Opinion

Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Program (5C) Supervisor Bennett and I serve on the 5C Board, which includes representatives from the Counties of Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino. Started in 1997 when the Coho salmon was first listed, the program has several objectives:

Improve County policies and road maintenance practices with a strong emphasis on training.
Identify potential restoration opportunities through inventories of fish passage barriers and potential sediment sources on County maintained roads.
Increase the amount of salmonid habitat by replacing stream crossings that are barriers to migration with structures that provide for passage.
Improve water quality by treating identified sources of road related sediment.
Devise methods to streamline permitting procedures, specifically under the ESA, CA ESA, the Clean Water Act, and California Fish and Game Code.
Collaborate with other organizations, agencies, and regional groups on restoration and conservation.
Develop model regulations only where other means cannot be utilized to address land use activities regulated by the Counties.
Secure grant program and project funding from a variety of Federal, State, and Local sources

In the past, I have worked to ensure that County government clearly retained its sovereignty to decide whether or not to adopt any "model ordinance," (such as a grading ordinance,) recommended by the group. I have also expressed concern when the 5Cs proposed to expand into the arena of water use. I have always resisted any movement to place water regulation or policy under any regional body of counties.

Siskiyou County's Road Department does, however, receive a great deal of benefit from the program. Our operations are covered from incidental take for coho when following the 5C Road Manual. We have also received facilitation of permitting processes and assistance in funding culvert-to-bridge fish barrier replacement projects. http://5counties.org/projects.htm 5C also helped us with a "DIRT" inventory of sediment sources on County roads in Scott Valley - required by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

In the region, 5Cs has helped to implement 60 grant funded fish passage projects that have opened 140 miles of habitat. It has helped to complete 17 drainage projects which have prevented and estimated 111,604 cubic yards of sediment from entering waterways over a ten year period. They have also conducted regular training sessions and workshops for County road crews. National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA) cited the 5C program as among efforts that forestalled the federal endangered species listing of the Klamath Mountains Province steelhead.

Recently, 5C Program Manager Sandra Perez gave the Board of Supervisors an update on a follow-up progress report to an assessment conducted in 1998 to see how changes in County policies and procedures have resulted in improved protection and management of salmon and their habitat. The re-assessment involved County staff, 5C staff, Dr. Richard Harris, Dennis Slota – a hydrology and water quality specialist and a grad student-intern. They visited field sites to document policies and practices as implemented to assess fish benefits. These included: bridges; stream bank stabilization; storm damage repair; fish passage improvements; road maintenance and repair; stream crossings; flood control and channel maintenance. Although land development sites were visited in other counties, Siskiyou did not have new subdivisions to visit.

The report found no instances where bridge maintenance or replacement had negatively impacted salmon. The team found innovative designs to improve passage of high flows, debris, sediment and migrating fish. Stream bank stabilization projects used fish friendly “bioengineering practices” that reduced sediment and protected road infrastructure. During storm emergency situations, County crews were respectful of fish and their habitats, using Best Management Practices to prevent water quality impacts. Over the region, road maintenance and management has greatly improved.

The assessment found that projects to improve fish passage were highly regulated and required extensive mitigation measures. This was also true of stream crossings. The report recommended that any projects that have significant fisheries benefits receive streamlined permitting or dedicated staff familiar with emergency response processes to reduce delays and expenses.

Dr. Harris did observe that scarce staff and financial resources in the region limited the counties’ ability to address road-related sediment problems. He also mentioned that Siskiyou County’s proposed Land Development Manual, (currently under review at the Planning Commission,) would satisfy some of the concerns raised in the original assessment about a lack of a grading ordinance. This has also been a concern of the North Coast Water Quality Control Board. (Note, the Manual has not yet been before the Board of Supervisors for approval.) http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/PHS/planning/planning.aspx