**Registration is now CLOSED. Thank you for your interest! Please check back at this website soon to download the presentations and handouts. Forum Summary: The 2011 Sierra Meadow Forum, sponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is an occasion to share results of new and emerging meadow science, provide a forum to provide feedback regarding science, restoration and outreach approaches, and identify new opportunities and challenges in restoring Sierra’s degraded meadows.
This year’s forum will feature a field visit conducted by the Feather River CRM to Red Clover Meadow, near Beckwourth, CA on June 15, an exciting opportunity to get on-the-ground exposure to meadow monitoring and the restoration process. On June 16, the Sierra Meadow Forum event itself will take place at the PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn at Squaw Valley, CA, bringing together meadow stakeholders from all over the Range of Light and featuring informational workshops, great networking and interactive discussions. We hope you can join us for this two day event (note space is limited on the field trip so register now) and look forward to seeing you this June!
Who should attend:
Planners, water agencies, conservation organizations, local government, state and federal resource management agencies, tribes, environmental justice community, scientists, farmers, ranchers.
Cost of attendance:
June 15: Field Trip $10.50, registration includes sack lunch.
June 16: 2nd Sierra Meadow Forum $10.50, registration includes lunch.
Field Trip to Red Clover Meadow DRAFT Agenda & Information
Departing from/returning to Beckwourth, CA 9:30 A.M. -3:30 P.M.
*Please check back here often as we will be updating the agenda with new speakers and information as they develop.
9:30 A.M-10:00 A.M Meet in Beckwourth, CA
*Park and set up carpools at the Frontage Road next to the intersection of Hwy 70 and Co. Hwy A23. If you are willing to take people in your car please note that the road is a dirt road but county maintained and will not required 4WD.
10:00 A.M. Carpools depart and caravan for Red Clover-McReynolds Project Area
10:30 A.M.-11:45 A.M. Red Clover-McReynolds Project Area (constructed in 2006)
Project Overview (15 minutes)
Q&A (15 minutes)
Walking Tours (45 minutes), two options:
"Wet Tour" will venture into the project area and will require participants to bring their own hip waders at minimum
"Dry Tour" will walk along periphery of the project area, requiring participants to bring their own hiking shoes, preferably waterproof.
12:00 P.M. Carpools Depart for Red Clover-Poco Project Area (constructed in 2010)
12:15 P.M.-12:45 P.M. Lunch & Red Clover-Poco Project Overview and Q&A *Cost of registration includes Sack Lunch
Project Overview (15 minutes)
Q&A (15 minutes)
12:45 P.M.-1:30 P.M. Red Clover-Poco Project
Walking Tours (45 minutes), two options:
"Wet Tour" will venture into the project area and will require participants to bring their own hip waders at minimum
"Dry Tour" will walk along periphery of the project area, requiring participants to bring their own hiking shoes, preferably waterproof.
1:30 P.M. Carpools depart for Upper Dotta Canyon Project Area (scheduled for construction in 2011)
1:45 P.M.- 2:45 P.M. Upper Dotta Canyon Project
Project Overview (15 minutes)
Q&A (15 minutes)
Walking Tour (45 minutes) minimum of hiking shoes, preferably waterproof.
PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn Lake Tahoe 1920 Squaw Valley RoadOlympic Valley, CA 96146
8:30 A.M. -5:00 P.M.
*Please check back here often as we will be updating the agenda with new speakers and information as they develop.
8:30 A.M.-9:00 A.M
Registration *Free coffee and Tea Service
9:00 A.M.-9:10 A.M.
Welcome to the Sierra Meadow Forum!
Joan Clayburgh, Executive Director, Sierra Nevada Alliance
Overview of the Day Marion Gee, Interim Program Director, Sierra Nevada Alliance
9:10 A.M.-11:20 A.M. Opening Plenary
Moderated by Mark Drew, Eastern Sierra Program Manager, California Trout
Keynote Speaker: Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Sierra Meadow Restoration
Jim Sedell, Director of Freshwater and Fish Conservation, & Carly Vynne, Director, Wildlife and Habitat Conservation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Overview of Challenges to Meadow Policy and Restoration Jim Branham, Executive Officer, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Sierra Meadows and California Water Management Kamyar Guivetchi, Manager, Statewide Integrated Water Management, California Department of Water Resources
11:20 A.M.-12:35 P.M. Breakout Session 1
1) Meadow Restoration 101: Getting Started and Constraints Moderated by Terry Benoit, Feather River CRM Speakers: Todd Sloat, Pit River Watershed Alliance Leslie Mink, Feather River CRM
This series of Meadow Restoration 101 workshops sessions is meant to provide participants with a stepwise process or “road map” in taking a meadow restoration project (of all sizes and design) from concept to fruition and includes tips, lessons learned and tools to use throughout the process. This first workshop will cover the initial steps in a restoration project including: land owner outreach, identification of their goals and objectives as well as their concerns and how things might go wrong, identification of alternatives and factors that could constrain the various alternatives.
2) Lessons Learned from Sierra Meadow Projects Moderated by Bobby Kamansky, Project Manager, Southern Sierra IRWM Speakers: Elizabeth Soderstrom, American Rivers Ashley Rood, Environmental Defense Fund Jenny Hatch, California Trout
This workshop will feature NFWF Sierra Meadow grant recipients presenting on project implementation and outcomes to-date.
12:35 P.M.-1:30 P.M. Lunch Break
1:30 P.M.- 2:45 P.M. Breakout Session 2
1) Meadow Enhancement 101: Applying Data and Analysis to the Design Moderated by Randy Westmoreland, U.S. Forest Service Speakers: Jim Wilcox, Feather River CRM Gail Bakker, U.S. Forest Service
This series of Meadow Restoration 101 workshops sessions is meant to provide participants with a stepwise process in starting, designing and implementing a restoration project along with tips, lessons learned and tools to use throughout the process. This second workshop will cover choosing what to monitor and monitoring protocols, getting out to the project area, starting data collection and analysis, and finally applying all this information, including meeting the project’s goals/objectives and addressing concerns/constraints identified at the start to the design of the project.
2) Meadow Restoration Effects on Downstream Flows Moderated by Liz Mansfield, Sierra Nevada Alliance Speakers: Barry Hill, U.S. Forest Service Dr. Gordon Grant, U.S. Forest Service Brian Morris, Plumas County Flood Control & Water Conservation District
This workshop will discuss the impacts of meadow restoration to water supply and downstream flows. Is flow going to change? How? How do we use this information to design beneficial projects with broad support?
3) Sierra Meadow Science - Biology & Ecology Moderated by Liz van Wagtendonk, Sierra Nevada Conservancy Speakers: Jeff Holmquist, White Mountain Research Center Shana Gross, Ecologist, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, U.S. Forest Service Patricia Flebbe, U.S. Forest Service, Southwest Region
Josh Viers, UC Davis
The latest research results on Sierra Meadow Science will be presented in this workshop.
2:45 P.M.- 3:00 P.M. Break
3:00P.M.- 4:15 P.M. Breakout Session 3
1) Meadow Enhancement 101: Permits and Beginning Construction Moderated by: Jim Wilcox, Feather River CRM Speakers: Randy Westmoreland, U.S. Forest Service Terry Benoit, Feather River CRM
This series of Meadow Restoration 101 workshops sessions is meant to provide participants with a stepwise process in starting, designing and implementing a restoration project along with tips, lessons learned and tools to use throughout the process. This third workshop will review the CEQA and NEPA processes, developing construction contracts, and maintaining the outreach process that was set up initially to keep partners and others stakeholders informed.
2) Developing & Implementing Standardized Meadow Monitoring Protocols Moderated by Luke Hunt, American Rivers Speakers: Helen Loffland, Institute for Bird Populations Sabra Purdy, UC Davis Amy Merrill, Stillwater Sciences Leslie Mink, Feather River CRM
This workshop will focus on efforts to develop a core set of monitoring parameters that would allow comparison among restoration projects. Come hear the latest and next steps in developing and ensuring widespread adoption of standardized monitoring protocols.
Moderators: Mike Chrisman, Director, SWPO, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Carly Vynne, Director, Wildlife and Habitat Keystone Initiative
Panel Speakers: Jim Branham, Sierra Nevada Conservancy Elizabeth Soderstrom, American Rivers Gayle Norman, NRCS
Jim Wilcox, Feather River CRM
This interactive panel discussion will report back from discussions heard throughout the day and answer some of the following questions: what challenges remain to restoring Sierra meadows? What new or exciting opportunities are out there? How can we all with the support of NFWF move meadow restoration forward in a positive way?
5:15P.M.- 6:15 P.M. OPTIONAL Meadow Field Trip hosted by Friends of Squaw Creek
Meeting outside the Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn Conference Facility Foyer, join Mike Liquori (Sound Watershed), Ed Heneveld (Friends of Squaw Creek) and Ed Sullivan (Placer County) for a short field trip to some meadow restoration projects in Squaw Valley.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Sierra Nevada Alliance:
Over the past three years, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has, with diverse stakeholder across the Sierra, developed a ten year program and business plan to fund and support the restoration and conservation of meadow habitat. The program aims to develop the economic and scientific rationale for meadow restoration and conservation, build the capacity of efforts across the Sierra, and support implementation of Sierra meadow restoration projects. To find out more about NFWF and the Sierra Nevada Meadow Restoration Business Plan, check out their website or contact Carly Vynne by phone 202-857-0166 or by email Carly.Vynne@nfwf.org.
Since 1993 the Sierra Nevada Alliance has been protecting and restoring Sierra lands, water, wildlife and communities. The Alliance is a network of more than 85 member groups and works to build the capacity of its members to successfully conserve this unique mountain range. The Sierra Meadow Forum is a project of the Alliance’s Regional Climate Change Program, which convenes and educates Sierra stakeholders, builds the capacity of grassroots organizations and regional efforts, and supports efforts to address climate change adaptation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Sierra. To find out more about the Alliance, the Regional Climate Change Program or the Sierra Meadow Forum event, please contact Interim Program Director Marion Gee by email marion@sierranevadaalliance.org or by phone 530-542-4546 ext. 320.
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& Field Trip
2nd Sierra Meadow Forum DRAFT Agenda
