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Goals
To facilitate effective local actions that will maintain and improve our region’s water quality and riparian habitat, provide increased assistance and education for local government and the private sector, and encourage cooperation and coordination between all levels of regulatory responsibility for fishery restoration.

 

restoring California's natural salmon and steelhead populations

Policies and Plans for FishNet 4C

FishNet 4C Counties’ Environmental Report Card

In order to determine their priorities for fisheries restoration, the FishNet counties commissioned the report, "Effects of County Land Use Policies and Management Practices on Anadromous Salmonids and Their Habitats" (UC Berkeley, Jan 2001). This report provided an assessment of how existing county policies and actions may affect salmonid streams. The report includes the counties of Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey, and looks at both written policies, plans and ordinances as well as evaluating on-the-ground practices in the field.

Individual County Summaries
Based on findings from the UC Berkeley report, summaries were developed specific to each FishNet county, evaluating how existing policies and practices may protect or impact salmonid fisheries.

County FishNet Implementation Goals for Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration
The fifteen highest priority action items for the five county region were identified, based on recommendations from the UC Berkeley assessment team. The counties then developed individual implementation plans to help them meet the FishNet Implementation Goals.

Recovery Strategy for California Coho Salmon

FishNet Counties were active participants in developing a Recovery Strategy for California Coho Salmon (DFG, Feb 2004), in response to the listing of coho in our region as endangered under California State Endangered Species Act. Chapter 9 of the Recovery Strategy lists specific Implementation Goals, both range-wide and specific to each watershed in the Central and North Coasts. FishNet Counties are currently working to implement many of these goals through programs and project efforts.

To view the entire Coho Recovery Strategy visit:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/nafwb/CohoRecovery/RecoveryStrategy.html

Watershed, Roads and Fish Passage Assessments

Assessments help to identify impacts to aquatic habitat and guide in developing priority restoration actions. Assessments that our FishNet Counties have developed include inventories of county stream crossings and their impact on fish passage, and assessments of county roads and their contributions of sediment to important fish streams.

The counties have also participated in the development of watershed plans, which identify priorities for improving and protecting water quality and fish habitat in key watersheds.

See the FishNet 4C Watershed, Roads and Fish Passage Assessments 2001-2007 for a detailed list.

see photos See photos from these streambank restoration projects.