An essential part of this planning work is checking in with SYRCL’s members, supporters and the general community – and asking for feedback. SYRCL is very grateful to the more than 600 community and dues paying members who completed the online survey – this will be enormously helpful in prioritizing SYRCL’s work over the next three years.

Results from SYRCL’s recent community survey show strong support across the board for the organization, its programs, and its advocacy work. An overwhelming 80% of respondents indicated they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with SYRCL’s current direction, and over 90% of them rated SYRCL’s core programs as “important” or “very important.” The extensive comments reflected the community’s high expectations for SYRCL and deep awareness of the many challenges and opportunities facing the watershed.

The most valued programs include the annual river clean-up, river monitoring, and restoration programs.  SYRCL’s advocacy work to restore wild salmon and the recent campaign to keep the South Yuba River State Park open was also widely praised.

“It was great to hear from so many members and friends of SYRCL. To know that they are behind the good work we are doing and would like to see it continue is very motivating,” says SYRCL Executive Director Caleb Dardick. “These results are the kind any organization would be proud to see and it speaks well of SYRCL’s ability to address the interests and program areas that our members care most about. I want to thank everyone who participated for your thoughtful comments and suggestions, and promise that your invaluable input will be reflected in our work plan.”

Asked how “things are going in the Yuba River watershed today,” only 53% responded “well” or “very well.”  Frequently cited in the comments as the “most important challenge” facing the watershed was the need to remove barriers to wild salmon reaching the upper Yuba River.  Concerns about overuse, litter, and habitat destruction were frequently cited, as well.

For example, feedback about the popular annual river cleanup repeated the need for more frequent cleanups and encouraged more education and outreach efforts to reduce the thousands of pounds of garbage picked up every fall. “These responses urging SYRCL to take the lead to foster greater individual stewardship on the river makes me feel that the pilot River Ambassador program will be well-received and could have a very positive impact this summer,” Dardick said.

As SYRCL’s board and staff are in the midst of strategic planning, the survey was designed to identify priorities for the upcoming three-year work plan. In this regard, results were less conclusive as respondents seemed to value all of SYRCL’s programs.  “I hate prioritizing important programs and issues!!!” was a typical comment.

“It’s a mixed blessing when stakeholders tell us that they want us to continue all of our current programs and even create new ones,” says SYRCL Treasurer Georgette Aronow. “It continues to be a challenge to fund our current programs in these difficult economic times.  We’ll need to dramatically recruit more dues paying members and raise additional funds if we are going to expand our advocacy, education and stewardship work to meet the community’s expectations.”

“The need for an organization like SYRCL remains very strong,” says SYRCL President John Regan. “Our mission to unite the community to protect and restore the Yuba River continues to resonate with our members. We are grateful to them and honored to receive their continued personal and financial support.”

Details of the survey are available here.

SYRCL wishes to congratulate Becky O’Connor of Grass Valley who was randomly selected from the 600+ survey respondents to win a full weekend pass to next year’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Once again, thank you all for participating.

By the Numbers:

• 89% support SYRCL to protect and restore the Yuba River Watershed
• 74% say SYRCL’s River Advocacy work is very important
• 69% say SYRCL’s River science work is very important
• 67% say restoring Wild Salmon is very important
• 66% say SYRCL’s River Cleanup Day is very important
• 63% strongly agree that SYRCL provides good volunteer opportunities
• 60% of respondents have volunteered over the past 3 years
• 57% of respondents are dues-paying members
• 51% have been active in SYRCL for over 5 years

Chinook salmon of Yuba River (J. Katz)

SYRCL’s work to restore salmon was highlighted at the recent annual conference of the Salmonid Restoration Federation, the single organization dedicated to restoring salmonids (salmon and trout) in California. Here in the most populated state, at the southern extent of salmon’s range, the challenges are daunting.  The Yuba River featured prominently in the conference, validating SYRCL’s work in advocating for and developing the full range of needed actions: unimpeded fish passage at dam sites, return of diverted water to instream flows, restoration of river and floodplain habitats, protection of water quality, and curtailment of unsustainable hatchery practices. 

 The conference included two workshops highlighting the prospect of returning salmon to the upper Yuba River, now a requirement of the Army Corps of Engineers due to the new Biological Opinion on Englebright Dam.  Biologists for the National Marine Fisheries Service explained this prospect in talks titled “The Need for Fish Passage Above Rim Dams in the Central Valley” and “Anadromous Fish Passage Opportunities in the Yuba River.”  On the final day of the conference, a session titled “Dam Removal to Benefit Salmonid Populations” was attended by more than 100 professionals wanting to see how dam removals in Oregon and Washington may inform similar projects in California.  Englebright Dam would be the largest yet planned for removal.

 Two technical sessions in the conference convened practitioners of habitat restoration with a focus on the kind of riparian and floodplain restoration that SYRCL is leading on the lower Yuba River.  SYRCL’s Hammon Bar Riparian Enhancement Project is a pilot for one method to help rehabilitate the Goldfield portion of the Yuba River, and enhance rearing habitat for juvenile salmon and steelhead.  Such projects are crucial to increasing the diversity and survival of wild salmon in California where more than 95% of riparian and floodplain habitats are lost or impaired.

 The problem of hatcheries was squarely addressed in a session convened by Jacob Katz of UC Davis.  Fish biologists have become increasingly certain that hatchery are substantially inferior to wild fish, and allowing them to mix on spawning grounds deteriorates the genetic integrity of the wild population.  Shockingly, 90% of the salmon now returning to Central Valley Rivers are raised in hatcheries. This damaging and unsustainable condition has resulted from continued hatchery practices focused on production (including the trucking of juveniles to the San Francisco Bay to give an advantage of survival) despite continued declines in wild fish.  Expect to see SYRCL, in alliance with other conservation groups, fighting for protection of wild salmon through hatchery reform.

 The conference plenary inspired us to see the challenges more holistically, and recognize the progress being made. Jim Lichatowich, author of Salmon Without Rivers, moved beyond his emeritus credentials as a salmon biologist, when urging us to consider that the opportunity is one of “ecological companionship” and that people need salmon in their local rivers in order to completely live here. The new Director of the California Department of Fish and Game, Chuck Bonham, received a standing ovation for his motivational leadership for the department at the center of our collective mission. 

 Never, in the 30-yr history has the Federation been stronger.  Never, have we had a DFG Director, Resources Agency Director and Governor more in support of recovering salmon. Now is the time to face all these challenges with resolve, across this southern state of Salmon Nation, and at home here on the Yuba.

This family-friendly celebration will be the largest part of the annual spring festival with great food, wagon rides, music, pioneer games, barn tours, gold panning and a return of the first owners of the property during a theatrical production by local actors.  The park visitor center will be open for browsing. For more information about this FREE sesquicentennial birthday party, please call the Park, (530) 432-2546 or go to www.southyubariverstatepark.org.

River Monitor sampling at Purdon Crossing

The key to success for SYRCL’s citizen-based science program is our volunteers who care deeply about stewardship and the accuracy of the data that they collect.  So great is this care, that four veteran River Monitors participated in the recent annual training of new volunteers on April 21.  The experienced mentors assisted River Monitoring Coordinator and Americorps member, Eric Rubenstahl, with teaching the fundamentals of obtaining accurate data and useful information from varied sites throughout the Yuba River watershed.  Two of the veteran River Monitors,  Diane Cross and Mike Anderson, have been volunteering with the program since its origin in 1999.

River Monitors spend one Saturday per month in their role in monitoring and assessing conditions in the Yuba Watershed.  Despite the impressive commitment, SYRCL maintains a corps of more than sixty trained and active volunteers.  The newly trained volunteers will enable the program to monitor 40 sites in 2012 and address several critical objectives of our monitoring plan.  To learn more about the River Monitoring program and how the data is used go to River Monitoring.  Thank you volunteer River Monitors!

Attendees enjoying fine food and tastings, Photo by Richard Pell

Were you were getting Wild for the Yuba last Saturday night at SYRCL’s spring fundraiser?  Many of you were, based on the amazing turnout we had at our 2^nd annual wine and beer tasting event held at the Grass Valley Veterans Hall.  Once again, our community demonstrated tremendous support for SYRCL—more than 350 people sampled regional wines and brews, enjoyed the toe-tappin’ tunes of Ragged But Right, delighted in tasty bites from Emily’s Catering & Cakes and participated in some good-natured competition at the silent auction. Many thanks to the attendees, auction donors, volunteers and event sponsor, Rincon del Rio, for making the event a success.

Proposed San Juan Mine

The recent proposal to reopen a major gold mine on the San Juan Ridge has raised community-wide concerns about potential impacts to the South Yuba River.

The San Juan Mining Corporation recently submitted an application to re-open the San Juan Ridge Mine which closed in 1997. During its last period of operations, the mine hit a fault that caused both a massive flood in the mine and dewatered a number of local wells.

SYRCL has formally requested the Nevada County Planning Department to require a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposal.  SYRCL is concerned about the potential significant impacts of the project on water quality and quantity in Spring and Shady Creeks, impacts to wildlife and vegetation and sensitive species as well as indirect impacts on the South Yuba River.

“A project of this magnitude needs thorough study and public review,” said Executive Director Caleb Dardick.

SYRCL members interested in learning more about the proposed mine are encouraged to visit the San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association’s website and Facebook page, and contact County Planner Tod Herman  to support SYRCL’s request for a full EIR.

Film Festival, Sacramento, CA, April 27th

April is the busiest month for the Film Festival On Tour as many hosts choose to hold their event close to Earth Day. Check out the list below, find a location near you and celebrate a Wild & Scenic Earth Day. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour allows the South Yuba River Citizens League to share their success promoting environmental issues through the exciting and influential medium of film. The Film Festival supports a network of grassroots organizations across the country joined together with national partners who collectively want to inspire more individuals to take environmental action.

April 18 & 19
Wild Virginia
Charlottesville/Staunton, VA
www.wildvirginia.org

April 18 & 19
Western North Carolina Alliance
Asheville/Cullowhee, NC
http://wnca.org/events/wild-scenic-film-festival/

April 19
Ebbetts Pass ForestWatch
Murphys/Columbia, CA
www.sierrafilmfest.org

April 19
Riverkeeper
Manhattan, NY
www.www.riverkeeper.org

April 19 & 20
Tahoe Truckee Earth Day
Incline Village/Squaw Valley, CA
www.tahoetruckeeearthday.org

April 21
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, PA

April 22
Allegheny Defense Project
Bradford, PA
www.alleghenydefense.org

April 22
Live Nation
Charlotte, NC
www.fillmorecharlottenc.com

April 22
Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center
Columbus, GA
www.ColumbusState.edu/Oxbow

April 26
Friends of the Mat-Su
Palmer, AK
http://www.foms.net/films/

April 27
Save Our Sandhill Cranes
Sacramento, CA
www.soscranes.org

April 27 & 28
ESRI
Redlands, CA
www.esri.com/events

April 27 & 28
COSI – The Center of Science and Industry
Columbus, OH
www.cosi.org

April 28
ReCYCLEry
Chapel Hill, NC
recyclery.org

April 28
Western Environmental Law Center
Taos, NM
www.westernlaw.org

April 28 & 29
Nisqually River Foundation
Olympia, WA
www.nisquallyriver.org/filmfestival

April 29
Carolina Green Fair
Columbia, SC
http://carolinagreenfair.com/dirt-fair/wild-scenic/

            Wild For The Yuba is featuring a dozen hand-selected wineries from Nevada, Placer and Yuba Counties to create a remarkable tasting showcasing why the Northern Sierra Foothill Region is such a remarkable place to grow grapes and make wine. As unique and varied as the different styles and varieties of wines will be, the winemakers all agree on one thing. Great wines start in the vineyard.

Our northern Sierra Foothills are rich with small, independent producers who often grow their own grapes. Gideon Beinstock of Clos Saron in Yuba County has adopted a “natural style” of winemaking, believing the less you intervene in the winemaking process, the more the wine reflects its place of origin. “When nothing is added, nothing is taken away,” he explains. “That permits the wine to be a true expression of where the grapes are from.”

Grant Ramey of Grant Eddie Winery explains simply, “the foundation of good wine is good grapes. The foundation of good grapes is good soil.” He believes organic farming is the key to keeping the ground as alive as possible, ultimately resulting in great wine.

Alex Szabo of Szabo Vineyards strives to produce the highest quality grapes possible by working in harmony with nature to protect the environment and its inhabitants. The Natural Resources Conservation Service of Nevada County named Szabo Conservationist of the Year for his sustainable viticultural practices.

Bob Hilsman of Double Oak Vineyards is dedicated to sustainable, nature-friendly practices including solar power to produce mountain grown fruit he describes as “the ultimate slow food, taking two years from harvest to table.”

Different Varietals Create The Spice Of Life

Another thing that is immediately apparent is the incredible variety of grapes that thrive in our region, with the last count being well over 50. While some favor Bordeaux varieties like Cab or Cabernet Franc, others are succeeding with Italian varieties like Sangiovese and Barbara, and still others with Rhone varieties like Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.

Teena Wilkens of Vina Castellano, in Placer County, is striving to create a little piece of Spain in the Foothills. Wilkens says, “the Mediterranean-like soils, along with the warm days and cool evenings are perfect for producing intense, full-bodied and complex wines like Tempranillo.”

Both Lone Buffalo Vineyards in Placer County and Coufos Cellars in Nevada County specialize in dynamic, estate-produced Rhone-style wines while Montoliva is creating full-bodied Tuscan inspired wines in Chicago Park.

Perhaps Mark Foster, the winemaker at Nevada City Winery, who over the years has won both “Best Of The Sierra Foothills” and “Best Of California” awards at the California State Fair for such different varietals as Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Barbara sums it up best. “The vineyards are tucked into so many nooks and crannies, at different elevations with different exposures that we get an infinite variety of expressions of flavors from a huge number of different varietals. And we’re just scratching the surface. Wait till you see what we do next.”

Join us this Saturday, April 21 at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Hall to discover just how exciting the wines from the northern Sierra Foothills can be. See you Saturday!  Purchase tickets at www.yubariver.org today!