Watsonville Wetlands Watch

___From the secret depths of a live oak tree frequented by great horned owls and red-tails, a dark hawk leaps into the air and sculls across Harkins Slough, dark wings glimmering with silver. A bumbling intruder stands riveted in thrall and confusion, with the guilt of one who disturbs a superior. The hawk’s wide wings fold into the winter gloom of a dense eucalyptus tree, exposing a pale, narrowly banded undertail that marks the bird as a dark-morph Swainson’s hawk.
___The spectacular hawk had been loitering by the slough for nearly two weeks since drifting over the coastal hills from her birthplace in a remnant cottonwood on the delta north of Modesto. She began life in a windblown nest with two siblings who perished in chilly March rains, leaving her the sole beneficiary of her parents’ dedication and the dense vole populations that proliferated across green pastures.
___She fledged in May but followed her mother for weeks thereafter, learning to ambush voles and ground squirrels from telephone poles and desultory trees. As hot weather arrived she began to gather with flocks of her kind on riparian roosts along the San Joaquin. She learned to hawk, like a monstrous flycatcher, the grasshoppers that swirled over the valley floor on summer thermals. She plucked crickets and gophers off the ground. Imitating her mother, she stooped after dove and meadowlarks, snatching them out of the air with uncanny grace.
___In Harkins Slough she recovered the habit of hunting voles from perches, tormenting the plump microtines that teemed in the slough-side grasslands and seemed unable, try as their wits provided, to avoid the claws that sank into them so gratefully. Like an avian Darth Vadar, she haunted the shadows, least visible of all the many raptors frequenting the sloughs, never circling the sky like her red-tailed cousins.
But the day approached when she would soar high and slip away south towards Mexico, effortlessly riding thermals and coastal currents to the foothill grasslands of the west Cordillera plateau. The steppe habitat there was rich in bugs and rodents and bereft of the organophosphate applications that killed thousands of more migratory Swainson’s on the plains of Argentina.
___Swainson’s hawks range over much of the west and once ranged over most of California, including the coast and transverse ranges, the Central and Owens valleys, the deserts and the northern basins. Today the state’s population is concentrated into two primary locales: a 75 mile stretch of riparian and field habitat between Sacramento and Modesto, supporting 450-1000 pairs, and the juniper shrub steppe of the Great Basin, supporting a smaller population.
___Conversion of seasonally flooded grasslands to agricultural fields, destruction of nesting trees near favored hunting grounds, and pesticide use are three primary causes of the species’ decline. The population also suffered in from the prairie habitat takeover by non-native annual grasses favoring nocturnal mice over the daytime species.
___As rare as Swainson’s hawks have become in California, themelanistic or dark morph is even rarer. Melanism occurs among all the buteo species except red-shouldered hawks, but no one knows why the trait persists. At least one researcher has found that melanism is more common in reduced or isolated populations, is related to inbreeding and for some reason is naturally selected in such populations. He suggests that melanism can indicate a population in trouble, such as our state’s Swainson’s hawks.
___On the banks of Harkins Slough, the observer's, thrall briefly suspended, looks off to the distance for a few minutes. Back in the gloom beneath the eucalyptus leaves, the almost imperceptible outline of the beautiful, dark buteo has disappeared. ___- Jerry Busch

Comments At the Groundbreaking for Pajaro Valley High School, September 9, 2002

Christine Johnson-Lyons represented the Watsonville Wetlands Watch at the ground-breaking of the Pajaro Valley High School. The new school hopes to be a model of wetlands education & stewardship.

___I’m very pleased to be here, on behalf of the Watsonville Wetlands Watch, to celebrate this landmark accomplishment in Pajaro Valley history. On February 6, 2000, we stood here, along with others, to announce the beginning of a process, a “road map”, as Assemblymember Keeley called it, toward a possible agreement regarding construction of a 3rd high school on this site. For nearly a decade Wetlands Watch had opposed attempts to expand urban development west of Highway One because of the importance of these wetlands and farm lands to the valley’s economy, environment, and community; and, because we were convinced that the city could solve its problems without sacrificing its unique, nationally recognized natural resources.
___After a month of intensive negotiations, we reached a destination we were pleased with: We had agreement on a high school on this site. We also had an agreement on open space preservation agreement that includes multiple political and legal growth control provisions that at last affirm Hwy. 1 as a stable urban rural boundary for the area west of the city. As part of the enforceability measures, we are in the process of securing title to two easements that restrict potential expansion efforts for future developments across the city’s westerly boundary. We also obtained the dedication of over $7,000,000 in public funds to acquire the remaining portion of the Edwards’ property and 646 acres of adjoining prime farm lands and sensitive wetland habitat for agricultural and conservation preservation. For this we gave up a scaled down portion of the Edwards’ property for a new high school site. And even the scaled down site does not sacrifice a single square inch of wetlands or sensitive habitat areas.
___For the WWW, we are working to make this happen by continuing planning efforts with the school district, city and others on the creation of an environmental learning center on this campus that will benefit not only the future students at this high school, but all PVUSD students, as well as the environment, community and entire region; the learning center will also help support restoration efforts of the surrounding West Struve Slough and Hanson Slough, parts of our 800 acre Watsonville Slough System that is one of the most important coastal freshwater wetlands remaining in the state; and, we are working on other planning efforts to ensure that future growth in the Pajaro Valley is channeled and controlled in a way that is the most beneficial to the environment, local residents, and our economy.
___Let’s remember this day as a reminder that creative planning strategies take time, commitment, and plenty of hard work, but that the payoff can be tremendous. Today we are marking not only the ground breaking of a new high school but also the beginning of a new era in which this incredible complex of wetlands, terrace grasslands and farmlands will become a monument to nature, to education and to the spirit of the Pajaro Valley community for generations to come.

WWW Activites in 2002

___The importance and beauty of the Watsonville Wetlands is becoming more widely acknowledged among individuals and agencies of Santa Cruz County and WWW is growing fast as we enter into new areas of restoration and preservation of the wetlands. As a result the past year has been an extremely busy time for the Watsonville Wetlands Watch and 2003 promises to be equally full of vibrant activity.
A summary of some our activites follows.

Whale Tail Grant
___Ever wonder what happens to the money you pay for specialty license plates? If you bought a Whale Tail plate, the money went to the Coastal Conservancy and was dispersed in the form of grant money for projects to preserve the coast.
___Laura Kummerer, our restoration specialist and WWW board member wrote a wonderful grant which will expand the work she started at Calabasas school last year to include Amesti Elementary School in 2003. The students will gather native seeds from the Fish and Game property along West Struve Slough and plant them in their own greenhouse. They will tend to them and eventually plant the new plants back along Struve Slough. In the process they will learn about habitat restoration, the ecology and natural history of our Watsonville Sloughs and have many opportunities to learn about the birds and animals of this habitat.
___This project will begin this spring. Stay tuned for news about a second grant which is nin the works. It will agument and expand this grant.
Wetlands Education and Research Center (WERC)
___Much work and incredible cooperation between PVUSD Vice Superintendent Catherine Hatch, the City of Watsonville Dept. of Public Works' Nancy Gray and Bob Geyer, and WWW's Jerry Busch, Sue Terence and Carol Whitehill has resulted in finalizing our plans for the WERC center.
___PVUSD is donating land overlooking upper West Struve Slough which is within the high school foot print;thus, the WERC would be built on the high school site. The school district has already run the utilities up to the edge of the site and is applying for bond money earmarked for joint school district and community projects. This bond money could pay for 50% of the building.
___The City of Watsonville has contributed $150,000 work of time and labor from Youth Build to help construct the WERC as well as $30,000 toward equipment and outfitting the building.
WWW will provide the scheduling and use of the WERC, a resource guide and oversee the educational programs. All three agencies involved will fund raise any necessary additional funds. Both the city and the school district have been instrumental in finding grant moneys to aid with this project and will continue to do so.
___It is an ambitious undertaking and it is still in the planning stage with hurdles yet to come, but the opportunity to have a Wetlands Center available for use by all of PVUSD, the City and WWW is very promising for Watsonville Wetland Preservation and Education. It is estimated that the building would open in 2005 when the new high school is opened.

Measure 'U' Passed
___It's been a long-term goal of WWW to have a no-growth boundary; we now have it thanks to Chris Lyons and Marian Martinez who represented the WWW in four years of meetings hammering out the boundaries of Measure U. A successful campaign organized by Action Pajaro Valley and supported by many community organizations including WWW ensured its passage. At least for 20 years we have halted urban sprawl in Pajaro Valley.

Community Hero Award
___Jim Van Houten was awarded the title “Commuity Hero” by the community Assessment Project of United Way. Jim was one of the founders of WWW and has remained an active participant in many projects involved our wetlands. While we who know him have had good cause to appreciate his good natured and tireless efforts for wetland preservation, it is wonderful to have his talents and activities publically recognized by the United Way.
Watsonville Slough System Resource Preservation Plan
___Three years ago the ambitious project, conceived by Jim Van Houten and Jerry Busch, of mapping the slough system watershed was funded and begun. In 2002 it was completed and the final report submitted. Now there is a Watsonville Slough System Resource preservation stewardship committe to oversee and coordinate the many projects started and planned for this extensive watershed. WWW is participating in this stewardship committee and the public is invited to attend quarterly meetings.
___The second meeting of the Stewardship Committee will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2003 from 3:30 - 6:00 at the Sandpiper Center at Pajaro Dunes. This is a meeting of the various Stewardship organizations, Regulatory Agencies and Funders working in the Watsonville Slough System. Anyone interested in getting involved in this important work is welcome.
Planning and Conservation Committee:
___The P & C Committee is anxious to hear from WWW members interested in helping with project planning, monitoring public and private projects, reviewing EIR Documents, monitoring City Council, County Board of Supervisors, and other agency agendas. For further information contact Jim Van Houten at 684-1861 or Bob Culbertson at 440-9206.

Restoration Committee
___The restoration committe has received mitigation funds for the Sea View Ranch housing development. Although it is quite difficult to watch houses being built up on the slough edge, it is good to see all of the work that we will be able to do with these funds. A portion of these funds will be used to eradicate invasive weeds and plant native plants on an acre strip of land between the housing development and a tributary to Struve Slough and on a .6 acre lowland area adjacent to Watsonville Slough. Another portion of these funds is being used to deepen our work involving community and students in the process of restoring and getting to know the Watsonville Slough System, guided by a part time volunteer coordinator and a part time land manager. The remaining funds will be utilitzed for other projects of the Watsonville Wetlands Watch. The energy and care for the sloughs that is coming out as a result of this extra funding will expand and grow in the years to come.
___The restoration committee received a grant from the Coastal Commission to create an experiential wetlands education program with elementary school students. Through the program students will collect native plant seeds from the slough, grow those plants in their school greenhouse then plant those plants at the slough. They will not only play a valuable role in slough restoration, but also get to experience the magic of the sloughs for themselves.
___We have had 9 community volunteer work days out at the slough this winter. Volunteers have come from far and wide to take part in creating better habitat in the sloughs. We have had enthusiastic students from Anzar High School, Watsonville High School and San Lorenzo Valley High School.
___With all this great volunteer energy we have eradicated about 1/2 an acre of fennel from the uplands of West Branch of Struve Slough. A hard-working group of Quaker youth dug this beautiful smelling, yet invasive from the soil. Now young lupines and other native plants have grown in. We have coverd another 1/4 acre of Harding grass with black plasticto erradicate this invasive grass from the uplands of the sloughs. About1,000 site specifc native plants were planted on the banks of West Branch of Struve Slough. Linscott Charter School fourth grade students are involved in planting and Pacific Coast Charter School students have collected native plant seeds.We look forward to involving more and more people in this satisfying and beautiful work.

River Advocates
___Since the Pajaro River is another crucial endangered wetland in the Pajaro Valley WWW is helping to support to the River Advocates. Formed in 2002 to be a support group for the Pajaro River, River Advocates is directing its activities along three courses: Public Outreach and Education, Participation in the Community Planning Process (including monitoring the actions of the Army Corps of Engineers and Counties) and Promoting a Community Mediation and Negotiation Process.
___The River Advocates published a Vision Statement and Principles in December, calling for protection of a “living river” and asking for endorsement and financial support for a public outreach campaign. Response has been gratifying but many who share this mission have not pledged their support. For a copy of the first publication or further information, call Jim Van Houten at 684-1861 or JoAnn Baumgartner at 761-8408.
___So far the role in the Community Planning Process has achieved limited success. The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and the two Counties are determined to do it “their way.”. Both are being lobbied hard by stronger political interests. The ACE seems committed to doing it wrong. They continue to press for design alternatives that don‚t consider the impact of potential upstream improvements (in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties) that would reduce the peak flood flows to our downstream area. The ACE also fails to recognize the need for ecological restoration. They do not acknowledge the charges by the Regulatory Agencies that permits will not be issued by those agencies for the project as presented. The River Advocates continue to work with the various agencies involved: To tell the ACE they must do better, To tell the Regulatory Agencies that we will insist that they meet their mandates, To tell the Counties that we will not allow a project that does not meet environmental, aesthetic and public use standards. River Advocates are considering legal action, that could delay much needed flood protection improvements if their concerns are satisfied.
___The next public meeting of the Community Planning Process will be March 3 from 3:30 - 5:30 at the Watsonville Senior Center, 114 East 5th St. Watsonville.
___While the ACE project rumbles forward, the two Counties (Monterey and Santa Cruz) are pressing for approval from the ACE for and “Interim Maintenance Project”. This permit application notice has just come out and yet the public comment period closes February 24. As of this date we are struggling to get copies of the project description for review. The battle rages on!

Contributers to this edition of The Watch: Jerry Busch, Jim Van Houten, Laura Kummerer, Chris Johnson-Lons, Carol Whitehill
Production: Ellie Van Houten & Caroline Rodgers
Artwork: Swainson's Hawk from David Allen Sibley's Guide to Birds, Andrea Rich

The Watch
Watsonville Wetlands Watch Newsletter
Post Office Box 1239
Freedom, CA 95019-1239