Center Helps Stakeholders Move Forward on Delta Projects

Conflict and tension among stakeholders most often characterize Bay Delta water efforts. After six months of work with the Center, a Coalition of diverse stakeholders – many who are traditional adversaries – came together to explore whether there were “no/low risk,” near-term projects that might be worthwhile and deserve attention. They defined “no risk/ low risk for any regrets” projects as those that would not prejudice the outcome of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan or the Delta Plan.

By early October 2012, thirty-seven individual water leaders signed a letter to the Governor Brown identifying 42 Delta projects that should move forward through the regulatory and other processes. On October 15, Coalition members presented their work to California Senator Wolk’s Hearing on the “Next Decade in the Delta” and subsequently received numerous positive media accounts.

Sierra National Forest Collaborative Celebrates Second Anniversary

The Dinkey Landscape Restoration Project on the Sierra National Forest celebrated its second anniversary in December 2012. This effort is part of a federal effort to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes. Over the past year, the collaborative group has worked together with Sierra National Forest to plan and implement several on-the-ground restoration projects, and develop a series of “implementation tools” to advance adaptive management. The group also completed development of a series of multiparty monitoring projects, hired a monitoring coordinator, and developed a scope of work for gathering socioeconomic information. In September it also held a dedicated event for surrounding forest communities, with over 50 people attending the open house. Members of the collaborative have a range of interests in forest land management, including the forest industry, ecology and wildlife, fire protection, native cultural resources, and recreation.