[env-trinity] Sisk. Daily News: Habitat Restoration Bill passes

[Sari Sommarstrom]

Siskiyou Daily News <http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/> Description:
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By John Bowman 

 <http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20120910/NEWS/120919995>
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20120910/NEWS/120919995

September 10. 2012 10:00AM

Habitat restoration bill passes

.  The process of restoring coho salmon habitat may get a bit easier for
local landowners willing to undertake voluntary projects along Siskiyou
County streams and rivers. 

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In 2010 the California Department of Fish and Game declared that two of the
three brood years of Shasta River coho were functionally extinct, meaning
there are no longer enough adults returning to the river in those years to
sustain a viable population.

The process of restoring coho salmon habitat may get a bit easier for local
landowners willing to undertake voluntary projects along Siskiyou County
streams and rivers with the California legislature's passage of Assembly
Bill 1961, introduced by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael).

The bill passed its final legislative hurdle on Aug. 27 with its approval by
the California Assembly and now heads to the governor's desk for his
signature. First introduced in February, AB 1961 would expedite the approval
process for voluntary habitat restoration projects by implementing a 30-day
approval process and eliminating many of the usual regulatory hurdles for
such in-stream projects.

"Coho salmon cannot afford to wait and neither can the communities where
these restoration projects would provide much needed jobs," said Huffman.
"This bill lets us work together in a new way so that immediate actions can
yield near-term results."

Coho salmon generally have a three year life cycle. In 2010, the California
Department of Fish and Game declared that two of the three brood years of
Shasta River coho were functionally extinct, meaning there are no longer
enough adults returning to the river in those years to sustain a viable
population.

According to the text of the bill, "An urgency exists due to the
extraordinarily small numbers of coho salmon remaining in California. In
order to prevent their extinction from northern California waters, it is
imperative that habitat restoration efforts be expedited and increased as
soon as possible."

Siskiyou County landowners and Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) have
cumulatively implemented millions of dollars worth of habitat restoration
projects since coho were listed as threatened by both California and the
federal Endangered Species Act in 1997. State and federal agencies say much
more work must be done to aid the recovery of the species, though many
landowners and stakeholders have complained that the permitting and
regulatory processes create too many roadblocks.

AB 1961 directs state agencies to "expedite and streamline the permitting
and approval of coho salmon habitat enhancement projects, including, in
particular, large woody debris restoration projects, in northern California
streams."

The three main categories of projects eligible for the expedited process are
as follows:

. Modification of existing water crossings for the purposes of eliminating a
barrier to fish passage;
. Restoration of eroded or denuded streambanks by utilizing nonrock
bioengineering practices and revegetating stream corridors with native
riparian species; and
. Wood placement that benefits naturally reproducing fish stocks by creating
or enhancing fish habitat, increasing stream complexity, or both.

The bill stipulates, "Within 30 days after the [Department of Fish and Game]
receives a written request to approve a coho salmon habitat enhancement
project containing the information required pursuant to subdivision (c), the
director shall determine whether the coho salmon habitat enhancement project
is consistent with subdivision (a). If the director determines within that
30-day period, based upon substantial evidence, that the coho salmon
enhancement project is consistent with subdivision (a), no further
departmental approval shall be necessary."

Executive director of the Scott River Water Trust Sari Sommarstrom has
worked on many local habitat restoration projects and said, "Expediting
state permitting was one of the few issues that everyone could agree on at
the legislative hearing on coho last year. I'm glad that some cooperative
progress in Sacramento was finally made, but the bill's provisions are
pretty limited. More progress from the state is still needed for those of us
trying to help coho."

 <http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20120910/NEWS/120919995>
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20120910/NEWS/120919995

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