27th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference

The 27th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference will be held March 4-7, 2009 in Santa Cruz, California. This is the premiere habitat restoration conference in the Pacific Northwest and hosting the conference in Santa Cruz affords wonderful opportunities to view projects on the Central Coast and highlight issues that pertain to coastal watershed and coho salmon recovery.

This year the conference will feature workshops on topics including Estuary Restoration, Fish Passage Design and Implementation, Coho Use and Restoration of Off-channel Habitat, Watershed Monitoring and Assessment, and Sustainable Agriculture: Water Quality and Riparian Habitat Restoration. All day fi eld tours will include tours highlighting Resource Management for Steelhead and Coho Salmon Conservation in Santa Cruz County: a Tour of San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek projects; Carmel River Restoration Projects; Southern Coho Streams and the NOAA Lab and Broodstock Program; Coho Salmon and Steelhead Enhancement Projects on the Santa Cruz North Coast; Dams and Daylighting: Progress and Opportunities in San Francisquito Creek; and half-day tours of fish passage projects and sustainable agriculture projects in conjunction with those morning workshops.

The Plenary session will feature Dr. Peter Moyle and Dr. Josh Israel from UC Davis who will discuss the state of California salmonids in California, Mike Furniss from Redwood Sciences Lab who will address climate change and salmonid recovery, Dr. Astrid Scholz of Ecotrust will give a presentation on how economic challenges in the coastal zone affect salmonids, and Dr. Bob Curry of Watershed Systems will highlight the status of restoration efforts in Monterey Bay and adjacent watersheds. SRF has also invited former Assembly member John Laird of the Santa Cruz region.

Concurrent sessions address biological, policy, environmental and physical issues affecting salmonids. Concurrent sessions include the following topics: Water Diversions & Water Wars in California; FERC Relicensing Restoration Opportunities; Central & South Coast Steelhead: Biology, Genetics, and Recovery Strategies; Fire Ecology, Forests, and Fisheries; Dam Removal and Modifications for Salmonid Recovery; Restoration at the Crossroads; Juvenile Steelhead and Coho Salmon: Central Coast Habitat and Population Research, Hydrologic and Geomorphic Legacy Issues: Solutions for the Past and the Future; Coho Salmon Recovery and Restoration: Putting Theory into Practice.

To learn more visit http://www.calsalmon.org