In This Issue

 

The Forum's Board of Directors has adopted an updated Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum Strategic Plan that lays out the organization's mission, long-term vision and core values and identifies goals and strategies for the Forum.  The mission of the organization is:

 

The Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum (Forum) works with communities, agricultural interests, landowners, organizations and agencies along the Sacramento River from Keswick to Verona to facilitate resource management and restoration efforts to be effective, balanced and sensitive to the needs of local communities. The Forum supports restoration done well and serves as a forum for sharing, a facilitator of solutions and a partner for projects that protect both the natural values of the Sacramento River and the communities it runs through.

 

 

 

The Forum welcomes a new board member.  Burt Bundy, District 5 Supervisor is the new public interest representative for Tehama County.  We would also like to thank our existing board members for their continued service:

• Chair John Nock, Landowner, Butte County
• Vice Chair Leonard Moty, Public Interest, Shasta County
• Secretary/Treasurer Steve Lambert, Public Interest, Butte County
• Past Chair, Lynnel Pollock, Landowner, Yolo County
• Glenn Hawes, Landowner, Shasta County
• Brendon Flynn, Landowner, Tehama County
• Brian Fedora, Landowner, Sutter County
• James Gallagher, Public Interest, Sutter County
• Jeanette Wrysinski, Public Interest, Yolo County
• Jim McKevitt, Public Interest, Resources Agency

We say goodbye to Ron Warner and are grateful for his years on the Forum Board of Directors as the public interest representative for Tehama County.  We wish him well and hope that he catches lots of fish.

 

 

 

A Safe Harbor Agreement is a voluntary agreement. Willing landowners receive formal assurances under the federal Endangered Species Act that covered actions, which contribute to the recovery of protected species, will not result in additional regulatory liability for farming practices.  Sacramento River Programmatic Safe Harbor has mutual goals of protecting the continuation of routine typical farming practices, and fostering voluntary landowner conservation activities for the benefit of covered species.

 

The Forum is dedicated to protecting the agricultural heritage of the Sacramento Valley, and it recognizes the inherent challenges of coordinating with federal agencies. The Forum will provide a confidential space for landowners to evaluate their options and determine if a Safe Harbor Agreement is right for them, putting agriculture first while protecting farm-friendly wildlife.  Landowners who decide to pursue a Safe Harbor Agreement will enter into a Cooperative Agreement with the Forum, providing a buffer between the landowner and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

We would like to welcome our new Program Manager, Susan Strachan, to the Forum staff.  She manages our new funding contract with the Department of Water Resources and is the lead for the investigation of a corridor management plan (more on that in future issues).  Susan joins the existing staff of Executive Director Jane Dolan, Resource Conservationist Rob Irwin and Administrative Assistant Ellen Gentry.

 

The Forum has also retained an attorney to provide legal advice to our board. Chris Scheuring has extensive experience in agriculture and natural resource issues and has proven to be valuable to the Forum in achieving its mission to value natural resources and the agricultural heritage of the Sacramento Valley.  

 

Thank you for connecting with the Forum.  In our next issue, we will update you on some of our projects and programs. 

Sincerely,
Jane Dolan
Executive Director