Mission Statement: From the Keyboard The Mission of the President’s alifornia California Native Grasslands Association is to promote, ative ’ve just been back a couple days from preserve, and restore the “Grasslands of the California North Coast: A rasslands diversity of California’s native grasses and grass- Symposium,” held up in the Eureka/Arcata ssociation land ecosystems through area, our first event in the North Coast region P.O. Box 8327 education, advocacy, in nine years. What a terrific event! Thursday Woodland, CA 95776 research, and stewardship. Iand Friday mornings we had an impressive 530-661-2280 slate of speakers, followed by field trips in the ADMIN @CNGA.OR G | HTTP ://WWW .CNGA.OR G afternoon. I really liked the format as it kept CNGA Board of Directors everyone engaged and moving in the afternoon, Officers WADE BELE W when most conferences bog down. Wade Belew, President Thursday after lunch we headed about Sara Sweet, Secretary 20 miles up the coast, inland and up to about 2,000 ft elevation, to the Bald Jim Hanson, Treasurer Hills of Redwood National Park. Leonel Arguello was our host and explained At-Large Members efforts to manage grasslands that were being overtaken by invasive weeds like Andrew Fulks Richard King broom, and encroached upon by Douglas fir. We took respite from the un­ Erik Gantenbein JP Marié seasonable steady rain in a homesteader’s barn built in the late 1800s entirely Elizabeth Goebel Jon O’Brien from split timber, not sawn lumber. Clare Golec Zachary Principe I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the efforts of Adminis­ Sarah Hoskinson Christina Smith trative Director Judy G­Scott and especially Board Member Clare Golec, who David Kaplow Bryan Young also was our local host. This event reminded me why I love CNGA. Besides the excellent presentations and field trips, I love having the opportunity to meet CNGA Administrative Director new people and share stories. Stewarding the environment requires more than Judy G-Scott just information or technology, it requires passion and inspiration. Grasslands Managing Editor While we were out on the beautifully restored Lanphere Dunes on the field Mary N. Rodgers trip Friday afternoon, someone asked project manager Andrea Pickart what For advertising rates and instructions, or membership and was the most important advice she could offer on her successful restoration. other organizational information, contact CNGA Administrative Her answer was … “be persistent.” It reminds me of a conversation I had a Director: ADMIN @CNGA.OR G . number of years ago when I was learning hand percussion and drumming. I For program information related to tours or training work- shops, contact CNGA Administrative Director: ADMIN @CNGA.OR G . was talking to an experienced drummer about what it takes to be considered Grasslands is published quarterly by CNGA. good at it. His response was … “be relentless.” Not only do we have to be steady and moving forward in our day­to­day work, but also insistent that such ISSN No. 1540-6857 efforts continue over time. It can take many years to build the necessary momentum to get a program rassLands or project up and running on the way to success. Just as with the laws of phys­ Submission Guidelines ics, projects seem to operate with the same concepts of inertia and friction. GSend submissions to: It takes inputs of energy to move an object, or project, forward in space. In a Editor: MROD G ERS @MA C NEXUS .OR G . vacuum, it would proceed without stopping, but here we have the effects of Submissions include peer-reviewed research reports and friction. The “friction” encountered in resource management can be lack of non-refereed articles, such as progress reports, observations, field notes, interviews, book reviews, and opinions. funding, upper management, or agency priorities or perceptions and public support. All submissions are reviewed by the Grasslands Editorial Committee for suitability for publication. What physics doesn’t account for is the perseverance of the human spirit. Submissions are accepted electronically as e-mail attach- One thing I most appreciate about the people I meet through CNGA is the ments. Contact the editor for formatting specifications. passion they share for the sustainable management of our precious natural Submission deadlines for articles: resources. It’s this special energy that propels us through the challenges we Fall 2010: Aug. 15, 2010; Winter 2011: Nov. 15, 2010; face day to day and year after year. I’m proud that CNGA can serves as a nexus Spring 2011: Feb. 15, 2011; Summer 2011: May 15, 2011 and a catalyst for stoking the passions of those stewarding our natural world. 2 | G R A S S L A N D S Summer 2010 Pleuropogon hooverianus and Caltrans Willits bypass project ELIZAB E TH GO E B E L , CNGA Board Member Belew wrote, “[The] DSEIR … is Coast semaphore grass was problematic: incomplete and fails to ade quately show primarily in the determination that “take” oover’s (or North Coast) sema- (1) that impacts to the spe cies have been (killing or harm of individuals) would be phore grass (Pleuropogon minimized and fully mitigated, and adequately minimized, and fully mitigated, hooverianus), a rare endemic (2) that all mitigation measures are and would not jeopardize the continued species, was discovered late in the capable of being implemented.” existence of a state-listed species under the Hplanning process for a California Depart- He also noted the DSEIR’s failure to California Endangered Species Act (CESA) ment of Transportation (Caltrans) realign- discuss avoidance of impacts; provide a was inappropriate. ment project located near the city of Willits workable long-term management plan; A subsequent focused field review was in Mendocino County. As the final Environ- identify appropriate hydrology and viable conducted, resulting in Caltrans securing mental Impact Report (EIR) had already management options; required biotic and botanical expertise to assess the impacted been approved, Caltrans issued a Draft abiotic factors to support propagated or sal- occurrence in relation to the current status Supplemental Environmental Impact vaged plants; and information on species of the species within it’s range; estimate Report in November of 2009 to publically location, habitat, and population size. population sizes of occurrences to be pro- disclose impacts to and proposed mitiga- Lastly, He also noted there were few tected and impacted; and collect associated tion for this state-listed threatened plant. ecological and botanical citations and refer- habitat topography and hydrology data. The CNGA Board found the Draft ences in the DSEIR, nor was there botani- This additional botanical assessment Supplemental EIR (DSEIR) submitted for cal expertise in the personnel responsible will help to develop better protection and this project to be inadequate in disclosure. for the document. mitigation for this rare grass. The North In January 2010, CNGA President Wade Upon receipt of these comment letters, Coast semaphore grass full assessment Belew, California Native Plant Society Caltrans recognized that the inadequate information, and protection and mitigation (CNPS) Sanhedrin Chapter President Geri disclosure in the DSEIR for the North revisions, are undisclosed at press time. Hulse-Stephen, and CNPS North Coast Chapter Conservation Chair Jennifer Kalt each submitted comment letters during the Willard Schaff 1960–2010 DSEIR public review window. Hulse-Stephen commented that At his home in Marysville, Willard Schaff died unexpectedly of heart failure on May 31, 2010. His information on the phenology and habitat quiet, direct demeanor will be missed. included in the report was inaccurate, Willard, a keen observer of plants and a unique producer of seed, distinguishing himself in based on her observations. She also com- business by starting and developing W.S. Seed, Inc., into the largest wild seed collection company mented that simply preserving the species in Northern California. At his death, Willard was in the process of harvesting approximately 30 without knowledge of its ecology and specialty crops from his 35-acre farm. Mainly in collaboration with Pacific Coast Seed, Inc., Willard produced more than 100 species appropriate management practices did not annually from a broad array of environments. Collecting and growing rare seed for diverse proj- ensure ongoing survival. ects, he pioneered the first large-scale production of Deschampsia danthonioides, Pleuropogon Kalt noted that the DSEIR included californica, Ranunculus californica, and many other natives, including vernal pool species. inadequate mitigation measures and Willard was born in Shields, North Dakota, and graduated from Flasher High School in 1978 alternatives assessment and incompletely and from Wahpeton State School of Science in 1981 with a degree in diesel mechanics. After a disclosed potential indirect impacts due to brief stint in the oil business, he became the farm manager for native seed producer S&S Seed, habitat fragmentation or changes in drain- Inc. In 1999, Willard moved to Penn Valley and began collecting wild seed; in 2004, he relocated age patterns, soil moisture, and hydrology. to Marysville where he expanded the seed processing and production part of his business. She aptly said, “It is unfortunate that pres- Mr. Schaff is survived by his daughter Rachel Schaff-Eggebrecht, 26, of Santa Barbara, son ence of this species was discovered so late Dusty Schaff-Hardin, 13, of Overton, Nevada, and friend and partner Patty Brennwald of Rose- in the planning process, but that does not burg, Oregon. He is also survived by his mother, Caroline Schaff of Bismarck, North Dakota, and relieve the agency of its duty to conduct seven siblings: brothers Victor, Vernon, Harold, and Cletus, and sisters Sherry, Annette, and Betty. a thorough alternatives assessment that Willard’s father William preceded him in death in 2000. could potentially avoid impacts to North A gathering to remember Willard will take place later this year.