East Bay Municipal Utility District Hosting Public Meeting Watershed Master Plan

Announcement submitted by East Bay Municipal Utility District:

This is to inform you that the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has scheduled a public meeting to receive comments on the update to the East Bay Watershed Master Plan (Plan). The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 20, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at EBMUD’s downtown Oakland office at 375 11th Street. Please come to the second floor security desk and you will be directed to the meeting room.

Originally adopted in 1996 with some revisions in 1999, the Plan provides guidance to EBMUD staff in managing the 28,000 acres of its East Bay watershed with the primary goals of protecting water quality and biodiversity. The existing Plan can be found at our website at http://www.ebmud.com/recreation/protecting-natural-habitat/. The Plan is currently undergoing revisions to:

· Address issues such as climate change, invasive mussels, sudden oak death, etc. that have arisen since the adoption of the original Plan
· Incorporate tiered plans such as the Habitat Conservation Plan, grazing, forestry, and fire and fuels management
· Document progress on actions prescribed in the Plan
· Update information on water quality, land use, species inventory, and adaptive management
· Consider modifications to existing recreational access programs.

The meeting agenda will include a staff presentation on the Plan and the proposed revisions. Members of the public will then be afforded an opportunity to provide comment to EBMUD staff and directors on potential changes to the Plan. In response to interest expressed by some community members, EBMUD is considering options for limited, docent-led access to specified watershed trails by cyclists.

Please feel free to forward this notice with any party you know who might have an interest.

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