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<P><STRONG>"From Shore to Sea" Lecture Series: April 14 & 15, 2009:</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>Prisoner’s Harbor Wetland Restoration Project on Santa Cruz Island</STRONG> <BR><BR>Restoration ecologist with Channel Islands National Park, Paula Power will be the featured speaker at the “From Shore to Sea” April lecture. Power, will discuss the proposal to restore a portion of the historic coastal wetland and associated stream channel at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. <BR><BR>Prisoners Harbor, once the largest coastal wetland on the Channel Islands, was important for floodwater storage and habitat for wildlife and native plants. Coastal wetlands in California are increasingly rare—over 90% have been eliminated. <BR><BR>
Prisoners Harbor has an extensive legacy of human occupation including Chumash habitation, fishing and ranching. In the late 1800s island owners rerouted and channelized the creek, filled in the adjacent wetland with gravels from the surrounding hills and creek bed, and introduced non-native plants such as eucalyptus and stone pines. These actions reduced the ecological value of the coastal wetland system and resulted in diminished habitat quality for island species, such as the endangered island barberry, Santa Cruz Island silver lotus, island fox, island scrub-jay, and migratory waterfowl. <BR><BR>
Channel Islands National Park is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement comparing the impacts of alternative methods of restoring the coastal wetland while protecting archeological resources from further flood damage. Proposed plans include removing fill from the former coastal wetland, reconnecting the stream with its floodplain, removing non-native eucalyptus in the lower Cañada del Puerto, protecting archeological sites, preserving the integrity of the historic landscape, and providing a compatible visitor experience. <BR><BR>Powers, an Ojai native, has degrees from University of California at Santa Barbara and Texas State University. She conducted research on aquatic plants for eight years in Texas and is a recognized expert on Texas wild rice. In 1998, Powers joined US Fish and Wildlife service, where she continued her research on aquatic plants and stream restoration. In 2004, Powers joined the staff at Channel Islands National Park. <BR><BR>
The “From Shore to Sea” lecture series is jointly sponsored by Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary with generous support from Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The purpose of the series is to further the understanding of current research on the Channel Islands and surrounding waters. The lectures occur at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way in the Santa Barbara Harbor and Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at the Channel Islands National Park Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor. The programs are free and open to the public.</P></TD></TR></TBODY></FONT></P></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BODY>