Autumn 2009

Northcoast Regional Land Trust

Fog Bank (acrylic on canvas) Joan Katri

Breaking Ground on Freshwater Farms Reserve

I
f you have passed by the Land and a suite of other wetland dependent

In This Issue
Trust’s Freshwater Farms Reserve species. Those trenches, actually new
property on Old Arcata Road over slough channels, connect to Wood Creek,
the past month, you may have seen a tributary to Freshwater Slough, and will
some unusual activity: excavators fill up with water when the tide comes in
and bulldozers digging trenches in throughout the day. The project is designed From the Board President 2
the pasture. That’s because the Land Trust to provide a habitat type that has been lost Of People and Place 3
finally began construction on the wetland around Humboldt Bay, due to diking and
enhancement project that has been long the installation of tide gates. The Land Breaking Ground 4-5
planned for the property. Named the Wood Trust will continue to lease the eastern half 2008 Annual Report 6
Creek Tidal Marsh Enhancement Project, of its property to a local beef rancher.
NRLT Supporters 7
it is intended to create brackish (slightly
salty) water habitat for salmon, steelhead Calendar of Events 8
Continued on page 4
 2 N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

Board of Directors From the President

President, Ann King Smith, Cultural Resource

T
Specialist he photograph used for this column was taken at a wonderful occasion (although
1st Vice President, Mark Andre, Director not for the bull who was annoyed), the dedication of the purchase of the
of Environmental Services, City of Arcata McNamara Dairy by the Northcoast Regional Land Trust with funds from the
2nd Vice President, Dennis Rael, Business Coastal Conservancy. Land Trust board members, agency representatives and
Owner, Los Bagels Company, Inc. a cross section of Orick citizens came to the ceremony, held on a perfect early
summer coastal day. As with the other property we own, Freshwater Farms Reserve, part of
Secretary, Yvonne Everett, Associate
the land will be kept in agricultural production and a portion restored for natural resources,
Professor, Natural Resources Planning,
Humboldt State University if appropriate.
Last spring, at a productive retreat and training, I was honored to be selected as board
Treasurer, Martha Spencer, Senior Planner, president. Following Blake Alexandre’s tenure will be a challenge however; he very capably
Humboldt County Planning Division took the land trust through a number of transitions and we cannot thank him sufficiently
Blake Alexandre, Past President, Business for it. I also would like to give a warm and grateful thank you to the long term loyal board
Owner, Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farms members who rotated off this past year: John Laboyteaux, Wes Anderson and Jack Limmer.
Bill Bragg, Attorney at Law, Bragg, I think that different issues draw people to support land trusts. I grew up in San
Perlmen, Russ, Stenich, Rudolph & Eads Francisco and Marin County and have lived in Humboldt County since 1980. As a child I
Maya Conrad, Conservation Land Agent, spent summers in the high Sierras, and hiked in Marin County during the rest of the year.
Coldwell Banker Realty I was there when the efforts to establish Point Reyes National Seashore began, and lived in
Kevin McKernan, Natural Resources Sonoma County when the Marin Agricultural Land Trust started up in the 1970s.
Specialist I still return to West Marin, and realize that the community and place is what it
is because of the efforts of these two organizations. Open space is plentiful, ranching is
Leland Mora, Business Owner, Humboldt still part of the community and people there support and appreciate this. In Humboldt
Auction Yard & Humboldt Grassfed Beef
County, after working for the national park service as a Cultural Resources Manager and
Fred Neighbor, Attorney at Law, private liaison with the Native American Governments, I served on the City of Arcata Planning
practice Commission for ten years - again with an appreciation for planning, open space, a
sustainable community that includes ranching, and the people who work for these goals. So
Board Emeritus, David McMurray, Secre-
tary, California Council of Land Trusts that is what drew me to the land trust - our mission, our amazing staff, and the people in
the community who support our work by donations, serving on the board, or assistance.
This coming year will be busy. We have started our monthly “Lay of the Land”
Board of Advisors presentations. Restoration work at Freshwater Farms began in late August. In October,
board members and staff will attend the annual Land Trust Alliance rally in Portland,
James Able Liz Murguia always an energizing gathering. And, as a result of our board retreat last spring, board
Dave Albee Colleen O’Sullivan members are productively working on committees concerning projects, accreditation, fund
Kim Browning Chuck Powell raising, strategic and conservation area planning, and board and staff governance.
Nancy Diamond Tom Rowe
Jeff Dunk Rondal Snodgrass We thank all of you for your continuing support.
Zuretti Goosby Bill Thompson
Steve Hackett Paul J. Warner
Sandra Jerabeck Arnold Whitridge
Laura Kadlecik Katherine Ziemer

Staff
Lindsay Magnuson, Executive Director
Ben Morehead, Projects
Linda Serrano, Development
Ryan Wells, Projects
Shayne Green, Planning Consultant
Volunteer & Interns
Leslie Scopes Anderson, newsletter layout
Rick Fanguy, intern
Patrick Mason, intern
The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is a
member of the Land Trust Alliance and the
California Council of Land Trusts.
Contact NRLT:
P.O. Box 398, Bayside, CA 95524
Ph: 707.822.2242; Fax: 707.822.5210
[email protected]; www.ncrlt.org
N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9 3

Of People and Place

The Land Trust would like invite you and February to April 2010 to help replant the
your family to get out on the land and be newly-constructed wetland area with native Thank you to Rep. Mike Thompson
more involved in our conservation work. plants gathered on site before the restora- for introducing and working diligently
We hope you will decide to join us for at tion commenced. We will also need to to make the Conservation Easement
least one of our land-based education and closely monitor the area for opportunistic, Incentive Act (H.R. 1831) permanent.
recreational events listed on page 8. Please non-native plants. Volunteers will be needed This bill provides tax incentives to
call our office at 822-2242 or email info@ throughout the next year to help hand-pull landowners for protecting their
ncrlt.org to RSVP for these events. We are those invasive plants that take hold through land and conserving hundreds of
also offering the following opportunities to a series of half-day-long treatments. Invite
thousands of acres nationwide.
groups and volunteers. Please let us know of your friends too!
your interest.
Lay of the Land
Group Interpretive Walks More than 40 people have joined us for
We are excited to provide guided public ac- our new Lay of the Land events, so far. We
cess to Freshwater Farms Reserve to view the started Lay of the Land in July to spread the
restoration that is still taking place on the word about the Northcoast Regional Land
54-acre property. We invite educational and Trust and what we are doing to protect and
civic groups to the site for an interpretive enhance special places − our region’s farms,
walk with one of our knowledgeable staff. forests, rangelands, and natural areas − in
In memory of
perpetuity. The presentations are a mix of
Monitoring & Restoration Volunteers information, personal stories and spectacu- Thomas Brundage
We are also looking for volunteers to help us lar images, and include a short video. Please Tom was one of the gentlest and kindest
monitor properties under NRLT’s responsi- join us for these events. They are held the souls in the North Coast community.
bility. Volunteers will have the opportunity second Thursday of every month from 4 to His passions ran from land and forest
to visit Land Trust properties and assist in 5pm. Seats are limited, so please call Linda preservation, to the love of rocks and
the documentation and evaluation of various at 822-2242 or email [email protected] to streams. His legacy and gift to Humboldt
management and stewardship parameters. reserve your seat for next month’s event. County lie in the teachings of his life
You can also help the Land Trust lived with integrity and compassion.
complete restoration on Freshwater Farms
He will be missed.
Reserve. Volunteers are needed from

LANDOWNER PROFILE: The Barnwell Family

The Barnwell Family has lived on Chalk Gloria Barnwell appreciates the
Mountain Ranch, near the town of Brid- abundant wildlife and marvelous scenery.
geville, CA for more than 125 years. “From the highest points on our ranch,
“Our primary goal is to keep the you can see for miles in every direction.
land that has been in our family for six Chalk Mountain is mostly wildlife habitat
generations. Keeping one’s land intact and productive forests. We have beauti-
is becoming increasingly difficult these ful rock formations like Chalk Rock and
days,” says Les Barnwell. “We want to waterfalls. I do not want all of this natural
keep Chalk Mountain a working ranch beauty to be destroyed over time. Instead
and timberland, as well as continue to I hope it will flourish for many genera-
offer recreational activities.” tions to come.”
The Barnwells are working with the We expect the first phase of the Chalk
Land Trust and our conservation partners, Mountain Ranch conservation easement to
including Agland Engineering, to place close before the end of 2009. An easement
a conservation easement on the 7,276- on the Barnwell’s property will ensure the
acre ranch, located in the Larabee Creek continued stewardship of healthy wildlife
watershed. Chalk Mountain Ranch is habitat and open space. A conservation ease-
naturally scenic: conifer forests line its ment will also help protect clean drinking
slopes and gullies and open oak woodlands water for people living in the downstream
and grasslands cover a good portion of the communities of Fortuna and Ferndale.
property. Its perennial streams and creeks
provide good spawning and rearing habitat
for native salmon and steelhead trout, and
on iconic Chalk Rock, a pair of peregrine
falcons has fledged every year since 1994.
 4 N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

Break i n g G ro u n d o n
(Continued from page 1)
The following photos illustrate some of
the highlights during the first half of
construction.

Checking slough channel depth. The

project was engineered to facilitate
proper sediment transport and
drainage throughout the tidal cycle.
Isaac Mikus and Allan Renger from the CA
Department of Fish & Game remove fish
and other aquatic wildlife from Wood Creek
NRLT project manager Ryan Wells and Greg prior to construction.
Turner from Hooven & Co. pull posts from the
old fence line.

Salvaging Lyngbye sedge (Carex lyngbyei), a

sensitive wetland plant species, from the project
footprint prior to excavation. The salvaged
plants will be potted and used for re-vegetation
scheduled for next spring. Ryan and Don discuss the restoration project
with John Driscoll of the Times-Standard. The
project was featured on the front page of the
Wednesday, August 26th edition.

Ryan and co-manager Don Allan (Redwood

Community Action Agency – NRS Division) Much effort was made to limit the disturbance
look over the site plans. of existing wetland vegetation. Disturbed
areas will be revegetated, either through the
large planting effort scheduled for next spring,
All photos by Ken Magnuson or NRLT staff. or through passive plant colonization.
 N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9 3

Freshwater Farms Reserve

Two slough
branches meet
near Wood Creek.
In all, more than
3,700 feet of
slough channels
were constructed
on the project site.

Another channel is nearly finished. This phase of the project will

be completed when the existing tide gate at the mouth of Wood
Creek is removed in October.

Many educational groups have come to the site to experience the restoration
for themselves, including classes from the Six Rivers Charter School,
Humboldt State University’s Applied Ecological Restoration class and College
of the Redwood’s Film Production class (shown here).

On September 13, more

than 30 community
members joined the Land
Trust to view the project.

The rising tide brings the first flush of water into

a completed slough channel. Small native fish
and numerous aquatic insects have already been
observed using the new habitat.

Re-vegetating with native plants, project monitoring, and eradicating

opportunistic invasive plants are next on the list for project completion.
The Land Trust also plans to construct a three-quarter mile long
interpretive trail that will be situated between Freshwater Slough (shown
here) and Wood Creek. The trail will have majestic views of both
watersheds and expansive vistas of the Humboldt Bay bottomlands.
 6 N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

Annual Report 2008

The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is pleased to provide our con- was completed in April and all environmental compliance require-
stituents with the accounting of organizational and programmatic ments were met by the end of the year.
accomplishments for 2008, as follows.
• Enlisting the services of HSU’s Natural Resources Planning Depart-
• In March 2008, we completed a a conservation easement for Val- ment, NRLT produced a background report on oak woodlands as a
ley View Ranch (1,532 acres) outside of Petrolia, CA. component of our Conservation Action Plan (CAP). The report will
be used toward the development of an Oak Woodlands Conservation
• A conservation easement on Grizzly Mountain Ranch (1,131 and Management Plan for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. We
acres) in Zenia, CA, Trinity County in the last days of 2008 also established an advisory committee to provide scientific and tech-
boosted the total of land protected under the Six Rivers to the Sea nical input at various stages of the project.
Initiative to 11,220 acres.
• The first phase of our North Coast Dialogues project saw the forma-
• We worked on easements for two other Six Rivers to the Sea proj- tion of a 10-member steering committee and a 30-member working
ects – Chalk Mountain and Charles Mountain ranches. We expect group. These diverse leaders of our community developed a set of
conservation easements to be placed on these properties, totaling 100-year vision statements for productive working lands in Hum-
more than 15,000 acres of productive forest and rangeland and boldt County.
abundant habitat for wildlife and fish, within the next two years.
• NRLT’s outdoor education program was initiated with Six Rivers
• NRLT staff fielded more than 30 inquiries by landowners want- Charter School, giving 10th grade high school students the opportu-
ing to know more about protecting their properties. NRLT is nity to practice scientific inquiry in the field.
working diligently on four of those projects, amounting to nearly
3,000 acres, which promise conservation and economic values that • We brought members and the general public to four events to
are consistent with sustaining the North Coast’s rural landscape. broaden awareness of our work. We held a canoe-the-slough event,
two interpretive hikes at Freshwater Farms Reserve, and brought
• We worked with our partners to produce the final project design members out to Chalk Mountain Ranch for our annual Board of
for restoration activities on Freshwater Farms Reserve. The design Director’s Picnic.

Government
Grants

Foundations
Development
Board
Operational
Donations Projects &
Programs

Other
Income

Income Expenses

Government Grants 233,074 Projects & Programs 415,700

Foundations 222,500 Operational 53,230
Donations 42,078 Development 28,481
Investments (loss) (56,902) Board
1,275
Other Income 1,830 TOTAL 498,686
TOTAL 442,580
N O R T H C O A S T R E G I O N A L L A N D T R U S T • A U T U M N 2 0 0 9 7

Thank you NRLT Members and Supporters!

The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is forever grateful to the following who gave grants or gifts
from September 1, 2008 through September 1, 2009. Our Business Partners
Agencies & Foundations Chuck Powell Donna Taylor Make our community strong. Please
Anonymous (2) Martha Ann Spencer Don & Andrea Tuttle support the following businesses by using
Andrus Family Fund Blake & Stephanie Alexandre Brad Williamson their services and products.
CA Coastal Conservancy Tom Lisle & Lori Dengler
CALFIRE Stan & Judy Dixon Manzanita (Up to $99) Aalfs, Evans & Company, LLP
CA Wildlife Conservation Board Laura Kadlecik & Mike Wilson Anonymous (6) Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farms
County of Humboldt Shayne Green Irith Shalmony
Tom & Emily Rowe American Hydroponics
Nat’l Fish & Wildlife Foundation Russ Conrad Brooks Appraisal Service
Natural Resource Conservation Ronald & Donna Thompson Michele Fell-Casale &
Marlena & Moises Vega Carl Casale Bug Press (Robert Arena)
Service
NOAA Fisheries Linda Serrano Mark Andre & Nancy Rehg Chris Bell Appraisal Associates
Norcross Wildlife Foundation Wes & Sue Anderson John Calkins Coldwell Banker Cutten Realty
Pacific Coast Joint Venture Lois Busey Roz Keller & Andy Araneo (Mock Wahlund)
The Nature Conservancy Ellen Fred Byrd Lochtie Coldwell Banker/Cutten Realty
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Robert Goodman Gwen Neu (Brian Hunt)
U.S.F.S. Forest Legacy Program Laura Hussey Jared Rossman Cypress Grove Chevre, Inc.
Bill & Lynda Hutton Joan Schirle Emerald City Laundry Company
Redwood ($1,000 +) Bob Sizoo & Sue Turner Enso Engineering
Steve Miller Madrone ($100-$249) Rondal Snodgrass Harland Law Firm
Jack & Rita Limmer Anonymous (2) Julie Stark
Catherine & Thomas Allen John Stokes Humboldt Association of Realtors
Francis & Carole Carrington Humboldt Grassfed Beef
Leslie Anderson Don & Sylvia Garlick Ted & Josephine Trichilo
Maya Conrad & Charlie Tripodi Kevin & Lisa (Solutions) Vicky Turner & Rudy Ramp Humboldt Land Title Company
Ken Magnuson Janice Parakilas & Roy Baker Gretchen Ziegler Hunter, Hunter & Hunt
Paul Serrano Claire & Gene Perricelli Edward Yarwood Jackson & Eklund
David & Madeline McMurray Phil Ricord Lisa Hoover Kier Associates
Bill Bragg & Lee Roscoe-Bragg Marjorie Fay Don & Kathleen Lutosky Law Offices of Ellen A. Fred
George Yandell Fred Hummel Carol Mone Law Offices of Nancy Diamond
Ann King Smith & Doug Smith Bill Kier Ben & Ananda Morehead
Danelle Merz & David David & Patricia Epstein Los Bagels
Hitchcock Ron & Melanie Kuhnel North Coast Cleaning Services, Inc.
Big Leaf Maple ($500- Archie Mossman Kevin McKernan North Coast Cooperative
$999) Sam & Kathleen Manaktala Gail Miehe Pacific Gas & Electric
Anonymous (1) (In memory of Patrick John Salt) Nancy Neer RDD Field Services
Barbara Barratt Susan & Jeffrey Schlosser RDD Field Services Redwood Roots Farm
Bill & June Thompson Chris Bell Kathryn Corbett Requa Inn
(In memory of Roger Judge) Schorr Berman Gary & Janis Friedrichsen Robert Goodman Wines
Yvonne Everett Glenn Berry Susan Moskaly Solutions
Lee & Eileen Mora Sue Bosch Mary-Jane Ashton
Renee Crowley Lucinda Bradshaw Martha Hunkins Stokes, Steeves, Rowe & Hamer
Dennis Rael & Carol Falkenthal Jon Brooks John & Denise Lopes The Land Man Office
Fred & Joyce Neighbor Janet Czarnecki Lindsay Magnuson Tofu Shop Specialty Foods
Joan Berman Nancy Diamond Lois Mellert Wachovia Securities
Harry Blumenthal & Joan Early White Tree Design
Scott Mitchell Susan Frances Wildberries Market Place
Donvieve & Michael Christian Julie Fulkerson & Lynn Evans The Northcoast Regional
Danny Hagans Dave & Barbara Gross Land Trust is grateful for
Judith Hinman Gerald Harland
Felicia Oldfather Dan & Donna Hauser and accepts bequests and Please remember number 82013 during
John & Nancy VanSpeybroeck Brian Hunt gifts of stock. checkout at the North Coast CO-OP!
Mock Wahlund Peter Jermyn & Heidi Bourne
Mary Keehn
Black Oak ($250-$499) Jeanne Mattole
Anonymous (5) Robert & Mavis McKelvey
Joy Moore
(In memory of Bill Moore)
Jim & Gay Morrison
Steven & Jane Schonfeld
Francis & Lorana Sweet

NRLT is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization listed with the IRS under EIN #68-0456290. All donations are tax deductible.
 Northcoast Regional Land Trust Nonprofit Org
P.O. Box 398 U.S. Postage
Bayside, CA 95524 PAID
Eureka, CA
Permit No. 46

Calendar of Events
Land Trust Holiday Party
Join landowners, conservation specialists, board
members, staff and and our members as we celebrate the
holidays. DATE: Thursday, December 10 from 4-6 pm.

Lay of the Land

Learn more about NRLT and our work to protect
natural areas and working land on the North Coast.
Hour-long events are held every second Thursday of each
month from 4-5, at our office 901 Samoa Blvd., Arcata.

Freshwater Farms Interpretive Walks

Experience, firsthand, the Land Trust’s restoration of
wetlands on the 54-acre Freshwater Farms Reserve.
2010 DATES: Apr.17; Jun.12; Aug.21; Sept.11.
Cover Artist - Joan Katri
Joan Katri is a third generation Ferndaler. “Ferndale is my source
Canoe-the-Slough of inspiration: the fog shrouded landscapes, fog clouds floating
Paddle Humboldt Bay and the Freshwater Slough with across the fields, the flowers fog filtered, the colors soft. My goal is
an NRLT naturalist. Learn about the Bay’s natural to create a peaceful serenity. My work is about color, closely related
hues; landscapes capturing the essence of color, light and space; the
environment and the changes it has seen throughout the
flowers embracing the form.” Visit Joan’s website and see her work
decades. 2010 DATES: March & July. Days and times at http://www.ferndaleartgallery.com/joankatri.htm.
to be determined according to weather and tide.

Board of Director’s Picnic

Join NRLT’s Board of Directors for a hike and spring
NRLT’s Mission
picnic at one of the Six Rivers to the Sea easement The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is dedicated to
properties. DATE: May 29, 2010 the protection and enhancement of farms, forests,
rangelands, and wild areas in perpetuity. Our vision for
Please call the NRLT office at 822-2242 or the future includes vibrant communities, sustainable
email [email protected] to RSVP for all events. economies and healthy landscapes.

THANKS TO: