Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 A n n u a l R e p o r t

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 A n n u a l R e p o r t

Table of Contents
District Boundary Mission Statement Board and Staff Executive Summary Mitigation Program Federal Appropriations Grants and Partnerships Santa Ana Watershed Association Staff Continuing Education Financial Summary Annual Workplan 4 5 6 7 8 10 18 21 22 23 24

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

Mission Statement
The purpose of the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District is to promote the understanding that the quality of the environment determines the quality of life. In cooperation with landowners, local, state and federal agencies, the agricultural community, environmental and community groups, we will promote good stewardship of our soil, water and other natural resources. We will provide strong educational programs that will encourage todays youth to accept the responsibility of conserving our natural resources for tomorrows generations.

Board of Directors
Paul Williams- President Cheryl Avent - Vice President John McMains - Secretary/Treasurer (Resignation Effective 12/14/09) Michael Martin (Resignation Effective 1/27/09) Terrie Andrews Sybrand Vander - Dussen Tim Johnson - Secretary/Treasurer (Effective 4/8/09) Alison Mathisen (Appointment Effective 3/17/09 for John McMains) Brad Buller (Appointment Effective 3/24/09 for Michael Martin)

Associate Director
Katherine Kielhold

District Staff
Jennifer Ares - District Manager Mandy Parkes- Project Manager James Law - Field Ecologist Amy Bonczewski - Conservation Educator Shari Tindall- Education Assistant Kate Warren - Administrative Assistant

E xecutive Summar y
Resource Conservation Districts are unique, in that they are classified under Californias Public Resource Code, Division 9 as Special Districts. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that resource conservation districts are legal subdivisions of the state and, as such, are not-for-profit entities. This unique classification has enabled RCD staff to cooperate with private landowners in a non-regulatory manner while educating and implementing conservation methods. The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) is one of 103 Resource Conservation Districts throughout the State of California. Representing one of the larger districts in California, IERCD has more than 1.3 million people in its 854,293 acre service area, requiring a huge feat from staff and board members to ensure that conservation messages are being conveyed to citizens in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Accomplishing conservation throughout the Inland Empire poses an additional challenge during these difficult fiscal times. As a result, RCDs continue to seek out resourceful ways to carry on conservation work in their respective districts. In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, IERCD partnered with many agencies to further the conservation goal. IERCD staff have worked with water districts, cities and non-profit organizations to reduce duplicative projects within the watershed by pooling valuable resources among several agencies to maximize conservation efforts despite lack of funding. A portion of Division 9 states, RCDs shall facilitate coordinated resource management efforts for watershed restoration and enhancement. With this in mind, IERCD will continue to be on the forefront of resource management, ensuring smart growth practices are utilized resulting in a healthy Santa Ana Watershed.

IERCD M itigation Program

In the past decade, the number of people living in the Inland Empire has risen dramatically, accompanied by a predictable increase in area construction to accommodate this larger population. The resulting proliferation of buildings and infrastructure has benefitted the growing number of residents. Unfortunately, one unpleasant side effect has been the consequential negative impacts to the local landscape including open space loss, dramatic habitat alteration, and increased presence of sediment in water bodies. Those responsible for these habitat impacts are required by the state of California to mitigate for them; project proponents must first attempt to minimize, then make up for the damages inflicted upon the environment as a result of project construction. There are many potential forms of mitigation that can be assigned to developers including habitat creation, habitat restoration, and open space preservation. Local examples of mitigation within the boundaries of the District include constructed sediment basins in San Timoteo Creek in Redlands and the restoration of habitat in the Devil Canyon/San Sevaine region of San Bernardino. The IERCD is constantly working to improve the scope and functionality of its mitigation program. One of the main strategies employed in an attempt to accomplish this improvement has been the creation of the Mitigation Program Report, based on the report detailing the mitigation program run by the Solano Land Trust. The IERCD District Manager worked with the members of the IERCD mitigation committee to draft a comprehensive description of current mitigation practices including program goals and guidelines. The IERCD has sent the document to contacts at state regulatory agencies as well as to local city governments in an effort to gather support for and to improve the District mitigation program. Nearly all mitigation undertakings have the same general process and agency involvement, despite a large variation in project origin and in desired outcome of the mitigation assignment. Any new development project is first analyzed for its potential impacts on natural resources; if this impact is determined to be of significant size, the project plans will be submitted to state regulatory agents for review. The regulators will assign mitigation responsibilities to project developers that correspond to the size of the projects impacts, as well as to the habitat types projected to be negatively affected by the development. Conservation organizations such as the IERCD play a variety of roles in the process of carrying mitigation responsibilities from the conceptual phase to implementation. In projects planned for District lands, the IERCD will assist with permit interpretation, location of potential project sites, assistance with habitat mitigation and management plans, and with creation and recordation of the conservation easement if applicable. The IERCD provides a full range of these services to developers impacting District lands in an effort to maximize the amount of land conserved and habitat enhanced as a result of development. In instances where a conservation easement is required to be recorded over the land that comprises the mitigation assignment, the District is able to serve as holder of that document. The purposes of these easements are to protect sites in perpetuity through restriction of certain activities upon them, in addition to requiring the holder to perform maintenance and monitoring tasks to ensure continued health of the associated vegetation and wildlife communities. In order to accomplish these tasks, the individual developers remit endowments in amounts calculated by IERCD staff in order to allow for perpetual funding of all easement tasks. The following page contains a list of current and pending IERCD mitigation projects.

2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 M i t i g a t i o n Ta b l e *
Mitigant
Century American/Century Homes Wildwood Canyon II So. CA. Reg. Rail Authority Chino Hills//Centex Sycamore Heights Alabama St. Culvert Cal Trans Eucalyptus Calnev Pipeline Cajon CalNev Pipeline Swarthout Calnev Pipeline Deadmans ESRI Four Seasons Beaumont Goose Creek Nevada Business Park Oak Glen Basins ProLogis Logistics Prologis Ontario Riverside Flume Rialto Channel San Seveine Tournament Hills Totals

Impact
Development Development Santiago Creek Activity Development Culvert Constuction Construction Construction Construction Construction Parking Lot Housing Development Berm Construction Industrial Flood Basins Industrial
Light Industrial Building

Location
Yucaipa Yucaipa Santiago Creek Chino Hills Morrey Arroyo Prado Basin Cajon Wash Devore area Devore area Morrey Arroyo Protrero Creek Santa Ana River Morrey Arroyo Oak Glen Creek Coopers Creek Coopers Creek Santa Ana River Rialto Channel San Seveine Channel Beaumont Drainage

Type
Riparian Restoration Riparian Creation Arundo Removal Open Space Preservation Riparian Restoration Eucalyptus Removal / Cowbird Trap Invasive Plant Removal Riparian Restoration Riparian Restoration Riparian Restoration Enhancement / Restoration Open Space Preservation Riparian Restoration Open Space Preservation Enhancement/ Restoration Enhancement/ Restoration Enhancement / Resotration Invasive Plant Removal Invasive Plant Removal Riparian Open Space

Acreage
0.48 0.92 0.37 25 0.11 1 0.51 0.3

Total Received
111,000.00 5,000.00 21,000.00 120,930.00 25,000.00 105,000.00 40,000.00

47,000.00 0.27 2.96 26 54 0.003 2 9 4 1 3.33 8.7 pending 150,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 40,000.00 87,000.00 450,000.00 5,000.00 1,271,930.00

Water Line Concrete box, lining Flood Control Work Development

*A separate mitigation report is prepared annually for the regulatory agencies 9

Federal Appropriations
Inland Empire RCD continues to conduct restoration and public outreach projects in the Santa Ana Watershed with the federal appropriations received from Congressman Jerry Lewis office from 2003-2006. The money is being managed through our partner agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The funds are used for conservation projects in the Santa Ana Watershed. The objectives of the restoration projects are to reduce the threat of invasive plants on native habitat and watershed function, to reduce flooding and erosion caused by unsafe agricultural and urban practices, and to restore natural habitats to their original state while protecting property as well. In addition, the development of outreach materials and educational programs have played a vital role in ensuring that conservation measures are practiced throughout the community. The programs are available to the public and directed especially towards private landowners within the watershed. Techniques and protocols, as well as the guidelines for long-term monitoring programs are also outlined. The progress of activities must be reported to ensure the effectiveness of the plans. A separate annual report for the Federal Earmark Funds (October -September) is available from the District each year. Details of specific projects are outlined throughout this report.

Invasive Plant Removal

The federal earmark funds supported the removal of additional non-native plants present in the watershed. The majority of giant cane (Arundo donax), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), castor bean (Ricinus communis), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) have been removed within IERCDs district but additional acreages are currently present in downstream locations. IERCD conducted two large removal efforts on the Santa Ana River in cooperation with Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District. The first portion involved 100 acres of removal, with the second portion targeting an additional 20 acres. In addition to the aforementioned projects, the IERCD, in cooperation with the Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA), adopted a huge invasive plant removal project through a previous grant. Both agencies are responsible for the maintenance of 1,056 acres of removed non-natives that werent funded by the grant. In order to ensure complete eradication, continual maintenance occurs on an annual basis. Nine hundred twenty one of these acres are paid for by the earmark funds; the remaining acreage is located in Orange County, and is not included in IERCDs district. The federal funding will assist with the maintenance contracts to ensure complete eradication.

Invasive Plant Removal Methodology

The emphasis on removing these aggressive exotic plants is due to their negative impact on the vegetation and wildlife in the Santa Ana Watershed; effects of their presence include reduced quality and quantity of water, increased risk of fire and flooding, and a reduced presence of native vegetation which provides essential nutrition and shelter for local native wildlife. The District removes four main species of non-natives including castor bean (Ricinus communis), salt cedar

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(Tamarix spp) tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). However, the most problematic, prolific species in the watershed is giant cane (Arundo donax), which is the plant most often targeted for removal by the District. Arundo donax grows rather rapidly, between 1.5 and 4 centimeters per day, and its shoots take in an astonishing amount of water from surrounding sources. So far, the District has seen highly positive results in its efforts to eradicate this species from its territory, as removing even an acre of Arundo donax results in an annual return of 1.25 million gallons of water to the Santa Ana Watershed. The methodology for removing Arundo donax plants varies depending on the size and location of the project area. For smaller efforts, the Arundo donax stalks are first cut by hand by IERCD staff, then transported off the project site. The remaining biomass is treated with an immediate herbicide application to ensure that all of the plant has been killed, including its rootmass. Finally, District staff will monitor the removal area and treat any re-growth that appears. Smaller projects can include removing Arundo donax from the property of indivual District homeowners as well as eradicating stands of the plant that are spotted in public lands within IERCD boundaries. Larger removal projects are more complicated and require more staff time as well as the assistance of outside agencies and contractors. The initial elimination of biomass in the project area is done by a professional removal agency, whose employees utilize large tractors with feacon grinder attachments to mulch the freshly cut Arundo donax stalks. After the Arundo donax is cut, the contractor hired by the District treats the entire project area with a wetland-approved herbicide to prevent re-growth. Following that, the site is monitored for an average of five years, with the actual monitoring depending on the scope of the removal contracts. Typical re-growth in the first year after the removal project has begun can be anywhere from 20-60%; however, for the site to be considered a success, the presence of invasives in a project area cannot exceed 5% at the final walkthrough that takes place upon the termination of the project. The methodology for choosing project sites involves location and inundation of the proposed site, as well as proximity to linear water bodies that have been found to be more conducive to Arundo donax dispersal. The accelerated manner in which invasives propagate in combination with the dispersal power of riverine systems is what has enabled the spread of invasives in the watershed. Example of Arundo donax removal by contractors The IERCD will continue to work with contractors and other environmental protection and preservation organizations to ensure continual work towards eradication of these harmful species on District lands.

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Table of Invasives Removal Sites

Project
Upper Santa Ana River Phase 1

Location
Santa Ana River at Mission Avenue.

Acreage
100

Status
The project is now in the spray portion which is in year 3 of a 5 year contract. It is estimated that the targeted species are ~ 70% eradicated. The removal portion began in February 2009 and was completed March 5, 2009. In addition to the removal of the invasive plants, a one year spray contract was awarded and began March 15th, 2009 The Arundo donax is approximately >95% eradicated and all monitoring and spray duties have since been completed by the Santa Ana Watershed Associations spray crew. There is <1% Arundo donax biomass remaining on site. A new species of concern present at the site consists of tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). A future restoration project is planned for this site. Less than 5% of non-native plant species are present at this site. The IERCD Field Ecologist monitors the site and applies herbicide treatments to re-sprouts. The regrowth of Arundo donax at this location is less than 3%. The IERCD Field Ecologist monitors the site and applies herbicide treatments to re-growth. The herbicide application contract expired in February 2009 for the eradication of Arundo donax. Additional invasive species have been documented. Future restoration projects are being developed for this site. Arundo donax removal occurred in 2003. Follow-up herbicide spraying is conducted by the IERCD Field Ecologist. A minimal amount of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was located at this site. To prevent further infestation, IERCD removed the non-native plants and continues follow up monitoring to ensure complete eradication. Oak Glen is located in the upper portion of the Santa Ana watershed. In order to prevent re-infestation of previously removed Arundo donax from downstream tributaries, the IERCD Field Ecologist removed the non-native plant and continues to apply herbicide to biomass re-growth. An herbicide contract was initiated after 400 acres of Arundo donax burned in the Santa Ana River. The nonnative is approximately 85% eradicated. Due to the size of the project, an additional spray contract may be necessary.

Upper Santa Ana River Phase 2

Santa Ana River, at Mission Avenue

19

Mill Creek

Chino

125

210 Drainage

Redlands

13

East Twin Creek

San Bernardino Santa Ana River at Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino

84

Santa Ana Mainstem

70

Warm Creek

San Bernardino

San Timoteo Creek, subtribuatries

Calimesa

16

Etiwanda Preserve

Rancho Cucamonga

<1

Oak Glen Arundo

Oak Glen

<1

Santa Ana River at Limonite

Norco

125

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Education Report
Each year, the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District visits thousands of school children and educates students on the importance of resource conservation. During the past year the education department offered environmental education programs consistent with the California Content Standards for the Teaching Profession in a variety of the twenty-six cities in two counties that make up the Districts territory. In some cases, programs were amended depending on the educational institution visited in order to meet the individual needs of the diverse population that inhabits the IERCD community. Part of the IERCD mission is to educate the public detailing the manner in which resource conservation can be practiced, despite personal limitations on time, space, or monetary resources. Many schools put this message into practice by requesting the Districts free environmental programs at individual schools. Some educators have even elected to share their experiences with other teachers, thus expanding IERCDs educational programs. Due to the success of the education programs, IERCD hired an additional educator to assist with school programs and outreach events. This additional educator has significantly increased the number of educational programs performed in the District which has expanded the reach of the IERCDs message of conservation. Water Use Efficiency This program teaches students and the public about local water sources, the significance of the current drought and the importance of conserving water to prepare for potential water restrictions. Using the Enviroscape model, the students learn about the importance of groundwater for collection and use by IERCD residents. Toil of Soil This program uses scientific soil sieves to assist participants in discovering and subsequently discussing the components and properties of soil, as well as the manner in which it is formed. Upon completion of the program, participating students should understand that the importance of conserving existing healthy soil due to its importance to overall health and functionality of the natural world. Backyard Conservation Backyard Conservation teaches students the importance of practicing conservation in their own neighborhoods. Students can learn to recycle every day household items in order to enhance habitat quality for native wildlife in their own backyards. Stormwater Pollution Stormwater pollution teaches students about Non-Point Source Pollution (NPS) through the use of an Enviroscape watershed model. This portion of the program allows students to actively participate in determining how surface and groundwater can transport pollutants from their neighborhoods into the Santa

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Ana River and out to the Pacific Ocean. Finally, students are taught about the water cycle and the local sources that provide water to District residents. Trees Please Students engage in a class discussion on the benefits trees provide including shade, lumber, oxygen, improved air quality, and valuable wildlife habitat, among others. Students also discuss the benefits of growing native plants, species that are adapted to the local climate and therefore require fewer resources for survival. Finally, students are given a planter, some soil, and a native seed to cultivate and take home with them. Wonders of Wetlands The Wonders of Wetlands program uses an interactive game to involve students in demonstrating the functions and features of a wetland. Students learn the valuable qualities of wetland habitat, including the improvement of the quality of water passing through them due to filtration of pollutants. At the end of the presentation, program participants discuss the ways in which this vital habitat type can be preserved to benefit future generations. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Recycle, Reduce, Reuse teaches students how they can help promote the wise use of our resources through the implementation of these three very important actions. At the end of the program, students will understand the importance of diversion of material from landfills through reduction in personal refuse generation as well as implementation of home recycling programs.

The Envirothon
The California Envirothon is an outdoor natural resource education competition open to teams of students from high schools throughout the state. Students from all over California are challenged to work in teams to answer written questions, as well as to conduct hands-on explorations of forestry, soils, wildlife, aquatics, and a current issue topic that changes annually. The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District participated in the 2009 California Envirothon via sponsorship of two teams from the City of Banning. A District associate board member also volunteered at the competition. The Conservation Educator planned a pre-conference workshop to assist students in their preparations for the event. The 2009 California Envirothon event was held at the Mission Springs Conference Center in Scotts Valley, in the Santa Cruz Mountains from April 29-May 1.

Vermont Parent University

Vermont Elementary School in San Bernardino kicked off the first year of Vermont Parent University in August of 2008. This program is an opportunity for parents of students at the school to attend monthly classes designed to assist with their childrens success in and out of the classroom. While the parents attended classes to obtain financial and educational strategies to assist their children, students were in classrooms with IERCD and Vermont Elementary School staff learning about environmental issues and how to protect our natural resources. IERCD staff planned and presented the curriculum for each classroom.

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Community Workshops
The Project Manager and Conservation Educator have developed and implemented multiple outreach presentations to community groups on a variety of topics that affect residents living within District boundaries. All presentations consist of a PowerPoint presentation, followed by a question and answer component. In the 2008-2009 reporting period, District staff performed multiple presentations for both the Calimesa Gardening Club and the Inland Empire Master Gardeners. Topics covered during these presentations included native and drought-tolerant gardens, water use efficiency, and the intricacies of composting, while future presentations will continue to focus on the creation of opportunities for increased outdoor efficient water use such as the creation of rain gardens in individual landscapes. The IERCD has received publicity ranging from mentions in local papers to promotion on club websites resulting from performing these outreach presentations. The Water Use Efficiency program was presented to the Redlands Evening Kiwanis group by the Conservation Educator. The Conservation Educator also presented Water Use Efficiency and Stormwater Pollution programs to the California Conservation Corps during orientation sessions.

Program Water Conservation Stormwater Pollution Native Gardening

# of workshops 6 4 1

# of Students 94 57 30 181

Total

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2008-2009 Total Classroom Programs:

Programs Backyard Conservation Stormwater Pollution Wonders of Wetlands Trees Please Toil of Soil Recycling Water Conservation # of Students 1,812 1,517 750 2,323 940 1,723 1,644 10,709 # of Classrooms 64 58 27 77 41 60 55 382

Total

2008-2009 Programs Conducted at Events:

Stormwater Events Girl Scout Event Rancho Cucamonga Founders Festival Fontana Spring Break Camp Kimberley Elementary Science Night Fontana Kids Fitness Challenge Rialto Healthy Communities Event Ontario Reigns Go Green Night Total # of Students 100 50 70 100 370 150 500 1340

Backyard Conservation Event Redlands Library Family Day Total

# of Students 210 210

Water Use Efficiency Event Iris Festival Total

# of Students 300 300

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2008-2009 Events Continued:

Trees Please Events Highland Earth Day Event Chino Youth Museum Arbor Day Mary Vagle Nature Center Arbor Day Chino Wetlands Day in the Park Chino Wetlands Earth Day Earth Day on the Mountain San Bernardino Library Earth Day Water Awareness Day Butterfly Days at Rubidoux Nature Center Landscape and Water Conservation Festival San Bernardino Reading Festival Lyle Briggs Elementary Earth Day Total # of Students 160 85 255 25 125 200 72 400 180 210 175 500 2387

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Events Youth Safari Days Education Expo Environmental Youth Leadership Conference Chino Basin Water Conservation District Earth Day Total

# of Students 300 1000 30 750 2080

17,207of The total number

students reached by IERCD educ ation programs in 08-09

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Grants and Par tnerships

Inland Empire United Way / Hands-On Inland Empire
In the 2008-2009 reporting year, the IERCD began working with Hands On Inland Empire (HOIE), which is a division of the Inland Empire United Way. HOIE manages a number of active service programs targeting different societal groups that demonstrate need, all of which are open to area volunteers; these include the homeless, those in assisted living and nursing care facilities, and economically disadvantaged children and families. Together, the IERCD and HOIE partnered to add the environment to the aforementioned list of potential service projects by planning four service events centered on ecological themes such as recycling and reducing annual personal trash output. Each event was held at a different venue and ultimately involved activities such as planting native species in compostable pots for donation to area non-profits, and creating recycled crafts with underprivileged children. The most successful event resulting from this partnership was a partial clean-up of the illegallydumped garbage at the North Etiwanda Preserve in Rancho Cucamonga. Over forty people representing four organizations participated in removing household and construction trash from the protected lands of the preserve. The IERCD and HOIE will continue to work together to generate additional opportunities for partnering on public service projects that benefit both society and the environment.

North Etiwanda Preserve Clean-up Volunteers

Lytle is Vital
In January of 2008, the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District began participating in the Lytle Creek Watershed Action project, an advisory group working to improve water quality in the Lytle Creek region of the Districts territory. Led by the Water Resources Institute which operates in cooperation with California State University at San Bernardino, the project was being funded through a grant from the state of California Department of Water Resources; however, due to state budget issues, the funding for grant tasks is currently unavailable. As a result, the IERCD has elected to discontinue participation in this grant effort with the exception of one task, which is the development and implementation of a water-efficient native garden in an academic setting. Once the funding for the grant is re-initiated by the state of California, the District will continue full participation in the grant. The location selected for the creation of the water-efficient garden is the Provisional Accelerated Learning

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(PAL) Center, located in the Muscoy region of San Bernardino. The PAL Center caters to impoverished youth via the operation of several programs including a charter high school, free or subsidized after-school care, and a program to assist high school seniors with the transition to higher education. The Center is situated on approximately six acres of land, upon where there are a variety of educational buildings and pavement, but also a considerable amount of open space. The garden will be constructed on these grounds, and will feature a variety of drought-tolerant California native plants, a stormwater capture feature, and garden perimeter fence constructed for safety concerns. Once construction has finished, the IERCD will visit the site on a multiannual basis in order to conduct District environmental education programs using the garden as a learning tool.

Native Garden- Cal State University at San Bernardino

The IERCD has entered into a partnership with the California State University at San Bernardino (CSUSB), the Water Resources Institute, the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District to help realize a common goal of bringing large-scale drought-tolerant landscaping into the District. All agencies made either monetary or in-kind donations toward the conceptualization and future implementation of an approximately 1-acre water-wise garden on the CSUSB campus. The garden will take the place of sod and will introduce residents to the aesthetic and water-use efficient benefits of utilizing native plants in landscaping. The project is currently in the planning phase but is set to be open to the public in late spring of 2011.

Preliminary Concept Plan for Demonstration Garden at Cal State

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Water Use Efficiency Programs

The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) began collaborating with the Yucaipa Valley Water District (YVWD) and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (SBVWD) in October 2007 to bring the Water Use Efficiency program into classrooms, afterschool programs, and youth organizations throughout the districts of YVWD and SBVWD. The Water Use Efficiency program has become a popular program due to the current state of Californias water supply. In June 2008, Governor Schwarzeneggar proclaimed a drought statewide. This prompted the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to declare a Water Supply Alert in Southern California. As a result, many cities, counties and water agencies are adopting ordinances and accelerating public outreach campaigns. The IERCD Water Use Efficiency program teaches students about where their water comes from, how much they use for daily activities, and how to use water more efficiently. The YVWD and the SBVMWD began the collaboration with IERCD to increase public awareness of water use efficiency, since IERCD is currently visiting schools teaching students about natural resource conservation. The district hopes to expand the water-use efficiency program beyond the schools to reach more members of the community.

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Santa Ana Watershed Association

The Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) was formed in 1998 by the four resource conservation districts in the Santa Ana Watershed along with the Orange County Water District (OCWD). SAWA is run by a five-member board comprised of one representative from the water district and one from the four Resource Conservation Districts, namely the Inland Empire RCD (IERCD), San Jacinto Basin RCD (SJBRCD), Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD), Elisinore Murrietta Anza RCD. Inland Empire Resource Conservation District and SAWA share a cohesive vision of a healthy watershed by working together to preserve this vital resource and its valuable wildlife and habitat. The primary method of restoration conducted by the Santa Ana Watershed Association is the non-native plant removal program. SAWA maintains over 3,000 acres of removed invasives within the watershed, with IERCD maintaining over 1,100 of those acres on SAWAs behalf. SAWA and IERCD work together to achieve their conservation goals while avoiding duplication of efforts in the watershed in other ways than invasive species removal. The Field Ecologist assists SAWA staff in monitoring their mitigation and removal sites, providing GIS services and photo points. Two biologists as well as the Project Manager are housed in the IERCD district office on a full time basis, with the Executive Assistant working part time out of the Redlands facility. This interaction allows for increased collaboration on a day to day basis for ongoing and potential projects and partnership. In the 2008-2009 year, the IERCD and SAWA partnered on several projects and even assisted SAWA in getting a grant match from the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. The IERCD Conservation Educator attended Naturalist Training at the Chino Wetlands Education Park in order to be fully prepared to assist SAWA staff with conducting field trips at the Park. She also participated in the Earth Day event at the Park, helping to ensure its success.

Photo Courtesty of Tim Romo 21

Staff Continuing Education

Land Trust Alliance
The Project Manager attended the 2008 Land Trust Alliance conference, held in the city of Pittsburgh. This conference is the largest national conference focusing on the preservation of open space, as well as all of the tasks required in order to achieve it, such as site monitoring, maintenance, and even the occasional enforcement of the terms of a conservation easement. The Project Manager focused on seminars and breakout sessions related to the development of easement language and the variety of methods employed by various conservation organizations in assigning value to easement sites. The 2008 conference was attended by individuals representing national, state, and local public agencies and non-profits from all over the country, resulting in lively and informative discussion .

California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM)

The Project Manager and Field Ecologist attended the wetlands portion of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) training, a method of wetland and riparian habitat valuation within the state of California. CRAM is part of an extensive effort to locate and assign value to a variety of mesic habitat types; following that, the data collected is intended to be utilized to formulate a comprehensive restoration and management plan for all California acreage that falls into the wetland and/or riparian categories. There are many potential applications for CRAM, including its utilization as a tool to measure mitigation site success or to help identify potential sites for application of future mitigation funds and projects. The system of riparian and wetlands habitat in this state is extremely complicated due to Californias highly varied topography and species presence. The introduction and utilization of CRAM promises to lessen the difficulty thus far in attempting to introduce a consistent, methodical way of determining value of a wide range of mesic habitats.

California Invasive Plant Council (CAL-IPC)

The Field Ecologist attended the 2008 CAL-IPC Symposium in Chico from October 2-4. The 2008 annual symposium focused on the Future of Wildland Weed Management. The Field Ecologist also attended two field courses offered through Cal-IPC in San Diego that focused on Control Techniques and Biology and Identification. These classes were extremely valuable with new removal techniques learned in addition to new plant identification techniques.

Soil-Water-Plant Relationships
In the spring of 2009, the Project Manager completed the Soil-Water-Plant Relationships course at the University of California at Riverside extension campus. The class focused on the elements that determine the various properties of soil such as permeability, infiltration and available water-holding capacity; from there, the class explored the ways in which these properties affect the ability of various sites to sustain restoration and enhancement efforts for use in mitigation project planning. Students also learned methods for ensuring efficient water and power use while designing irrigation systems for implementation in restoration sites.

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IERCD Financial Summar y

Statement of Net Assets For Year Ending June 30, 2009 Statement of Activities for the Year Ended June 30, 2009 ASSETS Cash and Cash Equivalents Due From Other Governments Due from SAWA Employee Receivable Interest Receivable Taxes Receivable Prepaid Expenses Restricted Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents Capital Assets, Net of Depreciation Total Assets LIABILITIES Accounts Payable Salaries and Benefits Payable Due to other Governments Compensated Absences Payable Total Liabilities NET ASSETS Invested in Capital Assets, Net of Related Debt Restricted Unrestricted Total net assets $2,389,399 254,512 7,041 134 12,951 44,092 13,826 1,226,239 163,127 4,111,321 EXPENSES Salaries Services and Supplies Depreciation Total program expenses PROGRAM REVENUES Intergovernmental Federal Assistance Mitigation funds Total program revenues Net Program Expense GENERAL REVENUES Property Taxes Investment Earnings Other Total General Revenues $319,712 633,208 16,488 969,408

85,474 521,400 64,000 670,874 (298,534)

97,410 8,338 6,955 21,562 134,265

748,536 69,233 84,104 901,873

163,127 1,226,239 $2,587,690 $3,977,056

Change in Net Assets Net Assets- Beginning Net Assets- Ending

603,339 3,373,717 $3,977,056

Revenues
Intergovernmental Federal assistance Mitigation funds Property taxes Investment earnings Other

Expenses

Salaries and benefits Services and supplies Depreciation

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Staff

Type of Work Operations Financial Board of Directors Marketing and Public Relations Federal Earmark

W o r k p l a n *

Percentage of Hours Per Task 7% 7% 5% 15% 15% 2% 5% 15% 10% 14% 5%

District Manager

Conferences and Training Human Resources Fund Raising Santa Ana Watershed Association Mitigation and Easements Environmental Education Center

Staff

Type of Work Operations Board of Directors Marketing and Public Relations Federal Earmark Conferences and Training

Percentage of Hours Per Task 5% 5% 5% 10% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 35% 15%

Project Manager

Fund Raising GIS Lytle Creek Grant Santa Ana Watershed Association Mitigation and Easements Education

0 9 / 1 0

*The 2009-2010 workplan reflects the percentage of time district staff expects to spend on each project for the upcoming fiscal year.

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Staff

Work Marketing and Public Relations Federal Earmark Conferences and Training

Percentage of Hours Per Task 20% 5% 5% 5% 40% 10% 5% 10%

Conservation Educator

Etiwanda Grant Classroom presentations Fairs/Expos Environmental Education Center Annual School Events

Staff

Type of Work Board of Directors Marketing and Public Relations Federal Earmark Conferences and Trainings GIS Santa Ana Watershed Association Mitigation and Easements

Field Ecologist

Percentage of Hours Per Task 1% 1% 20% 5% 25% 20% 28%

Staff

Type of Work Operations Financial Board of Directors Marketing and Public Relations Federal Earmark Conferences and Trainings Human Resources Fund Raising Santa Ana Watershed Association Fairs/Expos Environmental Education Center

Administrative Assistant

Percentage of Hours Per Task 30% 5% 15% 20% 10% 1% 11% 1% 5% 1% 1%

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K e y W o r k p l a n 0 9 / 1 0

OPERATIONS Review, maintain and update administrative manual, policies, annual work plan, annual report, MOUs, contracts, word processing, correspondence, filing, public interface and equipment inventory and maintenance. FINANCIAL Budget development, review and maintain district finances and records, payroll and annual audit. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board meetings, Brown Act adherance, agendas, minutes and board reports. MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Brochures, newsletters, publicity, lectures, presentations and promotional materials. Meet with public officials and legislators, special districts and boards, committees and task forces. CONFERENCES AND TRAININGS CARCD, NACD, CSDA, LTA workshops and seminars. HUMAN RESOURCES Staff performance, benefits administration, mandatory postings, intern and volunteer recruitment. FUND RAISING Grant writing, donations and agency project partnerships. GIS Continue to map invasive species within district waterways. Use a GPS unit for field mapping. Convert GPS data to GIS. Maintain GIS database for SAWA. LYTLE CREEK GRANT Actively participate in the Lytle Creek Advisory Council; attend events in support of the outreach portion of the grant; develop and contruct water-wise garden; perform educational outreach. SANTA ANA WATERSHED ASSOCIATION SAWA, long term management of the Santa Ana Watershed, carry out terms of contract. Contract services, manage and monitor invasive removal and watershed restoration projects. MITIGATION AND EASEMENTS Coordinate with developers regarding regulatory agency permit requirements. Determine costs and projects, correspond with developers, acquire contracts, manage contracts, monitor project sites. FEDERAL EARMARK Contract services, manage and monitor invasive removal, restoration, conservation, erosion, waste removal, eradication and education programs. CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS Presentation and development of district educational programs and materials. FAIRS/EXPOS Participate by booth/displays and presentations ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER Pursue possible contacts, leads and partnerships to assist in the development of the district facility. EDUCATION Assist with public outreach presentations to adults in the community. Participate at events. ANNUAL SCHOOL EVENTS Annual speech, essay and poster contest.

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25864-K Business Center Drive, Redlands,28 92374* (909) 799-7407* www.iercd.org Ca