Mailing Address: PO Box 11526 Santa Rosa, Ca 95406
Location: 970 Piner Road Santa Rosa
Phone (707)569-1448 Fax (707) 569-0434 Email us
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The Fish Friendly Farming Program is a cooperative program that addresses recovery efforts for the federally listed threatened Coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Russian River and other North Coast watersheds. The development of the program which began in 1997 was a collaborative effort between local grape growers and representatives from government agencies and environmental organizations. The result of this effort was the creation of a workbook of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) with a farm plan template. The workbook and accompanying workshops are the centerpiece of the program and assist landowners in evaluating natural features on their farms, assessing current management practices, and implementing improved practices.
Growers participate in a series of workshops, which are held annually and generally occur in the winter. Each series consists of four classroom sessions and a field trip. Following the workshops, each grower receives one-on-one technical assistance and field review in evaluating roads, creeks, erosion sites and other potential problems. The Program provides these technical services at no charge. Through this process the grape grower completes a farm conservation plan with a sound technical basis.
Projects identified in the farm conservation plans may include gully and other erosion repairs, road improvements, and creek and river corridor revegetation including removal of Pierce's disease plants and other invasive species. Funds are available to provide permitting and cost share of projects, making improvements readily available to growers in the Program.
A final step of the Program is the certification of the farm conservation plan by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of Fish and Game, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The grower, in conjunction with the program technical director, presents the farm plan to the certification team. The certification team visits the farm and discusses the site and farm plan implementation timeline with the grower. Each farm plan is certified based on completeness and accuracy in describing the resources and current practices of the farm, the needed BMPs, and the implementation timeline. All certification visits are set up in cooperation with the landowners and at no time does anyone have open authorization to access private land. Once certified, the grower receives a letter from each of the certifying agencies which recognizes the grower's commitment to improve water quality and habitat values through FFF. The grower can display the Program logo and advertise their certification at tasting rooms and other venues. For most sites, re-certification occurs on a 5-10 year basis.
The program is a public/private partnership between:
Sotoyome Resource Conservation District
Established in 1946, the SRCD is a local non-regulatory agency whose mission is to
improve the sustainability of natural resources by developing leadership, exchanging
of information, providing technical assistance, and implementing projects that balance
environmental & economic interests.
The Fish Friendly Farming Program has been funded by the California State Coastal Conservancy, State Water Resources Control Board, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.