lyall Bay support a very diverse mix of algae and several valuable fish species (in recreational and commercial fishing terms). Thus that reef is likely to provide interesting ecology research opportunities associated with enhancement. The reef design specifications are also currently being worked through, led by a committee comprised to members of the Lyall Bay Reef haritable Trust and the Wellington City Council. The initial design considerations are for a double-sided reef, which comprises a right and left-hander, each around 100 m long with different surfing characteristics (i.e. a fast and hollow right with "Burleigh-like characteristics" and a relatively slower sectioning left to allow for more manoeuvres). 2. Opunake Bay, NZ - The Opunake reef has recently been given the go ahead to move into the detailed design and resource consent stage. The South Taranaki District Council are presently in the process of selecting the consent team that will prepare the resource application for the 100 m long right-hander in the north of the bay. The site is very well situated for north-westerly winds, and is most likely to be designed to create waves that break hollow, or tube (something that is fairly rare on the Taranaki Coast due to the wide platform reefs) - the final breaking specifications will be worked through during the upcoming phase of the project. 3. Orewa Beach, NZ - The interest in an Artificial Surf Reef at Orewa Beach on Auckland's Hibiscus Coast has gathered further support and momentum. Although it is in very early stages of the proposal, embryonic to say the least, the idea has had 3 public hearings in the local paper and has drawn only positive feedback. Encouraging has been the direct and very positive feedback by senior business heads in the area and also local council from the top. Discussions have been ongoing at the council to investigate further the opportunity and recently the chairman of the "Rodney District Economic Development Trust" had a scheduled meeting with the Gold Coast City Council on the subject, whilst on the Gold Coast in the light of other proposed developments. Orewa Beach use to be a "Surf destination" in the early days of Surfing in NZ. With development over the years and changing beach profiles it has become more often than not a viewing point on the way north of Auckland to determine how good conditions may be further north. A Reef at Orewa may not just restore the break back to its "Glory days" but return the beach at full tide whilst offering many other economic and social benefits to the area. (update from Zane Taylor) 4. Socio-Economic
reports - The volume of research on the social and economic impacts of
artificial reefs is steadily increasing, and while all show positive impacts
the range in benefits (both economically and socially) is wide. For instance,
a recent report in Florida showed economic benefits of reefs (natural
and artificial) for fishing, diving and snorkelling were enormous, hundreds
of millions of US dollars (this report can be accessed at www.broward.org/bri01700),
that extended through many sectors of the community (e.g. from fishing
and diving equipment, to boat-builders and the hospitality industry).
If copies (on CD) or direction to socio-economic reports are required,
please ask. 5. Gold Coast, Australia - In the last few months more feedback on the surfing aspects on the Narrowneck Reef. Reports of long fast, barrelling waves on the northern arm during solid swells (e.g. "Wave sets shoaled and focused on the northern side of the reef to produce a 200m right-hander (2-2.5m wave height) wave with a, mid-fast peel angle. Good waves to ride providing clean face and large manoeuvres (bottom turn, rollers off the top, and barrels)." from a local engineer). A bathymetry survey has been completed and with input from the GCCC's monitoring surveys, we should soon be able to create a new grid to have a look at how it stacks with respect to design and surfing (measure the peel angles and gradients and match to the reported surfing conditions). 6. Mount Maunganui, New Zealand - After almost 3 years in limbo due to High Court action by a time-share apartment complex that considered the consultation process for the Mt Reef resource consent had been insufficient, the Judge dispelled the claims and awarded costs to the consenting authority (the Regional Council). This is great news, and now allows the Mount Maunganui Reef Trust to proceed with fund-raising for construction. The Tauranga District Council have given support of $150K to the project, which now requires another $300-400K to proceed. 7. Wave Pools - ASR
have been working in conjunction with ADG in New York to create extreme
surfing waves in a pool for stadium surfing facilities. With world-wide
patents now applied for and progress in the US, Australia and Europe on
new facilities utilising the ASR/ADG wave pool system, it is expected
that the first facility will be in place within the next 2 years. The
ASR/ADG wave pool system has recently attracted the interest of the USSF
Sports Science Committee, which is committed to having stadium surfing
as an event at the 2012 Olympic games. An article to this effect will
shortly be appearing on their web site http://ussurf.org/sportsscience.htmhttp://ussurf.org/sportsscience.htm
To track the progress
of projects, previous updates can be accessed at Always Offshore Dr. Shaw Mead Persistent Water Quality Issue - Puretec This is a Ventura water quality issue that I have been working on for about 5 years. Puretec is an industrial water treatment plant on my street - it discharges waste water into the San Jon estuary at the State Beach. They have a long history of polluting, including discharging "resin beads" into the estuary (you may remember pictures in the paper about 10 years ago of hazmat crews cleaning the beach). The Flood Control District had to install a steel pipe into the storm drain for Puretec's discharge since it was dissolving the concrete drain. Flood Control, ChannelKeeper, and CoastKeeper water testing shows high concentrations of heavy metals (copper and zinc) as well as other contaminants. State Parks has tried to plant native plants, but nothing will live near the discharge! Finally I have found an interested party to take on this issue - Lawyers for Clean Water will be filing a suit on behalf of Ventura Coast Keeper later his month. CoastKeeper needs witnesses who will be willing to testify on court that they are afraid to enter the water at the mouth of the estuary due to the contamination. These witnesses must be members of their organization. I am joining CoastKeeper to act as a key witness if it's required in the future. We would like to have another person available if possible - anyone interested? Please contact Paul Jenkin at paul@matilija-coalition.org Surfrider members - Please note that board members are the only folks authorized to use the Surfrider name in a public context - any issues of concern should be brought to our board for discussion - the following is a case of a "member" misrepresenting our position in a campaign that we oppose... "Kobayashi sent a "cease and desist" letter to the Measure A campaign, asking that it not use the Sierra Club's name again. Paul Jenkin, environmental director of the Surfrider Foundation's Ventura County chapter, sent a similar letter, because the campaign mailer also listed his organization's name after another hillside measure supporter. Jenkin claimed the member listed, Brian Adair, joined Surfrider on Aug. 22, after the mailer was written. Adair could not be reached for comment." full story below: Sierra Club opposes
Measure A By John Scheibe, jscheibe@insidevc.com Joy Kobayashi was startled when she read a campaign letter last month sent by supporters of a Ventura hillside development measure to registered voters across the city. Along the letter's left side was a list of 28 Measure A supporters, including two identified solely as "Member, Sierra Club." Kobayashi, political chairwoman of the Sierra Club's Los Padres Chapter, was surprised because the environmental group had recently come out against the measure. The initiative on the Nov. 5 ballot would allow the construction of 1,390 homes in the hills and canyons north of Ventura. "This letter gives the impression that the Sierra Club supports Measure A, which we emphatically do not," Kobayashi said. "The fact that they would do this shows their level of desperation in trying to make this measure seem like it's friendly to the environment, when, in fact, it is not," said Kobayashi, a chemistry instructor at Ventura College. Kobayashi sent a "cease and desist" letter to the Measure A campaign, asking that it not use the Sierra Club's name again. Paul Jenkin, environmental director of the Surfrider Foundation's Ventura County chapter, sent a similar letter, because the campaign mailer also listed his organization's name after another hillside measure supporter. Jenkin claimed the member listed, Brian Adair, joined Surfrider on Aug. 22, after the mailer was written. Adair could not be reached for comment. Like the Sierra Club, Surfrider opposes Measure A, Jenkin said. "We have serious concerns that the environmental effects of the proposed hillside development have not been studied," he said. Measure A campaign head Margaret Merryman, however, said there was nothing misleading in the use of the Sierra Club and Surfrider names. "We feel it's perfectly acceptable for our supporters to say who they're affiliated with," Merryman said. And besides, Merryman said, the mailer stated in small print at the bottom that "titles and affiliations are for identification purposes only." Merryman said she
did not know if the Measure A campaign will use the But one of the two Sierra Club members listed on the Measure A mailer, Jeff Argend of Ventura, said he sees nothing wrong with it. He said he has belonged to the Sierra Club off and on for about 20 years. "I love hiking and am very involved with the environment," said Argend, an education professor at Azusa Pacific University. "If I felt this (hillside) project was bad for the environment, I wouldn't support it." Jack Tingstrom, a
measure supporter and former Ventura mayor, said the "They're trying to have it both ways, and they can't," Tingstrom said. "If they don't want someone as a member, then they should kick him or her out and give them back the money they paid when they became a member." While the Sierra Club and Surfrider are unhappy, there's probably nothing they can legally do if the Measure A campaign uses their names again, said Fred Woocher, a Santa Monica attorney who specializes in election and environmental law. "There are a lot of laws protecting the use of corporate names," Woocher said, but not when it comes to affiliations and political campaigns. "Laws that do exist ... protect political speech." Given current slow-growth sentiments across the state, Woocher said, developers are "pushing the envelope more and more, doing whatever they can get away with" to sell their projects to voters. Measure A supporter Doug Halter countered that it is being sponsored by hillside landowners, not developers. "These are families who have a long history in Ventura and want what is best for this community," Halter said. "The city will get a lot in return for this project, including over 3,000 acres of open space in the hillsides." Halter said he has
"the utmost respect for the Sierra Club." But the "All we did was state the facts," he said. "We have supporters who belong to these organizations who support our cause." Bill McGaven, a legislative analyst with the Sierra Club in Sacramento, said campaigns are misusing the club's name more and more. Copyright 2002, Ventura County Star. All Rights Reserved. Trash, oddities collected at Coastal Cleanup Day Volunteers bag over 20,000 pounds of beach trash By Andrea Cavanaugh,
acavanaugh@insidevc.com Kevin Schroepfer couldn't believe the items he found at McGrath State Beach as part of Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday. Along with lots of food wrappers, beer cans and cigarette butts, Schroepfer and his family picked up a fishing buoy, part of a tire and two pairs of shoes. "It surprises me that people are so messy," the Ventura resident said. "People come to the beach to enjoy the beauty and then they clutter it up with trash." Lots and lots of trash. About 1,800 volunteers bagged more than 20,000 pounds of garbage and recyclables at 19 beaches and waterways around the county Saturday, said Kate Thomas, Ventura County coordinator for the statewide Coastal Cleanup Day. Nearly 90 volunteers combed the dunes and beach at McGrath, sorting trash from recyclables and cataloging their finds. Volunteers around the county found shopping carts, a fax machine, a telephone pole and an air-conditioning unit the size of a sofa. But most items picked up were mundane refuse that people discard every day, volunteer Rick Cronin of Westlake Village said. "Nothing exotic or even interesting," he said. "A lot of cigarette butts." Last year, volunteers across the state picked up nearly 300,000 cigarette butts, along with more than 100,000 food wrappers and 50,000 bottle caps and lids. "I think a lot of people take the beaches for granted," said volunteer Jane Gamsby of Oxnard. "You've got to give something back." The annual event serves as a reminder for people to care for the environment throughout the year, Thomas said. "It's not just about picking up trash for three hours," she said. "It's about thinking about where that trash comes from." Volunteer Jeri Byrne of Hollywood Beach takes frequent walks along the coast and makes it a habit to pick up at least one piece of trash during every outing. "If everybody who used the beach did that, we wouldn't need to have this day," she said. "The beach would be clean." RUNOFF CONTROL / OCEAN PROTECTION Clean water? For the past decade, one of the common excuses heard from our local government has been "there's not enough money". California legislation signed last week provides $223 million for clean beaches, including "grant programs to help small communities meet water pollution control requirements, help reduce storm water runoff pollution, improve agricultural water quality. " Call your city council members today and tell them about this opportunity - the money is there if they ask! Davis signs bill to clean beaches, protect coastal waters Associated Press - 9/20/02 By Louise Chu, staff writer SACRAMENTO (AP) - On the eve of California's 18th annual Coastal Cleanup Day, Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill Friday to allocate part of a $2.6 billion bond measure to protect the state's coastal waters. The bill, by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, will apply $223 million from Proposition 40 to a number of water conservation programs to reduce pollution of the state's water resources. Water conservation groups applauded the spending plan. Joe Caves, a legislative advocate for The Nature Conservancy, called it "the most important and comprehensive water quality bill we've passed in decades." Pavley said she designed the legislation to allow environmental groups fair access to the money. It will be distributed through competitive grant programs, rather than earmarked it for specific projects. The largest chunk, nearly $47 million, will go toward watershed restoration projects like controlling erosion, protecting fish and habitat and reducing contamination. Another $46 million will go toward cleaning up beaches. The remainder will go to grant programs to help small communities meet water pollution control requirements, help reduce storm water runoff pollution, improve agricultural water quality. Last March, voters approved the $2.6 billion bond proposal to improve air and water quality, fund state and local parks and protect water resources. It specifically devoted $375 million to water resources. Davis has not taken a position on Proposition 50, another water conservation bond up for a vote on the November ballot. However, he has signed bills by Sens. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, and Mike Machado, D-Linden, that allocate money from that bond in the event it passes. That may provide an indicator of his views, said Mary Nichols, secretary of the California Resources Agency. "Our beach and our coastline are a precious part of California's character," Davis said in a prepared statement Friday. "It's our historic obligation in future generations to do everything we can to keep our beaches healthy and clean." Coastal Cleanup Day, organized by the California Coastal Commission, organizes volunteers to help clean up more than 400 beaches. It takes place on the third Saturday of each September. - On the Net: Read
the bill, AB2534, at Risk to Oceans Dire, Panel Says Associated Press - 9/23/02 By John Heilprin, staff writer WASHINGTON - Six months before the first man landed on the moon, a presidential commission urged Congress to use more "fully and wisely' a different sort of vastness, one teeming with life but just as mysterious and far closer to home - the world's oceans. More than three decades later, a second presidential commission, led by a retired admiral who headed the Energy Department in the first Bush administration, says the urgency is even greater than when the Eagle landed. "The oceans are in trouble; the coasts are in trouble; our marine resources are in trouble. These are not challenges we can sweep aside,' said James Watkins, sounding more like a lifelong environmentalist than a former chief of naval operations and national security expert. Since the last commission's report in early 1969, pressures have increased on coastal areas that are home to half the nation's population. Ocean resources once thought boundless are now recognized as having limits. About 40,000 acres of coastal wetlands providing essential spawning, feeding and nursery areas for three-fourths of U.S. commercial fish catches are disappearing each year, says the new U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, now halfway through an 18-month study. Of the fully assessed U.S. fish stocks, 40 percent are depleted or are being overfished, the commission says in an interim report being released this week. Also, 12 billion tons of ballast water from ships are spreading invasive alien species to new locales around world. The panel points to
a need for consolidating the federal and state governments' myriad and
often conflicting policies affecting oceans. The commission found
that: Fish stocks continue to be depleted, and the advice of scientists too often is ignored at the expense of fisheries and the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry. There may be a need, for example, to more closely regulate aquaculture, the fish farming industry. The presidential commission's work is being augmented by a similar effort by the independently financed Pew Oceans Commission, which plans to make recommendations next year. SCIENTISTS PREPARE FOR DECOMMISSIONING OF ELWHA DAMS: Scientists from several agencies and Tribes are finishing up the first comprehensive survey of Washington State's Elwha River fish habitat and fish populations in preparation for the decommissioning and final removal of the 105-foot Elwha Dam and 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam. Congress authorized their removal in 1992 (Elwha River Restoration Act), but Congressional funding was held up for years as a political ploy by former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA). Decommissioning presents scientists a golden opportunity to chart a "before and after" picture of the impacts of dam removal on aquatic ecosystems, data that will be very important in designing other dam decommissioning and removal project in the future. Like the Elwha dams, many thousands of dams nationwide have outlived their usefulness and must soon be removed. The Elwha River was once home to large populations of all five major salmon species (coho, chinook, pink, chum and sockeye), and is still considered the single best place for salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest. The river once produced as many as 390,000 adult fish, scientists estimate, but today only about 3,000 naturally spawning salmon of all species still inhabit the river, which has been completely blocked by the Elwha dam since completion in 1913. An important aspect of the study is to see how these fish respond to both the short-term dam removal sediment problems as well as renewed access to historic spawning areas. Most of the spawning areas above the dams are in nearly pristine condition, protected as part of Olympic National Park. The river will be restored to its natural channel. The $178 million project is expected to take two and a half years, begin in 2005 and be completed sometime in 2007. For more information, go to: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134516760_elwha19m.html BUREAU OF RECLAMATION BEGINS STUDY OF REMOVAL OF UPPER KLAMATH BASIN'S CHILOQUIN DAM: The aging Chiloquin Dam that blocks the Sprague River, one mile upstream from its confluence with the Williamson River that flows into Upper Klamath Lake in the Upper Klamath Basin, is being studied for removal by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The dam, built in 1914 to supply water to the Modoc Point Irrigation District, blocks access to what was once important spawning habitat for the endangered Lost River and Shortnose suckers. Ways to correct that fish passage problem are the subject of the BOR feasibility study, which may result in a recommendation for Chiloquin Dam removal. However, damaged habitat above the dam, plus the risk of sediment surges into the little remaining good spawning habitat still left, have raised concerns. The feasibility study was one of the few action items to come out of Congress to help remedy decades of broad-scale damage to the aquatic ecosystem in the Upper Klamath Basin, and was a provision (Sec. 10905) inserted into the Farm Security & Rural Investment Act of 2002 ("Farm Bill") signed into law as P.L. 107-171 on 13 May 2002. The law requires BOR to report back to the Secretary of Interior and Congress with a recommendation within one year of enactment. For more see: www.mp.usbr.gov/mp140/news/2002/MP-02-058.pdf RAND REPORT SHOWS HOW SNAKE RIVER DAMS CAN GO: A new energy policy study by RAND Science & Technology, an independent research "think-tank," has concluded that the removal of the four lower Snake River dams in the Columbia Basin and replacement of the power they generate with alternative sources is not only economically feasible but would actually create almost 15,000 new long-term jobs and leave the Northwest economy stronger than ever. These findings strongly
refute U.S. Administration claims that dam removal would cost the Northwest
jobs, and revives the debate over whether these four lower Snake River
dams, which are economically marginal as well as major fish killers, should
remain in place. Most scientists, including the Western Division of the
American Fisheries The current Columbia River salmon recovery plan, adopted in December 2000 (see Sublegals 2:25/01), tries to achieve recovery only under a "non-breach option," but that plan used extremely optimistic recovery assumptions, and also has been poorly funded, poorly implemented and shows little sign of success (see Sublegals 5:09/04; 4:22/14). A recent report by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) also indicates that there has been little to show for the $3.3 billion already spent on dubious artificial fish transportation schemes and other attempted technological fixes to the Columbia River dams (see Sublegals 6:09/04). If the current recovery strategy fails, the federal government will have no viable alternative for recovery of Columbia River salmonids but selective dam decommissioning. A bill in Congress, the Salmon Planning Act (H.R. 2573), would allow feasibility and contingency economic transition strategies to be studied in the meantime and currently has 75 co-sponsors. The RAND study also found that moving the Northwest away from its current over-dependence on hydropower and natural gas energy by diversifying energy sources with solar and wind energy made the most economic sense for a secure energy future, and that doing so would allow salmon recovery efforts to include selective dam decommissioning with net positive impacts on the regional economy. The RAND study is available on the Internet at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1604. Also see: www.wildsalmon.org. this news item excerpted from a weekly fisheries news bulletin service of Fishlink. For a free subscription to Fishlink, contact: <fish1ifr@aol.com>. |