|
Conservation Corner
by Heath Wakelee
|
|
|
The Sagehen Entomology Retreat from September 15 – 17 was a great success. The event started off with a light snow fall on Friday afternoon and 22oF early on Saturday morning but ended with comfortable temperatures in the 70’s on Sunday. I want to thank everyone who attended and especially John Carroz, Dan Lovesee, Carolynn Williams, Terry Eggleston and John Hogg for their extra efforts. Our speakers were excellent and I personally learned a lot about what trout naturally feed upon and how to imitate that food with artificial flies. If you’d like to hear a good story, ask John Hogg how many fish he caught on Saturday…. On Saturday, September 9 a group of us joined the Dry Creek Conservancy for a restoration project along Secret Ravine in Roseville. The project, just below Sutter Hospital, included roughing up the ground, the sewing of seed and then covering the seed with straw. Most of the damage was caused by illegal motorcycle and ATV use in the area. It was interesting to note that Carolynn Williams (our Granite Bay Flycasters Librarian) worked all morning and also volunteered to help the following weekend at Sagehen. Bravo to Carolynn and the others who helped – Joe Aichroth, Dave Baker, Mike Howes, Bob Hyink – darn, I know I’m missing someone…. Edmund Sullivan from the Placer County Planning Department was also a volunteer. He is one Placer county employee that talks the talk and volunteers like the rest of us to help out with worthy projects. We will have a second outing on Saturday, September 30, same time, same place, to finish this project, so please join us. The conservation budget for this year will be presented to the Board of Directors (BOD) on September 21. At the last months BOD meeting we were given a budget of $20,000 and asked to return this month with specific projects to fund. During the conservation committee meeting on September 14 we presented worthy projects amounting to $40,000 and then worked to pare the number back to $20,000. There is a high possibility that money given to Placer County will be matched by the County so we are considering a $5,000 donation to help remove some barriers along Auburn Ravine and Miner’s Ravine. Thanks again to all the volunteers and, if you haven’t done so this year, be thinking about how you will spend your four hours of conservation activism we ask all GBF members to contribute each year. Heath Wakelee VP Conservation 916 870 5253 |
|
