Coastal Conservancy public meeting to be held in Ventura, January 29, 2015

Douglas Bosco (Public Member), Chairman
Sara Ramirez Giroux (Public Member)
Ann Notthoff (Public Member)
Peter Sadowski (Public Member)
John Laird, Secretary for Natural Resources; Bryan Cash (Designated)
Steve Kinsey, Coastal Commission Chair; Susan Hansch (Designated)
Michael Cohen, Director, Department of Finance; Karen Finn (Designated)

Senate Representatives
Anthony Cannella (District 12)
Jerry Hill (District 13)

Assembly Representatives
Luis Alejo (District 30)
Das Williams (District 37)

Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer
Jack Judkins, Legal Counsel

AGENDA

DATE: January 29, 2015 TIME: 11:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Ventura City Hall – Council Chambers
501 Poli Street  Ventura, CA

1. Roll Call

2. Approval of the Minutes of the Conservancy’s December 4, 2014  public meeting

3. CONSENT ITEMS

A. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $50,000 to the Association of Bay Area Governments for the purpose of organizing
and presenting the State of the Estuary Conference in September of 2015.

4. EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT

A. Proposition 1 Guidelines: Consideration of draft guidelines and authorization for public comment and to hold public hearings.

B. Consideration and possible creation of an advisory group for the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program.

C. Ventura County naval bases: Presentation by naval base representatives about the navy’s program to acquire and protect agricultural and natural resource lands around Ventura County navy bases, focusing on NBVC and Ormond Beach.

D. Update on Conservancy’s Strategic Plan progress to date and schedule for revisions to the existing Strategic Plan.

E. Legislative Report

SOUTH COAST

5. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $3,399,500 to the County of San Bernardino to construct a 3.8-mile segment of the Santa Ana River Parkway Trail in San Bernardino County.

6. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the California Department of Transportation for environmental assessment and design of a wildlife crossing near the interchange of U.S. 101 and Liberty Canyon Road in the City of Agoura Hills, and to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

7. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $270,000 to the San Diego River Conservancy for Phase I of the 2013 Junípero Serra Museum Interpretive Master Plan and the City of Santee‘s San Diego River Trail Mural Project, in San Diego County.

8. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to accept a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Landscape Conservation Cooperative and to disburse up to $200,000 to the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project for the Climate-Smart Adaptive Strategies for Wetlands Recovery in Coastal Southern California Project.

NORTH COAST

9. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to accept $1,000,000 in grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and disburse up to $960,000 of these funds to The Nature Conservancy to acquire a working forest easement over the 2,419 acre Parker Ranch, located adjacent to the Ten Mile River, Mendocino County, to preserve open space and fish and wildlife habitat and for sustainable timber production.

10. Consideration and possible authorization to: 1) disburse up to $200,000 in Conservancy funds and 2) to receive from the State Water Resources Control Board and disburse up to an additional $200,000 to the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust to implement and evaluate water quality improvement projects in the Klamath River watershed.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

11. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $400,000 to Napa County to remove a fish passage barrier located at Greenwood Avenue at its intersection with the Napa River, north of the city of Calistoga, Napa County.

12. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $262,500 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust for acquisition of the West Hills Farm property near the City of Martinez and adjacent to the John Muir National Historic Site in Contra Costa County.

13. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $220,000 to San Mateo County, and the direct expenditure by the Conservancy of up to $280,000, to complete a sea level rise vulnerability assessment within San Mateo County for the San Francisco Bay shoreline and Pacific Ocean coastline from Half Moon Bay north.

14. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to adopt the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Accessibility Plan.

CENTRAL COAST

15. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $646,500, including  $510,222 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Program, to the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District to acquire, and prepare a restoration plan for,the 82-acre Morrissey Ranch located along lower Los Osos Creek in the Morro Bay watershed in San Luis Obispo County.

16. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $450,000 to the Peninsula Open Space Trust to acquire the 21-acre Thompson property on Pillar Point Bluff, just north of Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, to provide public access and preserve the property’s natural resources.

17. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse $300,000 to the Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UCSB, to construct an education and research center at Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve, southern Santa Barbara County.

18. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $200,000 to the Sempervirens Fund to develop a reuse plan to convert the closed CEMEX cement plant in Davenport into more suitable uses, to serve as a hub for public recreation and economic activity, Santa Cruz County.

STATEWIDE

19. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $2,246,289 to 11 nonprofit organizations and public agencies for Climate Ready projects that sequester greenhouse gases and/or address the effects of climate change on coastal resources.

20. CLOSED SESSIONS:

Possible closed session:

A. To confer regarding pending litigation or anticipated litigation (Malibu-Encinal Homeowners Association v. Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, et al, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BS 431798; Pappas v State of California, Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Case No. 1417388; and other pending litigation; and/or to consider the initiation of litigation). Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e).

B. To give direction to the Conservancy’s real estate negotiators regarding the price and terms of payment for the sale of the Conservancy’s Victorine Ranch Property (Monterey County Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 243-211-025, 243-211-026 and 243-221-019). Session will be closed pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(c)(7).

21. CONSERVANCY MEMBER COMMENTS

22. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

23. ADJOURNMENT

N.B.: Agenda items may be taken out of sequence at the discretion of the Conservancy. At any time during the meeting, but prior to the adjournment of the open session of the meeting, the Conservancy may recess or adjourn to closed session to consider personnel matters, prices and terms of real estate transactions, and possible and pending litigation. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to attorney-client privilege and statutory authorization under Government Code Sections 11126(a), (c) (7), and (e).

Questions about the meeting or agenda can be directed to Dick Wayman at (510) 286-4182 or at the Conservancy: 1330 Broadway, 13th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612

Any person who has a disability and requires reasonable accommodation to participate in this public meeting should contact Mr. Wayman no later than five days prior to meeting.

January 29. 2015   Conservancy Board Tour – Ventura River

9:05-9:15   Walk along promenade to Surfer’s Point Park on Shoreline Drive
(public can park at the end of Shoreline Drive) to meet the tour
9:20-9:40   Presentation on Surfer’s Point Managed Retreat Project
9:45-10:10 Presentation on Ventura River projects, including Matilija Dam removal project