Apr 23 Ventura General Plan Update – Scoping Meetings.
The Ventura County General Plan is the document that embodies the vision for land use in unincorporated Ventura County. Most of the land inside the Ventura River watershed, 49%, is governed by this plan. (Much of the rest, 48%, is governed by the US Forest Service; 3% is governed by city general plans.)
The last time there was a comprehensive update to the County General Plan was in 1988. The County of Ventura is now planning to update the plan. The extent of that update, and which topics will be covered, will be determined by the Board of Supervisors after they hear back from the plan update consultant who is now gathering public input.
There will be two public meetings in our area this week to gather input about the content that should be addressed in this General Plan update. Both are on Thursday, April 23.
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Pacific Conference Room
County of Ventura Hall of Justice, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Casitas Springs Community Center, 8437 Edison Drive, Casitas Springs
(Unfortunately, the evening meeting is the same evening as the Upper Ventura River Groundwater Basin Sustainable Groundwater Agency meeting. That meeting starts at 7:00 pm. See announcement sent on Friday April 17.)
This update is important. It is hard to appreciate the significant extent to which the County General Plan’s policies have shaped the watershed and its development, or lack thereof.
Its policies address water resources, mineral resources (e.g., oil, gas, rock), water and wastewater treatment facilities, farmland resources, where things get built, flooding and other hazards, traffic, subdivision of land, minimum parcel size, biological resources, coastal beaches and sand dunes, hazardous materials, scenic resources, cultural resources, and more. What is not in the plan, since it has not been comprehensively updated in so long, is also significant.
The chance to provide input on the scope of an update to the County General Plan does not come around very often. I hope stakeholders in the watershed will take advantage of this important opportunity. If you cannot make the meetings but have ideas to share, you can provide them to me and I will convey them.
This handout explains the basics of what a general plan is: County General Plan Update Work Program. And here is the Board of Supervisors staff report on the General Plan Update Work Program.
Background documents:
The County’s General Plan is contained in several documents. The main document is called “Goals, Policies and Programs.” Nine Area Plans are also part of the General Plan. Area Plans provide a more focused look at specific areas. Three Area Plans are applicable to the Ventura River watershed: Ojai Valley Area Plan, North Ventura Avenue Area Plan, and the Coastal Area Plan.
Map of two of the watershed’s Area Plan boundaries. Click to download pdf.
With the help of an intern (thank you Shane Griffee!), I compiled excerpts from the County General Plan – the Goals, Policies and Programs and the Ojai Area Plan – that are particularly relevant to our watershed management plan and its goals. This should be easier to navigate than the full General Plan.
Goals, Policies and Programs – excerpts
Ojai Area Plan – excerpts
And if you want to review the complete documents:
Goals, Policies and Programs
Ojai Valley Area Plan
North Ventura Avenue Area Plan
Coastal Area Plan
May 7 Watershed Council Meeting
The next meeting of the Ventura River Watershed Council will be on Thursday, May 7, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, in the Topping Room of the Foster Library, 651 E. Main Street, Ventura. Look for an agenda soon.
Steelhead Report Summarizing Seven Years of Sampling Released
Normandeau Environmental Consultants recently released a 224-page final report titled, “Steelhead Population and Habitat Assessment in the Ventura River/Matilija Creek Basin, 2006-2012.” (8 mb file)
The report summarizes the findings of annual Oncorhynchhus mykiss (steelhead/resident trout) distribution and abundance surveys done over a seven-year period, primarily on the Ventura River mainstem, Matilija Creek and its tributaries, and North Fork Matilija Creek.
The surveys were conducted to assess the relationship between habitat quality and abundance of O. mykiss, to help assess the natural variation in O. mykiss population characteristics, and to establish a more robust assessment of baseline population conditions prior to the anticipated removal of Matilija Dam. The steelhead surveys were initiated in 2001 as part of the Matilija Dam Feasibility Studies and administered by the Ventura County Watershed Protection District. The current investigation was administered by the Surfrider Foundation and Matilija Coalition. All reports may be found at matilijadam.org.