Earth Charter award

Every year Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions presents Earth Charter Awards to those community activists who best embody the Earth Charter's core values.This year we honor:

Social and Economic Justice (Richard Weinstock Memorial Award)
Tanya Cole

Ecological Integrity

Paul Jenkin 

Read his blog at:  http://www.blogger.com/profile/13378750920100329693

Democracy, Nonviolence and Peace  (In Memory of Betty Eagle and Bill Hammaker) 
David Krieger
Executive Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Respect and Care for the Community of Life
“Lift Up Your Voice” 
Accepted on behalf of various homeless advocates by Rev. Jan Christian

Earth Charter and the Arts
James Menzel-Joseph
http://www.artandsurvival.org/



Youth Education and Outreach
Julie Medina

About Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions
About Earth Charter
In the News: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/oct/01/dodge-honoring-those-who-work-to-sustain-the/

Towards Ecosystem-based Management

This is the presentation from the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy annual meeting. 'Towards Ecosystem-based Management' outlines the issues facing the community, and current and ongoing efforts towards integrated watershed management to benefit our coastal resources:




on Youtube here

A similar presentation with a fish-centric message was part of the plenary session for the annual Salmonid Restoration Federation conference in March. The same message will also be presented this week in San Diego at the Headwaters to Ocean (H2O) Conference.

Thanks to Robert Barrett who recorded and edited this presentation and broadcasts our materials on CAPS TV in Ventura. Many of these shows are also online at the Surf and River Report

SRF Conference 2011

March 23-25, 2011

Annual Salmonid Restoration Federation Conference in San Luis Obisbo, CA

The plenary session included:

Towards ‘Ecosystem-based Management”­–a Case Study: Ventura River, California, Paul Jenkin, Surfrider Foundation and Founder of the Matilija Coalition

My presentation included an overview of the Ventura River Watershed and the ongoing efforts toward 'Ecosystem-based Management.' The multi-media presentation included the trailers for Watershed Revolution and Cycle of Insanity, as well as documentation of recent progress at Surfers' Point.

I also presented Monitoring Trends in Abundance and Distribution of Steelhead Above and Below Matilija Dam, Ventura, California, an update from the presentation I gave at Watershed U last year.

In addition, the half hour film "Watershed Revolution" showed during the movie night and social event on Thursday, and our poster, "Removing Matilija Dam," was presented during the Friday night poster session. In all, the Ventura River was well represented at this annual gathering of fisheries and watershed restoration practitioners from around the state.

The conference agenda is online at Calsalmon.org

The conference website will soon include a video of the plenary presentations...

...

Educational presentations

November 5, 2010

Environmental Studies 119, Ecology and Management of California Wildlands, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Watershed field trip: We visited a couple of sites in the lower river, and then went upstream of Matilija Dam. After looking at the extent of dam-accumulated sediment, we visited the dam site and discussed removal plans.


November 8, 2010

Class lecture for the Intro to Restoration Ecology class at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)

Topic: Ecosystem-based management and the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration project.


November 18, 2010

Class lecture for the Coastal Processes and Management class at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Topic: Ecosystem-based management and the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration project.

Field trips

I received a stack of 'thank you' notes this weekend from a group of first and second graders who I had taken on a walk along the Ventura River estuary and out to the beach. I think they got it...

California and the World Ocean Conference

On Wednesday September 8, 2010, our West Coast Ecosystem-based Management Network presented at the California and the World Ocean conference in San Francisco. This is the fourth such conference since 1997, intended to "bring together representatives from government, academia, industry, and the public to share ideas and formulate action strategies for the 21st century." Indeed, the conference was a 'who's who' of coastal and ocean policy, with hundreds of attendees from every sector working on ocean issues.

I have attended all of these conferences, and published Managed Shoreline Retreat and Dam Removal: Ecosystem Restoration to Benefit Coastal Resources at CWO '02.



Real Steps to Ecosystem Management on the West Coast

Moderator: John Hansen, Coordinator, West Coast EBM Network
Leesa Cobb, Executive Director, Port Orford Ocean Resource Team
Mark Wheetley, Senior Biologist Specialist, California Department of Fish & Game
Bryan Largay, Tidal Wetland Project Director, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
Dean Wendt, Executive Director, San Luis Obispo Science and Ecosystem Alliance, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Cal Poly State University
Paul Jenkin, Ventura Campaign Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation

At California and the World Ocean 2010, the West Coast Ecosystem-Based Management Network will deliver a robust and timely update summarizing the latest advancements of ecosystem management in California and along the West Coast. Network members will spotlight their local ecosystem based management (EBM) activities, as well as the benefits
of their unique coast-wide partnership. The panel session will also draw distinct parallels to the latest developments in national ocean policy, regional ocean governance and the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health.

Watershed U - final session

The final evening of Watershed U provided an opportunity to wrap things up and provide some insight into the future. The agenda included presentations from Brock Dolman, who was also in Ojai on Wednesday evening, Sabrina Drill who coordinated the program, Doug Vu with the TPL river parkway plan, and myself. An interesting Q&A session provided an opportunity for participants to ask questions and make suggestions.



I spoke about the need for 'ecosystem-based management' to provide a holistic framework for addressing our coastal (and watershed) crisis. The 'Ventura ecosystem' project is part of current West Coast EBM efforts to generate case studies leading to real on-the-ground solutions.

Although the past 5 weeks of Watershed U provided lots of technical information about the physical parameters of our watershed, I wanted to make the case that the social issues are the real key to success (or failure) in reaching a sustainable management paradigm.

Plagiarizing from other great presentations, I used a few slides to illustrate the disjointed system of governance that we currently operate under, and the need for coordinated regional (watershed-based) governance.



I also described the challenge of conflicting world views and the concept of social process mapping.




Unfortunately, due to a series of technical difficulties, the 'crux' of my presentation was missing. I intended to use the following slides to describe the process of creating a shared vision within the full range of diverse stakeholders. I believe it is critical to first reach a common understanding of the problem(s), then develop a shared vision for the desired outcome.





Then, most importantly, solutions should be defined; actions that all watershed inhabitants can work on as a community to move toward a sustainable future.



These images are taken from the KYH2O video, which helps communicate the problems and solutions in an entertaining manner...

Watershed U was hopefully a first step in generating a shared understanding of the complex workings of our watershed, and the beginning of a broader community-based shift toward sustainable water management. But it will require an ongoing commitment from all of us...

Thanks to Sabrina Drill at UC Cooperative Extension, and the Ventura River Watershed Council for sponsoring Watershed U!

And extra thanks to Karen Bednorz and Patagonia for hosting us for 6 weeks - we couldn't have done it without you!

KYH2O and Basins of Relations

Around 100 people showed up at Chaparral Auditorium in Ojai to see 'Cycle of Insanity' and hear Brock Dolman's talk about water and watersheds. Many thanks to the Ojai Valley Green Coalition for sponsoring this event!




The 'Know Your H2O' video was well received by the audience. Comments included the recommendation to get this out to the schools, and provide more information on agricultural solutions. We love this kind of feedback, as it helps fine tune the message. Remember that the video is streaming online at knowyourh2o.org






It was a real treat to have Brock Dolman visit the Ojai valley from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County. Brock delivers a unique message; as we enter the era of 'global weirding' on this planet 'water,' our watershed is our lifeboat. It is essential that we get our Basins of Relations in order...

Much more info here: http://www.oaec.org/water-institute

Surfers Point project on track for Sept

May 17, 2010 - The Surfers Point Working Group met to go over the status of the construction schedule and logistics. The project is on track for groundbreaking after labor day, 2010. The construction window is September 7, 2010 - May 27, 2011 to avoid the summer holiday season and the County Fair. A public access plan has been completed to assure continuous beach access during construction, as required by the Coastal Commission permit. The City will also be working on an Information Kiosk to make beachgoers aware of the pending project. Surfrider will help to provide outreach materials, and we are also working on a short video to help support the project.

In the evening, Ventura City Council approved the contract for construction in a 'consent item' on the agenda. I spoke briefly to thank the Council for their commitment to the project, noting that I first appeared before their board sometime in 1995. I also thanked City engineer Rick Raives for his patience and success in securing the grant funding to make this project a reality.



PROJECT DESCRIPTION (PHASE ONE):

• Remove approximately 1/2 of existing damaged parking lot closest to the Ventura River Estuary
• Widen 900-feet long stretch of beach by approximately 60-feet
• Bury 26,000 tons of small cobblestones along the beach to provide erosion protection and import 18,000 tons of new sand to cover the cobble
• Shorten Shoreline Drive and construct new cul-ds-ss6 1,000-feet east of existing cul-de-sac
• Relocate 1,200 -feet of multi-use/bike path and install path lighting
• Construct new rainwater-permeable parking areas
• Install a new storm water system including a grass bioswale along the bikepath and a stormwater filtration system to treat runoff before discharge to Ventura River Estuary / Ocean

CONSTRUCTION COST (BlD AMOUNT): $ 1,693,




From the Staff Report:

The Surfers Point project has now reached a major milestone with construction ready to
commence on nearly half of the ultimate project. The major components of this phase will
include removing nearly half of the existing damaged Fairgrounds parking lot closest to the
Ventura River, replacing this parking with an adjacent temporary surfaced lot, relocating the
class I bike path, placing a significant amount of the buried cobble needed to provide
erosion protection for the relocated improvements and covering it with enough sand for
easier access, shortening and abandoning a portion of Shoreline Drive, and installing storm
water quality improvements (see Attachment 1).

On April 20, 2010, eleven construction bids were received for this project. The apparent
low bidder, C.A. Rasmussen, Inc. of Valencia, submitted a bid in the amount of
$1,693,841, including the Additive Bid Alternate for Bike Path Lights. The Engineer's
estimated construction cost was $2,485,201.

This project is being constructed by utilizing

• $1.5 million that was granted to the City through the Federal Transportation SAFETEA-LU Act
• $1.5 million grant from the State Coastal Conservancy
• $353,000 appropriated by the City Council as part of the Capital Project bond being financed by the RDA repayment to the General Fund.

Recent history:

• August 3, 2009 - City Council authorizes City Manager to enter into a $1.5 million grant
• February 22, 2010 - City Council approves the purchase of cobble rock and sand from the Rick Garcia Construction Company, Inc. (RGCC), needed for the Surfers Point Managed Shoreline Retreat Initial Phase project, at a total cost of $600,000
• March 8, 2010 - City Council approves the contract plans and specifications for the Surfers Point project, in the office of the City Clerk.

In the News: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/21/ventura-approves-funding-to-repair-beach-bike/

More here: www.surferspoint.org

Watershed U - steelhead presentation

Watershed U - Ventura River - May 13, 2010
Session 4: Conserving Species and Ecosystems

I presented an overview of the the scientific studies that have been underway since 2002 to assess the steelhead habitat objectives for the removal of Matilija Dam. The crux of the issue is the large dams that create impassible barriers preventing access to headwater habitat.


My presentation titled "Monitoring Annual Trends in Abundance and Distribution of Steelhead Above and Below Matilija Dam, Ventura, California" outlined the Thomas Paine & Associates (TRPA) studies to assess habitat and population within the Ventura/Matilija basins. This data was used in the Matilija Dam Feasibility Study to evaluate baseline conditions for steelhead habitat and predict the benefits from opening up over 20 miles of good-to-excellent perennial creeks to the anadromous, or ocean going, steelhead trout.

These studies are a critical part of the Ecosystem Restoration project, since a dam of this scale has not yet been removed, and the 'flood and drought' climate in our region creates extreme annual variability in steelhead populations.


The Matilija Coalition was successful in a grant application to continue these studies in 2010-2011, and work has already begun with the help of Patagonia and OneSurfFly.

Note that all of these studies are on the Matilija Coaltion website.

More on steelhead on this blog: http://www.venturariver.org/search/label/steelhead

Cycle of Insanity at SCWRP

I presented Cycle of Insanity at this month's meeting of the Ventura County Wetlands Task Force, a subgroup of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project. The taskforce serves a coordination role for all the diverse watershed stakeholders in Ventura County.

One purpose of the film is to communicate Surfrider's proactive vision for the 'restored water cycle,' and how our use of freshwater resources impacts the coast and ocean.


This vision comes from the need to develop truly integrated water management strategies, especially in Southern California where the majority of the population relies on imported water.
Comments from task force members included;

• This should be made available for all teachers in our region.
• Why isn't agriculture included in the solutions?

So if you're a teacher, or know a teacher, please help spread the word. This video is streaming online at http://knowyourh2o.org/

And in response to agriculture: the project was directed more to urban solutions since this is where the IRWMP integrated water management programs are directed. There is undoubtedly a need to support and develop sustainable agriculture, but you can't cover everything in a 20 minute video (...we almost did!)

Watershed U presentation

Thursday April 22, 2010 - Watershed U. Session 1

Over 150 participants showed up for the first Watershed U - Ventura event last Thursday. The evening included a series of presentations intended to give an overview of Watershed U and our Ventura River watershed.

County Supervisor Steve Bennett started the evening with a greeting. This was followed by a traditional Chumash blessing from Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, elder and leader of the Barbareno/Ventureno Band of
Mission Indians.

Sabrina Drill, UC Cooperative Extension, presented 'What is a Watershed, and What is Watershed U.?'

Russ Baggerly Casitas Municipal Water District gave a short talk, and served as the Board Moderator.

After a short break, Dr Ed Keller, UC Santa Barbara, gave a great overview of the Geography/Geology of the Ventura River. He stressed the hazards from earthquake and flooding in our geologic and hydrologically unique region.

The final presentation was 'The Big Picture - Water Supply, Land Use, and Water Quality in the Ventura River Watershed.' The presentation first stressed the need for a better understanding of our water supply. It then described the connections between Land Use and Water Quality, and the need for 'restoration hydrology' or what I have termed 'reverse hydromodification.'

Presentations and useful links from the session are here

Matilija Dam poster

In preparation for Ojai Earth Day event this weekend, and the Watershed U program on Matilija Dam next month, we have designed this poster to help describe the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project. These project components reflect the consensus plan that was approved in the Feasibility Study completed in 2004, and approved by Congress in 2007.


You may download a printable 11x17 pdf file by clicking here. (1MB)

This and our other publications are on the Matilija Coalition website here.

Our comments on the Final Design process are here.

And our comments on the Feasibility Study are here.

Amgen presentation

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Amgen corporation invited me to participate in a "Green Bag Lunch Seminar" this week. We showed the Surfrider video From Sea to Summit as part of a informational seminar on stormwater runoff. I gave a quick overview of what the Surfrider Foundation is doing in Ventura County, and how residents can get involved.

A representative from the City of Thousand Oaks gave an overview of local water quality issues, and Amgen staff provided an overview of the steps the corporation has taken to manage stormwater on their campus.

Afterward, I took a quick tour and saw a few of their stormwater projects, well integrated into their university-like campus.



Dear Paul,

On behalf of Amgen Thousand Oaks, I would like to extend a sincere thank you for speaking at our green bag lunch & learn event. The green bag event would not have been such a great success without someone from the Surfrider Foundation presenting at the event. You did an excellent job explaining how your organization is working to help protect our watershed through conservation, activism, education and research.

The educational video "From Sea to Summit: A Journey through the Watershed" was educational gave good overview on the small lifestyle changes that we can make as individuals to support a healthy environment. We had approximately 90 people attend the event (over 40 on line and about 50 people in the room). I hope you found your participation as a useful opportunity to interact with others that truly care about an environment. Again, I appreciate the time and energy you have devoted to Amgen’s green bag lunch & learn series.

Best Regards,

Amgen Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator

Ocean Friendly Gardens at Green Building Council

USGBC California Central Coast Chapter Meeting
Monday January 25th 2010, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Patagonia Firehouse Building

Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) Director, Paul Herzog and Landscape Architect Pamela Berstler from the Green Gardens Group (G3) gave a great presentation tonight. They described the OFG program promoting beautiful, water-conserving gardens that reduce polluted runoff and restore urban wildlife habitat. Opportunities exist for homeowners, landscape professionals, and urban planners to all get involved in solving our urban runoff problem.

Look for more workshops and hands-on work days in 2010!

For more information contact Cynthia Hartley, Ventura OFG Coordinator, at vcsrf.oceanfriendlygardens@gmail.com

For more on 'why:'

http://surfrider.org/ventura/Ocean%20Friendly%20Gardens.html

In the news:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/24/storm-drains-push-debris-pollutants-into-the/

Green Schools Conference

Saturday January 23, 2009
SUSTAINING SUSTAINABILITY: 2ND REGIONAL SCHOOLS GOING GREEN CONFERENCE

Besant Hills School hosted this conference for schools in the region going 'Green.' It was a beautiful day in the upper Ojai Valley.

I was invited to show Watershed Revolution and talk about the importance of water education to over 100 teachers and students.

The Keynote Presentation was 'Smart by Nature, Educating for Sustainability,' presented by Karen Brown from the Center for Ecoliteracy. She concluded her talk with a photo of the first lady breaking ground on the new organic garden on the Whitehouse lawn. She attributed this historical moment to the teachers and students around the country who are making sustainability a priority.

We had the opportunity to learn about programs at Besant Hills and other schools in the region. Here we were shown the organic farm which helps provide food for the school. Besant Hills School uses simple cues, such as trash receptacles and compost, to remind students of resource cycles.

An inspiring presentation about Midland School, in the Santa Ynez Valley, showed how they engrain a sense of responsibility in their students. Aside from growing thier own food and caring for the land, the school is notorious for their 'shower fires.' Each day one student is reponsible for chooping wood to heat the water for his or her classes showers - the feedback is immediate if the job is not done!

It is inspiring to see educators working to shift the next generation into a revived eco-consciousness that will prepare a new generation of leadership.

Westside views Watershed Revolution

Last Wednesday evening I presented Watershed Revolution to the Westside Community Council.



The Westside community lies within the lower Ventura River, and has a vested interest in re-connecting with the river. The community was cut off from the river when the Corps of Engineers levee was constructed in the '50's, and to an even greater extent when Caltrans completed the 4-lane Highway 33.




The Ventura River is an important focus as the westside works on its community development plan. To this end, a student group has been working on a Ventura River Parkway plan, in coordination with Trust for Public Land and with funding from the California Coastal Conservancy.

Unfortunately the state budget crisis delayed this project, but the Ventura River Parkway plan will be presented in early 2010.

Steelhead Revival

Over 120 people attended the Steelhead Revival presentation yesterday at Patagonia headquarters in Ventura. The event was organized by Matt Stoecker and Mauricio Gomez to provide an overview of the federally endangered southern steelhead trout and highlight efforts to restore this magnificent, iconic species to our local watersheds.

This event, fourth in a series, focused on the Santa Clara and Ventura River watersheds, both of which drain to the ocean in the city of Ventura. Matt provided a lively overview of the species, a presentation filled with photos and video that brought the fish to life. Matt also highlighted some of the recent progress made in our region with removal of small barriers that have reopened upstream habitat critical to the recovery of this endangered species.

I was invited to provide an update on the work of the Matilija Coalition, a program that has benefited from the support of Patagonia since 2000. I gave a brief overview of Matilija Dam and the steelhead monitoring that we have been sponsoring for the past 2 years.

The Q&A included much discussion of the Matilija Dam removal project, and the current impass on sediment management. There was interest in the before and after 'vision' for Matilija canyon, an image that has been integral to the planning process. This is also posted in video format here


If you missed it, there are two more events coming up:

November 7, 3:30 pm, Arroyo Hondo Preserve – Gaviota Coast
In coordination with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, this presentation will focus on theGaviota Coast (Jalama to Goleta) Watersheds.

November 19, 7:30 pm, Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive
In coordination with the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, this presentation will focus
on the Santa Ynez River Watershed.

For additional information and specifics on upcoming events please contact:
Matt Stoecker matt@stoeckerecological.com or Mauricio Gomez mgomez@schabitatrestoration.org.

Many thanks to Patagonia for making this series of events possible.

Steelhead Recovery Plan

On Wednesday evening I was the guest speaker for the Sespe Flyfishers at their monthly meeting in Ventura. I presented photos and video of fish in the Ventura river, and a discussion of how water supply, water quality, flood control, land use, fishing, etc affect this endangered species.

The bottom line - there is good news and bad news - we are seeing lots of fish in the river, but we also lost a lot this year. Much of the presentation was information taken from this blog, click on 'steelhead' from the label cloud...

My presentation illustrated many issues in the watershed through photos and news clippings. Most of these problems are included in the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan, now available on the NOAA website here.


Because of their life cycle, which includes time in both fresh and salt water environments, the steelhead may be seen as an indicator species for how we manage our watersheds and coastal resources. Throughout the region, similar issues threaten the survival and recovery of this species. In general these may be summarized as:

• DEVELOPMENT: urbanization, dewatering and channelization of rivers and creeks
• DAMS: spawning and rearing habitat of the major river systems has been rendered inaccessible as a result of dams, debris basins, road crossings, and other in-stream structures
• FLOOD CONTROL: Development of the floodplains has altered the natural fluvial processes which facilitate migration and in some cases sustain over-summering habitat for juvenile steelhead. Associated flood control structures and activities
• LAND USE: erosion and sedimentation of river and stream channels, and remaining estuarine habitat.
• NON-NATIVE invasive plants and aquatic species also has further degraded habitats for steelhead, particularly rearing juveniles
• ESTUARY LOSS: lost approximately 90% of its pre-historic estuarine habitat through dredging and filling. The degradation of remaining estuarine habitat as a result of both point and non-point sources of pollution and artificial breaching of sand-bars
• FISHING: Introduction of exotic fish, and the stocking of non-native steelhead fish stocks to support recreational fishing have in many coastal rivers and streams also contributed to the decline of native steelhead and related resident trout

The Ventura River is identified as one of the primary core populations and recovery priorities for the southern steelhead. Specific actions for the Ventura River include removal of Matilija Dam and modification of flows.









The public comment period for the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan has been extended to *November 19, 2009*.

Presentations at City Hall

Two presentations at City Hall in the past week:

1. CLU Riverbottom Cleanup Orientation
   
2. City of Ventura Engineering Dept.

The City of Ventura has partnered with California Lutheran University to clean up the riverbottom near downtown. On Monday they removed over 7 TONS of trash - all of which was destined for the beaches in the next flood.

I was asked to give some environmental perspective at the group's orientation last week. I gave my quick overview of the watershed, and the projects that Surfrider has been working on. I finished by showing the Watershed Revolution trailer.

Then yesterday afternoon I was privileged to show Watershed Revolution to the Engineering Department. Rich Reid was there to provide insight form the producer. Although strictly a non-technical presentation, it was followed by a short discussion about water management.

I mentioned my 'low-tech' greywater system (5 gallon buckets to haul the bathwater out to the garden.) Every gallon of 'grey water' that goes into the garden is a gallon that does not have to be pumped out of the river, PLUS a gallon that does not get mingled with sewage for treatment at the wastewater plant.

Now that greywater is LEGAL, there's an opportunity to make this happen. Imagine if greywater were implemented citywide and washing machines and bathtubs watered the garden instead of drinking water? That's a tangible opportunity to save a lot of energy (and water,) take the pressure off the treatment plant, and preserve flows in the river...