Occidental Arts And Ecology Center

UKFO CULTURAL FUELS AND FIRE MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIBAL ECORESTORATION ALLIANCE IN LAKE COUNTY CA

THIS AGREEMENT WITH OCCIDENTAL ARTS AND ECOLOGY CENTER OAEC IS AIMED AT DEMONSTRATING PROCESS BASED RESTORATION APPLICATIONS AND TECHNIQUES IN THE COASTAL STREAMS OF MARIN COUNTY THESE APPROACHES ARE LOW COST AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO RESTORE AQUATIC HABITAT FOR VARIOUS SPECIES INCLUDING SENSITIVE AMPHIBIANS AND ANADROMOUS FISH IN THIS COASTAL REGION DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS IN THREE MARIN COUNTY STREAMS WILL INVOLVE WORKING WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, STATE PARKS, AND THE MARIN COUNTY RCD AND AIMED AT THE RESTORATION OF 0 25 MILES OF A TRIBUTARY STREAM TO STEMPLE CREEK, LIVESTOCK FENCING AND PROJECT PLANNING FOR 2 MILES OF WALKER CREEK AND PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR 1 MILE OF DEVILS GULCH THESE STREAMS ARE COASTAL TRIBUTARIES TO SALTWATER MARSH AND COASTAL WETLANDS IN TOMALES BAY AND ESTERO SAN ANTONIO THE THREE PROJECT SITES MAY ALSO PROVIDE HABITAT FOR REINTRODUCTION OF BEAVER CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE MARIN RCD, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, AND CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE STEMPLE CREEK SPRING TRIBUTARY IS LOCATED ON A LIVESTOCK RANCH IN MARIN COUNTY THIS AREA PROVIDES IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR RED LEGGED FROG THE STREAM SPRING IS CURRENTLY IN A GULLEY WITH A NARROW BAND OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION AND PROVIDES MINIMAL HABITAT FOR AMPHIBIANS AND MIGRATORY BIRDS THE GULLEY PROVIDES ONLY SHALLOW WATER HABITAT, IT DRAINS AREA WETLANDS AND REDUCES OVERALL RIPARIAN VEGETATION PRODUCTION AND HABITAT WALKER CREEK IS IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR SPAWNING COHO AND STEELHEAD AND A MAJOR HABITAT LIMITING FACTOR FOR ANADROMOUS FISH IN THIS SYSTEM IS FINE SEDIMENT POLLUTION FROM LIVESTOCK CONTROLLING LIVESTOCK ACCESS TO TRIBUTARY STREAM AREAS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE FINE SEDIMENT POLLUTION IN THIS SYSTEM ADDITIONALLY THIS STREAM LACKS HABITAT COMPLEXITY THAT COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH WOOD ADDITION DEVILS GULCH IS A MAJOR SPAWNING TRIBUTARY FOR COHO SALMON MOST OF THIS STREAM IS OWNED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT SAMUEL P TAYLOR PARK WHILE THE STREAM HAS SIGNIFICANT RIPARIAN FOREST THE CHANNEL IS SIMPLIFIED OR STRUCTURALLY STARVED WITH VERY LITTLE INSTREAM WOOD OR CHANNEL HABITAT COMPLEXITY PLACEMENT OF WOOD STRUCTURE BY HAND IN THIS SYSTEM WILL IMPROVE THE HABITAT INCLUDING POOL DEVELOPMENT, FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY, AND SPAWNING GRAVEL WITHOUT CAUSING DISTURBANCE IN THIS SYSTEM FROM THE USE OF HEAVY MACHINERY

CA-SF BAY-DELTA-W.MARIN CTY BEAVER RSTRN THIS AGREEMENT SUPPORTS THE OCCIDENTAL ARTS AND ECOLOGY CENTER IN CARRYING OUT A BEAVER (CASTOR CANADENSIS) RESTORATION FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT STUDY TO DETERMINE IF AND WHERE BEAVER RESTORATION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN WEST MARIN COUNTY. WORKING WITH BEAVER TO RESTORE STREAMS, WETLANDS, AND FLOODPLAINS HAS PROVEN TO BE A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO PROCESS-BASED RESTORATION. FOLLOWING THE STEPS OUTLINED IN THE USFWS BEAVER RESTORATION GUIDEBOOK, THE PROJECT WILL USE SPATIAL ANALYSIS, GROUND SURVEYS AND MULTI-STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT TO ASSESS WHICH, IF ANY WEST MARIN WATERSHEDS WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR BEAVER REINTRODUCTION. IF SUITABLE WATERSHEDS ARE IDENTIFIED, ONE WILL BE SELECTED TO PILOT A COLLABORATIVE, WATERSHED-SCALE PROCESS TO DEVELOP A BEAVER-BASED RESTORATION PLAN. OTHER SUITABLE WATERSHEDS CAN BE ADDED TO THIS PLANNING PROCESS AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE.