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Resource Conservation District to Receive High Honor from NOAA for Coho Salmon Population Recovery Work
November 18th, 2021 @ 4:00pm - 6:00pm
“We are going to receive a very high honor from NOAA Fisheries.
Also, this meeting is an Agriculture Study Session.
Five farmers will talk for 3-5 minutes in a “lightning round” about their operation, answering questions we sent them in advance. Then Adria Arko on our staff will present about our programs serving agriculture. Then Koren Widell, the Ag Commissioner, will present the crop report.”
Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors
There is a public meeting of the Board of Directors on the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 pm, unless otherwise posted. The agenda and materials are available at least 72 hours in advance. To receive meeting announcements, email info@sanmateorcd.org with subject line: Add to Board Notice List.
Next Meeting:
Thursday, November 18, 2021
4:00 – 6:00 pm
The meeting will be held remotely via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89675733636
If you are using a computer or other device to join the meeting, you may click here. A computer video camera is not required to participate. If you do not have access to a computer or internet during this meeting, or if your computer does not have audio, you can call in by phone: (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID: 896 7573 3636 when prompted.
1. Call to Order
2. Declaration of Emergency Continuing Teleconferencing (subject to AB 361)
A statewide emergency for COVID-19 was declared on March 4, 2020 by Governor Newsom. The state of emergency must be ended by the governor or by concurrent resolution in the state legislature at “the earliest possible date that conditions warrant” pursuant to Government Code section 8629, however no such action has been taken and the state of emergency continues to remain in place as of today. In addition, state officials continue to impose and recommend measures to promote social distancing. As a result, the continuation of teleconferencing pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e)(3) is warranted.
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Introduction of Guests and Staff
5. Public Comment- The Board will hear comments on items that are not on the agenda. The Board cannot act on an item unless it is an emergency as defined under Government Code Sec. 54954.2.
6. Consent Agenda
The Board of Directors approves:
6.1. October 21, 2021 Draft Regular Meeting Minutes
The Board of Directors receives into record:
7. Regular Agenda
7.1. Presentation of NOAA Fisheries Partner in the Spotlight Award to San Mateo Resource Conservation District for their efforts to restore and protect Central California Coast coho salmon by Barry Thom, Regional Administrator, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region and Alecia Van Atta, Assistant Regional Administrator, California Coastal Office, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region
Every two years NOAA Fisheries reports to Congress summarizing efforts to recover species under their jurisdiction and highlight a partner for each of the “Species in the Spotlight,” the nine species in their jurisdiction under the Endangered Species Act that they consider to be among the most at risk of extinction in the near future.
7.2. Agriculture Study Session
· “Lightning round” five-minute presentations by five local farm operations.
· Presentation about RCD programs serving agriculture by Adria Arko, Senior Program Manager: Agriculture & Climate.
· Presentation of San Mateo County Crop Report by Koren Widdel, San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner.
7.3. Board will consider approving Fiscal Year 2022 Draft First Quarter Financial Review. Presented by Director, Chair of the Finance Committee.
7.5. Board will consider Resolution 081-91066 designating the RCD Executive Director as Authorized Agent for the purpose of obtaining certain federal financial assistance under Public Law 93-288 as amended by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, and/or state financial assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act.
7.6. Directors’ reports
8. Adjourn Meeting
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors will be December 16, 2021.
Public records that relate to any item on the open session agenda for a regular board meeting are available for public inspection. Those records that are distributed less than 72 hours prior to the meeting are available for public inspection at the same time they are distributed to all members, or a majority of the members of the Board.
What is a Resource Conservation District?
Resource Conservation Districts across California serve as local hubs for conservation, connecting people with the technical, financial and educational assistance they need to conserve and manage natural resources. A defining characteristic of RCDs is that we provide non-regulatory, confidential, free assistance.
RCDs are established under California law to be locally governed with independent boards of directors that are accountable to our communities. Our relationships with the communities we serve and their trust are critical to how we accomplish our work.
RCDs are not part of County government. We are special districts, a form of local government created by the community to meet a specific need such as fire protection, open space, or flood control. RCDs help meet the need for voluntary resource conservation.
As trusted stewards of public and private funds, RCDs are subject to transparency and accountability laws that require public meetings, open records, annual audits and financial reporting.
How does the RCD operate in San Mateo County?
The RCD receives a small local tax base of approximately $57,000 per year. We rely heavily on grants, service contracts, and private donations to deliver our mission and leverage each tax dollar to bring up to $50 of state and federal resources into San Mateo County! Five non-salaried directors are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and function independently of County government. The district covers over 157,000 acres in the western, coastal half of the county, including all watersheds in the county that drain into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and is enabled to work in areas outside of district boundaries as appropriate.
Area covered: RCD Map
What does the RCD do in San Mateo County?
We provide comprehensive, integrated services addressing wildlife, water, climate, and agriculture.
We use very diverse means to protect, conserve, and restore natural resources. Serving as a focal point for local conservation efforts, we collaborate with private and public land owners, land managers,public agencies, interest groups, and others.
Those who live, farm, or play on the San Mateo County coast know that it is a special place balancing the demands of many competing interests. Resource management involves a wide variety of stakeholders. The RCD often serves as a critical liaison between these groups, aiming for win-win solutions in our service to the community.
Protecting water quality, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, conserving water resources and fighting the drought, sustaining agriculture, working to reverse climate change and helping communities adapt to a changing climate – these are some of the ways the RCD serves people, nature, and agriculture in San Mateo County.
What is the history of the RCD?
In 1939, visionary farmers in San Mateo County formed the first conservation district in California and one of the first in the nation. The Dust Bowl crisis had just destroyed millions of acres of cropland by drought and subsequent soil loss. In response, the USDA established the Soil Conservation Service (later renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS). Local counterparts were set up across the nation to ensure that local priorities were served. Thus were born conservation districts. From the Dust Bowl of yesteryear to climate change today, RCDs have been a partner to those wishing to best manage natural resources.
The RCD continues to have a close working relationship with the NRCS. In San Mateo County, we are co-located in our Local Partnership Office in Half Moon Bay. The NRCS provides a district conservationist who offers technical assistance and administers federal cost-share programs, as well as soil conservationists, agronomists, biologists, engineers, and more.
Recent Awards and Recognition
2017 Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award
Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards Coalition
2016 Sustainability Award
Sustainable San Mateo
2015 San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame
San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women
2013 District Manager Award
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
2012 District of the Year
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
2008 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
Congressman Sam Farr, United States House of Representatives
RCD Board Members
Barbara Kossy
President
January 2013 – December 2022
Ms. Kossy is a devoted conservationist who has worked with organizations such as Friends of the River, the Northern California Recyclers Association and as an editor and writer for Bay Area environmental engineering firms. She also served more than ten years on the San Mateo County Weed Management Area Committee- most recently as Chair, on the City of Richmond Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Recycling, and on a committee overseeing the US Navy’s Cleanup of the Pt. Molate Fuel Depot. Ms. Kossy is also an avid sea kayaker and regularly leads kayaking tours in Italy.
TJ Glauthier
Board of Directors
June 2006 – December 2020
Mr. Glauthier is a prominent energy industry leader with a long list of accomplishments in business, government, and technology. He served in the White House as the Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy and Science in the Office of Management and Budget, where his work included negotiation of the 1997 Farm Bill. Mr. Glauthier has also served as the second highest official within the U.S. Department of Energy and as the Director of Energy and Climate Change for the World Wildlife Fund.
Jim Reynolds
Board of Directors
December 2004 – December 2020
Mr. Reynolds owns and manages a Pescadero farm that has been in the family for nearly 150 years. He brings over 30 years of experience as a management consultant, communicating in several languages to help diverse industries nationally and internationally manage organizational change, business process, and reengineering.
Adrienne Etherton
Board of Directors
May 2019 – December 2019
Ms. Etherton is the City of Brisbane’s Sustainability Manager, supporting the Open Space and Ecology Committee and implementing the City’s Climate Action Plan and other sustainability initiatives. She previously served as Executive Director of Sustainable San Mateo County, a grassroots nonprofit organization, and has also worked in design, construction and logistics. Ms. Etherton has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied architecture, green buildings, energy efficiency and renewables. She lives in Half Moon Bay and is the Vice Chair of the city’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Rudy Espinoza-Murray
Board of Directors
Mr. Espinoza-Murray has held executive, board, and founding member positions in multiple organizations. He has a strong background in agriculture that includes an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Agriculture and Rural Development, a fellowship with AgriCorps in Nicaragua, working for the US Department of Agriculture, co-founding, and leading the San Mateo County Farmworker Affairs Coalition. Rudy and his husband have a daughter, Avery Elena, and their kitty, Leia.
Kevin Watt
Associate Director
Kevin Watt works on strategy and research for TomKat Ranch in Pescadero, California. His work focuses on discovering and sharing the demonstrable benefits of regenerative agriculture and the creation of tools and technologies that empower land stewards to efficiently and effectively work with complex natural systems.
John Keener
Associate Director
Mr. Keener holds a doctorate in microbiology, and worked for years as a researcher and technical writer. He has been elected to the Pacifica City Council and served as mayor. His current responsibilities reflect his interest in the environment: Mr. Keener is President of the San Pedro Creek Watershed Coalition and of the Pacifica Land Trust, Director Emeritus of Peninsula Clean Energy, and a site captain for the Pacifica Beach Coalition.
