Open Space Council: Blog

News: SF Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project Report Released

One way of looking at the Bay Area's ecosystems is to consider three zones: the subtidal, the baylands and the uplands.  

A group of agencies and nonprofits collaborated to create the Baylands Habitat Goals report in 1999.  The Open Space Council is very, very close to finishing the Upland Habitat Goals report and has already launched the Explorer online tool to go with it.  And just released last week is the Subtidal Habitat Goals report.

The San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project is led by the California Coastal Conservancy/Ocean Protection Council, Bay Conservation and Development Commission, NOAA Fisheries and Restoration Center, and the San Francisco Estuary Partnership.  More than 75 entities contributed to the development of the report, including science advisor Wim Kimmerer from San Francisco State University; consultants from University of California at Davis, San Francisco State University, and the San Francisco Estuary Institute; and a broad group of scientists, resource managers, and restoration practitioners working in and around San Francisco Bay.  

The 50-Year Plan is non-regulatory and presents a strong vision for how to move forward with science-based subtidal research, protection, and restoration of submerged habitats in San Francisco Bay, through an adaptive phased project approach to learn more about subtidal ecosystem services, functions, and interactions between habitat types. 

The Subtidal Habitat Goals Report, all Appendices, and Interactive Subtidal Maps are accessible and available online at www.sfbaysubtidal.org.

The project was highlighted in the October-December 2010 issue of Bay Nature.  And has received some press in the past few days including the Contra Costa Times and the Mercury News. 

 

 

What's Cool: Sun Come Up, a movie

Sun Come Up Trailer from Sun Come Up on Vimeo.

Sun Come Up follows the relocation of some of the world’s first environmental refugees, the Carteret Islanders – a community living on a remote island chain in the South Pacific Ocean.  Click here for their website.

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What's Cool is our weekly feature about climate change in the Bay Area.  Our members and the land conservation community at large are incorporating what we know about climate change into their work to protect and steward open space.  We highlight that work and the many partnerships, events and ideas related to climate change here on Fridays.  Share your stories with us in the comments or by sending an email to Annie Burke at annie [at] openspacecouncil [dot] org.

News: POST's Audrey Rust to retire

The leader of one of the 60 Open Space Council members, the Peninsula Open Space Trust or POST, has announced her retirement.  Audrey Rust has led POST since 1987. Under her leadership, the Palo Alto-based nonprofit land trust has worked in partnership with public agencies and private property owners to save 53,000 acres of local open space out of the total 64,000 acres POST has preserved since its founding in 1977.  

We wish Audrey all the best in her next adventures and welcome Walter into his role.  

For more information, click here for POST's website and here for an article in the San Jose Mercury News.

 

 

 

 

Photo by Paolo Vecsia, courtesy of POST

What's Cool: A Virtual Map of All Things Climate Change in the Bay Area

We love maps here at the Bay Area Open Space Council.  With a click or an email you can have several on your screen with amazing amounts of detail about this place we call home. 

There is a new map out that we're equally fascinated by, but this one does not have topo lines or hexagons.  It is the product of Bruce Riordan, the moderator of yesterday's Climate Change on the Ground panel at our Rainy Season Gathering, and the Climate Bay Area project.  

Download the CLIMATE BAY AREA MAP.

This virtual map of all efforts in the Bay Area to adapt to and mitigate climate change is in draft form but includes links to projects, initiatives, agencies and organizations around the Bay Area.  Scroll through the slides and click on the links to learn about all of the tremendous work to address a tremendous challenge. 

What is missing?  What questions do you have?  Send them to Bruce at bruce [at] elmwoodconsulting [dot] com.   We will be sure to share this incredible resource with you again as it develops and grows.

 

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What's Cool is our weekly feature about climate change in the Bay Area.  Our members and the land conservation community at large are incorporating what we know about climate change into their work to protect and steward open space.  We highlight that work and the many partnerships, events and ideas related to climate change here on Fridays.  Share your stories with us in the comments or by sending an email to Annie Burke at annie [at] openspacecouncil [dot] org.

 

A Beautifully Sunny Day for the Rainy Season Gathering

Yes!  

Today's Rainy Season Gathering (a horrible name for such a beautiful day) was a wild success with a full room of 100+ people and four organizations who are working to use science to adapt to and mitigate climate change.  Our thanks goes to:

• The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for sponsoring lunch
• Bruce Riordan of Climate Bay Area for moderating our program
• Darla Guenzler from CA Council of Land Trusts
• Our presenters!
• Back to Earth catering

The presentations from today's speakers are available here:

Marin Carbon Project

Pepperwood Preserve

Save the Redwoods League

Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District

 

 

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Our next Gathering will be the Almost Spring Gathering on March 17.  Stay tuned to our Events page for more information.

Liveblogging from the Rainy Season Gathering!

12:12pm: LUNCH!

12:10pm: Bettina thanks everyone in the room for their work on climate change.  And she invites everyone to subscribe to our blog and tune into the Open Space Council's website for upcoming events.

12:09pm: Karen concludes. Bruce thanks them for their work and their presentations and turns the mic over to Bettina. 

12:07pm: Karen Gaffney: We need to do a better job of talking and working with new partners and organizations/agencies/people with whom we don't usually interact.

12:02pm: Karen Gaffney: We are working on:

• defining and mapping the relationship between climate change mitigation/adaptation and other land conservations activities - where are the connections the strongest?
• outline opportunities for more efficiency
• connect past accomplishments with future strategies
• define role of District in these activities

 

11:54am: Karen says that she is changing the focus a little bit because we're going to talk about more of the transportation and the social aspects of climate change.  They are working with a lot of partners - many of whom are in the room.

Karen: "What are the economies of scale when we work together?"

 

11:51am: Bruce says "Sonoma County has led the way on climate change.  They have set the toughest goals of all who have set goals across the state."  And introduces Karen Gaffney from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District...

11:48am: Emily invites attendees to visit their website and get involved.  She will take 1 or 2 questions.  One question was about the Redwoods that are planted in urban environments.  Emily responded that these trees need so much water that there is a limited amount that they can grow outside of their range.  Bruce thanks Emily and we applaud...

11:46am: Another theme: this stuff is complicated! 

11:41am: There is a theme emerging from the 3 speakers so far... scientists are working with land managers and making the science applicable.  

11:37am: Emily shares with the group the following image:

11:32am: Bruce Riordan thanks Lisa and the crowd applauses.  And invites Emily Limm from the Save the Redwoods League and their Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative.  

 

11:25am: The Initiative will share data in a portal of SF Conservation Commons.

 

11:17am: Lisa describes the North Bay Climate Adaptation Initiative.

11:11am: Bruce introduces Lisa Micheli from the Pepperwood Preserve.  She's going to talk about the North Bay Initiative and the work they are doing at Pepperwood.  The Open Space Council participated in a 3-day meeting at Pepperwood in July 2010 that was led by David Ackerly

 

11:06am: Bob wraps up his presentation and everyone applauds.  

Bruce Riordan about Marin Carbon Project: "This could be a game changer."

 

11:02am: Bob shared this slide about the work they are doing:

10:54am: Bob tells the group about phase one of the Marin Carbon Project when Bio-Geo-Chemist Dr. Whendee Silver joined the project as the lead scientist.

 

10:48am: Bruce tells the group that the Bay Area has been a leader in the past and can be for climate change.  He introduces Bob Berner of MALT to talk about the Marin Carbon Project.

 

10:45am:  Bettina Ring takes the podium and thanks Darla for her work and her time.  We're switching gears now to our presenters about Climate Change on the Ground...

Bruce Riordan is going to moderate the panel.  

 

10:43am: Darla Guenzler of CCLT

 

10:42am: At CCLT's conference on March 1 and 2 there will be a 1/2 day totally dedicated to water issues. 

10:36am: SF Bay Conservancy Program is not in the current version of the Water Bond and in Darla's opinion this needs to change.

 

10:30am: Darla is talking about the Water Bond and how it does not have to be reopened.  Chances are good that it's going to be reopened, though.  The CCLT has been holding conference calls and meetings around the state to find what each region is interested in about the Bond.

 

10:28am: Darla Guenzler addressing the full room in the Brower Center.

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This is Annie Burke and I'm the Director of Development and Engagement for the Open Space Council.  I'll be blogging live from today's Rainy Season Gathering.  If there are any misspellings or grammatical errors, my apologies!  

Darla Guenzler is talking about the work of the CA Council of Land Trusts... more soon... 

A Pause: King Tide Photo Pool

From the Bay Area King Tide Photo Initiative on Flickr:

King Tides (also known as perigean spring tides) are extreme high tide events that occur when the sun and moon’s gravitation forces reinforce one another at times of the year when the moon is closest to the earth. They happen twice a year, but they are typically more dramatic during the winter.

While tides are not affected by climate change, the climate and weather do influence coastal sea levels through storm surges, the El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) cycles and other factors. Whttp://www.flickr.com/groups/bayareakingtides/pool/hen combined with high tides (especially King Tides) these conditions can cause widespread damage due to flooding and erosion, a risk that will increase with sea level rise.

What is the King Tide Photo Initiative?
Seasonal high tides occurring within the San Francisco Bay and along the outer coast on January 19th and 20th and February 16th to 18th will provide a preview of what residents might experience regularly in the future as a result of rising sea levels. We invite you to participate in the “King Tide” photo initiative. This is the first year for the initiative in the Bay Area. Its objectives are to:

1. Identify and catalogue coastal areas currently vulnerable to tidal inundation; and
2. Gather compelling graphics and pictures, so we can promote awareness of the specific potential impacts of sea level rise on the region to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

This initiative is part of a West Coast partnership with Washington State (website, flickr) and others in Oregon and British Columbia (website, flickr).

 

 

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A Pause is a regular feature of the Open Space Council's blog where we take a moment to step back to consider a word, an idea or a photograph.  Past Pauses can be found here, here and here.

 

News: Big Basin Redwoods State Park To Expand

Adjoining Little Basin To Be Transferred to California State Parks; POST and Sempervirens Fund Establish Land Stewardship Fund

Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and Sempervirens Fund announced on January 17, 2011 that the California Department of Parks and Recreation has agreed to accept the 535-acre Little Basin property to add to adjacent Big Basin Redwoods State Park. A priority State Parks acquisition, Little Basin was appraised for $7.7 million in 2010 and will now be sold to State Parks for $6.5 million, as of close of transfer expected by the end of this month.

Photo from POST

In transferring Little Basin to State Parks, POST and Sempervirens have set aside $1.3 million from the sale proceeds in a land stewardship fund to ensure that Little Basin is well maintained and cared for into the future. The two nonprofit land trusts have jointly owned and managed Little Basin since 2007, when they acquired the property in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains for $4 million from the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP).
 
Little Basin includes open meadows and redwood forests, hiking trails, and a variety of group camping sites. It also has a commercial kitchen, play room, restrooms and showers, baseball field, and a basketball court. HP had owned and managed the land as a private outdoor recreation and corporate retreat site for its employees since 1963. When the time came for HP to sell Little Basin, they sought out POST and Sempervirens in the hope that the property’s scenic beauty and impressive recreation infrastructure could one day be permanently protected and opened to the public.
 
“We knew Little Basin is an incredible natural and recreational resource that would be ideal as public parkland,” said POST President Audrey Rust. “With the transfer of Little Basin to State Parks, our original goals of resource protection and public access are accomplished.”
 
Along with this property transfer, Sempervirens and POST are also transferring a concession agreement they have established with United Camps Conferences and Retreats (UCCR) to State Parks to run Little Basin until 2017. UCCR is a nonprofit organization based in Petaluma that specializes in running outdoor camping facilities and environmental education programs. The agreement with UCCR will be buttressed by the $1.3 million land stewardship fund to ensure that Little Basin is well cared for into the future. Sempervirens and POST plan to use the stewardship fund to upgrade the facilities before and after Little Basin is reopened this spring for group camping.
 
“We went through a detailed, competitive process to find UCCR and know they will do a fantastic job running and maintaining Little Basin as one of the state's premiere environmental schools and group camping facilities,” said Sempervirens Fund Executive Director Reed Holderman. “UCCR has more than 40 years of experience running outdoor nature camps in Northern California and is the perfect operator for this facility.”
 
“The Governor’s budget proposal has sent a clear message that we must find new ways to maintain key additions to our State Park system,” said Ruth Coleman, director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. "Our partnership with POST and Sempervirens has allowed us to expand one of our flagship parks and address increasing demand for recreational services without significantly impacting our limited resources for park maintenance statewide.”

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For the press release and more click here.  POST and Sempervirens Fund are both members of the Bay Area Open Space Council.

 

Event: Rainy Season Gathering SOLD OUT

Holy cow!  

100 people have signed up to attend Thursday's Gathering entitled Climate Change on the Ground.  And that is as many people will fit into the Tamalpais Room at the Brower Center.  

Send an email to annie [at] openspacecouncil [dot] org if you want to go on the waitlist.  And come to this space, this humble blog, for some live updates from the Gathering.  We'll also be tweeting with the hashtag #openspace.  Follow along!

 

Event: The "How To" for the Explorer Online Tool, Jan 26

There are still 4 spots left in our upcoming workshop on January 26.  If you acquire and/or manage land in the Bay Area and if you don't know GIS very well then you might enjoy and/or benefit from a few hours with the Upland Habitat Team and a computer.  

The Upland Habitat Goals Explorer –one of the products of the Upland Habitat Goals Project - is a web-based interactive mapping tool that offers ready access to the project’s data and recommendations to everyone regardless of GIS skill level.  A conservation practitioner or land use planner can outline a property or area of interest to display a Biodiversity Portfolio Report detailing the property’s vegetation types, conservation suitability, proximity to or inclusion in the Conservation Lands Network, conservation targets, and a host of additional information.  For more information about the project and the Explorer, click here.

For more experienced GIS users, there will be a full-day workshop on February 15th which will cover the Explorer as well as the full GIS database, methodology, modeling and other analysis that went into the Upland Habitat Goals project. OurEvents page will have more information as it is available.

Send any questions and your wish to register by email to Nancy Schaefer at nschaefer1@comcast.net.