RCD seeks comment

Landowners and residents concerned about erosion and vegetation issues along Stony Creek are invited to comment on a draft management plan Tuesday night in Orland.

The Glenn County Resource Conservation District is taking public comment on its proposed Lower Stony Creek Watershed Restoration Plan from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Carnegie Center, 912 Third St.

Once finalized, this plan will serve as a guidance document for addressing the issues and concerns of Stony Creek landowners, resource agencies, and other stakeholders regarding the physical and biological integrity of the Lower Stony Creek Watershed, according to a draft executive summary of the plan.

Glenn County RCD conservation planner Claudia Street said creation of the management plan should be completed by December to comply with grant requirements under which her agency is working.

Tuesday’s meeting will allow the RCD to get final public comments on the draft regarding erosion issues and the invasion of Arundo (bamboo) plants and Tamarix in the creek bed, she said.

After the plan is completed, the RCD will use its information to seek additional grants to complete erosion control or plant eradication in the future, Street said.

No projects are decided at this point, she said, since the plan only offers ideas for controlling erosion or eliminating the pesky plants.

It will be up to landowners to decide if they want to join in future projects, Street said, since her agency is an advisory body and not a regulator.

Possible solutions to managing erosion on the creek are putting rocks on the banks to prevent dirt losses, using chemicals or physically removing the Arundo and Tamarix in the creek to realign the bed and planting native trees and shrubs along the banks to replace them.

More detailed information and maps are available in the 50-page draft document that is available for public review by contacting the Glenn County RCD.

Street said the draft plan has been in development for more than a year and contains feedback from the RCD’s technical advisory committee, landowners, and agencies like the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Glenn County Agriculture Commission.

Street and RCD manager Kandi Manhart plan to discuss current grant opportunities that might fund possible restoration projects, and they will review how the RCD can help landowners obtain project permits to implement them in the future, they said.

All potential restoration projects would be driven by landowner requests and the availability of grant funding, the women said.

For information on the meeting or copies of the draft, contact Street at 934-4601, ext. 126 or Manhart at ext. 120. Or people can look at the RCD Web site at www.glenncountyrcd.org. All  written comments should be received by Oct. 7.