Opening day on May 29th-- time for feedback and a barbeque!!!

The public meetings are coming to a close. We had a full house at the visitor center on May 11, I don’t think we have ever crammed so many people into that space! Mark Hill gave an interesting presentation on Ecosystem Sciences work in California on the Owens River. There were many differences and many parallels to the Silver Creek project and we had the opportunity to discuss a few of them. However, the talk always circles back to sediment when you talk about restoring Silver Creek. I heard from many people who disagreed with Marks statement that most of the sediment in Silver Creek is from historic inputs. I also heard from people who agreed. Many people said that it didn’t really matter—what do we do about it NOW?

Next meeting will be an open house at the visitor center on May 29th. Join us for a barbeque lunch from 12-3 pm and an open house where you can look at the preliminary maps and give us feedback.

PRELIMINARY PLAN TO BE PRESENTED ON JUNE 24th IN HAILEY, GET US YOUR FEEDBACK BEFORE THEN!!!!

June 24th, 5:30 p.m. at The Nature Conservancy office located at 116 1st Ave. North Hailey, ID. 83333

Objectives

Photo- IDFG's Terry Greggory, TNC's Dayna Gross, and private landowner, John Stevenson.

One of the things I keep getting asked during the public meetings and in discussions with people is—what is your objective?

This is a hard question to answer right now because we, The Nature Conservancy, have objectives for Silver Creek that focus on preservation and enhancement of specific habitat types. However, part of the process in developing a watershed plan, is to incorporate other objectives into our own--- with the goal of engaging multiple stakeholders to help guide the long-term conservation vision of the watershed.

Currently, our goals and objectives are as follows:
Our Goal: To work with landowners and partners to protect and restore the most important habitats in the Silver Creek watershed to ensure that the creek remains a special place for fish, wildlife and people.

Silver Creek Enhancement Plan Objective:
The Silver Creek Enhancement Plan will be the first effort to comprehensively address fish and wildlife habitat in the entire Silver Creek watershed, including tributary streams. The plan will identify where habitat is in the best condition, and where habitat can be restored. It will prioritize projects and focus on those methods and partnerships that can achieve the most effective conservation. The plan will also develop incentives for landowners interested in enhancing habitat on their properties. By undertaking this comprehensive effort, we can ensure the long-term protection and improvement of Silver Creek.

Let us know what you think!