Salinas Watershed Coordinator selected

The Upper Salinas – Las Tablas Resource Conservation District was awarded funds from Biodiversity First! to hire a Salinas Watershed Coordinator.  Central Coast Salmon Enhancement, partnering with Stillwater Sciences, was selected to carry out the mission to develop a Salinas River Watershed Management Plan which will encompass the entirety of the Salinas River. Watershed plans are an important planning document as they identify the resource issues, the physical and social constraints of a watershed, and outline recommendations and projects to address key issues to watershed health and function. This effort will bring multiple stakeholders across varied interests, jurisdictions, and perspectives to develop a comprehensive and cohesive plan to address the many issues the Salinas River faces such as water quality and supply, vegetation management, land use, groundwater management, wildlife habitat, economic vitality, and conservation.  CCSE/Stillwater will build upon previous planning efforts as well as coordinate with current plan development occurring in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.

Devin Best, a frequent speaker at the Central Coast Bioneers Dreaming the Salinas events will be overseeing the project.  The idea for this effort arose from the Salinas River Watershed Working Group which began meeting after Ecologistics’ Salinas River Symposium which took place in January 2016.  We are grateful to Biodiversity First! for agreeing to fund this very important project.