July 8, 2005

Paiute Cutthroat Trout will get help!

On Wednesday, July 6, 2005 the State Water Resources Control Board held a public hearing to determine whether to issue a permit to the California Department of Fish and Game to use rotenone to eradicate non-native species on Silver King Creek in Alpine County.  TU's petition was heard and the permit was granted!

"This is a great victory for the restoration of the Paiute Cutthroat Trout! The North Bay Chapter has been working on the restoration of the Paiute for twenty years. We will finally see the culmination of our efforts over the next few years as pure-strain Paiute are restored to their native range. Many thanks for your letters. The Board commented on the number received. It definitely made a difference!" - from an email from John Regan, North Bay Chapter President.

Strong opposition to using roteneone for any reason had stopped the project in 2003 and 2004. Not allowing rotenone use in this case could have become bad precedent, preventing its use throughout the U.S.  This would have been a disaster for native trout recovery!

Once treatments are completed, pure-strain Paiute Cutthroat Trout will be returned to the treated section of their native stream.  Once this final phase is completed successfully, the Paiute will be restored to its entire native range and will be eligible for removal from the Endangered Species List. 

This would be the first time that a fish has been removed from the Endangered Species List and TU has been there the entire way working with the CA Dept. of Fish and Game, the Forest Service and U.S Fish and Wildlife. 

It's never too late to send letters of appreciation to the decisionmakers.   Address your comments to:

Debbie Irvin
Clerk to the Board
Executive Office
State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 100
Sacramento, CA 95812-0100

(Fax: 916-341-5620 or e-mail: dirvin at waterboards.ca.gov)

June 29, 2003

Silverado Premium Properties II
Colony Capital, LLC
1999 Avenue of the Stars
Suite 1200
Los Angeles, CA 90067

re: Vino Farms Rip Rap Project on Russian River ZPE 98-0145

Dear Silverado Premium Properties II:

Trout Unlimited (www.tu.org) is America's leading cold water fishery conservation organization with over 100,000 members nationally concerned about the biological health of salmonid habitat and our fisheries. This letter is to ask that you halt the outrageous rock rip rap project proposed on your land by Vino Farms on the Russian River near Healdsburg, California. This project has been protested by those that care about the biological health of the Russian River and its three listed threatened species of salmonids: Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Rainbow Trout. There protests are included in the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for this project now before the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 565-1900 fax (707) 565-1103 Contact: Ken Ellison. Comments on this project are due July 2, 2003.

The proposed project will cause serious damage to the river's ecosystem at this sensitive location below the mouth of Dry Creek near Healdsburg. Attached is a drawing from the application to the County of Sonoma showing a massive rock rip rapping of 350 feet of the river bank. This rip rapping will have the effect of accelerating the river flow through this reach which will then have a greater impact on the opposite bank downstream. This opposite bank is an unengineered levee behind which are 60 foot deep gravel pits. The river has breached these pits before which on one occasion led to the discharge of the City of Healdsburg's gravel pit stored waste water into the Russian River. This resulted in a Clean Water Act lawsuit filed against the City of Healdsburg.

This sort of rip rapping can have the effect of cause downstream land owners to rip rap their bank because of the increased erosion from accelerated water flows from upstream rip rap projects. This effect can work its way downstream until the entire river is solid rock and a biological disaster for cold water species such as our threatened salmonids.

This project also proposes dewatering the Russian River at this location and rerouting it across a gravel bar. Reestablishment of these gravel bars and their riparian vegetation has been a high priority of efforts to restore the Russian River's salmonid fishery. This proposed mining of the gravel bar and diversion of the Russian River is a huge step backward in efforts to restore the River's biological health. The National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS) does not support dewatering 1000 feet of the mainstem Russian River "due to potential adverse impacts to federally listed salmonids."

Please investigate the negative effects of this project, the public protests against it, and withdraw it in favor of a truly " bio-engineered" solution which will enhance rather degrade the RussianRiver's biological health. Bio-engineered solutions can often be less expensive than archaic massive rock projects such as this stone age Vino Farms proposal!

Also please consider selling a conservation easement along this riparian corridor that would allow the River to naturally meander to the east as would be its natural pattern. Such a riparian easement could be sold to the Sonoma County Open Space District and set a precedent for the creation of a long needed natural riparian "greenway" along the middle reach of the Russian River. This approach could result in some excellent public relations for the marketing of wine brands that are farmed in a fish-friendly rather than biologically destructive manner. Note the recent positive press received by Quivera winery and their involvement with restoration and Trout Unlimited's Steelhead in the Classroom education program. This is a progressive model that should be enthusiastically followed by other leading wine brands in the Russian River watershed.

Given the recent compelling signs of a wine grape oversupply in the Russian River watershed, this may be a very opportune time to restore inappropriate river and streamside vineyard areas to biologically rich riparian greenway, profiting from the sale of the conservation easement, and harvesting the good will that will follow your fish-friendly and best management practices.

Thank you for considering the serious environmental impacts of this project on the Russian River's threatened salmonid fishery and hopefully withdrawing this project in favor of a more fish-friendly approach.

Brian Hines
Secretary
Trout Unlimited of California
1120 College Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95402

cc: Ken Ellison, Sonoma County PRMD

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation
partners with Trout Unlimited of California

Two non-profit organizations team up to support clean, renewable energy while investing in stream restoration and fish protection projects in California.

(Portland, Ore.) The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and Trout Unlimited of California (TUC) announced today a formal partnership agreement that will result in a double benefit to the environment. The two organizations, citing their mutual goals of watershed restoration and fish protection, will make a special offer to members of Trout Unlimited of California who support renewable energy through the BEF Green Tags program.

“By choosing energy from the wind and sun, TUC members are supporting the production of renewable energy in the 15 Western states, “ said Rob Harmon, Vice President and Director of Renewable Energy Programs for BEF. “Plus, a portion of their purchases of BEF Green Tags will be directed into stream and fish protection, conservation and restoration projects in California.”

According to Brian Hines, National Resources Board director of Trout Unlimited, “This is an exciting opportunity for our members who want to support stream restoration and fish-friendly green energy at the same time. We selected the BEF Green Tag program as our preferred vendor of green energy because they are serious about making an environmental difference. Their product is 100% new wind and solar. And, they are certified by national organizations like Green-e .”

BEF regularly invests revenue from the sale of Green Tags into the next renewable energy project. The arrangement with TUC dedicates a portion of these dollars toward TUC watershed projects in California.

A Green Tag is a certificate that represents 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity produced by wind and solar. Green Tags support new renewable electricity generation, which offsets the environmental effects of burning coal, gas and other fossil fuels in the region where the renewable generator is located, and helps shift the overall energy mix toward more renewable resources. Also, BEF Green Tags help build a market for renewable energy, reduce global climate change, and may have other environmental benefits such as reducing regional air pollution.

Green Tags represent the offset in emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that occur when renewable energy replaces traditional forms of power generation. BEF Green Tags, which are certified by Green-e and The Climate Neutral Network, come from new wind and solar resources endorsed by three regional environmental groups. The net revenue from selling BEF Green Tags is invested in the next new renewable energy project.

About BEF

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and bio-mass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 1999 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. Created by regional environmental groups and the Bonneville Power Administration, the Foundation operates collaboratively but independent of both. Visit online at www.B-E-F.org

About Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited is a national watershed and fisheries conservation organization with 130,000 members, organized into almost 500 chapters and 35 state councils. Created in 1959, the organization’s mission is to conserve, protect and restore trout and salmon and their habitats. This mission is accomplished through a combination of tactics, including on-the-ground restoration, advocacy at the local, state and federal levels, litigation, education and outreach, and research and assessment.

Trout Unlimited’s headquarters are located in Arlington, VA, where 20 of the organization's 52 employees are located. Trout Unlimited also has 13 field offices, including offices in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.