Santa Barbara Channelkeeper E-News http://ui.constantcontact.com/visualeditor/visual_editor_preview.js...

June 2009

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper News & Events

News & Events
Goleta "Jug Handle"
Goleta Slough "Jug Handle" Destruction
Destruction Finally Over Finally Put to an End
Stream Team Data Used by In 2005, Channelkeeper staff began
State documenting the on-going off-road
vehicular damage to a small wetland
Marine Protected Areas Update
area known as the "Jug Handle"
Blue Water Ball a Success located in front of the entrance to
Goleta beach by Highway 217 and
JUNKride Event Sandspit Road. Although damaged,
this area is important habitat
Watershed Revolution Film because it still experiences tidal
Event flow. For years, off-road vehicles
have severely damaged the wetland
World Ocean Day Festival ecosystem by destroying vegetation
and producing scars on the mud and
I Madonnari Channelkeeper salt flat that last for months or years.
Square
For the last several years, Channelkeeper has testified and advocated to
Stream Team - June 6th & 7th
the County Supervisors and California Coastal Commission (CCC) for a
Become a Channelkeeper solution to prevent on-going vehicular damage to the wetland. After
Member! years of delays, negotiations and planning, the County and land owner
erected a post-and-rail fence, completed last month, to keep vehicles out
of the wetland. The CCC is now working with the County and the Gas
Company to possibly install signage, most likely within Goleta Beach
Park. Protection of this wetland is a long-sought victory for
Channelkeeper in our efforts to protect the Goleta Slough.

Did You Know?

Goleta Stream Team Data Utilized by State
for List of Impaired Water Bodies
Every two years, by federal
law, California must compile a list of the
State's "impaired," or seriously polluted,
water bodies. These are waters that are
now too polluted to support fishing,
swimming, wildlife, drinking water and
other uses without costly extra
treatment. The State recently released
Plastic never its proposed revisions to the List of
biodegrades and vast Impaired Water Bodies.
Channelkeeper's Goleta Stream Team
quantities end-up in data was used by the State as an
our oceans. official line of evidence demonstrating the need to add 16 new
impairments to the List. Newly listed Goleta Stream Team creeks include
Atascadero Creek, Cieneguitas Creek, Los Carneros Creek, Maria Ygnacio
In the Central North Creek, San Jose Creek, and San Pedro Creek. These creeks were listed
Pacific Ocean there is a for a variety of water quality impairments that are monitored by the
patch of swirling plastic Goleta Stream Team including indicator bacteria, dissolved oxygen,
nitrate, electrical conductivity, pH, and temperature. While there is no
debris known as the reason to celebrate the pollution of local creeks, usage of our water
"Great Pacific Garbage quality data for this purpose is perhaps one of the most significant
contributions that a citizen water quality monitoring program can make to
Patch" that is believed to the local community. Channelkeeper will continue to monitor water
be at least twice the size quality throughout the Goleta Slough Watershed as state and local
of Texas. In this region, agencies work to address these problems.
scientists have
determined that tiny
Marine Protected Areas Update
plastic particles
outnumber plankton 6 to

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1, indicating that both
The second of three rounds of
small and large creatures deliberations to develop a variety of
inevitably consume proposals for a network of Marine
enormous amounts of Protected Areas (MPAs) in Southern
California as part of the Marine Life
plastic. Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative ended
with a meeting last month of the
appointed representatives for public
Do what you can to find interests in our oceans. Ultimately, the
alternatives to using appointed representatives produced four
disposable plastics of all proposals, but the use of voting to
determine MPA placement has resulted in many stakeholders - such as
kinds, from drink bottles conservationists, scientists, Native American representatives, and
to take-out containers to government officials - feeling that their interests were not represented
by these maps. In response, the MLPA Initiative staff is recommending
bags at the store. that the three external proposals proceed into Round 3 to maintain a
diversity of options. These include the two proposals submitted by
fishing organizations and one co-authored by Santa Barbara
Channelkeeper, titled External Proposal C, which prioritizes conservation
and long-term socio-economic benefits.

There is strong opposition by consumptive interests to a conservation-

priority proposal moving forward. This opposition exists despite the fact
that External Proposal C was evaluated as the best approach to meet the
scientific guidelines set forth by the MLPA, as well as the fact that it
reflected thoughtful revisions in Round 2 to minimize short-term socio-
economic impacts to fishermen. The Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), the
panel responsible for providing guidance to the process and to the
stakeholders on how to meet the goals of the MLPA, will meet on June
4th in Los Angeles to discuss which proposals will move forward. It is
imperative that External Proposal C, the only MPA proposal that will truly
restore and sustain California's marine resources, is considered in Round
3 to ensure that all interests continue to be represented in the process.

Please voice your support for taking the conservation goals of the MLPA
seriously, for effective MPAs in Southern California, for California's effort
to rebuild and sustain our marine life, and for External Proposal C. Please
consider attending the June 4th BRTF meeting in Los Angeles or sending
a comment of support to the MLPA Initiative
([email protected]) and to us at Channelkeeper
([email protected]).

To get more information on upcoming meetings, the MLPA Initiative, and

how to get involved, please visit dfg.ca.gov/mlpa or contact Michael
Sheehy at Channelkeeperm ([email protected], (805) 637-8730).

Local Clean Water Victories Celebrated at

Channelkeeper's 2009 Blue Water Ball
Santa Barbara
Channelkeeper's Ninth
Annual Blue Water Ball,
held on Saturday, May
16th was a great success,
providing an opportunity
to share and celebrate the
victories for clean water
that Channelkeeper has
been able to achieve in
the past year. The event
featured guest speaker
Shaun Tomson (recognized
as one of surfing's
greatest ambassadors and
a strong proponent of environmentalism), master of ceremonies John
Palminteri, and a new venue (QAD's stunning Corporate Headquarters in
Summerland).

Over 200 participants enjoyed delicious wine and appetizers while

viewing winning entries from Channelkeeper's annual marine
environment-inspired juried Student Art Show themed "What the Channel
Means to Me", shopping at the extensive silent auction, and swaying to
the rhythms of local band Mango. John Palminteri entertained and
engaged guests throughout the live auction bidding. Shaun Tomson
shared highlights of his own Channel experiences in the Santa Barbara
Channel and commended Channelkeeper for its role in protecting the
Channel for everyone.

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The past year has been challenging, with many guests directly affected
by the economy or by the fires that are part of life in Santa Barbara.
Attendees, nonetheless, recognized the importance of protecting and
restoring the Channel and its watersheds, and the event raised almost
$60,000 for Channelkeeper's work. Event proceeds will provide critical,
unrestricted funds for Channelkeeper's daily operating activities as well
as ongoing community outreach and advocacy efforts to protect water
quality and restore aquatic habitats in and along the Santa Barbara
Channel. Our deepest thanks to Shaun Tomson, John Palminteri, our
guests, and volunteers.

Finally, please tell our sponsors "Thank you!" for supporting our Channel
and helping make the 2009 BWB one of our most successful ever: Citrix,
Deckers Outdoor Corp, Environment Now, MarBorg, Patagonia, Rabobank,
Forester Media, UCSB, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and the
Ojai Vineyard.

JUNKride, Plastics in our Oceans

Monday, June 15th, 6:30-8:30pm
Community Forum, Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd

The Algalita Marine Research Foundation

focuses its research on the North Pacific
Gyre, a swirling vortex of ocean currents
twice the size of the United States, in
which a vast buildup of plastic debris is
rapidly growing. Last summer, the JUNKraft
set sail on an awareness campaign in which
two crew-members drifted across the Pacific
from Long Beach to Hawaii on a raft of
15,000 plastic bottles.

Now, Algalita is moving forward in their efforts to educate the public

about marine debris through JUNKride. Traveling by bicycle, Dr. Marcus
Eriksen and Anna Cummins are making their way from Vancouver to
Tijuana and stopping in 15 cities, including Santa Barbara on Monday,
June 15, to share their message at a free Community Forum. Along the
2,000 mile coastal route, Dr. Eriksen is giving presentations and offering
samples of plastic debris collected from the North Pacific Gyre.

The forum is co-sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division

and County Project Clean Water, along with local non-profits including
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.

Watershed Revolution
Filmmaker Rich Reid and our Ventura Surfrider
partners will be hosting the cinematic debut
of "Watershed Revolution" on June 20th &
June 24th. Be the first to view this movie
about the Ventura River Watershed featuring
stunning high definition cinematography
highlighting the beauty of the river. The
movie tells the story of multiple
organizations, including Santa Barbara
Channelkeeper, that are working to protect
and preserve the Ventura River.

Check out the movie trailer at:

http://watershedrevolution.com/

Saturday, June 20
Surfrider Foundation's International Surfing
Day
Elks Lodge (11 S. Ash St.), Ventura - 7pm
Benefit concert and movie premier
Tickets available online at Zoey's Café
$21 General Admission & $36.50 VIPPass

Wednesday, June 24
OjaiValley Green Coalition - Chaparral Auditorium, Ojai - 7pm
Film screening
$2 donations

World Ocean Day Festival at the Ty Warner

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Sea Center
Saturday, June 6th
10 - 11 am, East Beach Clean-up
11-2 pm, Festivities at the Sea Center

Help keep our beaches clean and

plastic free! Meet community
groups that are taking action to
conserve our ocean resources for
future generations. Learn about
marine protected areas and what
you can do to protect the ocean.
Join in the fun with ocean inspired crafts, and experience hands-on
science fun.

While visiting the Sea Center, check out the new watershed model on the
wet deck that Channelkeeper helped to create!

Channelkeeper at I Madonnari
Channelkeeper sponsored a square in this year's Italian
Street Painting Festival, I Madonnari, held over
Memorial Day Weekend. Young artists from the Santa
Barbara Art Workshops worked hard throughout the
weekend to create a beautiful ocean scene for
Channelkeeper, featuring playful humpback whales.

Stream Team - June 6th & 7th

Stream Team is Channelkeeper's volunteer-based
water quality monitoring program. Every month,
volunteers join Channelkeeper staff to test for
common water quality parameters at numerous
different sites in the Ventura River and Goleta
Slough watersheds. Come join us to help protect
our local waterways; we will be testing in Ventura
on Saturday, June 6th and in Goleta on Sunday,
June 7th. For more information, visit our website,
or contact Penny Owens at [email protected] or
805.563.3377 ext.0.

Become a Channelkeeper Member!

Your support for Channelkeeper's efforts is
needed now more than ever. Become a
member of the Channelkeeper crew today
with your tax-deductible donation. You'll be
investing in clean water and healthy
communities along the Santa Barbara
Channel today and for future
generations. With your membership, you will
receive our regular newsletters, news
updates and action alerts, and invitations to
special Channelkeeper events and fun
volunteer opportunities. All new members
also receive a free Channelkeeper sticker,
identifying you as a steward of the Santa
Barbara Channel. And now, all new donors contributing $50 or more can
receive a Channelkeeper t-shirt, and for donations of $250 or more,
quarterly issues of the Waterkeeper magazine.

Sign up today by calling 805.563.3377 x4 or emailing us at [email protected]

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