2010 Project Approvals

In 2010 the State Coastal Conservancy supported 67 projects along California’s coast and around San Francisco Bay with awards totaling more than $28 million. The Conservancy’s support for these projects is leveraging more than $60 million from the federal and local governments and private organizations. The funds are being used to protect natural lands, improve wildlife habitat, support local economies, and help people enjoy the coast and the Bay Area. The majority of the Conservancy’s funding came from resources bond acts approved by the State’s voters.

In the beginning of the year State bond funds were only available for selected projects that had begun prior to December 2008, and so funding for new projects was severely limited. By the beginning of May bond funds again became available and the Conservancy began developing new projects at a quick pace.

To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on partnerships with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations based in all parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network ensures that local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and opportunities and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

For Public Access along the length of the coast the Conservancy

  • approved funding for projects to extend and improve the California Coastal Trail in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings that follow. The Coastal Trail will one day run the entire length of the coast, linking the varied urban, rural, and wilderness areas that together make up California’s world-renowned coastline. About half of the trail is now in place and new segments are being added every year.

South Coast

For the length of the South Coast the Conservancy

  • provided $52,000 to the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project for the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project Science Advisory Project to support the design, construction, and monitoring of wetlands restoration in South Coast watersheds. The funding comes from the California Natural Resources Agency and follows $500,000 provided by the Conservancy for the Science Advisory Project in 2006. (May)

For San Diego County the Conservancy

  • awarded $317,000 to the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority to construct and plan for trails near San Dieguito Lagoon. The funding will support construction of the 1.7-mile Mesa Loop Trail overlooking the lagoon and about a half mile of the Coast-to-Crest Trail, together with studies of possible alignments for the Reach-the-Beach section of the Coast-to-Crest Trail near the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Coast-to-Crest Trail is a multi-use trail system that will connect inland areas in north San Diego County to the coast. The funding follows $177,000 awarded by the Conservancy for the trail in 2005. (May)
  • provided $300,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to construct a portion of the Bayside Birding and Walking Trail in the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial Beach. The new pedestrian trail will be parallel to the existing Bayshore Bikeway and include a wildlife overlook and a 50-foot bridge across a drainage channel. The trail will be built to protect sensitive wetlands habitats and resolve conflicts between bicycle and pedestrian uses of the Bayshore Bikeway. (May)
  • awarded $250,000 to the Ocean Discovery Institute for final design, engineering, and pre-construction planning for the Living Lab environmental education center in the City Heights neighborhood in the City of San Diego. The Living Lab will be the headquarters for Ocean Discovery’s environmental stewardship programs, which use San Diego’s natural environments as a means to engage young people from underserved communities and inspire them to become part of the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders. (August)
  • authorized use of $220,000 for planning, permitting, and associated studies for the San Diego River Tributary Canyons Project, which aims to develop pedestrian and bicycle trail connections to the proposed 52-mile San Diego River Trail in the City of San Diego. The planning will focus on possible alignments for a 3.3-mile trail that would link neighborhoods north and south of the San Diego River to a City-planned river park in eastern Mission Valley. The Coastal Conservancy has been developing the project in close collaboration with the San Diego River Conservancy. (August)
  • awarded $200,000 to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition to plan for and design about three miles of the Rose Creek Watershed Trail in the City of San Diego. The new trail will link existing trails, provide safe railroad and creek crossings, and greatly improve access from the upper Rose Creek watershed to Mission Bay. The trail will also become an important connection to the Coastal Rail Trail, a planned 40-mile commuting and recreation trail between downtown San Diego and Oceanside. (May)
  • provided $250,000 to the City of San Diego for planning and permitting necessary to reclaim the Nelson Sloan Quarry in the Tijuana River Valley. The reclamation will improve the natural values and appearance of the abandoned quarry, which lies within Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, while providing a low-cost option for disposing of sediment that must be dredged from the Tijuana Estuary and other nearby locations. (October)
  • granted $104,000 to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy for restoration of Swan Canyon in the City of San Diego. The funding will be used to replace invasive non-native vegetation, including stands of giant reed, with native plants. The work will improve wildlife habitat, remove a fire hazard, and decrease the number of hidden areas used for encampments and criminal activity. The funding follows Conservancy support for planning and permitting provided since 1999. (August)
  • awarded $300,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) to prepare the Historical Ecology Study of North San Diego County Coastal Wetlands. Working with the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and California State University, Northridge, SFEI will analyze historical documents to characterize changes in water flows, habitats, and the plants and animals found in eight wetlands from Torrey Pines State Reserve to Camp Pendleton. The information will be used to develop restoration strategies geared to each of the wetlands. (December)
  • authorized the City of San Diego to use $56,000 of previously authorized Conservancy funds to complete a Vernal Pool Habitat Conservation Plan for the southwestern area of the City. Vernal pools—wetlands that are occasionally dry—support several rare and endangered plants and animals and are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the region. The plan will be prepared in conjunction with the State’s Natural Communities Conservation Program, which aims to conserve natural communities while accommodating compatible land use and development. (December)

For San Diego and Orange Counties the Conservancy

  • provided $60,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego to plan and coordinate the Tall Ships Festivals of 2010 held in September and October at the ports of San Diego, Dana Point, and Chula Vista. The events featured visits from historic tall ships and working craft from around the world together with multi-cultural educational and recreational activities highlighting the three waterfronts. (August)

For Orange County the Conservancy

  • provided $126,000 to the Laguna Canyon Foundation for work leading to future property acquisitions for the South Coast Wilderness system of parks and preserves. Since 2002 the Conservancy has provided more than $9 million for purchases totaling 242 acres that have been added to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, a major part of the greater wilderness. The 20,000-acre South Coast Wilderness surrounds the highly urban landscape between Newport Beach and Dana Point. (October)
  • granted $25,000 to Get Inspired!, a nonprofit organization, to restore and monitor two acres of depleted giant kelp beds at reef locations near Laguna Beach. Get Inspired! will also use the funding to train volunteer divers, collect biological data at previously restored sites, and involve middle and high school students in the restoration effort. Giant kelp forests are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems in the world, providing food and shelter for more than 800 species of marine animals. (October)

For Los Angeles County the Conservancy

  • awarded $994,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to construct a stairway from Malibu Road to Amarillo and Malibu Colony beaches in the City of Malibu. When completed, the stairway will be the only public beach accessway between Malibu Lagoon State Park and Amarillo Beach. The Conservancy, which acquired the site in 2002 and funded the stairway’s design, also authorized transfer of the property to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. (October)
  • contributed $573,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust’s purchase of the 78-acre Cold Creek High Trail property for addition to the Cold Creek Preserve in the Santa Monica Mountains. The purchase will conserve a critical segment of a wildlife corridor between Topanga and Malibu Creek state parks and allow the development of public trails that will be linked to the area’s regional trail systems. The land contains 12 parcels that could be developed for residential estates. (August)
  • provided $500,000 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes for design and construction of nine miles of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Coastal Trail along the city’s entire coastline. Sections of the trail currently exist but are disconnected, unmarked, and mostly in poor condition. The trail will accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and, where feasible, wheelchairs. It will be designated as part of the California Coastal Trail, and connecting trails will lead to beaches and through the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. (October)

For Ventura County the Conservancy

  • provided $4 million to The Nature Conservancy for its purchase of 200 acres for addition to the Santa Clara River Parkway. Goals of the Parkway project include managing floodwaters, restoring the natural environment, and creating a public trail system along the lower 23 miles of Southern California’s largest river. The Coastal Conservancy has worked since 2000 with the Nature Conservancy and other government agencies and private organizations to develop the Parkway, which so far contains 3,000 acres along 14 miles of the river. (October)

Central Coast

For Santa Barbara County the Conservancy

  • awarded $2,336,000, including $1.2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to Santa Barbara County for its acquisition of a largely pristine 172-acre property on Paradise Beach near Point Sal. The property adjoins hundreds of acres of already protected land and includes about a mile of beachfront and a variety of habitats that support hundreds of native plant and animal species. (April)
  • provided $175,000 to the University of California to construct a stairway over the slope of a bluff and safely link well-used and highly scenic sections of the California Coastal Trail near Campus Lagoon at UC-Santa Barbara. The project includes restoration of adjacent portions of the bluff face, which has been severely eroded by a series of informal trails. (August)
  • granted $50,000 to the City of Carpinteria to prepare environmental compliance documents for the Rincon segment of the Carpinteria Coastal Vista Trail along the Santa Barbara Channel shoreline. The one-mile trail segment will provide a hiking and biking connection between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and improve the safety of access to and along the shoreline. The trail will close a gap in the California Coastal Trail at a critical location between Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Rincon County Park. (December)

For Monterey County the Conservancy

  • awarded $180,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust for preparation of final designs, environmental review, and permit applications for the Lower Carmel River Floodplain Restoration Project. Key objectives of the project include restoring 90 acres of wildlife habitat in the river’s historic floodplain, recharging groundwater, reducing flood flows in urban areas, reconnecting the east and west sides of the floodplain, and improving the quality of water entering Carmel River Lagoon. The funding comes from a $925,000 grant for the project received by the Conservancy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it follows $250,000 provided by the Conservancy in 2008. (August)
  • provided $75,000 to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to define, manage, and monitor ten conservation easements in the Elkhorn Slough watershed. The easements resulted from decades-earlier applications for coastal development permits and were designed to protect a variety of sensitive wildlife habitats. (February)

For Santa Cruz County the Conservancy

  • awarded $500,000 to the City of Santa Cruz for the installation of interpretive exhibits within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. The Center, now under construction, will introduce people to the 3,500-square-mile marine sanctuary and inform them about how it can be protected. The site for the Center is near the City’s Municipal Wharf and only a few blocks from downtown. (December)
  • provided $250,000 to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to prepare a Master Coastal Trail Plan for the County’s segment of the California Coastal Trail. The plan will guide the development of about 38 miles of bicycle and pedestrian pathways along the County’s entire coastline, along with spur trails leading to and from points of interest and community access points. Part of the plan’s development will include workshops open to interest groups and the general public. (May)
  • granted $50,000 to Save Our Shores to develop a cigarette litter abatement demonstration project. The project will evaluate the effectiveness of different types of cigarette receptacles and educate the public about risks to the environment from cigarette litter. Cigarette butts are the most prevalent type of litter that finds its way to the County’s beaches and marine habitats. (May)

San Francisco Bay Area

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area the Conservancy

  • awarded $1.2 million to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council to plan for future Bay Area Ridge Trail projects within the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Council is working toward creation of a 500-mile multi-use trail that will ring San Francisco Bay high on the ridgeline. About 320 miles of the trail are currently open to the public, many constructed with financial assistance from the Conservancy. (May)
  • provided $1 million to San Francisco State University and environmental contractors for the San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines Project, which aims to restore subtidal habitats in the Bay and assist with adaptations to climate change. The funding will support the establishment of up to three pilot sites in the Bay for restoration of native eelgrass and oyster beds. Much of the funding is available through the Wildlife Conservation Board and from a U.S. EPA grant made to the Association of Bay Area Governments. (August and December)
  • authorized use of $300,000 of Conservancy funds plus $357,000 from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support the Bay Area Ecosystems Climate Change Consortium‘s development of climate change research priorities, adaptation practices, and pilot projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Consortium is working to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the region’s wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem functions while enhancing the role of natural systems in mitigating those impacts. The funding will include a $150,000 grant to PRBO Conservation Science to coordinate the Consortium’s science review, technical support, and mapping efforts. (October)
  • awarded $420,000 to the San Francisco Parks Trust to conduct conservation planning in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, including outreach and coordination among Bay Area land conservation organizations. The funding will support several projects and programs undertaken through the Bay Area Open Space Council. (October)
  • provided $100,000 to PRBO Conservation Science to (1) model ecological changes to San Francisco Bay wetland habitats based on a range of sea level rise and salinity change projections resulting from climate change and (2) develop recommendations of high-priority sites for restoration and conservation in light of the predictions. San Francisco Bay wetlands are critical habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and directly benefit local communities through flood control, buffering of storm waters, and improving water quality. PRBO’s work will help guide planning for long-term wetlands restoration in the Bay. (October)

For San Francisco the Conservancy

  • awarded $300,000 to the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) to develop an Ocean Beach Master Plan addressing a myriad of issues affecting recreation, natural resources, and predicted sea-level rise. The five-mile length of Ocean Beach makes it one of the longest urban beaches in the country, and it has the potential for becoming one of the most spectacular metropolitan beaches in the world. It suffers, however, from erosion, neglect, and a lack of amenities for visitors. (May)
  • provided $290,000 to the Trust for Public Land to develop a master plan for Glen Canyon Park, including a plan to rehabilitate the well-used recreation area and designs for trail improvements. Most of the popular 69-acre park is an urban wilderness that contains forests, grasslands, and coastal scrub habitats that are home to a wide variety of wildlife. The City has designated $6.7 million of voter-approved local bond funds for the park’s improvements. (December)
  • authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to provide $90,000 of Conservancy funds to the Port of San Francisco to install improvements to an 800-foot-long segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail in conjunction with the Port’s reconstruction of Pier 43½ in Fisherman’s Wharf. The improvements will include lighting, street furniture, and trash receptacles on the Pier 43 Bay Trail Promenade within the most heavily traveled portion of the Bay Trail. The Port is relocating the alignment of the trail from an inland street to the Bay’s edge, affording pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchair riders greater safety and spectacular views. (December)

For Bayside and Inland San Mateo County the Conservancy

  • awarded $800,000 to Ducks Unlimited to construct a pedestrian/bicycle bridge linking the San Francisco Bay Trail to Inner Bair Island in Redwood City. The bridge is part of a project that will improve and reconfigure existing trails and add observation platforms, a restroom, and kayak accommodations along the edge of an extensive area of restored salt marsh. An additional $200,000 of Conservancy funds previously awarded for the Bay Trail will also be used for the project. (May)

For Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties the Conservancy

  • granted $30,000 to the Alameda County Water District for technical studies of water flows necessary to restore steelhead fisheries to Alameda Creek. The creek once supported large populations of steelhead trout, but a series of dams and other structures built since the 1840s have blocked migration of the fish between the bay and its historic spawning grounds. The award follows $120,000 provided by the Conservancy in 2006. (August)

For Alameda County the Conservancy

  • awarded $355,000 to the City of Berkeley to construct a half-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail within Eastshore State Park and a water access ramp for non-motorized vessels at the Berkeley Marina. The trail will run due west and become part of a greater project that will include trail extensions, new park amenities, bus stops, and lighting. The water access ramp is expected to be well used by wind surfers and kayakers. (May)
  • provided $250,000 to the Bay Area Toll Authority for the multi-agency planning effort for the future Gateway Park at the eastern base of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The park will take up 15 acres on the shoreline of the former Oakland Army Base in an area that has historically been isolated from nearby communities and difficult to reach. It will offer spectacular views of the bay and the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge and will be linked to regional trails. (October)

For Contra Costa County the Conservancy

  • contributed $1 million toward the Muir Heritage Land Trust’s acquisition of the 483-acre Franklin Canyon property in the city of Hercules. The property contains a variety of wildlife habitats and a potential site for a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that would connect to adjacent protected lands along Franklin Ridge. The property had once been a target of large-scale development projects and its protection has been strongly supported by the local community. (April)

For Napa County the Conservancy

  • awarded $118,000 to The Land Trust of Napa County to assist public and private landowners in removing invasive vegetation and restoring native habitats in the Eticuera Creek watershed within the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area at the north end of Lake Berryessa. Non-native plants have invaded much of the 34,000-acre watershed resulting in reduced habitats for wildlife, increased topsoil erosion, and lowered land values. The work will be conducted by the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area Conservation Partnership, whose membership includes area landowners. (May)
  • waived a $2 million repayment requirement from the Land Trust of Napa County’s purchase of Wildlake Ranch near Angwin on the condition that the entire amount of that funding be used for the ranch’s stewardship and development of public access facilities. The Conservancy’s 2006 funding—made with a requirement for repayment under certain circumstances—enabled the Land Trust to acquire the 3,000-acre ranch, but since then other anticipated sources of funding for purchase and management failed to materialize. The Land Trust plans to open the highly scenic and biologically rich ranch to the public no later than June 2013. (October)
  • approved use of $75,000 to support the design, permitting, and other work associated with the Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration Project near San Pablo Bay. The Conservancy’s contribution will keep the project on-track for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct Phase III of the restoration, scheduled to begin in 2011 pending an anticipated federal appropriation of $12 million. More than half of the 10,000-acre project site—purchased by the State in 1994—has been restored to tidal wetlands and ponds managed for waterfowl and shorebirds. (October)

For Bayside and Inland Sonoma County the Conservancy

  • awarded $475,000 to the City of Petaluma to complete engineering designs, permits, and related studies for rehabilitation of the historic railroad trestle on the Petaluma River for public access in downtown Petaluma. The 500-foot-long redwood trestle, built in 1922 but long closed, was once the main link for cargo transported to and from the river and a key component of Northern California commerce. The trestle project is part of a broader effort to re-integrate the river with the City’s downtown and expand regional systems of trails for pedestrians and bicycles. (October)
  • provided $450,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Conservancy’s 25% share of monitoring costs through 2015 for the Sonoma Baylands Wetlands Restoration Demonstration Project at the mouth of the Petaluma River. The 322-acre project site, a former hayfield, was restored to tidal wetlands in the 1990s using materials dredged from the Port of Oakland. The Conservancy also authorized transfer of the property to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. (October)
  • awarded $300,000 to Sonoma County Regional Parks to complete a master plan for Tolay Lake Regional Park near Sears Point. The plan will cover restoration of wildlife habitat on 3,400 acres that include Tolay Lake and 4½ miles of Tolay Creek, along with improvements for a park center, trails, and equestrian facilities. The targeted area includes two properties, one owned by the County and the other by the Sonoma Land Trust that is slated to become part of the park. The Conservancy had contributed $5 million toward the properties’ acquisitions. (December)

For Bayside and Inland Marin County the Conservancy

  • provided $5,250,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the ongoing restoration of the 648-acre Hamilton Wetlands in Novato, one of the largest tidal marsh restoration projects in San Francisco Bay. A portion of the Conservancy’s funding might be used to bring the neighboring 1,600-acre Bel Marin Keys Unit V property into the project. The bulk of the project’s funding is being provided by the federal government. (February and May)
  • awarded $1 million to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to acquire an agricultural conservation easement over the 1,214-acre J. Corda Ranch five miles west of Novato. The easement will enable the ranch to continue in agricultural production while protecting wildlife habitat and scenic lands. The ranch is connected on either end to other properties under MALT easements, so the Corda easement will result in an extensive protected wildlife corridor and a buffer against the encroachment of Novato’s western end. (May)

North Coast

For the Coastside of Marin County the Conservancy

  • awarded $2 million to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for the restoration of Lower Redwood Creek at Muir Beach. Most of the creek’s upper watershed is relatively intact, but its mouth and floodplain are highly disturbed and prone to flooding. The project will restore the natural ecology of the floodplain, re-create endangered species habitat, reduce flooding that periodically closes the beach entrance road, and provide educational opportunities about wetlands restoration. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided $1 million of the Conservancy’s award. (May)
  • provided $98,000 to Marin County to assist landowners in planning for improvements to salmon habitats in the upper San Geronimo Creek watershed. The planning will guide future habitat restoration on privately owned parcels, for which funding is expected from a variety of sources. The planning is the first phase of a program for restoration of the watershed, which contains some of the region’s best habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout. In 2008 the Conservancy provided $100,000 for the program’s development. (October)

For Mendocino County the Conservancy

  • provided $500,000 to the City of Fort Bragg for its purchase of 12 acres of the former Georgia-Pacific mill site on the City’s ocean headlands for the Noyo Center for Science and Education. The Center will include a world-class marine research laboratory and a facility for an aquarium and other public exhibits about the area’s coastal and marine environments. The City will repay the Conservancy its contribution over time, beginning in 2013. (October)
  • provided $393,000 to the Mendocino Land Trust to construct or improve seven segments of the California Coastal Trail, plan for the development of an additional four segments, and continue to manage its existing accessways and easements. The construction will add 3.2 miles to the trail, a beach stairway, and interpretive panels at sites in Westport, Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg, Caspar, Little River, Albion, and Elk. This is part of the second phase of an ongoing collaboration among the Conservancy, the Land Trust, and others to extend the Coastal Trail in the county. (August)
  • awarded $275,000 to Jughandle Creek Farm and Nature Center for planning and design of educational and lodging facilities and an improved trail system at the Center’s property east of Caspar. The Center provides environmental education programs for young people, affordable lodging and camping for tourists and environmental groups, and a greenhouse and nursery where students, youth groups, and others can learn about and participate in native plant restoration projects. The funding follows $87,000 provided by the Conservancy in 2007 for preliminary technical studies and plans for the improvements. (October)
  • provided $36,000 to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens south of Fort Bragg for the design of improvements to its trail system to meet Americans with Disabilities Act access standards. The Gardens contains seven acres of landscaped gardens and 40 acres of natural lands along the coastline, together with about 1½ miles of paved trails. The Gardens’ facilities and most of the paved trails are wheelchair-accessible except for three trail sections that are too steep for most wheelchair riders. The Conservancy has long supported the Gardens, providing more than $2.3 million since 1982 for the purchase of and improvements to the site. (October)
  • awarded $10,000 to the Moat Creek Managing Agency for its continued operation and maintenance of public access improvements at Moat Creek Beach and along the Moat Creek segment of the California Coastal Trail south of Point Arena. The sites were created as part of an early and successful Conservancy effort to reduce the density of the Whiskey Shoals subdivision for the protection of scenic natural and recreational lands. (February)

For Humboldt County the Conservancy

  • awarded $600,000 to the Mattole Restoration Council for continued enhancement of the natural environment in the lower watershed of the Mattole River. The primary objectives of the restoration are a reduction in flows of sediment that degrade salmon and trout spawning habitats, planting of trees and other native vegetation to stabilize streambanks and provide shade for fish habitat, and removal of invasive plants that threaten to overrun areas of the watershed. The funding is supporting the third phase of restoration work that began in 2003. (May)
  • provided $300,000 to the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District for final design of the Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project near Ferndale. The project aims to restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion on private lands, excavate a new river channel, and provide for long-term maintenance and management of the restored areas. The Salt River, within the Eel River Estuary, was once excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife and contributed to the Eel River’s prodigious populations of salmon and steelhead trout. Land-use changes in the estuary since the late 19th century, however, have degraded water quality and wildlife habitats and led to widespread flooding. (October)
  • awarded $500,000 to the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria for the reconstruction of Trinidad Pier. The existing wooden pier, constructed in 1947, is deteriorating and has contaminated Trinidad Harbor with chemicals from creosote-treated pilings and runoff from routine activities such as boat washing and fish cleaning. The new pier will be constructed of concrete and steel and equipped with a system to collect runoff water. The Conservancy earlier contributed funding for the new pier’s design. (December)
  • provided $175,000 to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for public access improvements at the 444-acre Ma-le’l Dunes Cooperative Management Area on the north spit of Humboldt Bay. The slated improvements include upgrading of existing trails and parking areas and installation of fencing, restrooms, and signs. The Conservancy contributed funding toward the site’s purchase in 2003. (August)
  • contributed $100,000 to the City of Arcata’s purchase of about 16 acres for addition to the Arcata Community Forest. The property contains forests and wetlands along a portion of the south fork of Janes Creek within a watershed that supports coho salmon and steelhead and cutthroat trout. The purchase will ensure the protection of the property’s natural resources and provide a site for public trails that will link to regional trail systems. (October)
  • awarded $92,000 to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District to complete final design and permitting for Phase II of the Humboldt Bay Water Trails program. The funding will support the design of new docks at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary and Woodley Island Marina and improvements to water access at Samoa Beach County Park. The objective of the program is to develop a series of water routes for canoeists and kayakers that are safe, easily accessible, and compatible with the natural environment and the interests of private landowners. (August)
  • granted $50,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust for the design and permitting of the Freshwater Nature Trail along the perimeter of the Freshwater Farms Reserve north of Eureka. The planned three-quarter-mile trail will include parking and picnic areas and a boat launch to Freshwater Slough, which flows to Humboldt Bay. Conservancy funding contributed to the Land Trust’s purchase of the 54-acre reserve in 2007. (October)

For Humboldt and Del Norte Counties the Conservancy

  • provided $70,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to plan for the acquisitions of a conservation easement on the 160-acre Wetherell Dairy in Fort Dick, Del Norte County, and fee title to the 40-acre Senestraro property in Eureka, Humboldt County, and to prepare a Restoration and Management Plan for the 77-acre McNamara Dairy in Orick, Humboldt County. The Wetherell Dairy conservation easement will allow continued operation of a historic dairy in the Smith River Plain while preventing its subdivision and protecting its wildlife habitat. The Senestraro acquisition will allow restoration of Martin Slough, a tributary of the Eel River. The McNamara Dairy was purchased with Conservancy funds in 2009, in part to protect and enhance the environment of the estuary of Redwood Creek. (May)

For Del Norte County the Conservancy

  • awarded $685,000 to the Crescent City Harbor District for the planning, design, and permitting of public access improvements in Crescent City Harbor. The funding will support the development of overall design guidelines along with specific designs for a waterfront promenade and an extension of the California Coastal Trail. The Conservancy has worked with Crescent City to revitalize its waterfront since 1984. (August)
  • provided $100,000 to the County for improvements to Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City to ensure continued public access to the lighthouse and island grounds. Recent damage to the cast-iron roof of the lighthouse threatens its structural integrity and long-deferred maintenance must be addressed to stem the continued deterioration of the lighthouse structures and the trail from the City’s waterfront. The lighthouse is an iconic symbol of California’s North Coast and is visited by more than 15,000 people each year. (October)

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