Message to Our Membership

 

Why Join?

Help protect and preserve the natural values of the Sacramento River and to educate the public concerning ecologically viable farming methods and the need to preserve free-flowing rivers.

Independence Day

July 4th is upon us, smoky skies and all. The second year of below-average rainfall and the forests are already burning. This could be a long summer, though not without precedent. No surprises, really, but more a confirmation of possibilities forecast by many for years. The proverbial roosting chickens have taken up residence in the Sacramento Valley and aren't expected to leave anytime soon.

This isn't doom and gloom, however. I would call it more of a reality check. We are dependent biological beings who value our independence as if it stands alone. Yet it does not, for it is built upon a foundation of community understanding and environmental support systems which sustain us all.

Stay safe. Enjoy the watermelon.
07/03/2008

So Much For Resolutions

As you can see, I haven't returned to this space since I resolved that I would. That's called going down in flames big time. But now the resolution slate is clean and we start again.

As you will see on the news section of our homepage, the Governor continues his leadership style (tongue in cheek) by once again declaring a statewide emergency. This time he's focused on "The Drought". There are droughts and then there are DROUGHTS. This is a small "d" two-year drought and counting. Nothing wrong with being cautious. And calling for water conservation has been at the top of the environmental agenda for years. Problem is, the Governor likes to appoint czars as part of his response to self-declared emergencies and this time around he's appointed two - one to oversee conservation efforts and the other to facilitate water transfers. The former sounds great, the latter gives me pause (and how much are these folks getting paid, by the way?). And then there's the issue of storage. As is often the case, there is opportunity for good as well as the potential for harm as we move forward in this "emergency" climate. I have my concerns. We'll keep you posted.
06/06/2008

Happy New Year!

Well, I didn't do so good keeping this dialogue up to date in 2007. But now it's 2008 and resolutions are in order. Let's see how I do.

Changes are always afoot at the Trust. I'm happy to welcome Liz Gardner back from her maternity leave (details, as provided by Liz, are as follows: Augustus "Augie" Randall Jaqua, born August 17, 2007, weighing in at 8.4 lbs and 21" long!!). She's rapidly getting back into the swing of things and Tiffany is now working full time on registration duties with the Snow Goose Festival.

Speaking of the Festival, once we recovered from last weekend's windstorm (we lost all power Friday morning and it did not come back on until Sunday), it has been full speed ahead with the Festival brochures in the mail to 2200 people and posters for both the Uptown/Downtown Art Exhibit and the Festival itself going up at a location near you. Busy days but not crazy yet due to early registrations in December. We'll see what happens in the days to come.

2008-a year, like many others, starting full of promise. I look forward to your presence as we pursue the dreams before us.
01/11/2008

Mid November Already?!


Once again, time has gotten away from me, so some backtracking is in order.

To begin with, the Annual Dinner on November 1 came off without a hitch.

We had a great turnout, with a festive time had by all. Jim Smith of the US Fish and Wildlife Service gave an insightful overview of the Sacramento River fishery and we enjoyed casual conversation, delectable food and good company. In addition, our silent auction made over $1,300 which will help with the future operating costs of the Trust. Thanks to all who attended and helped to celebrate our 23rd anniversary!



Secondly, we had some rain, though it wasn?t much. Unfortunately, it came on the same day as our November 10 float. As a consequence we had to cancel, which ended our fall float program. Not to worry, however. We are already looking at the spring, with at least three dates in April and May.

Last but not least, Tiff caught the creeping crud and was out all last week. She?s still playing catch-up and so am I. Bank swallows took a hit on the river and additional abuses keep coming to our attention. The Snow Goose Festival is taking shape and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Typical times in the life of the Trust.

Enjoy the falling leaves!

11/16/2007

Happy Fall Weather to You All!

With even more rain on the way it was nice to see that it stopped briefly for our hike on Saturday, October 13. The weather could not have been better and participants young and old felt energized and renewed. We had a similar experience on our hike on Sunday, October 21. I would like to thank Kelly Williams and his fellow BLM staff members for helping to lead both hikes in this beautiful area just northeast of Red Bluff. While I was not able to attend, Tiffany represented the Trust in her usual upbeat fashion. Some of her photos are on this page.





In addition, I had mentioned before that the Trust hosted a float down the Sacramento River in late September. The Orion newspaper from CSU, Chico did a great story and even covered the start of the event on film. To read the article and see the movie, click the appropriate links. Thanks Orion!!



This week has been full of challenges, some of short duration and some that will be with us for years to come. The current status of the bank swallow in California is a good example of this latter situation and will be one of the subjects of future blogs. The state of the Sacramento River's fishery is another area of concern and will be discussed by our keynote speaker, Jim Smith of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, at the Trust's Annual Dinner next Thursday, November 1. We hope you can join us at that time. For more details, please see the Trust homepage or call us.

Until we meet again.

10/26/2007

Round 2

Hello Members,

The rain has just renewed the life and vitality of the Sacramento River and energized us all to continue what we do best.

We just finished our first float of the season last Saturday. We would like to thank Dawn Garcia of Altacal Audubon Society for being a volunteer guide who graciously shared her birding experience, Ranger Sue Hearne of State Parks for an invigorating presentation prior to launch (by the way, Sue is also a former member of the Trust Board of Directors) and Adventure Outings, without whom this would have not happened at all. The next float is on Saturday, November 10 and there are 7 spots left! This is our last float of the fall. Need I say more?

Over the next couple of weeks, the Trust will be hosting two hikes along the Sacramento River with the Bureau of Land Management. In addition, the Return of the Salmon Festival at Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek outside of Anderson is just around the corner. We hope you can attend one of these great events as we prepare for colder weather in the months to come. Enjoy the Sac!

Unfortunately, not all can be fun and games. The Trust is also involved in several issues that may culminate in lawsuits. Details will be provided briefly here and in more detail on our Issues page of the website as these situations resolve themselves, for better or worse. Please stay in touch, as we may very well need your help.

Always nice to end on a high note if you can, so what about this rain! And the acorns!! The crop this year is the largest I have ever seen. The end result is lots of happy critters and a whole new forest (of Valley Oaks in particular). This is a good thing.

Until we blog again (please note that Tiffany is just as responsible for the above as I am, if not more so). You may consider this a disclaimer if you wish.
10/11/2007

Welcome! October 1, 2007

Welcome to our newest communication device. This blog is directed primarily at Trust members and will be updated weekly to keep you informed of a wide range of Trust activities. For those of you who were unable to make it to our Annual Picnic on Saturday, August 25, here are a few pictures to share.



I would like to take this opportunity to thank Board member Denny Latimer and Trust member Jim Chakarun for providing the jet boats for our free river tours. As far as I know, their piloting skills are excellent, as everyone came back safe and sound. Another big thank you goes to Board member Debbie Chakarun for leading an energetic group to the mouth of Deer Creek and back. Last but not least, hats off to Dave Guzzetti of Guzzetti Consulting, who once again took care of our culinary needs and provided the foundation for my afternoon nap (full stomachs on a warm day will do that).



Hopefully next year you can attend and take advantage of all of the above as well as sharing in the give and take of a typical Trust gathering.

Speaking of gatherings, the Trust Annual Meeting is set for Thursday evening, November 1 at the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Please mark your calendar now for what promises to be a pleasant evening of music, food and conversation.

For information on additional events, please check out the Events page. Should you wish to send words my way, for whatever reason, then e-mail me at jmerz@sacrivertrust.org.

Happy Fall to you All!
10/02/2007