eNewsletter|
November Edition
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In this month's edition:
- Fire recovery resources
- Our engineer featured in NBC Learn video
- #GivingTuesday!
- Team Spotlight: Christine Kuehn, Education and Communications Manager
- Groundwater Agency news: recharge workshop and advisory committee opportunity
- SWEEP technical assistance available
- CORRECTED DATES: Upcoming meetings about Sonoma Creek Vineyard General Permit
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In the wake of the Kincade fire, the RCD continues to provide support to those impacted by wildfires in our community. If you have natural resources concerns on your fire-impacted property, please contact Shannon Drew at 707-569-1448 x110 or
[email protected]
.
Kincade Fire Information
County of Sonoma’s Kincade Fire resources page:
Services We Offer
The RCD is offering these current services related to fire recovery and resiliency in our impacted watersheds:
- Technical assistance information and site visits to determine resource needs and appropriate actions concerning erosion, riparian areas, forest management, etc.,
- Workshops and events to share information on post-fire land management techniques. Info will be posted at https://sonomarcd.org/get-involved/ and sent out in our eNews,
- Connecting landowners with funding resources available for post-fire natural resource protection,
- Natural resource permit assistance on a fee for service basis.
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NBC Learn Video featuring our engineer Jessica
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This video, and all the others made as part of the NBC Learn program, is meant to be used in the classroom along with a lesson plan to encourage more girls to join STEM fields. It features Jessica's volunteer work with Engineers Without Borders (EWB). "I feel incredibly humbled to have been a part of this program, although they really could have featured any of our many awesome EWB members who put in tireless hours of effort and volunteering," said Jessica.
Click the image to view!
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#GIVINGTUESDAY is right around the corner!
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This year, the RCD will once again be participating in GivingTuesday, a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. We'll participate in the movement by encouraging conservation awareness and actions in our community, and by raising funds to support our programs. Please follow us on
Facebook
and
Instagram
to learn more about our GivingTuesday plans, and to join in the fun!
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Christine Kuehn, Education and Communications Manager
Christine has been with the RCD for seven years. As Education and Communications Manager, she leads in the development and execution of all LandSmart Education programming for youth and supports the RCD's technical workshops, while facilitating community outreach efforts and designing program materials.
Her favorite part about her job is, "working with people, no matter what the age. Many fulfilling days are spent bringing youth out to a farm or ranch for the very first time and seeing their eyes observing and minds absorbing how it feels to put their hands in soil or to taste a Gravenstein apple right off the tree." She continued, "those are the days that make the rest of them spent planning and in meetings worth every second."
When asked if she had a personal story that describes how she got into this line of work Christine responded with,
"I've always had a deep appreciation for our working landscapes and the people who steward them. In college, my inspiring professor and advisor Laura Watt, stoked my beliefs about our working lands being a tool for conservation. I found myself following a path that created opportunities for the community to experience such spaces, while instilling an appreciation for our natural resources and agriculture as one system. The RCD culture and mission reflects who I am, and I love what we do."
Something that you might not know about Christine is that she is a watercolor artist, enjoys the outdoors, and is an avid horsewoman.
In west county, she relaxes by spending time on the property with her herd.
If you did already know these things - or the picture gave it away - then here is something new: she is an awarded discus thrower!
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Sonoma County Agricultural Loss Survey for 2019 Kincade Fire
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The Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures is conducting an agricultural damage and/or loss survey to determine the extent and nature of losses due to the 2019 Kincade Fire. The types of damage and/or loss to be reported include loss of actual crop, damage to vines/trees, damage to land, damage to agricultural buildings, machinery, irrigation systems, loss of livestock/poultry, loss of milk production, cost of debris removal, etc. This survey is part of the County’s overall survey of the damage to our community due to the Kincade Fire.
They are attempting to gather as much information as possible on the damages to our agricultural producers so that they can accurately report on these losses to State and Federal agencies who provide financial assistance.
Please fill out and submit the survey by November 30, 2019.
Farmers/ranchers can fill it out online or print it out and return to the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures office.
Click
HERE
to take the survey or click
HERE
to download the 2019 Fire Damage Agricultural Assessment Form. Thank you for your participation!
Content taken from Sonoma County Farm Bureau E-News on November 25, 2019.
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Recharging Groundwater Basins: Facts, Myths, Projects and Possibilities
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Join local groundwater agencies to learn more about how farmers in other communities and locally are contributing to groundwater recharge. This public workshop will focus on how groundwater can be recharged to help better manage and sustain local aquifers.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
4:30pm - 7 pm
Santa Rosa Utilities Field Office
35 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Presentations will cover:
How groundwater recharge works
California’s Flood-MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) project
Local efforts: What farmers are doing in Sonoma County to enhance recharge
Q & A and table top discussions
Light refreshments will be served
Please RSVP by December 6. Click here to
RSVP
, or contact
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Santa Rosa Plain GSA accepting applications for an
environmental representative seat on the Advisory Committee
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T
he Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) board is seeking to fill one environmental representative seat on the Santa Rosa Plain GSA Advisory Committee. Santa Rosa Plain residents interested in groundwater are urged to apply.
The Advisory Committee provides input and feedback on policies, programs and projects to the Board of the Santa Rosa Plain GSA. This agency was formed to meet the requirements of California’s historic Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which went into effect in 2015.
The Santa Rosa Plain GSA Advisory Committee consists of 18 members, seven of which are appointed by the Santa Rosa Plain GSA board. The term for the environmental representative seat is three years. The Advisory Committee meets every other month for two to three hours. Advisory Committee members should expect to spend several hours reading materials and preparing for meetings. Strong consideration will be given to candidates who have the backing of multiple organizations or individuals within their interest group.
The deadline for submitting applications is November 30. Additional information and the application for the Santa Rosa Plain GSA Advisory Committee application at
http://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/ac/
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UCCE Sonoma County Irrigation Survey update
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UC Cooperative Extension Sonoma County is looking for growers who are interested in collaborating on a survey of vineyard irrigation water use. The survey will be conducted by UCCE in a manner that insures the anonymity of collaborators and vineyard locations. The purpose is to improve the accuracy of the estimates of applied water currently used by local regulatory bodies charged with managing groundwater.
The new deadline to sign up as a collaborator is December 31, 2019.
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SWEEP technical assistance
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The
State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program
(SWEEP) Program is administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The primary goal of SWEEP is to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural irrigation sources. The secondary benefit of the program is to increase Water Use Efficiency (WUE) by funding system infrastructure and monitoring upgrades that reduce GHGs.
The application period for SWEEP opens on October 21st, 2019.
Anticipated Program Timeline
Application Period Opens *October 21, 2019
Grant Applications Due *December 2019
Review Process *December – February 2020
Announce and Award Funding *Spring 2020
* Subject to change.
SWEEP GRANTS AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY RESOURCES:
Video: How to Apply to the California State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program
(
English
) (
Hmong
) (
Spanish
)
Video: How to Get Cash to Pay for On Farm Irrigation and Energy Efficiency Improvements in California
(
English
) (
Hmong
) (
Spanish
)
Video: On Farm Water Use Efficiency: Irrigation Management Practices That Save Water and Save Energy
(
English
) (
Hmong
) (
Spanish
)
For more information or questions please contact: Keith Abeles, Soil and Water Specialist at
[email protected]
or call (707)569-1448 ext. 112.
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CORRECTED DATES: Upcoming meetings about Sonoma Creek Vineyard General Permit
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Attention all winegrape growers in the Sonoma Creek watershed: Farm plans, permit fees, and monitoring are due soon! The Regional Water Board and the Napa and Sonoma County Farm Bureaus are co-hosting meetings in December to provide information about the General Permit’s farm plan, permit fee, and monitoring requirements that come into effect in the spring and summer of 2020.
Previous emails from the Water Board and the RCD incorrectly listed the December meeting date as December 12th. The correct date, as listed below, is December 18th.
Outreach Meeting Times and Locations:
December 18
from 9:30 to 11:00 am
Napa County Main Library
580 Coombs Street, Napa, CA
December 18
from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building
126 First Street West, Sonoma, CA
The same information will be presented in each meeting. We encourage farmers to attend one of the meetings to learn more about these requirements and resources available to help you to comply including: a) Farm Bureau coalition groups being established to make compliance with permit fee and monitoring requirements cost effective and straight forward; and b) Technical assistance programs to help you prepare a farm plan that complies with the permit.
Questions? Please contact Kevin Cullinen, Project Manager at
[email protected]
or
at (707) 569 -1448 ext 103.
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Attend a technical workshop to receive the latest science-based information on how to best manage your soil, water and wildlife on
your property.
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