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[00:00:03]

ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.

THIS IS THE BOARD NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ON NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023, BEGINNING AT 12:22. COULD OUR CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?

[Roll Call]

COMMITTEE CHAIR ECHOLS.

PRESENT. DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

HERE. DIRECTOR COFFEY.

HERE. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER KEN WYSOCKI.

HERE. GREAT.

ARE THERE ANY MINUTES TO APPROVE FOR TODAY? THERE ARE NO MINUTES TO APPROVE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, I'M GOING TO START BY DOING A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH STILL.

AND SO HERE WE GO.

THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN HUICHIN TERRITORY ON THE UNSEATED LANDS OF THE OHLONE CHOCHENYO SPEAKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTINUOUSLY LIVED UPON THIS LAND SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL.

THE LANDS NOW ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL TERRITORY OF THE OHLONE, BAY MIWOK AND DELTA YOKUT.

TODAY'S OHLONE, BAY MIWOK AND DELTA YOKUT PEOPLE ARE THRIVING, VITAL MEMBERS OF THE GREATER BAY AREA COMMUNITY.

THEY REMAIN INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO THE LAND THEY HAVE STEWARDED SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL.

SO PLEASE JOIN US IN RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THIS LAND AND THEIR ANCESTORS, ELDERS, DESCENDANTS, AND ALL OTHER MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THANK YOU. I WILL MENTION THAT TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT, AND WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING AND HAVE PROVIDED THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMAIL, CALL IN PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, OR COMMENT LIVE VIA ZOOM TODAY.

ALL INFORMATION REGARDING PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETING CAN BE FOUND ON THE AGENDA ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE AT EBPARKS.ORG.

AFTER EACH PRESENTATION, WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM AND WE WILL ALSO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS NOT AT THE AGENDA ON THE AGENDA SHORTLY.

DO ANY OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES? OKAY. OKAY, GREAT.

SO I DO WANT TO ALSO MENTION THAT WE ARE CHANGING THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA SLIGHTLY.

WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR, TO THE NUMBER TWO ITEM AND MOVE THE NUMBER TWO ITEM TO THE THIRD ITEM.

SO THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL NESTING OF BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, WILL BE MOVED TO THIRD DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES.

SO OKAY, SO ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NOT ON THE AGENDA.

ANY REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE ARE NONE. OH, OKAY.

I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU.

OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.

[Agenda Items]

OKAY. SO WE CAN BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE CHINESE MINING HISTORY AT BLACK DIAMOND, PRESENTED BY NATURALIST PIA LOFT AND JESSICA KAUZER.

THANKS.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MY NAME IS KEVIN DAMSTRA. I'M THE REGIONAL INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER FOR THE SOUTHEAST UNIT.

IN A MOMENT, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING SUPERVISING NATURALIST PIA LOFT AND NATURALIST JESSICA KAUZER FROM BLACK DIAMOND MINES.

PRIOR TO THEM COMING UP AND PRESENTING, THOUGH, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

BEGINNING IN 2012, THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT MADE A VERY CONCERTED EFFORT TO LEARN THE STORIES THAT HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY AND TRADITIONALLY UNDERTOLD WITHIN OUR PARKLAND UNITS.

THIS STARTED THROUGH THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK THAT WE WERE DOING, LEARNING ABOUT OUR STAFF, LEARNING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES, LEARNING ABOUT OURSELVES.

IT GREW AND EXPANDED INTO BEING ABLE TO TELL THOSE UNDERTOLD STORIES, WHICH INVOLVES AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK ON THE STAFF OF OUR INTERPRETIVE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS SUCH AS COMMUNITY EXCUSE ME, SUCH AS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATORS, CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND OUR ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT.

ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE WORK THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TODAY, WITH THE RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH BEING ABLE TO SHARE THOSE STORIES AND BEING ABLE

[00:05:09]

TO CONNECT THOSE INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.

WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE SUPERVISING NATURALIST PIA LOFT AND JESSICA KAUZER TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE AND IS ONGOING AT BLACK DIAMOND.

GREAT. THANK YOU KEVIN.

GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

WE ARE GOING TO BRING UP OUR POWERPOINT AND START IN JUST A MOMENT.

THANK YOU. ALRIGHTY.

GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

MY NAME IS PIA LOFT AND THIS IS JESSICA KAUZER.

WE ARE REPRESENTING THE NORTHEAST SECTOR WITHIN THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.

TODAY, WE WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING TO MAKE OUR PROGRAMS MORE INCLUSIVE AND RELEVANT TO THE EAST BAY'S DIVERSE POPULATION.

WE WILL USE OUR RESEARCH INTO THE HOSTILE AND UNFAIR TREATMENT OF BLACK DIAMONDS, CHINESE MINERS AS A CASE STUDY INTO FINDING UNTOLD OR FORGOTTEN HISTORIES, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE STORIES THAT WE NEED TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR PROGRAMS TO BEST SERVE EAST BAY RESIDENTS.

NOW, BEFORE WE DIVE IN, I WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE NORTHEAST SECTOR.

AND THEN JESSICA WILL DISCUSS HOW WE'VE BEEN CHANGING THE PROGRAMS AROUND BLACK DIAMOND'S HISTORY TO GIVE A MORE COMPLETE NARRATIVE.

THE NORTHEAST SECTOR IS LOCATED IN EASTERN CONTRA COSTA AND IS REPRESENTED BY THIS YELLOW OVAL THAT YOU SEE ON THIS MAP.

AND SO OUR SECTOR RANGES FROM BAY POINT TO MARTINEZ SHORELINE, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CASTLE ROCKS WITH BLACK DIAMOND MINES, OUR OFFICES IN THE MIDDLE WITH THURGOOD MARSHALL AND CLAYTON RANCH.

AND YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THIS OVAL IS ENCROACHING ON THE DELTA AND DEL VALLE SECTORS.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHARGE OF INTERPRETING THE STORIES OUT OF THOSE PARKS UNTIL BOTH SECTORS ARE ABLE TO GROW THEIR TEAMS. THIS LAND IS ALSO ON BAY MIWOK LAND, WHO HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, AND WHO ARE VERY MUCH STILL HERE TODAY.

AS FOR OUR WORK, THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT MISSION IS TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S MISSION AND VISION, AND WE DO THAT BY INSPIRING EAST BAY RESIDENTS TO ENJOY AND VALUE THEIR REGIONAL PARKS THROUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ARE EDUCATIONAL, UPLIFTING AND EMPOWERING.

AND GIVEN THAT THE EAST BAY IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE BUILD OUR PROGRAMS AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PRINCIPLES TO BEST SERVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS.

AND WE HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING AWARENESS AROUND MATTERS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

MANY OF THE PARKS WITHIN OUR SECTOR ARE LOCATED ON LAND WITH DEEP SEATED STORIES OF DISCRIMINATION.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE INTERPRET COLONIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OUT AT VASCO CAVES, WE INTERPRET THE DESEGREGATION OF THE MILITARY OUT OF THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50.

AND MOST RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON RECTIFYING THE SINGLE NARRATIVE ABOUT WHITE EUROPEAN MINERS AT BLACK DIAMOND MINES.

AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE AND HIGHLIGHT THE STORIES OF THE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT WERE PRESENT BUT EXCLUDED, INCLUDING THE CHINESE MINER EXPERIENCES.

SO NOW I'M GOING TO HAND THE PRESENTATION OVER TO JESSICA, WHO WILL TAKE US ON A DIVE THROUGH OUR RESEARCH AND EXPLAIN HOW WE ARE CHANGING THE BLACK DIAMOND NARRATIVE.

OKAY. WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU, PIA. SO I'LL SHARE A BIT ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES IN THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELD, AS WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR.

AND IT IS NOT A TERRIBLY PRETTY STORY.

AND HOW WE ARE WORKING TO TELL THAT STORY AS PART OF OUR INTERPRETATION AT BLACK DIAMOND.

SO AS WE HAVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELD IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE 1800S.

STARTING AROUND 1850S PEOPLE IMMIGRATED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO COME WORK IN THE COAL FIELDS AROUND MOUNT DIABLO.

AND AS PEOPLE IMMIGRATED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE WERE LOTS OF FOLKS WHO CAME TO RESIDE IN THE AREAS AROUND WHAT IS NOW BLACK DIAMOND MINES.

[00:10:01]

AND IT WAS THE POPULATION CENTER OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AT THE TIME AND STILL AN AREA THAT HOLDS GREAT DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE TODAY.

SO WE HAVE PHOTOS AND ARTIFACTS LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT ARE THEY GIVE US AN IDEA.

THEY HELP US UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE AT THE TIME.

YET A LOT OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ARE FROM A NARROW SUBSET OF THE POPULATION THAT ACTUALLY LIVED AND WORKED IN THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELD.

MOST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND HAVE SHARED HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN A VERY WELSH AND NORTHERN EUROPEAN DOMINANT NARRATIVE, AND THIS NARROW HISTORY DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE AT THE TIME, NOR THE DIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA TODAY.

SO AS WE WORK TO BROADEN THIS HISTORY THAT WE ARE TELLING, WE HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LIVED IN THE AREA.

AND SO ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE LIVING IN THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELD AT THE TIME WERE COMING FROM ALL OVER AND NOT ORIGINALLY FROM CALIFORNIA, IT WAS THE CHINESE COMMUNITY THAT WAS MOVING TO CALIFORNIA THAT WAS FACING A LOT OF MISTREATMENT HOSTILITY AND DISCRIMINATION.

AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AREA ARE OFTEN STORIES THAT ARE UNTOLD, FORGOTTEN OR NEVER RECORDED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO AS THE NATURALIST AT BLACK DIAMOND STARTED TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER TO THE HISTORIES OF NON WHITE EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE AREA THIS CULMINATED IN A PROGRAM, A VIRTUAL PROGRAM IN 2021 ABOUT THE CHINESE MINER EXPERIENCE AND WORK THAT KIND OF LAUNCHED AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON TODAY TO DIG INTO SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE TO LEARN MORE.

SO, LIKE MANY OTHERS, THOUSANDS OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AND TO CALIFORNIA AND TO EASTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DURING THE GOLD RUSH TO MINE FOR GOLD, AS WELL AS MINE FOR COAL IN THE COAL FIELD.

THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN CONSTRUCTING THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD, AS WELL AS RAILROADS LOCALLY AND LOCAL TO EASTERN CONTRA COSTA.

THE DELTA LEVEE SYSTEM, AND DESPITE A LOT OF THEIR POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS, LIKE I MENTIONED, THEY WERE OFTEN MISTREATED.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ELEVATE AND HIGHLIGHT THESE STORIES THAT HAVE OFTEN GONE UNTOLD.

AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THESE STORIES WE'RE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER FROM BITS AND PIECES, FROM CENSUS RECORDS, WORKING WITH OUR ARCHIVISTS, THE FEW ARTIFACTS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU SEE HERE, THIS CHINESE PICKLE JAR.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PULL TOGETHER ALL OF THESE PIECES TO TRY TO GAIN A MORE HOLISTIC STORY OF THE AREA.

AND WHAT WE HAVE PIECED TOGETHER IS REALLY A STORY OF EXCLUSION AND HOSTILITY.

SO YOU SEE HERE JUST TWO OF THE MANY PHOTOS THAT WE HAVE OF THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELD AND THE TOWNS THERE, LIKE THE TOWN OF SUMMERSVILLE, WHICH IS SITUATED RIGHT WHERE BLACK DIAMOND MINES HEADQUARTERS IS TODAY.

AND A LOT OF THESE PHOTOS, YOU SEE A LOT OF THE WHITE WELSH AND NORTHERN EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS WHO SETTLED HERE.

AND THE CHINESE COMMUNITY WAS PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, AS WELL AS INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHS.

SO THIS IS THE ONE PHOTOGRAPH THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARCHIVES THAT HAS AN INDIVIDUAL PICTURE OF SOMEONE THAT IS OF CHINESE HERITAGE, AND WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUAL.

ONE STEP FURTHER, THEY WERE ACTUALLY EXCLUDED THEN, IN ABOUT THE 1870S, FROM WORK AND FROM THE MINES THEMSELVES.

SO WE HAVE RECORD THAT THERE WERE CHINESE MINERS.

BUT IN THE 1870S, THE MINERS OF THE BLACK DIAMOND COAL COMPANY ADVOCATED FOR ACTUALLY USING THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK IN THE MINES INSTEAD OF WORKING ALONGSIDE THE CHINESE MINERS.

SO THE BLACK DIAMOND COAL COMPANY STARTED EMPLOYING BOYS AS YOUNG AS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND LET GO OF ALL THE CHINESE MINERS THERE.

SO THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN HELPING ENERGIZE CALIFORNIA WITH THE COAL THAT THEY WERE MINING, THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THAT WAY.

AND IN THE LOCAL AREA, ANTIOCH, THERE WAS A THRIVING CHINATOWN UNTIL THE 1870S THAT THEN, AS HOSTILITY CONTINUED TO GROW, THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF OF THEIR HOMES.

WHEN THERE WERE REPORTS THAT A FEW HAD COME BACK.

THERE WAS A GROUP THAT GOT TOGETHER AND UNFORTUNATELY BURNED DOWN THE ENTIRE CHINATOWN, WHICH THERE ARE IMPACTS THAT ARE STILL FELT IN THE AREA TODAY.

[00:15:07]

AND THIS GREW TO THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT IN 1882, EXCLUDING ALL OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS FROM THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES, NOT JUST THE LOCAL AREA AROUND EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

HOWEVER, IT WAS DEFINITELY A EMPHATIC APPROVAL THAT WAS FELT IN SUMMERSVILLE AT THE TIME.

AND UNSURPRISINGLY, THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ALL OF THESE MISTREATMENTS HAS HAS CONTINUED.

THIS BILL WAS NOT REPEALED UNTIL 1943.

AND SO WE STILL FEEL THE THE IMPACTS OF ALL OF THESE EVENTS IN THE AREA, THE POPULATION IN THE LOCAL AREA, ONLY OF CHINESE COMMUNITIES HAS ONLY REALLY GROWN IN THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS.

SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE HOPING THAT SHARING THESE STORIES TELLS A MORE COMPLETE AND HONEST, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETIMES NOT PRETTY OR HARD TO TELL A HISTORY OF EASTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND HELPS US BE MORE INCLUSIVE.

WE WANT THE DIVERSE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE COME TO HIKE THE HILLS OF BLACK DIAMOND TO ALL FEEL SEEN AND INCLUDED.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ELEVATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY AS WE LEARN ABOUT THEM AND HAVE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERPRETATION TO HIGHLIGHT THESE OFTEN UNTOLD OR FORGOTTEN STORIES.

SO WE'VE BEEN HOLDING FOR ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH HIKES THAT FOCUS ON THESE STORIES AND THIS PART OF HISTORY, AS WELL AS INCORPORATING THESE PIECES OF HISTORY INTO OUR PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS AROUND THE COAL MINING ERA.

AND HOPE TO ALSO INCREASE THE INTERPRETIVE DISPLAYS THAT WE HAVE THAT HIGHLIGHT THIS MISSING PIECE OF HISTORY.

SO THERE IS DEFINITELY MORE RESEARCH TO BE DONE, MORE PIECES TO PULL TOGETHER, MORE TO LEARN, AND WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO OUR STORYTELLING.

BUT WE FEEL LIKE THE MORE WE INVEST IN DOING THE RESEARCH, UNCOVERING THESE STORIES, SHARING THE HISTORY, THE BETTER WE CAN SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES AND INSPIRE A FUTURE OF MORE INCLUSION.

SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TO SHARE THIS LITTLE BIT KIND OF SURFACE LEVEL TODAY.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER TO SOME OF THE HISTORY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I'M GOING TO SEE IF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

JOHN DIRECTOR MERCURIO, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.

AND I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH DOING HISTORICAL RESEARCH.

AND IT'S SORT OF SUMMARIZED BY ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER, RIGHT? YOU FIND ONE LEAD AND THEN THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER, AND THEN THAT LEADS TO THREE OTHERS.

AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE GREAT HOPE THAT YOUR FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE PULLING THOSE THREADS UNTIL YOU GET TO WHERE YOU OF COURSE, YOU'RE NEVER REALLY DONE.

BUT I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT I LIKE TO READ ABOUT TRANSPORTATION HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE TRANSPORTATION HISTORY. SO OF COURSE, I KNEW AS A KID LIVING IN CALIFORNIA THAT THE CHINESE BUILT, YOU KNOW, BUILT THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD.

I MEAN, THEY DID MOST ALMOST ALL THE WORK.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS, LIKE YOU SAY, HAS NEVER BEEN.

AND I GREW UP IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, NEVER A WHISPER, NEVER AND NEVER ANYTHING.

SO YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE I KNOW WE'RE ALL I'M SURE WE'RE ALL PROUD THAT WE'RE FINALLY DIGGING THAT UP AND AND KIND OF TRYING TO GET IT.

AND I AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU'LL HAVE INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS THERE ON SITE.

SO I KNOW THE NEXT TIME I GO HIKING UP THERE, I'M GOING TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AS I'M GOING UP THOSE TRAILS.

I'M LOOKING AROUND GOING, I WONDER WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WERE DOING HERE AND THERE AND AND EVERYWHERE.

BUT DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE AT ALL OF THE NUMBERS THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO REDUCE IT JUST TO NUMBERS, BUT THAT'S ALL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, I GUESS.

YOU KNOW HOW MANY THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORKING THERE.

SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM OUR ARCHIVIST, AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS IT'S SO THERE'S LIKE TOWNSHIP IT'S TOWNSHIP THREE IS LIKE THAT WHOLE LOCAL AREA.

SO IT'S HARD TO PINPOINT, LIKE HOW MANY WERE IN SOMERSVILLE.

HOW MANY WERE IN ANTIOCH? HOW MANY? BUT WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THOSE RECORDS.

SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY FOLKS WERE WORKING THE TIME.

SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER.

AND ONE OF THE ISSUES IS ALSO THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS IN THE CENSUS? DON'T OFTEN SAY MINER.

THEY SAY LABORER.

AND SO IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY WERE IN THE MINES AND JUST WEREN'T CREDITED FOR THEIR WORK OR IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY DOING A DIFFERENT JOB.

[00:20:02]

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, PART TWO, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT.

THANK YOU. THANKS.

YOU JUST ANSWERED PART OF MY QUESTION, I THINK I WAS CURIOUS OF WHAT YOUR FINDING IN THE CENSUS RECORDS.

YEAH. SO A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN THE CENSUS IS IT IS A LOT OF LABOR.

SOMETIMES IT'S NOTED DOMESTIC SERVANT OR YOU KNOW, WORKING IN THE LAUNDRY.

SO THE OCCUPATIONS YOU KNOW, WE CAN GATHER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BUT EVEN THE NAMES I'VE BEEN LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE NAMES ARE HARD TO TRACE AS WELL.

AND SO LEARNING, YOU KNOW, DIGGING INTO PULLING THOSE THREADS, RIGHT, CAN BE CHALLENGING.

AND LIKE I SAID, EVEN SOME OF THE LABOR, LIKE, WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE MINERS WORKING IN THE COAL MINES, BUT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS IN THE CENSUS RECORD OF THAT.

AND SO AND THEN WE'RE LEARNING THERE'S LET'S SEE WHERE MY IN THIS SLIDE HERE DOWN IN THE LOWER RIGHT, THE BITS THAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE IT'S A MINING BOARDING HOUSE.

SO IT SAYS MINERS BOARDING HOUSE.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND JUST RECENTLY AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS THAT THERE WERE TWO CHINESE MEN WHO WERE WORKING AS COOKS IN THE BOARDING HOUSE. SO THEY WERE ALL LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE MINERS.

SO JUST LITTLE BITS AND PIECES LIKE THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF PULL ALL THOSE THREADS TO START TO TELL A MORE COHESIVE STORY WHERE WE CAN.

THAT'S GREAT. I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MENTION HOW PROUD I AM OF THE WORK YOU FOLKS ARE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT THAT IN LARGE SWATHS OF THIS COUNTRY, THIS WOULD BE OUTLAWED BY THE STATE BECAUSE WE'RE A PUBLIC AGENCY, AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PURSUE UNCOMFORTABLE HISTORY FREELY AND OPENLY AND WANTING TO IS SOMETHING OF PRIDE TO ME.

SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

YOU DONE? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND THIS WORK IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

AND I'M ALSO VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT'S IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HAVE A TRUTHFUL AND ACCURATE, COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY AND NOT JUST THIS SORT OF TINY, TINY PIECE OUT THERE THAT THAT DOESN'T REFLECT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

AND I ALSO APPRECIATE AND ONE OF YOU SAID THIS, THE HOW THIS CAN ALSO HELP EVERYBODY FEEL SEEN AND INCLUDED IN THE PARK'S HISTORY IF THEIR STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED IS ACTUALLY OUT THERE AND INCLUDED.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU.

I KNOW IT'S HARD WORK AND I APPRECIATE YOU PULLING ON THOSE LITTLE THREADS AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT DETECTIVE WORK TO FIND OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU HADN'T FOUND ANY CHINESE IMMIGRANTS LISTED AS MINORS.

WHEN DID YOU COME ACROSS WELSH OR OTHER, NORTHERN EUROPEAN PEOPLE LISTED AS MINORS? OH, INTERESTING. SO THEY ARE LISTED AS MINORS, BUT THE CHINESE ARE JUST LISTED AS LABORERS, RIGHT.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF RECORDS THAT IT'LL SAY MINOR AND IT'S USUALLY WELSH, SCOTTISH AND THEY WILL HAVE, THE MINOR DESIGNATION IN THEIR OCCUPATION.

THAT'S INTERESTING. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANKS. THANKS AGAIN FOR EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

AND JUST WANTED TO ADD WE DO THINK THAT THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER BECAUSE OF THE PROTESTS THAT THE WHITE EUROPEANS HAD AND THEY WENT ON STRIKE TO EXCLUDE.

RIGHT. THE CHINESE.

RIGHT. THERE WAS. YES.

I THINK THAT'S A DEFINITELY A FAIR DEDUCTION, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE JUST A FEW, THEN THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE LESS UPSET ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TAKING JOBS THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE ENTITLED TO, WHICH OF COURSE, THEY WEREN'T.

BUT AND I THINK IT'S ATROCIOUS THAT, THAT YOU KNOW, BOYS AS YOUNG AS EIGHT WERE WORKING IN THE MINES AND REPLACE THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WHO HAD COME TO DO THAT WORK YOU KNOW.

IF I MIGHT ADD. YEAH.

I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION JUST OCCURRED TO ME.

SO I KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED ALL AROUND WITHIN, FROM WITHIN THE REGIONAL PRESERVE.

AND, I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I IT'S I KNOW YOU CAN YOU CAN USUALLY TELL IF IT'S RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY

[00:25:04]

DISTINCT. RIGHT. THE POTTERY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IS THERE ARE THERE PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLES OF THOSE SORTS OF ARTIFACTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED.

THAT'S IT. TWO.

JUST TWO. OKAY.

YEAH. SO WHAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED SO FAR THAT WE HAVE IN THE ARCHIVES THAT WE THINK IS PART OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY ARE THESE TWO ON THE RIGHT UP HERE? SO THE PICKLED THE CHINESE PICKLE JAR THAT YOU SEE KIND OF ON THE RIGHT MIDDLE, AND THEN THE CHINESE COINS THAT ARE ON THAT RIGHT UPPER HAND.

OKAY. I'LL KEEP LOOKING.

YEAH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE MOVING THE THIRD AGENDA ITEM FORWARD.

SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND AS WE AS WE START TALKING ABOUT AGENDA ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR NEXT YEAR, I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENT CHAIR NEXT YEAR AND POSSIBLY DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

AND SO WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'M CERTAIN THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO HAVE SOME SAY IN THIS AS WELL.

BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY TEE UP SOME IDEAS, AS THE COMMITTEE DID LAST YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.

THERE'S SO MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR THIS COMMITTEE THAT'S GOOD TO SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS KEN WYSOCKI.

I'M THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT.

AND IN YOUR PACKET YOU SEE MULTIPLE SCHEDULES.

YOU'LL SEE OUR PROPOSED PLAN AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND ALSO PUT THIS DOWN HERE PAST AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'VE HAD AND ALSO WHAT THE BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED OR REQUESTED. NO I DON'T HAVE THAT.

I DON'T HAVE HARD COPY OF THAT.

SABRINA.

THEY DIDN'T. OKAY.

YEAH, I THINK THEY WERE.

THEY WERE SENT OUT.

KEN SENT THEM OUT SEPARATELY FROM THE PACKET.

SO YOU PROBABLY HAVE THEM IN YOUR EMAIL.

I DO, BUT I MEAN, FOR THE PURPOSES OF NOW, WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IT ON YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN THAT'S FINE FOR ME.

BUT I DON'T HAVE IT IN MY PACKET.

OKAY. THE ONE THAT'S HERE, RIGHT? RIGHT. GOT YOU.

I THINK IT'S FINE. SO LAST YEAR I STARTED IN FEBRUARY, AND ASSUMED THIS ROLE ON ON THESE TOPICS AND THAT TOPICS THAT WERE ALREADY LAID OUT.

AND ALSO, I REVIEWED A LOT OF THE REQUESTS FROM PRIOR YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER REQUEST NOVEMBER 2022.

THAT CAME FROM THE BOARD AS A LIST OF.

I'M SORRY, KEN, I JUST REALIZED I FORGOT TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY PUBLIC ITEMS. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE LAST ITEM. THANK YOU. SURE.

THERE WAS NO COMMENT.

THANK YOU. PLEASE PROCEED.

ANY OF THE DRAFT PUBLIC TOPICS THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN.

AND I WENT THROUGH THAT LIST AND WORKED WITH MY STAFF AND TEAM TO GENERATE WHAT DID WE DO SO FAR OFF THAT LIST? AND ALSO, WHAT CAN WE DO NEXT YEAR? WE HAVE FOUR MEETINGS.

AND USUALLY THESE MEETINGS, YOU CAN PROBABLY HAVE AROUND 3 TO 4 TOPICS GIVEN THE TIME FRAME THAT WE HAVE AND THE DEPTH OF EACH TOPIC, SOMETIMES TOPICS CAN TAKE QUITE A WHILE.

MAYBE A LOT OF DIALOG.

SO THAT WOULD LEAVE US ABOUT, WHAT, 12 TO 16 TOPICS FOR THE YEAR TO TO GET THROUGH WITH THE COMMITTEE.

THREE OF THE TOPICS, WE HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR.

SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, THREE OF OF THE TOPICS, THE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS, THE IPM ANNUAL REPORT, AND THE FREE ROAMING CAT POLICY.

WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THAT PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.

SO THOSE ARE THREE TOPICS THAT'S JUST MANDATORY.

AND WE HAVE THAT SCHEDULED OUT.

YES.

[00:30:01]

OH, THIS IS DIFFERENT AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TOO.

BUT THIS IS.

OH. HE SAID THIS ONE.

OH, IS THIS DIFFERENT? YEAH.

YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS DIFFERENT.

OKAY. SEE IF I CAN GET THIS MORE VISUAL FOR YOU IF YOU CAN SEE THAT, OKAY ON YOUR DESKTOP.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE PROPOSED FOR THE YEAR.

TOPICS BASED ON INPUT FROM THE BOARD FROM NOVEMBER 2022 AND WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND OF COURSE, WHAT WE WANT TO PRESENT GOING FORWARD. NOW, THESE ARE TENTATIVE, PLANNED AND IT'S FLEXIBLE.

I WANTED TO START SOMEWHERE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO GO WITH A BLANK SLATE SAYING, TELL US EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

AS OPPOSED TO HERE'S SOME IDEAS AND SOME THOUGHTS.

MAYBE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ADD.

BUT ALSO KEEP IN MIND THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE OFF IF THE TOPICS ARE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

SO YOU KNOW, IF WE SHIFT AND PIVOT THESE TOPICS AROUND, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT.

OKAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T ON HERE, WE TRY TO SPREAD THIS OUT ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TOPICS, FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES TO THE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT ON THIS CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR YET, AND WORKING WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS SOME HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND A COUPLE OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE PRESENTED FROM THE COMMITTEE LAST YEAR WERE ARCHIVES AND HISTORICAL TOPICS BY BRENDA AND ALSO THE TOUR OF THE ARCHIVES.

I DO UNDERSTAND WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT THAT TOUR OF THE ARCHIVES, MORE OF A BOARD TOUR.

SO WE'RE PULLING THAT FROM THIS COMMITTEE AND JUST DOING THE BOARD TOUR.

SO THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT IN EACH CATEGORY THAT I SAW, WE WERE WE DID AS A BOARD TOUR OR THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO AS A BOARD TOUR, AS A FULL TOUR.

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT AS A COMMITTEE MEETING.

SO I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU LOOK AT THESE PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS IS A PROPOSAL.

THIS CAN BE FLEXIBLE.

AGAIN PEOPLE'S AVAILABILITY.

WE HAVEN'T PUT THE PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER.

WE'RE WORKING ON THE DETAILS OF THAT.

SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE LONGER.

AND WHO KNOWS? SOMETIMES WE MIGHT HAVE TO SHIFT THE TOPIC OUT TO ANOTHER DATE.

I SEE SABRINA'S PASSING AROUND PRINTED COPIES OF THE INFORMATION.

I'M GOING TO PULL THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE ADDITIONAL TOPICS.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PRESENTATION IS A LIST OF ADDITIONAL ITEMS. AND THOSE ARE I CALL IT THE PARKING LOT ITEMS. THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING COMES OFF THE THE CALENDAR FOR THIS PAST YEAR WE CAN MOVE IN THERE AND, AND OR IF WE LOOK AT AND, AS I TALKED TO THE STAFF AS THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER, IF I SEE THERE'S TIME AVAILABLE, I CAN ADD ANOTHER ITEM FROM THAT PARKING LOT LIST UP INTO THIS PRESENTATION INTO OUR LIST.

AND BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY CONCERNS FROM THE BOARD? SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE GOAL OF HAVING CULTURAL ITEMS ON EVERY MEETING HAS BEEN FULFILLED HERE.

AS I SEE IT.

SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I WAS READY TO I WAS READY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO, EVEN THOUGH I JUST DID.

THAT'S GOOD. BUT IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL ITEMS THE FIRST ONE ON THERE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE UPDATE REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING ELSE.

SO, SO. DIRECTOR ROSARIO AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR SKYLINE GARDENS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN OUR BOARD REPORTS AT THE LAST MEETING, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT EAST BAY MUD IS DOING UP ALONG ABOVE FISH RANCH ROAD AND SKYLINE.

NO. GRIZZLY PEAK, WHERE THEY'RE DOING SOME RESTORATION WORK THERE.

AND WE BOTH RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS A VERY VERY EFFECTIVE PROJECT AND VERY SUCCESSFUL.

[00:35:07]

AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THAT.

AND SO IT'S A VERY SIMPLE THING IS TO JUST FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANY WAYS THAT WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT OUR STAFF CAN LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THOSE LESSONS LEARNED CAN BE APPLIED TO WHAT WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME.

IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF IT'S THE SAME GOAL TO RESTORE THE, ENVIRONMENT.

SO VERY GOOD. BUT AND IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE I AS SOON AS I GOT THE INVITATION TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ON THE PAC IS WHEN THAT WAS ALL GOING ON AND WHEN IT ACTUALLY WAS IMPLEMENTED.

AND I GOT TO THINKING, WELL, GEE, I WONDER WHAT EVER HAPPENED WITH THAT.

SO THERE IT IS.

SO I WOULD I'M GLAD IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.

YEAH. MOST DEFINITELY. YEAH.

MOST DEFINITELY. WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND CHALLENGING FROM THIS PAST YEAR IS AND THAT WE'RE OVERCOMING HERE, ESPECIALLY UNDER WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP, IS TO EXPOSE SHOW THE WORK WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE LEARNING AND REALLY JUST I WOULDN'T CALL IT MARKETING, BUT JUST THIS IS LOOK AT THE GREAT WORK WE'RE DOING.

YOU KNOW, IT'S WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THEN LET'S DO THE SHOW.

LET'S, GET OUT AND GET IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND SHOW AND ALSO SHOW THE CHALLENGES.

I MEAN, THIS IS NOT ALL JUST BY SITTING HERE AND SAYING, WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S GREAT.

WE GOT TO SHOW HERE ARE SOME ISSUES AND WE'RE BRINGING IT TO THE COMMITTEE TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND POSSIBLE IDEAS, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT COME LATER TO A BOARD.

I ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL WORKING ON THIS AGENDA, AND I'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE MEMBERS HERE IS, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT.

WE DID THIS PAST YEAR.

WE DID A LOT OF INFORMATION.

BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME DECISIONS, SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MOVING SOMETHING FORWARD TO THE BOARD FROM THIS COMMITTEE.

SO THAT'S WHAT I LIKED.

YEAH. NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING.

WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

IT HAS TO BE A MIXTURE OF, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.

YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT? AND WE DO RIGHT.

BUT WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THREATS THAT EXIST OUT THERE.

AND WE PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THEM ALREADY.

BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THAT NEEDS A RED FLAG WAVED AROUND.

SO OR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE DID SOMETHING, IT'S LIKE WE LEARNED FROM IT.

YES. YEAH.

SO ANYWAY, AWESOME.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE DRAFTS I HAVE.

SUNOL GATHERING OF WAS AT 28.

NOW IT'S AT NUMBER THREE.

COULD YOU EXPAND ON WHAT THE SUNOL GATHERING TOPIC IS ABOUT? NOW THE NUMBERS ON HERE, THEY'RE JUST LISTED.

THEY'RE NOT I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS BY PRIORITY BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST LISTED 1 THROUGH 28.

SO IT DIDN'T MOVE UP BECAUSE OF PRIORITY.

I NEED TO FIND THE LIST. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IT.

WELL, WHAT WE DID WAS REACH OUT TO OUR PARTNERS.

YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN DEPTH, BUT REACHING OUT TO OUR DIVISIONAL PARTNERS ABOUT WHAT CAN WE BRING FORWARD, WHAT'S SOME IDEAS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME FRAME TO DO A PRESENTATION? BUT KEVIN, DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? THE SUNOL GATHERING WAS ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT I ADVOCATED TO HAVE COME FORWARD HIGHER ON THE LIST.

IT IS AN UPDATE ON THE LONG STANDING SUNOL SPECIAL EVENT THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN KNOWN AS THE HOOTENANNY, AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT HAS MORPHED THROUGH OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK AND THE UNDER-TOLD STORIES INTO THE SUNOL HERITAGE FESTIVAL.

AND WE HAVE PILOTED THOSE CHANGES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND IT'S AT A POINT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND UPON THAT AND SHARE MORE WITH ALL OF YOU WHAT WE ARE DOING AS WE GO INTO OUR 90TH YEAR, SOME OF THE SUCCESSES AND SOME OF THE AREAS FOR CONTINUED GROWTH OF THAT THAT EVENT AND HOW WE'RE MERGING AND MATCHING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS THAT HAVE A HISTORICAL CONNECTION TO SUNOL AT THAT ONE EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE COLLECTIVE HISTORY.

SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HOOTENANNY IS.

WHAT DOES IT BECOME UNDER THE SCENARIO YOU JUST DESCRIBED.

FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE HOOTENANNY FOCUSED PREDOMINANTLY ON THE EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY, THE AMERICANA PERIOD OF CALIFORNIA, THE CALIFORNIA AND AMERICANA HISTORY AT SUNOL.

THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CONNECTIONS WITH THE MUWEKMA AND WITH THE OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO SUNOL ALSO INCLUDES THE SPANISH HERITAGE. AND WE'VE BEEN BRINGING IN MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, DIFFERENT MUSICAL GROUPS, DIFFERENT STORYTELLING OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SHARE ALL OF THOSE CULTURES AND HISTORIES AND THE CURRENT DAY CONNECTIONS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH THE PARK.

[00:40:04]

SO WE HAVE HAD AN AWFUL LOT OF PROGRAMMATIC EXPANSION THERE.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT AND SHOW HOW THAT THAT VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM OF THE HOOTENANNY, WHICH, IF YOU GO BACK FAR ENOUGH, STARTED AS A COWBOY POETRY FESTIVAL HAS MORPHED INTO SOMETHING THAT CELEBRATES ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE A STRONG CONNECTION TO THAT PARK.

OKAY. THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

THANKS. THANK YOU.

LOOK FORWARD TO IT. AT LEAST WATCHING IT.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH.

THANKS. GREAT.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THIS LIST AND FOR THE PROPOSED AGENDA PLAN.

I THINK THIS IS VERY HELPFUL AND CERTAINLY A LOT TO COVER.

SO I JUST SO ON YOUR ADDITIONAL ITEMS LIST, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE ACADEMIC CONNECTION AND HISTORY THERE.

THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AS WELL AS THE SHORELINE PREPAREDNESS FOR SEA LEVEL RISE, I THINK THAT ONE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.

I KNOW THAT'S. I KNOW THAT I DON'T JUST THINK THAT.

RIGHT. BUT I'M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE FOR THE FULL BOARD.

I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE FULL BOARD.

AND THAT WAY WE COULD ALSO HAVE SOME OF THE I KNOW THIS IS A VERY SORT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY EFFORT.

SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY FROM YOUR FOLKS, BUT THEN ALSO HOW THAT'S IMPLEMENTED ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE AND OF COURSE, THE PLANNING AND WORK THAT CHIEF THEILE AND HER TEAM DO AS WELL.

SO THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE FULL BOARD TO DO.

YEP. I NOTICED YOU HAD A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON OUR NATIVE PEOPLE UNDER THE CULTURAL RESOURCES ON THE LIST.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OVERLAP THERE, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME COMBINATION OF THOSE TOPICS THAT WE CAN.

I THINK ALL OF US ARE VERY EAGER TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN MORE ABOUT POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE INTERPRETIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMING AND.

YEAH. AND THE UPDATES ON THE CURRICULUM AS WELL, EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM.

SO ALL OF THAT IS GREAT STUFF.

AND I MEAN, I KNOW I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF IT.

SO I'M NOT SURE HOW A WHOLE SESSION ON IT.

RIGHT. SO AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO THE SUNOL GATHERING, THAT SOUNDS REALLY TERRIFIC THE WAY IT'S EVOLVED. AND I WOULD JUST ASK, BE SURE WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BE SCHEDULED FOR, TO INVITE THE FULL BOARD, BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF US WOULD, LIKE TO GO. AND IF IT'S A PUBLIC EVENT, THEN I WOULDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US TO GO.

[LAUGHTER] I THINK WE SHOULD BE THERE BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT.

I WOULD PERSONALLY LOVE TO GO, AND I SUSPECT MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO GO AS WELL.

THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU.

YES. AND I THINK THAT WAS IT.

BUT THIS IS VERY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE SORT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON DECK POTENTIALLY FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND. RIGHT.

A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.

I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN APRIL AND JULY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF TOPICS IN THERE THAT YOU KNOW WASN'T ON THE ASK BUT THE DISTRICT PLAN.

AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT'S THE JOURNEY WE'RE GOING ON NEXT YEAR.

WE CAN'T IGNORE IT AS A NCRC MEETING TEAM ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN.

SO WE PUT THAT IN THERE SO WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATIONS.

AND DEPENDING OF COURSE, HOW LONG THOSE MEETINGS GO, WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL TOPICS UP AND WITHIN THERE.

GOOD. OH I SEE.

YEAH. BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE IT.

RIGHT. WELL, YOU HAVE IT TWICE.

YEAH. THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS WITHIN THE DISTRICT PLAN.

ONE IS THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.

THE OTHER ONE IS THE PRIORITY CONSERVATION AREAS.

OKAY. YEAH.

OKAY. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE FLEXIBLE AS IDEAS.

AND AS THE YEAR GOES ON, SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ALL OUR ATTENTION ON AND WE WILL, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY BRING THAT FORWARD.

DEFINITELY. OKAY.

DID EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE PLAN? NO. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY.

SO. ALRIGHTY.

THANK YOU. SO I GUESS WE'RE GOOD.

SO DAVE IS RUNNING A LITTLE BEHIND.

HE'S COMING FROM BRAZIL ROOM.

YEAH. IN TILDEN.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES.

OKAY. WHAT IS.

WHEN DO YOU THINK HE WILL BE ABLE TO GET HERE?

[00:45:04]

IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.

OKAY. IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU GUYS? YEAH. YEAH. OKAY, GREAT.

OKAY, SO WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND WE'LL BE BACK AS SOON AS OUR NEXT PRESENTER ARRIVES.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I DO UNDERSTAND HE HAD A CONFLICT AT THE.

RIGHT. MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

YEAH. OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY? OKAY.

GREAT. GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M DAVID, QUACK. CERTIFIED.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M DAVE RIENSCHE, CERTIFIED WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, EAST BAY PARKS DOCTOR QUACK.

IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WORK FOR THIS AGENCY FOR 35 YEARS AND TOUCH EVERYTHING WILD, FROM A FAIRY SHRIMP TO A GRAY WHALE.

I'VE JUST COME BACK FROM THE 30/30 WHERE I GOT TO MEET JOHN JARVIS.

WHAT AN INSPIRING SPEECH TODAY THAT HE GAVE.

AND I HOPE TO EQUAL THAT FOR YOU TODAY.

SO I'M GOING TO START OFF A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THIS BIRD, THE BLACK OYSTERCATCHER.

IT'S A SPECIAL STATUS BIRD.

HOW IT NESTED WITH THREE LISTED SPECIES AT THE HAYWARD REGIONAL SHORELINE AND INCLUDED THE CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN, WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER AND BLACK SKIMMER.

I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OYSTERCATCHERS EAT.

IT'S KIND OF A MISNOMER.

THEY REALLY DON'T EAT OYSTERS.

THEY EAT SNAILS AND CLAMS AND MUSSELS.

AND THIS WORK IS REALLY DRIVEN BY THE RECOVERY PLANS.

THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN AND THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER, AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE AGENCIES TO HELP BETTER MANAGE THESE RESOURCES. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GET STARTED.

THIS WORK IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS.

FIRST ONE ON YOUR RIGHT IS MR. BEN PEARL, WHO AT THE TIME WHEN WE STARTED THIS STUDY IN 2020 WAS THE PLOVER TERN BIOLOGIST AT SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY, AND HE'S WORKED ON SNOWY PLOVERS FOR NINE YEARS, AND HE'S NOW THE SENIOR ECOLOGIST AT HT HARVEY.

ON YOUR LEFT IS SUSAN RAMOS.

SHE'S ONE OF OUR TALENTED NATURALISTS.

SHE'S WORKED HERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND SHE WAS ACTING WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT IN 2022.

AND IT WAS KIND OF IRONIC BECAUSE SHE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT MARINE BIOLOGY, AND WE HAD TO IDENTIFY ALL THE THINGS THAT OYSTERCATCHERS READING.

SO IT WAS DIVINE KIND OF APPOINTMENT, IF YOU WILL.

SO ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO CERTAINLY A LARGE PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING THESE LAST THREE AND A HALF DECADES HAS BEEN INVOLVING THE PUBLIC IN OUR WORK.

AND THIS WORK WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS.

THE ISLAND THAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY WAS REALLY BUILT BY BUCKETS AND SAND PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.

AND TODAY, THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST LEAST TERN COLONY.

HAS A HIGH DENSITY OF WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, AND CERTAINLY THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE REGION.

SO MORE THAN 7000 VOLUNTEERS HAVE HELPED ON THIS PROJECT SINCE WE STARTED THIS IN 2000.

AND ALMOST 41,000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.

SO ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS WORK POSSIBLE.

AND THEN A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN THE PARK DISTRICT IS COLLABORATIVE.

WE HAVE OVER 16 DIFFERENT PARTNERS THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT.

EVERYBODY FROM THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME.

USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES.

I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIST, BUT CERTAINLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYERS IN THIS GAME TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR LEAST TERNS AND WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS AND BLACK SKIMMERS AND OYSTERCATCHERS, AND CERTAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED IN A REALLY REMARKABLE CONSERVATION EFFORT.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BLACK OYSTERCATCHER.

THIS BIRD IS BASICALLY THE SIZE OF A CROW OR RAVEN.

SO I WANT TO PUT THAT RIGHT UP FRONT TODAY.

SO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT BEAK, IT'S BASICALLY THE SIZE OF A CROW OR RAVEN.

AND THOSE ARE TRADITIONALLY PREDATORS OF THE BIRDS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT.

SO IT IS A BEAUTIFUL RED BILL A CHISEL SHAPED BILL TO POP THE MUSCLES OF A OF A MUSSEL OR A CLAM TO CONSUME IT.

AS I SAID IN MY INTRODUCTORY NOTES, THIS IS SPECIAL STATUS BIRD IN OUR COUNTRY, CANADA AND MEXICO.

REALLY, DUE TO THE SMALL GLOBAL POPULATION, THERE'S BETWEEN 10 AND 12,000 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS IN THE WORLD. SO A VERY DEPRESSED BREEDING POPULATION, LONG LIVED BIRDS, AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY LIMITED TO THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL SO THEY CAN BE DISTURBED.

HUMAN DISTURBANCE ON A ROCKY COAST, PREDATORS, A WHOLE HOST OF PREDATORS, FROM NATIVE TO OVERABUNDANT

[00:50:07]

PREDATORS TO NON-NATIVE.

AND CERTAINLY OIL SPILLS CAN PLAY A BIG ROLE IN THEIR SURVIVAL.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK.

OKAY, SO THE BIRD IS UNCOMMON IN ITS RANGE, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IF WE GO OUT ENJOYING NATURE IN OUR PARKS AND GETTING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, BIRD ENTHUSIASTS GET EXCITED WHEN THEY HEAR THE SOUND OF A OYSTERCATCHER.

AS I SAID, IT'S TYPICALLY ONLY FOUND ON THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL AND TYPICALLY ON OUR OUTER COAST, AND ONLY FOUND IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA.

OF THE SIX BIRDS THAT USE THIS TYPE OF HABITAT, THIS IS THE TRUE BAROMETER OF THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL.

THIS IS THE ONLY ONE OF THOSE SIX THAT ACTUALLY LIVES THERE YEAR ROUND AND BREEDS THERE.

THE BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, I MEAN, THE BLACK TURNSTONE, THE RUDDY TURNSTONE, THE SURFBIRD, THE WANDERING TATTLER.

THEY'RE ALL JUST VISITORS HERE FOR THE WINTER AS WELL AS THE SURFBIRD.

SO IT'S SORT OF HAMMERED THE POINT HOME.

IT'S COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL.

IT'S COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE WAVE OFF SHORELINES.

AND IT CERTAINLY CAN BE IMPACTED BY HUMANS.

IT CERTAINLY CAN BE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE.

AS I SAID, IT FORAGES ON SEA MUSSELS AND BAY MUSSELS.

IT DOESN'T EAT OYSTERCATCHERS.

IT USES THAT BILL TYPICALLY HUNTING THOSE THOSE MUSCLES OR BIVALVES, TWO HALVES.

WHEN THEY WAVE SPLASHES THE SHELL OPENS.

AND THAT'S WHEN THE OYSTERCATCHER GOES FOR THE GRAB ON THE MUSSEL OR CLAM.

AND THESE MUSSELS OR CLAMS ARE TYPICALLY 47MM.

AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. WELL 25MM EQUALS ONE INCH.

SO THEY'RE FORAGING ON THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT 1.5IN IN SIZE.

NESTING HABITAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL BEACHES WITH EXPOSED HEADLANDS, AND THEY CERTAINLY LIKE A GRADUAL SANDY SLOPE.

AND I WANT TO SORT OF POINT THAT OUT NOW, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TERN COLONY IN A LITTLE BIT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A GRADUAL SANDY SLOPE THAT'S PROVIDING HABITAT FOR THEM TO NEST. SO NOW WE HAVE FOUR SPECIAL STATUS BIRDS.

I HIGHLIGHTED THIS AND MADE THIS BOLD BECAUSE IN THE LITERATURE AND OTHER OBSERVERS IT'S BEEN OBSERVED THAT ADULT OYSTERCATCHERS WITH THAT POWERFUL BILL WILL ACTUALLY STRIKE AT YOUNG BABY GULLS THAT COME TOO CLOSE TO THEIR NEST WITHIN A FEW FEET.

AND THEY HAVE NESTED WITH ARCTIC TERNS.

SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY HIT ARCTIC TERNS.

SO THAT'S SORT OF THE GROUNDWORK OF WHY WE WERE STARTING THIS RESEARCH.

YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO GO ON.

AND THEN WE KNOW THAT FROM THE LITERATURE THAT MEMBERS PAIR FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'LL RETURN TO THE SAME SITE AND THEY MAY BREED IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OTHER PLAYERS OF THE GAME HERE, THE CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN.

THIS IS OUR SMALLEST TERN IN NORTH AMERICA.

I AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT THE ANGEL TERN.

IT HOVERS IN THE AIR, IT DIVES.

IT CATCHES FISHES. IT'S GOT THAT BEAUTIFUL YELLOW BILL.

YOU GOT A PICTURE HERE OF A PARENT FEEDING A YOUNG.

AND THEY DO THAT VICTORY WHEN THEY FEED THE YOUNG AND TAKE OFF.

SO THIS IS A SPECIAL STATUS BIRD.

IT'S BEEN ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST SINCE 1970.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIRD THAT'S THE ORIGINAL 20 THAT WERE PART OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, INCLUDING THE PEREGRINE FALCON, BROWN PELICAN, BALD EAGLE.

THIS ONE'S STILL THERE.

SO 53 YEARS LATER, IT'S STILL ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.

IT'S A MIGRATORY BIRD.

WINTERS ALL THE WAY DOWN IN SOUTH AMERICA AND BAJA.

AND THE NORTHERN PART OF ITS RANGE IS OUR PARK DISTRICT OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

THIS BEAUTIFUL BIRD.

IT'S FOUND AT CROWN BEACH RIGHT NOW, IN THE WINTERTIME WITH THAT CAMOUFLAGED BROWN BACK AND THE DARK BILL AND THE INCOMPLETE BLACK CIRCLE IS OUR FRIEND, THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER.

ANOTHER ICON OF OUR BIRDS.

THIS IS A FEDERALLY THREATENED SPECIES, AND IT'S A CALIFORNIA SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN, WHICH HAS A FULL RECOVERY PLAN WRITTEN FOR IT.

AND WE'RE CERTAINLY PARTNERING IN THOSE EFFORTS.

POPULATION IS EXTENDS FROM WASHINGTON ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BAJA CALIFORNIA.

AND IT'S A COASTAL BIRD.

AND THIS I MEAN, I LOVE ALL BIRDS.

THIS ONE IS KIND OF LIKE POETRY IN MOTION.

IT HAS VERY LONG, DARK WINGS, BROAD SLOW FLIGHTS, FORAGES IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, LATE EVENING.

IF YOU NOTICE THAT BI COLORED BILL, THE LOWER MANDIBLE, THE LOWER PART OF THE BILL, IS MUCH LONGER.

IT DRAGS THAT THROUGH THE WATER LIKE A FISHING LURE GRABBING FISH.

THIS IS OUR FRIEND, THE BLACK SKIMMER.

IT'S A WE'RE AT THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF ITS RANGE, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

LAST YEAR WE HAD THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF BLACK SKIMMERS NESTING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AT OUR LOCATION.

AND LIMITING FACTORS HERE, HABITAT LOSS AND EROSION OF NESTING ISLANDS WHERE THEY BREED.

[00:55:04]

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY.

WE WANT TO SUPPORT US FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PLANS FOR BOTH THE LEAST TERN AND SNOWY PLOVER BY MONITORING AND MANAGING HABITAT BREEDING HABITAT FOR THESE BIRDS AT HAYWARD. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE STEWARDSHIP ROLE AND WILDLIFE WE'RE UNDER UNDERGOING INVESTIGATIONS REALLY TO FACILITATE TO HELP MOVE THESE RECOVERY PLANS FORWARD, PUT THE BEST SCIENCE FORWARD TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THE SURVIVAL OF THESE THREE LISTED BIRDS AND HELP AID IN THEIR RECOVERY.

AND THEN REALLY TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BLACK OYSTERCATCHER NEAR THOSE THREE SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES, AND THEN TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN PLANNING, PREPARING TO ASSIST RECOVERY OF THESE BIRDS.

SO OUR LOCATION IS LETE ON THE RIGHT HAND PART OF YOUR HAYWARD IS STANDS FOR LEAST TERN.

THAT'S WHERE OUR COLONY IS LOCATED.

ALAMEDA THAT IS WHERE THE FORMER NAVAL AIR BASE IS.

THAT'S THE LARGEST COLONY IN THE RANGE.

AND THESE TWO COLONIES PRETTY MUCH PROVIDE A LOT OF FLEDGLINGS TO THE STATE NUMBERS THAT ARE RIGHT AROUND 6000.

SO IT'S ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE BAY WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT TERN TOWN.

SO WE MANAGE IT, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.

AND I MAY HAVE SAID THIS HAS THE HIGHEST BREEDING DENSITY OF CALIFORNIA LEAST TERNS ANYWHERE ON THE WEST COAST AT 276, OR JUST ROUND UP 280 NESTING PAIRS PER HECTARE AND A HECTARE EQUALS 2.5 ACRES.

SO QUITE A REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE SITE.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY THE SITE IS IMPORTANT.

THERE'S OUR FRIEND THE CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN.

SINCE THE START OF THIS WORK, TERN STARTED NESTING THERE IN 2005.

WE'VE HAD OVER 1400 LEAST TERN NESTS, AND WE'VE PRODUCED 1435 FLEDGLINGS.

AND WHAT MAKES THAT SIGNIFICANT IS STATEWIDE, IT TAKES FIVE PAIRS OF LEAST TERNS TO MAKE ONE FLEDGLING.

AND OUR PARK AGENCY IS ONE PAIR IS MAKING ONE FLEDGLING.

SO WE'RE PROVIDING A LOT OF BIRDS TO HELP MOVE THIS SPECIES FOR FORWARD TO POSSIBLY BE DELISTED, , MAYBE IN MY CAREER, MAYBE ONE OF OUR CAREERS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR FRIEND, THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER.

THEY NEST COOPERATIVELY WITH THE LEAST TERNS.

AND THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER TOPIC OF WHY THEY NEST THERE WITH THE LEAST TERNS, BUT.

SINCE 2008, WE'VE HAD 56 NESTS.

WE'VE HAD 78 FLEDGLINGS.

AND I WAS JUST AT THE RECOVERY MEETING YESTERDAY FOR SNOWY PLOVERS.

AND IT'S RIGHT AROUND 0.6 FLEDGLINGS PER, PER MALE.

SO WE'RE OVER THAT.

WE'RE ONE AND A HALF FLEDGLINGS.

SO ONCE AGAIN A VERY SIGNIFICANT SITE.

AND OF COURSE THE ELEGANT BLACK SKIMMER.

A LOT OF NESTS THERE, 69 NESTS ALMOST ONE AND A HALF FLEDGLINGS PER PAIR.

SO THE HAYWARD COLONY TERN TOWN IS PROVIDING A LOT AS FAR AS HELPING ALL THESE BIRDS MOVE TOWARDS SOMEDAY MAYBE BEING DELISTED.

OKAY, NOW THE BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT MEASURING REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS? WELL, WE LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THE NESTING.

WHAT'S THE CALENDAR LIKE? CLUTCH SIZES. YOU KNOW.

HOW MANY EGGS ARE THEY LAYING? HATCHING? SUCCESS IS ONE EGG HATCHING.

SO WE GOT 50%. WE HAVE THREE EGGS, WE GOT 33%.

AND WE DO THIS ALL BY PERMITTED BIOLOGISTS WALKING THROUGH THE COLONY.

YOU CAN SEE THE ADULT THERE GUARDING THE CHICK.

THE LITTLE CHICK IS THERE RIGHT BELOW THE LEGS.

AND THEN WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT WHAT THEY'RE EATING.

AND WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT THESE BIRDS FLY ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE ROCKY RIPRAP OF THE BAY SHORELINE WHERE THE BAY TRAIL IS, AND THEY'RE PLUCKING OYSTERS AND CLAMS, AND THEY'RE FERRYING THEM ALL THE WAY BACK AND PROCESSING THEM ON THE TERN ISLAND.

SO, LIKE, GO SHOPPING AND THEN COME BACK AND YOU CAN SEE THE BROKEN BIVALVES AROUND THAT FAMILY PICTURE THERE.

YOU GOT MUSSELS AND AND CLAMS LAYING THERE RIGHT WHERE THE PARENT HAD JUST RECENTLY FED THE CHICK.

OKAY. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY? WELL YOU SEE THIS IS YOUR TYPICAL TEASPOON.

AND THE OYSTERCATCHER EGG IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A TEASPOON.

AND THAT TERRACOTTA PIPE IS A LEAST TERN CHICK SHELTER.

THOSE ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE CHICKS FROM NORTHERN HARRIERS OR PEREGRINE FALCONS OR RED TAILED HAWKS, OR GULLS OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT TRY TO TAKE THEM.

SO THE OYSTERCATCHERS FIRST SHOWED UP IN 2022 JUNE 6TH.

THEY LAY TWO EGGS AND ULTIMATELY PRODUCE ONE FLEDGLING.

AND THEN I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE MAP.

I REALIZE IT'S SOMEWHAT SMALL HERE.

ALL THE PURPLE OR PINK DOTS ARE LEAST TERNS.

AND THEN THE RED CIRCLE IS WHERE THE OYSTERCATCHERS WERE NESTING ON THE EAST EDGE OF THE ISLAND.

[01:00:02]

I DON'T REALLY HAVE A POINTER, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE NEST IS.

AND THAT WAS A VERY BROAD, FLAT SLOPE WITH LOTS OF SAND AND OYSTER SHELLS.

AND THROUGH OBSERVATIONS OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, WE SAW NO INCIDENT OF AN OYSTERCATCHER JABBING ITS BILL AT A BABY TERN, A BABY PLOVER OR A SKIMMER CHICK THAT WANDERED TOO CLOSE.

NOW I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE NEST CHRONOLOGY SEQUENCE.

THE ORANGE IS THE LEAST TERN NEST.

THE BLACK CIRCLE IS THE BLACK SKIMMERS, THE GREEN TRIANGLE IS THE SNOWY PLOVERS, AND THE PURPLE IS THE OYSTERCATCHER.

AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE IS THAT ALL THE LEAST TERNS STARTED TO SHOW UP.

THE BLACK SKIMMERS SHOWED UP, THE PLOVER SHOWED UP AND THEN THE OYSTERCATCHER SHOWED UP.

SO THE OYSTERCATCHER THIS YEAR SHOWS UP AFTER ALL THESE THREE LISTED BIRDS ARE THERE.

SO LET'S JUST HOPE IT WORKS.

AND. HMM'HMM.

OKAY. IT'S. IT SHOULD WORK IF I TOUCH IT.

IT WORKED ON MY COMPUTER UP IN THE OFFICE, SO WE'LL JUST SAY THAT WE'LL SKIP THAT ONE.

YOU CAN YOU CAN YOU HELP ME OUT HERE? YEAH. IT SHOULD SHOULD, BE ABLE JUST TO TOUCH THE ISLAND AND MAKE THEM SHOW UP.

OKAY.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

I MEAN, TECHNOLOGY HAPPENS AND WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS THAT LEAST TERNS AND SKIMMERS AND PLOVERS WOULD SHOW UP AND THEN THE OYSTERCATCHER SHOWED UP.

SO I'LL MOVE ALONG.

LET'S GO TO THIS YEAR'S NESTING SEQUENCE.

THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE PARENT RETURN, THEY DECIDED TO LAY THREE EGGS AND PRETTY MUCH THE SAME EXACT LOCATION, JUST A SLIGHT ALTERATION IN THE WAY THE NEST IS LOCATED.

THEY LAY THREE EGGS AND ULTIMATELY ALL THREE EGGS HATCH, BUT THEY ALL ULTIMATELY PRODUCE ONE FLEDGLING.

AND HERE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE LAST YEAR WE HAD 144 LEAST TERN NESTS ON THE ISLAND AND ONCE AGAIN THE SKIMMER SET UP SHOP RIGHT ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THAT BROAD FLAT.

AND AGAIN WE SAW NO INCIDENCE OF TERN, PLOVER, SKIMMER BEING DAMAGED BY A LEAST TERN.

SO THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE SAME THING AS 2022, WITH THE EXCEPTION.

I WAS GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT THE SKIMMER SHOWED UP AND THE OYSTERCATCHER WAS EARLY THERE IN MAY.

SET UP SHOP, HAD BABIES, AND THEN THE LEAST TERN SHOWED UP, AND THEN THE PLOVER SHOWED UP.

SO I'M NOT WORKING, SO WE'LL JUST MOVE ALONG.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIET.

SO THERE WAS FIVE FORAGE ITEMS THAT THE OYSTERCATCHER EATS.

AND AS YOU REMEMBER, THEY DON'T EAT OYSTERS, THEY EAT CLAMS AND MUSSELS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE JAPANESE LITTLENECK MADE UP ALMOST 50% OF THE DIET, RIBBED MUSSELS AND CLAMS. AND ONCE AGAIN, THESE BIRDS ARE FLYING OUT, GRABBING THESE FOOD ITEMS AND BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE NEST SITE.

SO THE ROCKY RIPRAP ON OUR SHORELINE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

AND THIS LOWER PICTURE JUST SHOWS YOU DIFFERENT CLAMS AND AND MUSSELS THAT WERE OPENED UP BY THE OYSTERCATCHER TO FEED THEIR YOUNG.

SO HERE WE'VE GOT A PARENT OYSTERCATCHER AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN.

WE'VE GOT A TEENAGER OYSTERCATCHER FOLLOWING ALONG UNDERNEATH THE TILE THERE YOU'VE GOT A BABY OYSTERCATCHER A SIBLING THAT IS STILL WAITING TO HATCH.

IT'S USING THE CHICK SHELTER.

AND WHAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE IS THAT THEY ARE CARRYING THESE WHOLE MOLLUSKS, THESE WHOLE CLAMS, THESE WHOLE MUSSELS FROM THE SHORELINE, ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, 300 YARDS TO 800 YARDS AWAY TO FEED THEIR YOUNG.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE YOUNG THERE.

ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S SEE.

THIS IS TERN ISLAND WHERE THE ORANGE DOT IS.

AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THIS BIRD FLY ALL THE WAY OUT HERE.

I HOPE YOU CAN SEE MY FINGER OUT TO THIS ROCKY RIPRAP TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 300M AWAY TO PULL A CLAM OR OYSTER OFF OF A ROCK OR IT'S GOING TO FLY ALL THE WAY OVER HERE, ALMOST 800M AWAY, OR 800 YARDS AWAY TO PULL A CLAM OR OYSTER OFF.

SO LET'S SEE IF IT WORKS.

OKAY, WE'LL SKIP THAT.

SO DISCUSSION WISE, WE'VE GOT A NICE OYSTERCATCHER HERE.

OYSTERCATCHERS ARE SOMEWHAT COMMON ALONG OUR PACIFIC COAST.

AS I SAID IN THE WORLD THERE'S BETWEEN 10 AND 12,000 OF THEM.

[01:05:01]

THEY'RE LONG LIVED BIRDS.

THEY HAVE A SLOW REPRODUCTIVE RATE.

THERE'S ONLY A FEW LOCATIONS THAT THEY BREED IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

SO OUR SITE IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT.

AND THE PAPER THAT I BELIEVE IS PART OF YOUR PACKET, WE GO INTO GREATER DETAIL IN THAT, WHERE THEY WHERE WE'VE KNOWN THAT THEY'VE NOW SAID ELSEWHERE.

THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND CERTAINLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY THAT THEY ARE MOVING INTO THE BAY.

AND THIS COULD BE A RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE OR SEA LEVEL RISE, AVAILABILITY OF RIPRAP.

WE KNOW THAT THE EUROPEAN BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE OUR BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, ITS YOUNG, WILL RETURN TO THE RELATIVE SAME SPOT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WHERE THEY WERE RAISED.

AND WE IN OUR PAPER SUGGEST THAT THESE BIRDS MAY HAVE COME FROM EDEN LANDING BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME BIRDS THERE THAT NESTED SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR THAT PRODUCED YOUNG. WE KNOW THAT BIRDS WILL USE THE SAME SITE AND REAP CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

AND WE KNOW THAT MUCH OF THEIR FORAGING HABITAT IS ON ROCK RIPRAP THAT'S SPLASHED BY WAVES.

AND WE MENTIONED HOW THE ADULTS WILL PULL WHOLE MOLLUSKS, WHOLE CLAMS OFF THE SURF ZONE AND FEED THEM, CARRY THEM TO FEED THEIR YOUNG.

AND AT THIS SITE, OUR BIRDS ARE FEEDING ON A LOT OF CLAMS, JAPANESE CLAM, WHICH IS A NON-NATIVE CLAM RIB MUSSELS AND BENT NOSE CLAM. SO THE SUMMARY OF THIS WORK, I REALLY WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOWER PICTURE HERE YOU SEE A HAPPY FAMILY PHOTO.

MOM AND DAD AND A TEENAGE OYSTERCATCHER RUNNING AROUND AND ON THE VERY LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE A SNOWY WHITE BIRD WITH A BLACK LINE ABOVE ITS FOREHEAD, AND ITS WINGS ARE KIND OF STUCK OUT, LIKE IT'S BROODING SOMETHING.

SO OUR SUMMARY IS WHY THEY ARE KNOWN TO NEST NEAR GULLS AND TERNS.

AND THAT IF THEY GET WITHIN NINE FEET OF THEM THEY CAN POKE AT THEM WITH THEIR BILL.

WE DID NOT SEE THAT HAPPENING WITH OUR CALIFORNIA LEAST TERNS OR OUR WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS OR BLACK SKIMMERS FOR THAT EFFECT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE SNOWY PLOVER RIGHT THERE.

SO NO INCIDENTS OF THEM DEPREDATING AND ANOTHER LISTED SPECIES.

SO IN SUMMARY THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE USED TO HELP INFORM THE FEDERAL RECOVERY PLANS, THE STATE RECOVERY PLANS FOR THE CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN , SNOWY PLOVERS AND BLACK SKIMMER AS WE LOOK AT THE FUTURE AND AS WE PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE, AND I MENTIONED IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE OUR SCIENTIFIC PAPER ON THIS.

AND AS WE REALLY SORT OF TIE IN TO THE 30/30 INITIATIVE AND WHAT THE PARKS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN 2030 AND CONSERVING LAND, THE OYSTERCATCHER IS ASKING US A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S RIGHT AT THE HIGH TIDE LINE HERE, AND WE'VE GOT THE CITY BY THE BAY.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE REALLY HOLD FOR THE OYSTERCATCHER AND ALL OUR WILDLIFE? AND AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND USE THE BEST SCIENCE TO PUT FORWARD TO HELP SOLVE THESE CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE.

SO I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DIRECTOR MERCURIO, DIRECTOR COFFEY I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

I'LL GO. DAVID, FIRST, THANK YOU FOR BREAKING AWAY FROM THE TILDEN EVENT AND COMING DOWN FOR US.

IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

I PRESUME, THEN, THAT YOU WILL BE WORKING ON THAT VERY ISSUE, WHAT THE FUTURE IS FOR ALL THESE SPECIES.

AS WE DEVELOP THE HAYWARD SHORELINE, THAT PLAN, THAT MAJOR EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE FOR SEA LEVEL RISE AND THE CHANGE IN THE DISCHARGE FROM THE PLANT NEARBY, I THINK IS WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

I JUST RECALL THAT IT'S A MAJOR PROJECT, WHICH PRESUMES SEA LEVEL RISE AT THAT SITE, AND YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PLANNERS TO ACCOMMODATE THESE SPECIES.

I WOULD VENTURE THAT'S A MAJOR PROJECT.

YEAH. DIRECTOR COFFEY, THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT AND QUESTION.

WE HAVE A COLLABORATIVE WORK GROUP LOOKING AT THAT OR LOOKING AT THE HYDROLOGY, HOW THE WATER IS GOING TO CHANGE OUT THERE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LEVEL OF THE LEVEES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CURRENT ISLANDS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MODIFY AND COPY THE SUCCESSOR AT THAT LOCATION AND DUPLICATE IT CLOSE BY.

SO WE HAVE ANOTHER TERN OR PLOVER COLONY, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE PLANNING FOR SEA LEVEL RISE AND MOVING INLAND.

[01:10:10]

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE CREATING NEW ISLANDS CLOSER TO THE, THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PLAN OF LOOKING AT IT IN 2050, WHAT THAT BAYSHORE MAY LOOK LIKE AND HOW ALL THE LISTED SPECIES OUT THERE, CERTAINLY HOW THE SNOWY PLOVER AND LEAST TERN ADAPT AND THE SKIMMER.

BUT ALSO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TRULY GENETIC SALT MARSH HARVEST MICE AT THAT LOCATION AND AND THAT HABITAT IS SO VERY RARE IN THE PARK DISTRICT.

AND IT'S SUCH A TREASURE TO HAVE THE ONLY ENDEMIC MOUSE THAT CAN DRINK SALT WATER AND STAY ALIVE FOR 275 DAYS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLETE PICTURE OF ALL THE UNIQUE WILDLIFE THERE AND TO PLAN AHEAD AND THEN HOW THEY FEED, I SUPPOSE, BECAUSE THE CURRENT RIPRAP WILL BE UNDERWATER AT SOME POINT.

RIGHT. THE CURRENT RIPRAP WILL BE UNDERWATER.

AND ONE OF THE STRATEGIES FOR THOSE ISLANDS IS TO CREATE A RIPRAP TO SLOW DOWN OR CURTAIL WAVE FETCH WIND DRIVEN WAVES ONTO THOSE ISLANDS, WHICH CAUSES A LOT OF EROSION.

AND ONE OF THE PLANS IS TO CREATE BREAKWATERS OUT OF ROCKS.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE I GUESS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO THE REGULATORS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE SPECIES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SPECIES TO USE THAT, SUCH AS THE OYSTERCATCHER SAYING, HEY, WE'RE CREATING MORE FORAGING HABITAT AS WELL.

WE'RE CREATING MORE NESTING HABITAT FOR THESE WILDLIFE AS WELL, LOOKING, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.

ALL OF WHICH IS REALLY WONDERFUL WORK.

AND THANK YOU. AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, EARLIER PRESENTATION HOW PROUD I WAS OF THE WORK THEY WERE DOING OUT AT BLACK DIAMOND.

YOUR WORK, YOUR PUBLICATIONS ARE CERTAINLY TOP OF THE LIST WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS THIS PARK DISTRICT DOES THAT WE ALL CAN BE VERY PRIDEFUL OF.

AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU.

THANKS. DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

YEAH, I'LL PIGGYBACK ON THAT.

AND THANK YOU FOR FOR DOING THIS WORK.

AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE ON THE CASE, SO TO SPEAK.

AND THAT THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF I KIND OF VIEW MY PART OF MY SITTING ON THIS BOARD AS BEING LIKE THIS BIG LONG SEMINAR, YOU KNOW, IN A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART 37 RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU JUST GAVE TODAY.

REALLY GREAT. I REALLY LEARNED A LOT.

I HAD DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE BIRDS.

THEY'RE VERY INTERESTING.

AND YOU MADE IT INTERESTING.

AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND THANK YOU. YEAH.

GOOD. GREAT.

WELL, THANKS. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT.

I REALLY IT'S IT'S VERY EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT THESE BIRDS COMING BACK AND THE, THE SUCCESS WITH THEIR REPRODUCTION AND HIGHER SUCCESS THAN ELSEWHERE.

SO THAT'S JUST REALLY FABULOUS NEWS.

AND I FOUND THIS VERY INTERESTING AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL.

CAN YOU SEND US YOUR SLIDES AS WELL? BECAUSE WE HAVE THE REPORT.

BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE ALL THOSE.

YEAH. I'M SURE IT'S SO. YEAH.

YEAH. GREAT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

OKAY, SO DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS? THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

OKAY, GREAT.

[Committee Comments]

SO DO WE HAVE ANY? DO EITHER OF YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FOR TODAY'S MEETING? NO. DIRECTOR COFFEY.

NO, NOTHING. OKAY.

OKAY, GREAT. WELL, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, WE CAN ADJOURN.

BUT BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST THANK EVERYBODY FOR YOUR WORK.

KEN AND YOUR TEAM AND CARLA AND SABRINA AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS WORK.

IT'S IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND REALLY A PRIVILEGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THESE AREAS AND ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE, MORE ACTION ITEMS TO BRING TO THE BOARD AS NEEDED.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO INVENT THEM.

BUT IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP MOVE FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE REALLY BE WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT.

SO WITH THAT THANK YOU ALL.

AND WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.