Helping dairy farmers choose climate-smart manure management systems for potential funding from the California Depart of Food and Agriculture through their Alternate Manure Management Program (AMMP)
The CDFA AMMP Project Planning Tool provides California dairy and livestock operators an opportunity to easily visualize an alternative manure management practice that reduces carbon emissions, using simple ways of mapping proposed operations on the farm. The Tool increases access for potential applicants to create maps describing their current and proposed manure management, thus improving their AMMP grant applications, and our ability to review projects efficiently. The CBI team did an amazing job communicating with us regularly, offering suggestions, and helping put our ideas and the rather complex elements of our grant program together into a really beautiful and user-friendly tool.
Alyssa Louie – Senior Environmental Scientist, California Department of Food and Agriculture
The Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington supports productive farmland and rangeland as well as native shrub-steppe habitat of which only 40% remains intact. The region also contains some of the most sought after land in the state for utility scale solar energy development, which is an important component of its future energy portfolio that strives to produce 80% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2040.
CBI has been chosen by the Washington State University Energy Program to provide the science and mapping component in support of a voluntary, collaborative effort that brings stakeholders together in order to identify areas of least-conflict between solar energy development and other important ecological, economic, and social values in order to meet the state’s carbon-free energy goals. CBI’s contribution to this process is based on the successful pilot to this approach in the San Joaquin Valley in California. The project will include a new Data Basin gateway, which is a customized site for accessing the science and mapping resources for this project.
See the recent brochure published by Washington State University for more information.
The proposed Luebbers development is located in the headwaters of Dixon Creek just outside the urban growth boundary (UGB) for the City of Corvallis. The development site contains two intermittent tributaries that flow directly into the West Fork of Dixon Creek. The proposed development would require substantial road improvement to Live Oak Drive according to BCC 515(2) of approximately 3,000 feet immediately adjacent to Dixon Creek including a section within the UGB (Figure 1). The development plan also proposes to construct Live Oak Court over steep slopes, which would connect Deer Run Street with Live Oak Drive. No plan for stormwater management as required by BCC 97.115 (1)(k) or drainage plan for the road design required by BCC 99.515 have been provided. Wetlands are located on the east side of Live Oak Drive near the proposed development and will require a detailed wetland delineation and possible mitigation plan. No endangered species survey has been performed and will likely be required. The southeasterly side of the proposed development site is very step and has a history of landslides. The site has been identified as “sensitive” by Benton County Planning Commission staff due to its steep slopes (most of the site contains >20% slope) and highly erodable soils and therefore subject to BCC 99.105. No detailed sewage disposal plan for the proposed housing development, required by BCC 99.705, was provided.
With this background information in mind, we offer the following comments about the ecological considerations and concerns this proposed developed invokes. We concentrate on the potential ecological impacts of the proposed development on three main areas:
(1) the riparian corridor of Dixon Creek directly impacted by the development,
(2) the ecological integrity of Dixon Creek overall, and
(3) wildlife habitat within and around the proposed development site.
Over the next decade, approximately one-half million acres of habitat will be set aside for conservation in San Diego County to protect the region’s outstanding biological diversity. Protection and management of this open space will require substantial funding and staffing and a coordinated commitment from diverse groups, including municipalities, resource agencies, and local citizens’ groups.
The Escondido Creek watershed comprises a relatively small, but immensely significant part of Southern California. Within its approximately 54,000 acres, stretching from the foothills to the coast, lie the last remnants of an imperiled coastal scrub habitat that connects the northern and southern parts of a globally important ecological region. Though seemingly unspectacular to some, this coastal scrub habitat is vital to the integrity of San Diego County’s open space network and to the persistence of some of Southern California’s most endangered species, many of which occur nowhere else on the planet. Conservation of these natural lands is the key to preserving San Elijo Lagoon as the jewel of Southern California’s remaining coastal wetlands. Moreover, conservation of this open space—an integral part of the larger open space network in San Diego County and Southern California—is essential to the sustainability of our natural, economic, social, cultural, and government systems, which depend on clean water, flood control, clean air, and scenic and recreational resources.
This report summarizes recommendations from a group of independent science advisors for the Yolo County Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP). This scientific input is provided early in the planning process, before preparation of a draft plan, to help ensure that the plan is developed using best available science. To ensure objectivity, the advisors operate independent of the Yolo County Habitat/Natural Community Conservation Plan Joint Powers Agency (JPA), its consultants, or any other entities involved in the NCCP/HCP. Our recommendations are advisory only and are not binding on NCCP/HCP participants.
In some cases our advice may extend beyond what was expected by the JPA, relative to the current scope of the NCCP/HCP. For example, although the JPA is not seeking permit coverage for aquatic species or flood-control projects through the plan, we offer recommendations concerning these issues (1) in case the plan is ever expanded to address them, (2) because even development projects in terrestrial habitats can affect aquatic species, and (3) because the plan has potential to contribute to the recovery of aquatic resources in coordination with other planning or regulatory mechanisms. For example, throughout this document we offer suggestions for where the NCCP/HCP may complement the goals of such other planning efforts as the County’s Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.
Our recommendations are organized by the following major topics: (1) the scope of the plan, (2) review of existing information, (3) conservation design approaches, (4) conservation analyses, and (5) adaptive management and monitoring.
This report summarizes recommendations from a group of independent science advisors for the Yuba and Sutter County Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP). This statutorily required scientific input is provided early in the planning process, before preparation of a draft plan, to help ensure that the plan is developed using best available science. Attachment A provides brief biographies of the independent science advisors. To ensure objectivity, the advisors operate independent of the two counties, their consultants, the wildlife agencies, or any other entities involved in the NCCP/HCP.
This report assesses potential impacts of feral pig populations in southern California (San Diego, Riverside, Imperial, and Orange counties) and Baja California, with an emphasis on San Diego County. We compiled information on the status of pigs in these areas from the literature and interviews with numerous individuals knowledgeable about feral pig populations, including a population recently introduced into San Diego County. We also reviewed available information on the potential impacts of feral pigs on natural resources, water systems, agriculture, and human health, and discussed the feasibility of various control and eradication options.
We developed population and habitat suitability models for feral pigs in San Diego County to examine the potential for numeric and geographic expansion following the recent introduction near El Capitan Reservoir. The models suggest that the population has the potential to grow rapidly and expand into large expanses of currently un-occupied habitat. Such expansion could harm natural biological resources, including riparian and oak woodland communities and numerous sensitive species. It is possible that populations could establish in such protected lands as Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Volcan Mountain Preserve, as well as various wilderness areas. This could greatly diminish and possibly nullify large conservation investments already made in this region, including habitat restoration efforts. Finally, an expanding feral pig population in San Diego County could invade and cause grave damage in Baja California, where feral pig populations have not, to date, been reported.
CBI staff facilitated and contributed to several indepent science adivsory processes and recommendation reports for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Aquatic
A group of nine scientists were convened in September 2007 to provide independent advice to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) Steering Committee. These scientists provided advice on the use of science in developing an effective Conservation Plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in accordance with California’s Natural Community Conservation Planning Act (NCCPA) and the BDCP Planning Agreement. Consistent with the requirements of the NCCPA, the Science Advisors’ report includes a listing of principles for conservation planning, design, and management. The Report also includes a series of more specific recommendations regarding application of the existing knowledge base and the use of data and analyses for informing the BDCP. The following briefly summarizes key foundational principles and recommendations from the Report. These principles and recommendations should be considered as the overall conservation strategy and potential conservation measures are developed for the BDCP.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Aquatic (2007) PDF
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Non-Aquatic
This report summarized recommendations from a group of six independent science advisors (ISA) concerning the treatment of non-aquatic species and communities by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). The intent of the ISA process is to ensure that the plan has access to the best available science. Our recommendations area not biding, and area not intended to either question or promote particular plan goals or policies, but are intended to help inform the planning process.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Non-Aquatic (2008) PDF
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Adaptive Management
This report summarizes recommendations from a group of nine independent scientists convened in December 2008 concerning incorporation of adapative management into the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). This report includes a general review of pertinent BDCP documents and a recommended framework for incorporating adative management into the planning, designa and implementation of the BCDP.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Adaptive Management (2009) PDF
This report summarizes recommendations from a group of independent science advisors for the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP). This scientific input is provided early in the planning process to help the plan proceed with best available science. The advisors operate independent of the entities involved in planning or implementing the HCP/NCCP. Our recommendations are advisory only and not binding on HCP/NCCP participants.
Our recommendations are organized by the following major topics:(1) scope of the plan, (2) review of existing information, (3) conservation design, (4) conservation analyses, and (5) adaptive management and monitoring.