Letters/Online Comments

RE: The Electronic Satellite Communicator Every Boater Should Have (FEB. 17- MARCH 2)

“You might also want to look at the iPhone14 & 14Pro, both have satellite SOS text messaging to first responders where no cell connectivity is available. It can also send medical information from the Health App.”

—Steven Caldero

By Katherine M. Clements

LOCAL Friends of Newport Harbor Fight Back Against Waste Disposal Plan for Newport Harbor

NEWPORT BEACH— The Friends of Newport Harbor (“Friends”) and the Pacific Treasure Foundation announced their support for the United States Army Corps of Engineer’s efforts to dredge navigational channels in the lower Newport Bay to reestablish safe navigation for all mariners and users of Newport Bay and to improve the environment.

Unfortunately, historical industrial pollution discharges into Newport Bay have left heavily contaminated sediments in certain areas that the Corps cannot legally dispose of offshore. As a result, the city has proposed and is in the process of permitting the construction of a “Confined Aquatic Disposal” (CAD) facility in the middle of Newport Harbor.

Together, Friends and Pacific Treasure Foundation have opposed the City’s proposal to bury the toxic dredge material in the center of Newport Harbor. Groups have participated in the public decision-making process and expressed distinct opposition to the City’s proposal, petitioning the city to pursue alternatives to this high-risk disposal method.

“Friends” claims the city has ignored fatal flaws in their plan and proceeded as quickly as possible. State and federal law requires certain critical information about projects to be provided to the public upon request.

“Our organization has issued repeated requests for this information from every agency involved, and we have been largely ignored,” read a press release from March 1.

Due to a lack of communication, the Friends of Newport Harbor filed a lawsuit to compel the Corps to disclose information that the public legally is already entitled to receive, filed Feb. 28 in federal court.

STATE/NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL

SBMM Appoints new Deputy Director

SANTA BARBARA— On March 1, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) announced that Jessica Tade had been appointed Deputy Director, effective March 13.

Tade holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and has worked for over a decade for organizations promoting the arts or providing access and opportunity to the community. Among other positions, Tade has served as the director of communications and marketing for the Santa Barbara Foundation, director of marketing and communications for the Santa Barbara City College Foundation, and as the executive director of Casa del Herrero, a historic house museum and National Landmark in Montecito.

In addition to her professional positions, Tade has a strong community service and volunteerism record. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation and was a commissioner for the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission and the Human Services Commission of Santa Barbara County. She also received the Pacific Coast Business Times’ 40 Under 40 Award.

In her new capacity at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Tade will be working closely with Executive Director Greg Gorga, initially overseeing operations and marketing before adding additional responsibilities in the future.

Since 2000, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum has featured many artifacts and stories to share the history of the Santa Barbara Channel with more than 40,000 visitors annually and provides year-round experiential maritime history and marine science education for local youth.

For more information, please visit https://sbmm.org/.

CDFW Announces $22.5 Million to Benefit Salmon and Support Critical Habitat Projects Statewide

On March 7, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced the award of $22.5 million to 19 projects to support restoring critical habitat for salmon, climate resiliency, wildlife corridors, and wetlands restoration.

“This initial round of awards represents a commitment to hit the ground running to support restoration and protection of our species, and I look forward to more announcements like this in the very near future,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham in a press release. “We must stand up as many new projects in a short period of time to make this critical habitat more resilient to the ever-changing climate.”

Protecting Salmon

CDFW has awarded over $8.2 million to eight watershed projects statewide to address drought impacts for salmon in rivers and streams important to their lifecycle. Some projects will restore riparian habitats and fix unscreened water diversions. The Yurok Tribe will lead the largest project awarded under this round within the Oregon Gulch section of the Upper Trinity River, where remnants of hydraulic mining have narrowed the river and led to a loss of salmon-rearing habitat. This project will re-establish the natural flow of the river as well as a functioning floodplain to greatly improve the habitat for salmon across various life stages.

Addressing Climate Impacts

Approximately $6.6 million was awarded to seven new projects to address urgent degrading water and habitat conditions due to climate change impacts. These projects include a focus on winter-run Chinook, improving the