From the City Manager
Mary Neilan

Mark your calendar (twice!)

Community Forum on Deer
As noted in last month’s newsletter, the City will be hosting a Community Forum on the subject of deer on Wednesday, October 26, at 6pm in the Belvedere Community Center. The event will feature brief presentations from a variety of professionals and others with an interest in urban deer management, with plenty of time for attendees to ask questions. Although subject to change between now and Oct. 26, the tentative agenda includes presentations from the following:

• Dana Riggs, Principal Biologist
  WRA Environmental Consultants
  Dana is a Principal Biologist at WRA and specializes in project management, wildlife ecology, and environmental policy.  She has more than 15 years of environmental consulting experience and has directed and conducted a broad range of resource studies including: biological reconnaissance studies, special status species surveys, wildlife habitat and corridor studies, wetland and stream habitat assessment and monitoring, local and regional land management planning, NEPA and CEQA documentation, regulatory permitting, conservation banking, and environmental compliance for a variety of public and private sector clients. Ms. Riggs currently manages the wildlife and fisheries department at WRA. 
  
  WRA worked with the 2009 Deer Committee and authored the 2009 City of Belvedere Deer Study
  
  
  

• Cindy Machado, Director of Animal Services
  Marin Humane Society
  After completing her formal education and specializing in animal sciences, Cindy began her career as an animal services officer with MHS in 1984. In her current position, she is in charge of administering the animal services contract for Marin County and all of its cities as well as supervising the activities of the animal services division. She also coordinates and supervises the Basic and Advanced Animal Law Enforcement Academies held at the Marin Humane Society.
  
  By contract, MHS provides animal control services in Belvedere, including responding to calls for service involving deer.
  
  
  

• Stephanie Boyles Griffin, Senior Director of the Innovative Wildlife Management & Services Program
  Wildlife Protection Department
  Humane Society of the United States
  Stephanie leads a team responsible for identifying, developing and implementing technical and direct assistance and response programs that promote humane, innovative and sustainable wildlife management policies, practices and procedures. Stephanie received a Master of Science (M.S.) in environmental science with an emphasis on human-wildlife conflict resolution from Christopher Newport University in 2006 and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in biology/philosophy from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in 1994.
  
  USHS has been involved in non-lethal deer management projects including the immuno-contraception project at Hastings-on-Hudson in New York and a deer sterilization project in Clifton, Ohio.
  
  
  

• Louann Partridge,
  The Villages, San Jose, CA
  Louann is a resident of The Villages in San Jose, CA, a gated community of 4,000 active seniors. She serves as Chair of the community’s Deer and Wildlife Committee.
  
  Louann moved to The Villages in 2012 just as the community was deciding to hire White Buffalo, Inc. to carry out a deer sterilization project. Since then, she and her committee continue to monitor the health of the deer population and perform regular counts to track the size of the herd.
  
  
  

• Craig Stowers, Environmental Program Manager &
  John Krause, Environmental Scientist
  California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
  Craig is the EPM for the Game Species Conservation Management Program which encompasses management responsibility for the entire suite of species classified as "game" in California. Craig has spent just under half his career working in the field in both Region 1 and Region 2 in California, and just over half his career working in the Wildlife Branch as the Deer Program Supervisor and Game Program Manager. Craig earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Cal Poly, SLO in Environmental and Systematic Biology.  John is the Department’s Wildlife Biologist for Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties. He performs various wildlife management activities for CDFW including rare species and game species monitoring, managing other State-owned wetland properties such as Corte Madera Marsh and the on-going wetland restoration in the South Bay Salt Ponds. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree from U.C. Davis in ecology and conservation.
  
  DFW implements wildlife management policies statewide and has ultimate responsibility for the deer in Belvedere.
  
  

The Forum will be videotaped by Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM).


City Council Meeting – MSMVCD Presentation
In addition (because she could not attend on October 26), Angela Nakano, Scientific Programs Manager with the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito Vector Control District will attend the regular City Council meeting on Monday, October 10, at 6:30, to discuss Lyme Disease in Marin County and other tick-borne diseases. Before joining the district, Angie worked in the Bay Area as vector ecologist for the counties of San Mateo (2006-2012) and Santa Clara (2012-2015).  In her 11-year career in vector control, she has presented research on dog heartworm, West Nile virus, tick management, and forensic flies at statewide conferences, and given numerous educational talks to vector and pest control professionals, students, and community groups.  Angie earned a B.A. degree in Human Biology from Stanford University and an M.S. in Conservation and Organismal Biology from San Jose State University.

An audio recording of this meeting will be posted on the City’s website.


Several residents have expressed concern about the roster of presenters for the Forum, suggesting the information they present will be biased in one direction or another. I do not agree with that assessment, but I do understand that there are other experts and practitioners whose input could add value to the debate.  The Forum is scheduled for two hours and in order to provide time for questions we needed to limit the number of presentations. If the Council wishes to hear from other sources, we can certainly arrange for them to come at another time. In the meantime, residents are welcome to send any correspondence, written reports or other information they wish to the City Clerk and it will be made part of the public record.

Please join us on Oct. 10 and Oct. 26 for what we anticipate will be very informative evenings. The City Council will schedule a follow up discussion later in the year to hear from residents and decide how to address their concerns about the deer population in Belvedere.

 

Belvedere Community Foundation's 15th Annual Online Digital Photography Contest
Entries Accepted Until October 31, 2016

Professional and amateur photographers alike have enjoyed capturing the stunning nature of the Belvedere and Tiburon Peninsula in this annual event.

This year’s photography contest, the 15th Annual, will accept entries until October 31, 2016. The contest is open online, 24 hours a day! You can register, upload your photographs, and vote your favorites whenever you like.

Winning entries will be announced at the annual meeting of the Belvedere Community Foundation on November 10, 2016, and displayed at a one-time public reception to honor the entrants at Belvedere City Hall, 450 San Rafael Avenue.

All photos must be taken on the Tiburon Peninsula and must reflect the beauty and spirit of Belvedere and Tiburon. This year there are two categories:

• Age 18 and above
• Age 5-18

There will be a first, second, and third place award plus an honorable mention for ages 18 and above, and a first place award for ages 5-18. Any registered person can vote for what is in their opinion the best photo in each category. Each winner will be acknowledged at the final awards to be held at Belvedere City Hall on November 10th.