Volunteer Time:
2006 (total): 103 days, 169 hours
2007 (total): 238 days, 425.75 hours
2008 (total): 175 days, 392.65 hours
September
7th, 2008:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC)
www.upsac.org
Santa Barbara County Parks
www.sbparks.org
"Grand Opening" of the Goleta Pier Angler Center scheduled
for September 12, 2008 at 2:30-3:30PM.
Goleta Pier, the 1,450-foot-long recreational pier and centerpiece attraction
of Santa Barbara County's most popular park, Goleta Beach County Park,
will see the dedication of the new "Goleta Pier Angler Center," on September
12.
The Center is a unique partnership between Santa Barbara County Parks
and United Pier and Shore Anglers of California and is designed to provide
a community multi-purpose marine center for a variety of educational activities.
The UPSAC staffer at the Center will be identified as a Pier Host, similar
to the camp host position within the State and County park systems. The
Pier Host will:
-
Teach both new and experienced anglers (especially children, families and
at-risk teens) to fish successfully and responsibly, using environmentally
friendly techniques and equipment.
-
Sponsor angling clinics and provision of on-pier assistance and loaner
poles for use by community groups and other privately organized outings.
-
Encourage anglers and other visitors towards a better appreciation and
understanding of the marine environment found at piers like Goleta – and
the ecological relationship between the Goleta Slough (nursery area), Goleta
Bay (and kelp), adjacent pipe-reef, and sandy-shore bottom environment.
-
Oversee the UPSAC Line Recycle Project and line bins designed to prevent
injury to sea birds from stray fishing line as part of its ongoing efforts
to mitigate angler impacts.
-
Pier Host will also be responsible for daily pier cleaning, discarded tackle
removal and assistance with injured birds and other marine wildlife problems.
A list of emergency numbers and after hours contacts will be posted on
the exterior wall.
-
Be an on-site resource for both California Fish and Game and NOAA publications.
Included will be fishery regulation booklets, fish identification charts,
and pamphlets showing safe catch-and-release practices and how to safely
handle birds.
The overall goal of the Angler Center is to make Goleta Pier a welcoming
and safe place for all visitors – and an example of best practices for
other piers.
Boyd Grant
Pier Host - Goleta Beach County Park.
September
10th, 2008:
On August 26th
I posted a picture of a new sign which had recently appeared at the foot
of the Slough advising "No Fishing". The sign had a picture of a steelhead
trout and listed several California Department of Fish and Game (DFG)regulations
mandating closure of all Southern California coastal streams to protect
the remaining populations of this endangered species.
Unfortunately the DFG's own regulation book (see above) doesn't
support this closure and in fact contradicts it. I contacted the local
DFG warden as well as the DFG's Cal-Outdoors question and answer columnist
for clarification and was told only to follow the sign.
Later I was called by a DFG warden captain for the Ventura and
Santa Barbara county area. He questioned why I was continuing to
pursue the matter when I had already been told the Slough was closed. I
explained that I was the Pier Host at Goleta and anglers had come to me
for clarification since their copies of the regulation book said the Slough
was open for recreational take of finfish.
Rather than acknowledge there might be a problem between the
published regulations and his current interpretation of those regulations
his response was to threaten to cite anyone fishing in the Slough even
if they so much as " ... threw bread in the water to chum for baitfish."
Since
his response was one of intimidation rather than an honest effort to resolve
the problem I ended the conversation.
As of today the DFG still has not resolved the problem and, in
my opinion, has created a public relations problem for themselves by their
reluctance to address the issue as stated and turning it into a contest
of wills instead. Since the DFG no longer has the resources to effectively
enforce their own regulations it is increasingly important that the general
public be helped to understand the intent of particular regulations so
as to increase voluntary compliance.
September
12th, 2008:
Front: Daniel
Hernandez, Director, SB County Parks; Mike Corden (UPSAC) ; Janet Wolf,
Supervisor, 2nd District; Richard Lindley, Park Operations Manager (South
County); Erik Axelson, Park Operations Deputy Director (South
County); Mike Spence (UPSAC), Roy Qi (UPSAC) Rear: James Liu (UPSAC);
Boyd Grant, Pier Host; Ken Jones, President (UPSAC).
Not shown: Hashem
Nahid (UPSAC).
The Goleta Pier Angler Center (GPAC) was officially dedicated today
as a "unique partnership between Santa Barbara County Parks and United
Pier and Shore Anglers of California ... designed to provide a community
multi-purpose marine center for a variety of educational activities."
“It think it’s just wonderful,” said
2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf, who was at Friday’s opening ceremony.
“This beach is the one beach in the county that is utilized by the most
citizens of all socioeconomic levels.” To have an educational center at
the pier was “pretty impressive,” said Wolf, who instead of cutting a ribbon,
cast the first line."
September
23rd, 2008:
Discovered this significant amount of damage to the porta-potty
in the hoist area of the Pier. The unit was vandalized sometime late last
night. Unfortunately the lack of overnight security guards and appropriate
alcohol ordinances only encourages this sort of activity.
September
27th, 2008:
Returning to the Angler Center from lunch today a group of us
noticed a seagull that had been caught earlier and released only to have
the dangling line and hooks subsequently become snagged on the bottom.
The bird was making a valiant effort to free itself but appeared to be
worn out in the process.
We got the attention of several nearby divers who swam over to
the bird. After five minutes or so they were able to cut the line away
and remove the remaining hooks. The bird eventually floated to shore where
it was retrieved and transported to June Taylor's Wildlife Care Network
facilities in the Goleta foothills.
The bird was assessed for damage and pronounced fit other than
needing a few days to recover from its ordeal.
September
28th, 2008:
This is a picture of a bird
trap found left on the railing this afternoon ... there is
no other purpose for this device which consists of a weighted (sand-filled)
plastic soda bottle with an attached baited hook on a short piece of line.
Any bird that swallows the bait and attempts to fly away will
tip the heavy bottle over the railing and be dragged down to the water
and drowned.
It superficially resembles other devices I have found on the
Pier that also employ plastic bottles and baited lines used by or to amuse
children but the difference is that those devices, as reprehensible as
they may be, are not sand-filled nor do their attached baits contain a
hook. In theory the bird will just regurgitate the bait to free itself
of the bottle.
No, today's device was meant to kill.
I wonder if it was just a coincidence that it was found in the
same general area and around the same time as yesterday's dramatic
bird rescue. I do remember one angler in that area being dismissive
of the effort to help the seagull saying "it's just nature".
September
29th, 2008:
Still experimenting with the new toy - video!
I'm thinking that it might be nice to do a video inventory of
the various species of fish caught here at Goleta. Identifying a fish using
the various static resource guides, if available, is still a sometime difficult
process so actually seeing a living example of a particular species would
be helpful.
This morning's example is a Kelp, or more commonly called Calico,
Bass.
September
30th, 2008:
Just because Orfeu Negro was a special film and the old NuArt
Theatre in WLA holds a lot of special memories ... and for Breno Mello,
its lead, who died this past July but will always be remembered for bringing
up the sun ... and for Marpessa
Dawn who played Eurydice and died just 41 days after Breno ...
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