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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 June 2015 packetAgenda items are subject to change – Times are approximate and are also subject to change Time Description 4:00 PM  Board Comment  Public Comment  Additions – Deletions to Agenda 4:15 PM • North Star Management Plan Update Gary Tennenbaum, Assistant Director Open Space and Trails • North Star - Photo tour Andre Wille 5:00 PM • Roaring Fork Conservancy – Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign funding request 5:30 PM • Ken Ransford, a CPA/ATTY and water expert in the Roaring Fork Valley will give a brief presentation on his work in progress, a book with observations on Colorado water policy, river health and conservation issues especially pertinent during the formation of the Colorado Water Plan 5:50 PM • Open Discussion 6:30 PM • Executive Session River Protection Strategies C.R.S. 24-6-402 (4)(b) 7:00 PM • Adjourn Future meeting dates 2015 July 7 Joint with BOCC 10:00 am July 16 Redstone Inn 4:00 pm Aug 20 Sept 17 Oct 15 Nov 19 ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY: RIPARIAN VEGETATION EDUCATION CAMPAIGN A. Goals of the Healthy Rivers Board Do you know that riparian vegetation is vital to stream health? Are you aware that vegetation buffers provide essential habitat and food for plants and animals? Do you know that riparian areas are critical to mitigation and control of nonpoint source pollution, erosion and sedimentation? If you answered yes to all these questions, congratulations! You are armed with some essential knowledge for keeping stream ecosystems healthy and functional. Unfortunately, you may be in the minority in the Roaring Fork Valley. The importance of riparian vegetation to stream health is often unknown or overlooked by property owners. A green grass lawn extending to the banks of the river often replaces integral streamside vegetation throughout the Roaring Fork Watershed. To help raise awareness and initiate change, RFC is seeking funding for a Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign to begin in the summer of 2015. A Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign meets the Board’s first goal of “Maintaining and improving water quality and quantity within the Roaring Fork Watershed.” Riparian vegetation is essential to high water quality. Removal of riparian vegetation has been shown to degrade water resources and diminish value for recreational uses.1 A Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign will also benefit stream flows through “ecological health” and “riparian habitat” as listed in goal three. This small, cost effective first step can help educate public and private entities of the importance and function of riparian vegetation and make further resources available to facilitate action. The 2015 Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign kickoff is budgeted at $5,000. For specific budget details please see Section E. B. Viability of the Project Riparian vegetation consists of the plant communities adjacent to rivers and streams. These hydrophilic plants serve as critical habitat, pollution filters and erosion protectors. Unfortunately, this “messy vitality” is often undervalued and misunderstood by streamside property owners. A float down the Roaring Fork River will reveal many areas where this critical plant life has been removed and replaced with green grass lawns and/or rip rap. Educating the public through a highly visible and understandable media campaign will aim to change the norm. The promotion will begin with one or two clever advertisements placed in local newspapers. Ads will give an educational message about the need for riparian habitat and contain RFC’s contact information to learn more. Pitkin County Healthy Rivers and Streams logo would also be prominently displayed. With $5,000 funding, RFC will be able to: 1.) Hire a graphic designer to make ideas into catchy and attractive ads and 2.) Run ¼ or ½ page newspaper and online ads strategically through the summer. The campaign can be repeated and/or updated next summer and could serve as a model for other local watershed groups such as the Eagle River Watershed Council or the 1 Hawes, Ellen and Markelle Smith. Riparian Zones: Functions and Recommended Width. Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. 2005. p. 3 Middle Colorado Watershed Council. This campaign provides an essential education component coupled with easy access to further resources. C. Public Need, Accessibility and Appreciation Forming a partnership with Healthy Rivers and Streams creates an opportunity for both organizations to interface with the public. Many riparian zones are removed due to unawareness or misunderstanding. There is currently little to no information about riparian vegetation and buffers in the public eye. This campaign would serve an integral need to increase public awareness and protect our water resources from the degradation that occurs when riparian plants are removed. D. History of the Requesting Party RFC is widely-known as the premier watershed conservation organization in the Roaring Fork Valley. It has also become one of the most respected watershed conservation organizations in Colorado. It has an 18-year history of successfully spearheading a diverse portfolio of watershed projects and programs in the Roaring Fork Watershed. Its accomplishments include:  Watershed Conservation and Education – RFC conducts ongoing classroom and outdoor educational programs (students and adults), with over 85,000 educational program contacts since RFC’s inception. It publishes a bi-annual newsletter (5,000 copies), monthly email (River Notes), Facebook page, and maintains a web site on watershed issues (www.roaringfork.org). RFC releases weekly Snowpack/Stream Flow updates which are discussed on radio stations throughout the valley and published in the Aspen Times every Friday.  Land Conservation – As one of the only watershed conservation organizations in Colorado that acts as a land trust, RFC conserves critical riparian habitat through conservation easements, while maintaining responsible public access. To date, it has protected approximately 280 acres of property on 15 conservation easements throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. RFC partners or holds conservation easements with Pitkin County on 6 of these properties.  Water Quality Monitoring – Through its network of volunteers, staff and local schools, RFC collects and reports scientific water quality data at 29 sample stations throughout the watershed to Colorado River Watch.  Water Resources Management – RFC proactively identifies, researches and coordinates project/program responses to water resources issues as they arise within the watershed. RFC is also a leader in the Roaring Fork Watershed Collaborative.  Watershed Planning - RFC was the lead consultant on the Roaring Fork Watershed planning effort which generated 8 comprehensive planning documents, including the State of the Roaring Fork Watershed Report 2008 and the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan. It is currently coordinating projects and programs to implement the Watershed Plan’s recommended actions, including collaboration on a regional water conservation planning initiative, and a related project to identify opportunities to enhance stream flows in the lower Crystal River. RFC previously received funding from the Healthy Rivers and Streams Fund: to complete the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan (as its lead consultant); for planning, grant writing, assessing existing water quality data, and designing baseline and water quality monitoring plans for the Coal Basin and Crystal River area confluence project restoration work; to enable RFC to work with the U.S. Forest Service to initiate the Coal Basin biochar pilot project in 2012; for Crystal River Assessment and Design of Restoration Projects Initiative; to complete the 2012 Snapshot Assessment of the Roaring Fork Watershed with Public Counsel of the Rockies, the 2014 Lower Fryingpan Valley Economic Study, and the 2015 Supplemental Didymo Assessment. RFC successfully completed all of these projects, within budget, and kept Pitkin County fully informed of its accomplishments using this public funding. We anticipate the same level of professionalism for this project. E. Budget, Measurements and Accountability PROJECT BUDGET: Aspen Times: Half page color ad: $499.50 Quarter page color ad: $249.75 One month online: $640 Suggested Campaign: 6 half page ads in the Aspen Times @ $499.50 = $2,997 One month online (July) = $ 640 Total ads = $3,637 Graphic Designer Fees: $ 900 RFC Staff Time (9.25hrs * 50/hr): $ 463 Total Budget: $5,000 RFC is seeking $5,000 from Healthy Rivers and Streams to initiate the Riparian Vegetation Education Campaign. The above budget is based on running ads only in the Aspen Times. If graphic designer fees are waived or decreased, ads could then be run in the Aspen Daily News and/or the Post Independent. RFC will also contribute in kind work as necessary to the project. We anticipate spending time in the field performing riparian assessments free of charge to those whose interest is peaked by this campaign. We will also work with property owners on obtaining funds for restoration and mitigation when deemed appropriate or necessary. Success will be measured by published advertisements and public feedback. RFC will track comments, calls, conversations and assessments related to riparian areas throughout the summer. Ideally, RFC will have the opportunity to work with riverfront property owners on restoration projects within the next year.