The Fish Friendly Farming Certification Program provides for a cooperative program to address recovery efforts of the federally listed threatened Coho and Chinook salmon and the steelhead trout in the Russian River and other watersheds. Many of the watersheds where the steelhead and salmon live are primarily private land and creating a landowner oriented restoration program will produce many more positive actions for the fish than a regulatory program.
The Fish Friendly Farming program is a voluntary certification program for grapegrowers who implement land management practices that restore and sustain fish habitat on their property. The Fish Friendly Farming program, in contrast to regulatory programs, is incentive based. The wines made from certified grapes can be labeled, or advertised as eco-friendly allowing recognition for the grapegrowers and wineries and participation by the consumer in environmental improvements.
The Sotoyome Resource Conservation District is administering the program in the Russian River Watershed. A number of other agencies are participating in the program including the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fishery Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and others. The National Marine Fishery Service and Regional Board are evaluating a method to grant farmers regulatory approvals for farm plans and their implementation program as consistent with the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. The program was designed by a diverse group of grapegrowers, agencies, environmental groups and scientists.
The program sponsors workshops to assist farmers in completing the farm conservation plan for their property using the program´s BMPs for soil conservation, slopes, chemical use, water conservation, erosion repairs and an assessment and restoration of creek and river riparian corridors. The program includes a method for geomorphic evaluation of the creek corridor to assure that the restoration is based on science and will be sustainable. BMPs also cover the design and installation of new vineyards, the management of existing vineyards, major replants,roads and creek corridors.
Once the farm assessment is complete, a multi-disciplinary team (which includes farmers) reviews the plan and the site and the landowner can receive certification, potentially including regulatory approval. Certification is based on the accuracy of the farm plan and implementation plan not the current site condition allowing all farms to be covered by the program. Continued photo monitoring allows the landowner to document their fish friendly land stewardship. For most sites re-certification occurs on a 5-10 year basis. Certified farmers will be eligible for implementation funding.
The program recognizes the value of voluntary cooperation, rather than regulatory process, to gain long term and sustainable improvements in land stewardship and thus long term improvements in the fish habitat.
Laurel Marcus
Program Director
707 869 2760
FAX 707 869 4492
laurelm@ix.netcom.com