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In This Issue

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WINTER

A Quarterly Publication by the Napa County Resource Conservation District (RC

and the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

1303 Jefferson Street, Suite 500B, Napa, CA 94559

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Napa, CA

Permit No. 353

The Napa County RCD and USDA-NRCS

1303 Jefferson Street, Suite 500BNapa, CA 94559

(707) 252-4188Fax (707) 252-4219

If you would like your nameremoved from this mailing listplease contact Jenny McIlvaine at(707) 252-4188 x120or email jenny@naparcd.org

General questions email staff@naparcd.org

Newsletter editor and designer: Jenny McIlvaine

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Were on the web!

www.naparcd.org

www.nrcs.usda.gov

RCD Honors Clint Pridmore

for 30 Years of Service to the DistrictBy Kathleen Edson, RCD District Administrator

Clint was honored at a recent board meeting for his many years ofservice. He has been a big part of the growth and changes thathave shaped the RCD into the respected organization that it istoday and the staff and board appreciate all of the time and effort

he has devoted. Much of his tenure he served as president. Overthe years Clint witnessed the development of hillside vineyarderosion control technology as well as the RCD/NRCS landstewardship program. Clint noted Ive seen a lot of changes.The program has grown from simple beginnings with a smallbudget of less than $25K to numerous far reaching programswith a $1.5M budget.

Volunteer Planting Day at Huichica Creek VineyardBy Shannon Fiala, RCD Restoration Project Manager

On December 9, volunteers helped plant approximately 3,400 native grass plugsat the RCDs Huichica Creek Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Vineyard.The planting project was coordinated by RCD Soil Conservationist Dave Steiner,

NRCS Senior Soil Conservationist Kelly Gin, RCD Education Coordinator JennyMcIlvaine and RCD Restoration Project Manager Shannon Fiala. Although theweather was threatening on the planting day, nineteen people (including membersof the Napa County Master Gardeners, students from Justin-Sienna and NapaHigh Schools, and RCD/NRCS staff, family, and friends) turned out to help.

The planting project is a part of ongoingrestoration work at the vineyard, whichwas purchased by the RCD in 1991 in order to develop a demonstratito showcase the compatibility of natural systems with commercially vagricultural systems. The vineyard is located in the Carneros region Napa County and borders the Napa Marsh State Wildlife Area. In Junweir was installed in the vineyard to recreate a historic seasonal wetlaWaterbirds such as pintails, mallards, shovelers, teals, egrets, and herothe expanded aquatic habitat. In addition to improving wildlife habitat,restoration of the historic wetland promoted the spread of native wetsuch as Baltic rush (Juncus balticus) and creeping wildrye (Leymus triticappeared to out compete non-native species, such as Harding grass, It

ryegrass, and curly dock, in inundated areas.

This past fall, Dave Steiner and Kelly Gin decided to disc the perimetwetland area and re-plant it with 6,000 Leymus triticoidesplugs, with ththe competitive native grass would form a thick thatch and hold back native plants. Thanks to the volunteers, the plugs were successfully plappreciate everyone who helped! We will continue to monitor the tranof this vital area in the coming years.

JennyMcIlvaine

Building Awareness & Inspiring Change

Saturday, April 21, 2007

11 am - 4 pm

Napa Valley College Soccer Fields

Food, live entertainment and hands-on activitiesfor the whole community!

For more information visit:

www.EarthDayNapa.com

Presented by:The Environmental Education Coalition of Napa Countyin conjunction with the Napa Valley Colleges Solar Celebration

Sponsored by:City of Napa Recycling Division, Napa Sanitation District,Napa County Department of Environmental Management,City of Napa Water Division and The Land Trust of Napa

County

RCD and NRCS staff and voplanting along the wetlands ed

Volunteers Francesca Pascale and Ila Sharpplugging away.

Volunteer Planting Day atHuichica Creek VineyardShannon Fiala............................................1

RCD Honors Clint PridmoreKathleen Edson.........................................1

2006 Chinook SalmonJonathan Koehler.......................................3

RCD Gets Underwater Video EquipmentJonathan Koehler.......................................3

Restoration Projects at Silverado VineyardsShannon Fiala............................................4

RCD Speaker Program...............................4

Napa River Channel SurveyPaul Blank..................................................5

Watershed Scorecard ProjectBob Zlomke...............................................5

Carneros Wineries Move to Restore LandPhill Blake..................................................6

BMPs for Water QualityPhill Blake..................................................6

People CanChip Bouril................................................7

New Bird Identification Guide Available.....7

Earth Day Volunteers NeededIn 2006, the Environmental Education Coalition of NapaCounty coordinated the largest Earth Day celebrationever to take place in Napa County. An estimated 1,500people attended the event, which took place at SkylinePark and offered children and adults an opportunity tocome together to celebrate the value and beauty ofNapa Countys natural areas andopen spaces.

The event was such a success that the Coalition decidedto coordinate the 2007 Earth Day c elebration, this timein collaboration with Napa Valley College. The event isexpected to attract thousands of attendees who will

enjoy live musical performances, local restaurant foodofferings, exciting booth demonstrations, environmentalarts, crafts and games as well as other hands-onactivities.

The Coalition is seeking volunteersto assist in theeffort. If you are interested in volunteering, contactMichael Lauher at 224-1894 or credu@sbcglobal.net.

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Dear friends of Napa County RCD,

We have some exciting news to share regarding some recent staff changes here at the RCD. The New Yearhas brought the RCD a new District Manager. Leigh Sharp, our District Development and StewardshipCoordinator, who has been with the RCD since 2001, became District Manager effective January 1, 2007.Leigh has been a key employee at the RCD for years, and she is very well prepared to take a leadership

position. She understands what makes the Napa RCD unique, and RCD staff an d Board members alikeare looking forward to watching the organization continue to grow.

If youre wondering whats happening with Bob Zlomke, District Manager 1999 2006, the story is simple.

After seven years, he decided to concentrate on his work as a hydrologist. Originally hired by the RCD in 1995as a hydrologist, Bob will return to focusing his efforts on the way in which water moves through Napa Countyswatersheds. There is plenty of hydrology work to be done at the RCD, and Bob is eager to shed his managementresponsibilities and return to the field. Bob will continue to manage several of the p rojects that he has beeninvolved with over the past years and will be adding others as opportunities arise. He will also be available toassist Leigh as she gets used to her new position.

We anticipate a smooth transition and Leigh is quickly adjusting to her new role. If you h ave any questions,please dont hesitate to contact either of us or Kathleen Edson, who remains in her position as DistrictAdministrator.

Sincerely yours,

Bob Zlomke, P.E.Leigh Sharp

NAPA COUNTY CONSERVATION NEWSWINTER 2006/07NAPA COUNTY CONSERVATION NEWSWINTER 2006/07 PAGE 2

RCD Board of Directors

Clinton Pridmore, President

Mitchell Klug, Vice President

Al Buckland

Donald Gasser

Rainer Hoenicke

Beth Painter

Charles Slutzkin

The Napa County RCD Board of Directorsmeets on the second Thursday of each month

from 8:00 to 10:00 am at the RCD office

Paul Blank, x 112Hydrologist

Astrid Bock-Foster, x 113Soil Conservationist /NSWG Program Director

Kathleen Edson, x 108District Administrator

Chad Edwards, x 112Field Technician

Shannon Fiala, x 111Restoration Project Manager

Lara Hadhazy, x 103Restoration Project Manager

Jonathan Koehler, x 109Senior Biologist

Anna Mattinson, x 100Bookkeeper

Jenny McIlvaine, x 120Education Coordinator

Leigh Sharp, x 110District Manager

Dave Steiner, x 107Senior Soil Conservationist

Bob Zlomke, x 106Senior Hydrologist

To reach any of the staff below call 252-4188and dial their extension.

Phill Blake, x 101District Conservationist

Chip Bouril, x 102Soil Conservationist

USDA-NRCS Staff

RCD Staff

RCD Associate Directors

Myrna Abramowicz

Zach Berkowitz

Dennis Bowker

Brenda Perry

Michael Silvas

Bennie Troxel

Margaret Woodbury

Kelly Gin, x 104Soil Conservationist

Carolyn Jones, x 114Civil Engineer

Equal opportunity providers and employers

People CanBy Chip Bouril, NRCS Soil Conservationist

Can people successfully remove acres of invasive Englishivy without using herbicide sprays or machinery?Yes, people can. One handful at a time!

Meet Ann and Charlie Schwing, donors of the Land Trustof Napa Countys Archer Taylor Preserve in the forestedmountain headwaters of Redwood Creek westof Napa.

ChipBouril

New Bird Identification

Field Guide Available

Birds of Napa County, a birdidentification field guide and the firstof its kind for Napa County, wasrecently published and is nowavailable in local bookstores. Theguide is authored and illustrated byHermann Heinzel and includes

illustrations and descriptions of over315 Napa County bird species.

In Spring 2005, Heinzel traveled from his hoFrance and spent several weeks with Napa locating and researching Napa County birdsnative habitats. Upon returning to France, hcountless hours in his studio writing about painting the birds of Napa County.

The book was sponsored by George and LaGamble, long-time Napa County farmers/raThe study of birds and their habitats is a lifpassion of George Gamble, who with the tiefforts of Heinzel and Napa birders, worke2 years to insure the success of the project

Get your copy today!

The guide can be purchased for $12.95 throNapa-Solano Aububon Society (contact Che707-224-6133) or at the following locationsParr Nature Center in Napa (open 1 pm -4 pSun.), Bookends Bookstore in Napa, CopperBooks in Napa and Calistoga, and Main Strin St. Helena.

Ann recalls as a child touring guests past the abandonedGuildersleeve homestead on her parents property andpointing out the English ivy as a worthy historical artifact,

just like the old rock walls. Not until working on theArcher Taylor Preserves recent land management plan did

she or anyone else recognize the ivy as a problem. Theivys aggressiveness makes it a problem. The spreading ivycrowds out all the native understory plants, sparing onlythe mature trees, which eventually die off leaving onlythe thick mat of ivy, says Ann.

Working with Napas NRCS office, the Archer TaylorPreserve management committee successfully won anNRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) cost-share agreement to help fund removal of two invasive plant species near the homestead, periwinkle (Vinca mEnglish ivy (Hedera helix). While committee volunteers are treating the periwinkle by covering it with tarps,Charlie have led the ivy removal effort entirely by hand, working at least a few hours most weekends. Englisstrong roots make it easy to pull out of the loose forest soil. All this hand removal work is an important volabor match that helped secure the WHIP funding.

Ann says philosophically that clearing ivy is similar to Adopt-A-Highway work, Its repetitive and it feels afterward. But she cautions Always stop working when youre tired, or you may not want to go back the nAnn and Charlie, with a little help from preserve friends, have now successfully cleared about 10 acres of sca

and almost 3 acres of dense ivy infestation near the homestead. Ann believes they have removed all the knowinfestations and are now entering the phase of policing the areas already cleared.

While walking the trail back through an area of tall Douglas firs and redwoods cleared a year ago, Charlie nalready hard to remember that this area was just covered in ivy. With the ivy gone, the preserve committeprotect the Guildersleeve homestead site as an historic asset without endangering the surrounding forest.

If you would like to lear n more about or volunteer at the Archer Taylor Preserve, please contact the presermanagement committee through the Land Trust of Napa County,252-3270 or at napalandtrust.org.