Planning and Implementation Strategies: October 16, 2009

We will develop and prioritize strategies, tools & initiatives to insure a biodiverse, resilient Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed.

  • Explore how policy decisions and funding priorities would change to effectively address the climate change adaptation challenge
  • Determine gaps in research and innovation for being able to make appropriate strategic decisions affecting restoration and conservation management
  • Identify major areas for potential collaborations and opportunities to leverage efforts
 
Keynote Speaker

Grant Davis, Sonoma County Water Agency

GrantDavisGrant Davis is Assistant General Manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency. He is responsible for management activities related to the Agency’s core functions of water delivery, wastewater management, flood protection, and environmental sustainability. Prior to joining the Agency, Mr. Davis was Executive Director of The Bay Institute, a respected science-based nonprofit, dedicated to protecting the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed and improving water management in California.

 

Read full bio and conference presentation abstract on the Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Assessing and Forecasting Watershed Ecosystem Status within a Consistent Bay Area Wide Framework

Presented by Christina Sloop, Laguna Foundation

A changing climate will alter watershed ecosystems by affecting species distributions, community composition, habitat connectivity, water quality & quantity, and ecosystem services. Assessing and forecasting ecosystem status will become an important and necessary tool within and across watersheds as climate change unfolds.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Climate Change Monitoring in Sonoma County: What To Do?

Presented by Claudia Luke, SSU Reserves

One of the largest environmental issues of our time is upon us and we are bewildered by what we should be monitoring and studying to inform land use decisions. As we move forward in developing a coordinated effort in climate change monitoring and its related effects, we recommend focusing on three areas: (1) geographic identity, (2) multidisciplinary collaborations, and (3) existing and new resources.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Putting Our Information To Work: A Regional Conservation Commons

Presented by Deanne DiPietro, Sonoma Ecology Center

Research and monitoring provide lenses into the health of our watersheds and guide our work to conserve, restore, and educate. Often data and materials are difficult to find and use beyond the original project that produced it, and it can be a time-consuming endeavor to assemble data for a larger view.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Regional Conservation Plan for Biodiversity in the San Francisco Bay Area – Upland Habitat Goals

Presented by Ryan Branciforte, Open Space Council

The San Francisco Bay Area Upland Habitat Goals Project is determining how many acres of what types of terrestrial habitats and in what configuration are necessary to preserve biodiversity in the nine-county Bay Area.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Strategic Plan and Climate Change Initiatives

Presented by Karen Gaffney, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) is implementing its strategic plan - a suite of integrated initiatives that includes climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition to the climate initiative, the strategic plan focuses on the protection of natural infrastructure, community health, connecting communities with the land, and the preservation of agriculture.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
Towards a watershed-based Sonoma County climate adaptation strategy

Presented by Lisa Micheli, Pepperwood Preserve

Preparing our watersheds for climate change (in terms of water supply, water quality, flooding, and habitat) requires estimating potential changes to climate, hydrology, and ecosystems based on the best science available at the watershed scale. This information is a critical starting point for understanding potential impacts to many sectors, including biodiversity, agriculture and transportation infrastructure.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 
What Foundations Are Doing About Climate Change

Presented by Gary Knoblock, Moore Foundation

In this interactive session we will discuss how funders are currently wrestling with the question of funding climate change adaptation and guiding principles for developing strategies to secure funding for watershed level or county level projects.

 

Read entire article on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...
 


 
Poster Session

Check out the 14 posters that will be on display following the day's agenda...

 

Conference Posters on Laguna Watershed Knowledgebase...

Meet & Greet with Local Officials

Join us on Friday at the conclusion of the Conference for a mixer and meet & greet session with local officials, including...

Kathleen Schaffer, Sebastopol City Council

Jake Mackenzie, Rohnert Park City Council

Sam Salmon, Vice Mayor, Town of Windsor

Shirlee Zane, 3rd District Supervisor, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

Wesley Chesbro, California Assemblymember

Grant Davis, Sonoma County Water Agency

David Noren, Sonoma County Regional Water Quality Control Board