Looking ahead, the Watershed Management Council is facing an interesting but challenging time. Planning activities for both our fall 1991 field trip and the 1992 Conference are in full swing, and Board Members are concentrating on developing committees to expedite implementation of Council programs.
The Board recognizes the need to realistically define committee responsibilities to ensure their success, since these activities are essential in attaining Council goals and objectives, and in instituting new programs. We invite your active participation and input into this effort.
Since summer is almost upon us, it is time to start planning for the fall field tour, which will be hosted by East Bay Municipal Utilities District at their facilities on the Mokelumne River. The program will take place on October 24-25, 1991, so mark your calendars and plan to attend. This field tour should be especially interesting since we have decided to join forces with the California Section of the Society of Range Management. The theme of the program will focus on ways to integrate and manage multiple resource uses in areas of mixed ownership, while sustaining resources. Integrated watershed management is fundamental to the critical challenges we will face in the future, and it is time to nurture cross-disciplinary expertise to address these concerns. Joint sponsorship of such events provides a valuable opportunity to build bridges with other organizations, and open the lines of communication. So plan to be there ! More information will be provided in a special mailing to members.
Welcome spring precipitation brought plentiful rain and snow to the parched slopes of California, but drought-related watershed impacts are still obvious throughout the state. Dead and dying vegetation is apparent from the southern Sierra to the Oregon border, and the worst is probably yet to come in the form of summer/fall wildfires, beetle infestations, and winter rain-induced soil erosion. Watershed managers, hydrologists, foresters, and other natural resource professionals will be more frequently called upon to manage the consequences of the drought. This stresses the importance of our organization in providing state-of-the-art management techniques from research, tools to facilitate educational programs to inform the public of our efforts, and to provide a crucial link to policy makers to ensure their decisions are founded on scientific knowledge.
This is your organization and your opportunity to make a difference. The strength of the WMC is an involved, active membership. I thank all of you who have agreed to serve on our committees in the coming year, and urge the rest of you to volunteer for committee work. Contact the committee chair listed in this newsletter for information on how you can become involved. I am sure you will find the experience and contacts you make to be very rewarding. We invite your support and involvement.
