Our Keeping Bay Projects Moving! WORKSHOP SERIES 2010 is off to a great start. There was super attendance and dynamic discussion at our first session “Dredging Disposal Options for Today!”. New thinking; Nimble solutions; Faster, Better, Smarter–these are some of the workshop slogans that capture the essence of what needs to be done to ensure that all sites are available, particularly for beneficial reuse.  Many actions were identified which are being reviewed on our video of the workshop and will be uploaded shortly on our website.

Stay tuned for information on our fall Workshop 2 to be announced soon.

Many thanks to our sponsors for their support.

Workshop 1 Sponsors: Cargill, Chevron, Moffat & Nichol, Manson Construction, and Dutra Group.
Workshop Series 2010 Sponsor:	Workshop Series 2010 Media Partner:

Plan to attend and SPONSOR the Workshop Series or one workshop of your choice. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities for the series or an individual workshop …

The San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project draft document was released on June 16, 2010.

The Goals Project sponsors, BCDC, NOAA Fisheries and the California State Coastal Conservancy held two public meetings on June 16 from 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.at BCDC’s office to review the draft document and hear feedback and comment.  Information on the project can be found on BCDC’s website at http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/shg/subtidal_habitat.shtml.  The release will initiate a 45-day public review period.  The Draft Plan includes recommendations for research, restoration and management of subtidal habitats and will lead to possible new regulations on dredging, sand mining and in-water construction.  BPC attended the briefing and will be coordinating comments submitted by BPC members.  In its initial review, BPC is alarmed that the Goals Project is not recognizing the value of the habitat types for human use as well as conservation thereby resulting in Management Objectives reflecting a lack of balance for the Bay’s  human, fauna and flora use.

Effective July 2, 2010, activities such as dredging in San Francisco are prohibited unless a take permit is granted by NOAA based on an endangered species consultation.  In-water and shoreside construction activities such as dredging are currently covered by a programmatic permit issued by NOAA for the Long Term Management Strategy for Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal adopted in 2002 as long as such activities are conducted with the environmental windows season.  Since there is no environmental window for the green sturgeon, a new era of environmental permitting and negotiation has begun.  NOAA is aware of the challenge this potential restriction poses for commerce in the S.F. Bay and Delta region and is working on a biological opinion.  Further discussion with the dredging agencies and stakeholders will take place this summer.

Reference materials can be found at  www.swr.nmfs.noaa.gov.  50 CFR 223

BPC was one of 17 commenters on the rule.

On June 2, BAAQMD unanimously adopted “thresholds of significance”.  These are numeric air pollution thresholds to be used in the land use review process by local government in deciding whether to require  builders/project sponsors to conduct studies on ways to remove pollution.  If construction projects exceed a certain threshold of emissions, ways to reduce or offset pollution would be to locate projects near bus, train and/or transit centers, create shuttles, and install energy saving devices such as solar panels.  A major concern about the guidelines is increased burden in the permit process and creating obstacles for in-fill development mandated by SB 375.  BAAQMD planning manager, Henry Hilken, said at a recent BPC membership briefing that the BAAQMD supports in-fill development and the guidelines will not prevent compliance with SB 375.

For more info, visit: http://www.baaqmd.gov/Division/Planning-and-Research/CEQA-GUIDELINES/Proposed-Guidelines.aspx.

Bay Planning Coalition is known for its leadership in bringing key players together to develop solutions. These solutions support our mission to ensure that commerce, recreation, and the natural environment thrive in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region.

Workshop 2: Late August/Early September – Sea Level Change Adaptation Strategies: Innovations for our Future

Workshop Series 2 Sponsor:

Bay Planning Coalition is known for its leadership in bringing key players together to develop solutions. These solutions support our mission to ensure that commerce, recreation, and the natural environment thrive in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region.

Workshop 3: Early November – Linking Land to Waterways: Funding and Building Goods Movement Projects Now Details coming soon.

Workshop Series 3 Sponsor

Bay Planning Coalition is known for its leadership in bringing key players together to develop solutions. These solutions support our mission to ensure that commerce, recreation, and the natural environment thrive in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region.

Workshop 1: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 – Dredging Disposal Options for Today. An in-depth discussion on maximizing the use of dredged material disposal/beneficial use sites, and overcoming obstacles.

WORKSHOP 1: Dredging Disposal Options for Today
Place: URS Corporation 1333 Broadway, Suite 800 Oakland, CA	Schedule and Program: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 8:00 Coffee and refreshments will be provided	Registration: $50 per person
Workshop Goals 1. Assess the current status of disposal practices for bay dredging projects. 2. Identify and discuss impediments and solutions to meeting the LTMS goals with disposal practices that allow for an efficient regulatory review process and are cost-effective for dredging sponsors. 3. Ensure maximum disposal flexibility is maintained for all dredgers
Panel #1: Current Disposal Practices (8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.) Setting the stage (15 min) Overview of current situation—history of the LTMS (Ellen Johnck) What is today’s state of disposal practices? (Rick Rhoads) What has changed since 2002? (1 hr 15 min) Brian Ross, EPA, Emerging Issues on 40-40-20 (10 min) Steve Goldbeck, BCDC, Regional Sediment Management Planning (10 min) Mike Connor, East Bay Area Dischargers Authority, Thoughts on toxicity, mass balance and climate change (10 min) David Woodbury, NOAA Fisheries, Green Sturgeon Critical Habitat and the ESA 4-D Rule (10 min) Jake Jacobson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Scott Bodensteiner, Weston Solutions, Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) (15 min) Lester McKee, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Bay sediment dynamics (15 Min) Rick Rhoads, Moffat & Nichol, Snapshot of Pricing (5 min) Break 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Panel #2: Challenges for Upland Disposal (10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) Perspectives on Disposal Practices (8-10 min each) Steve Chesser, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mike Giari, Port of Redwood City Greg Gibeson, Pacific Inter Club Yacht Association Brian Hubinger, Chevron Diane Isley, Emery Cove Harbormaster Jim McNally, Manson Construction Break 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Panel #3: Challenges for Upland Disposal (11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) Issues to be addressed: Cost of Upland Disposal vs. Volume of In-Bay Disposal Lack of Contractor Competition Challenges for Developing Additional Upland Sites Need for Balanced Disposal Options Emerging Opportunities Speakers: Doug Lipton, Montezuma Wetlands (7 min) Tom Gandesbery, SCC, Hamilton/BMK Wetland Restoration (7 min) Jake Jacobson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, WRDA Concepts/Partnerships (7 min) Jim McNally, Manson Construction, Dredger Contractor’s Perspective (7 min)
Summary & Wrap-Up Discussion (Rick Rhoads/Ellen Johnck) (12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Workshop 1 Sponsors

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Bay Planning Coalition is known for its leadership in bringing key players together to develop solutions to keeping bay projects moving. Our efforts support our mission to ensure that commerce, recreation, and the natural environment thrive in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region.

Download a pdf of the sponsor sign-up form and rates here.

Keeping Bay Projects Moving! WORKSHOP SERIES 2010 includes three, one-half day workshops on meaty topics that require conversation, collaboration and problem-solving. This year’s topics are:

Tues. June 29 Dredging Disposal Options for Today

URS Corp, Oakland   An in-depth discussion on maximizing the use of dredged material disposal/beneficial use sites, and overcoming obstacles.

Late August/Early September* Sea Level Change Adaptation Strategies: Innovations for our Future

Early November* Linking Land to Waterways: Funding and Building   Goods Movement Projects Now

*(Exact dates and location(s) TBA)

Sponsors make these workshops possible. By becoming a sponsor, you will be investing in the Bay’s future and will be helping to ensure that BPC will continue to offer access and advocacy on behalf of our members. Your Sponsorship also brings you visibility to our members and contacts—more than 3,000 of them!

Sign up today as a sponsor for:
Keeping Bay Projects Moving! WORKSHOP SERIES 2010

We need you to help make this series a success.  Enclosed is information about sponsorship opportunities and benefits as well as a Sponsorship Pledge Form.  For more information or to become a sponsor, please contact Kathy Thibodeaux at (408) 482-3910 or email us.

Thank you for your continued investment in our important work.

Michael Giari, President
Rick Rhoads, Vice President
Ellen Joslin Johnck, Executive Director