San Diego Coastkeeper s Proposal to the Unified Port of San Diego

Transcription

1 San Diego Coastkeeper s Proposal to the Unified Port of San Diego March 19, 2007

2 San Diego Coastkeeper: Cleaning up the Bay Table of Contents I. Introduction II. III. IV. Qualifying Experience Cost Proposal Personnel V. Non Profit Status VI. Subconsultants VII. Applicant Disclosure VIII. Insurance IX. Conflict of Interest X. Indemnification XI. Additional Information

3 I. Introduction/Proposal San Diego Coastkeeper: Cleaning San Diego Bay Description of the Program San Diego Coastkeeper respectfully requests a grant of $15,000 from the Unified Port of San Diego s Environmental Enhancement Fund to support our Bay cleanup program which engages the community in removing trash and debris from the San Diego Bay shoreline and watersheds before it reaches the open ocean. This program also informs the larger San Diego community about how they can help prevent pollution by taking greater care in their everyday activities through a Community Based Social Marketing Program. San Diego Coastkeeper would like to propose hosting four cleanups in the South San Diego Bay area. Three of these cleanups would take place in the watersheds that flow into the Bay, such as Chollas Creek, a critical input to the debris in the Bay. Additionally, one cleanup would take place on the shoreline of the Bay involving the Port and Port employees. These cleanups would serve two initial functions: identify the most common debris items found flowing into South Bay, and involve Port employees and local residents in a hands on program to clean up the Bay. This effort will ultimately result in a publication of findings, which will report on the type and amount of trash removed and solutions to reduce debris in the bay. In addition, we would be conducting outreach to residents around the Bay though a strategic Community Based Social Marketing Program, specifically in the neighborhoods surrounding Chollas Creek. Coastkeeper would also perform outreach in Pepper Park in National City, building off the Operation Clean Sweep shoreline cleanup last year. Why Do Cleanups Matter? Debris in San Diego Bay is much more than an eyesore; it represents a public health threat and contributes to the declining health of our ocean systems. Every year, through our bi monthly beach cleanups, Coastkeeper volunteers find debris that is dangerous to people including syringes, fishhooks, broken bottles and toxic debris such as auto or boat batteries and chemical waste containers. Cleanups in the South Bay are also critical for reasons of environmental justice. Historically, and currently, the area has been disproportionately impacted by illicit dumping, industrial pollution, as well as apathy and neglect. Debris can also be particularly dangerous to marine wildlife. The most common items found at local beaches are cigarette butts, which are an environmental hazard as many

4 contaminants such as cadmium, arsenic and lead are often concentrated in the filters where they pose a threat to marine life if ingested. These pollutants can severely impact wildlife that resides in the Bay, including the critically endangered Green Turtle population in South Bay, which mistake cigarette butts as food. Plastics, which are the second most common type of debris found, are equally harmful to marine life, especially because of their durability and buoyancy. Six pack holders, balloons, plastic bags and even straws can result in the death or serious injury to unsuspecting marine wildlife that suffocate after getting entangled in or ingesting plastics. Plastic debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including many threatened and endangered species such as sea turtles, birds and marine mammals. For instance, a recent study found an average of 334,271 pieces of plastic per square mile in the North Pacific Central Gyre, meaning plastics outweigh natural plankton by 6 to 1 in the Gyre. How Does Debris Get There? If waste that people produce is not handled appropriately, it can become debris. Once in the water, debris can end up thousands of miles from its point of origin carried by urban runoff, wind, ocean currents and tides. Although most debris items are hard to trace back to their source, two facts are clear: debris ultimately comes from people and most debris ends up in our bays and oceans. Determining where debris originates is not an easy task, since trash can travel long distances before washing up on shore or sinking to the bottom of the ocean or waterway. Coastkeeper s cleanups focus on the key human activities that produce debris: recreational and shoreline activities, boating and fishing, smoking, dumping and medical/personal hygiene. Through this approach, we create strategies to educate the public on the problems associated with debris and how to change their own behavior to prevent it. The only way that we will effectively mitigate pollution is by helping people understand and care about the problem and ultimately change their behavior towards handling trash. A large portion of the debris entering SD Bay comes from river sources, such as the impaired waterbody Chollas Creek. In addition to the countless trash items that are tossed into the Creek by residents, water quality is impacted by pollutants and stressors identified in the 2002 Clean Water Act 303(d) listing. These contaminants include cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, high coliform counts, and toxicity. Additionally, portions of the San Diego Bay at the mouth of Chollas Creek are also identified in the 2008 CWA 303(d) list due to sediment toxicity and benthic community effects. One of five toxic hot spots identified within the Bay under the California s Bay Protection Toxic Cleanup Program is located at the mouth of Chollas Creek.

5 How Do We Fix the Problem? Coastkeeper volunteers learn first hand how trash travels, the importance of recycling and proper disposal, and how individual actions can make a difference for better or worse. A cleanup offers a quick, easy way to make a noticeable difference to the health and livelihood of our beaches by removing dangerous plastics, styrofoam, glass, cans, cigarette butts, and other trash. Furthermore, many cleanup participants gain motivation from these cleanups and become regular volunteers for Coastkeeper and other community groups helping to make San Diego a healthier, safer place to live. Through our cleanup program in , Coastkeeper will: Perform four cleanups in the watersheds and on the shoreline of South San Diego Bay and collect data to determine the sources of debris in the Bay. Quantify data collected at the Bay cleanups to inform local residents and businesses about the types of debris polluting the Bay and educate them on pollution prevention. Engage more than 7,5000 San Diegans at over twenty five beach cleanups throughout the year, including large scale events like Coastal Cleanup Day. Remove nearly 100,000 pounds of trash from local beaches at these cleanups and collect data on the different types of debris found at the cleanups to provide details on the origin of the debris. Foster community ownership of our shared resources and help train our volunteers stewards of the environment. Specifically, in South San Diego Bay Coastkeeper will: Involve a minimum of 200 local residents and Port employees in the special South Bay Cleanups. Weigh and document debris retrieved from the South Bay cleanups. Produce and distribute data cards to capture information from each cleanup (volunteers will be filing out the data cards). Identify and quantify removed debris. This information will be compiled in a Marine Debris Report that will be disseminated to local businesses, residents, and Coastkeeper members. Community Based Social Marketing To address pollution concerns in Chollas Creek, and thus polluted waters entering San Diego Bay, Coastkeeper has begun implementing a Community Based Social Marketing strategy (CBSM), a social science model utilized to engage the public and create positive behaviors that impact pollution prevention. Community Based Social Marketing is an attractive alternative to information intensive campaigns. In contrast to conventional approaches, CBSM has been shown to be very effective at bringing about behavior

6 change. Its effectiveness is due to its pragmatic approach. This approach involves: identifying barriers to a sustainable behavior, designing a strategy that utilizes behavior change tools, piloting the strategy with a small segment of a community, and finally, evaluating the impact of the program once it has been implemented across a community. Over the next several years, Coastkeeper will work in conjunction with community volunteers to implement and tailor this model to the specific needs of the Chollas Creek and San Diego Bay Partnership with the Port Coastkeeper sincerely appreciates its strong and long standing partnership with the Port of San Diego. Coastkeeper will highlight the Port s dedication to removing and identifying pervasive marine debris by including information about this program in our Watermarks newsletter, which reaches 1,000 people, and in our Action Alert, which reaches 4,500 people. We will also post our findings on the Coastkeeper Web site, listing the Port as a sponsor of this research program. In addition to educating participants, many of our monthly cleanups and regional events receive prominent media attention through extensive television, radio, and newspaper coverage. Through this media outreach, tens of thousands of San Diegans are receiving the message about the state of our waters and the role they can play in protecting our invaluable resources. Using Debris Data to make a Difference After years of collecting data during our California Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) event on the specific types of marine debris being found, San Diego Coastkeeper wanted to begin collecting this data at all of our cleanups to focus on the activities that cause the debris. In 2007, we began implementing a new component to our beach cleanup program: Utilizing our volunteers to compile data at the cleanups so we can analyze and track this data to identify the activities and general sources of the debris. The final information will be used to educate the public, businesses, industry, and government officials about the problem of debris. Eventually, we would like these data reports to influence public policy on waste management, prompt legislation, and convince individuals, organizations, and communities to examine their waste handling practices. Beach Cleanup Volunteers San Diego Coastkeeper has established an extensive network of dedicated volunteers who participate in the cleanups county wide, and we partner with dozens of environmental, community and youth groups, agencies and local businesses to enhance the impact of our beach cleanup program. For example, Coastal Cleanup Day, which Coastkeeper co coordinates with I Love A Clean San Diego, involves many other local environmental non profits, businesses, youth groups and the community as cleanup site captains or cleanup volunteers. Community participation is an invaluable way to assess the status and

7 impacts of the marine debris issue locally. The cleanups also educate cleanup volunteers and builds public awareness about the issues affecting their local beaches and waterways. More importantly, the beach cleanups empower each citizen to not only accept responsibility for the environmental impacts occurring in their community, but to also take immediate, hands on action to alleviate a recognized pollution problem. For our pilot program, we would like to recruit Port of San Diego employees and their families in these special cleanups. Coastkeeper will work with the Port to develop materials which will engage its employees in the South Bay Cleanups. Description of San Diego Coastkeeper San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region s bays, beaches, watersheds and ocean for the people and wildlife that depend on them. We balance community outreach, education, and advocacy to promote stewardship of clean water and a healthy coastal ecosystem. Dedicated to the belief that we all have a right to clean water, Coastkeeper is the largest professional organization dedicated solely to the monitoring and protection of San Diego s coastal areas and waterways. From habitat restoration, beach clean ups and citizen water quality monitoring programs to our groundbreaking Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, Coastkeeper provides opportunities for individuals, families and students to become personally involved in protecting the natural resources in our communities. San Diego Coastkeeper is one of more than 150 members of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, a coalition of groups transforming citizen advocacy into action to protect the world s waters. Conclusion Coastkeeper s Bay cleanup program provides an important opportunity to allow the power of volunteerism to bring about real change for ocean conservation in a local community setting, while empowering citizens to take action that makes a significant, positive difference. We hope that the Unified Port of San Diego will join us in combating pollution and changing public behavior through the San Diego Bay cleanup program. II. Qualifying Experience San Diego Coastkeeper has worked with a variety of local and state organizations over the past nine years to develop an effective Water Monitoring Program to ensure a cleaner, healthier San Diego Bay. Specifically, we have worked with the City of San Diego, Stormwater Division (Chris Zirkle (619) ) and the Clean Water Team of the State Water Resources Control Board (Erick Burres (213) ) on our Water Monitoring Program. For our Cleanup Program, we have partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to coordinate monthly cleanups (Bill Hickman (858) ) and we cocoordinate California Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego with I Love A Clean San Diego (Morgan Justice Black (619) ext. 3003)

8 III. Cost Proposal See attachment A. IV. Personnel Bruce Reznik, a California licensed attorney specializing in environmental law, joined San Diego Coastkeeper as Executive Director in August He directs the organizationʹs advocacy and outreach efforts to protect and restore the bays and coastal waters of San Diego County. Under Bruceʹs direction, Coastkeeper has grown to a fulltime staff of eight, making it the largest clean water advocacy organization in the region. During his tenure, Coastkeeper launched its successful Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, its International Citizen Water Monitoring Program and its Kelp Restoration end Education efforts. Bruce was appointed to the statewide Public Advisory Group assisting the State Water Resources Control Board in its implementation of a Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program. Bruce also sits on the City of San Diegoʹs Clean Water Taskforce, co chaired by Mayor Dick Murphy and Councilmember Scott Peters. He is the President of the California Coastkeeper Alliance and a San Diego League of Conservation Voters Board member. Prior to joining Coastkeeper, Bruce was the Senior Associate at Gladstein & Associates, a Los Angeles based consulting firm specializing in air quality, alternative fuel and advanced transportation projects. Bruceʹs efforts expanded the use of electric and natural gas vehicles throughout California. Bruce holds a Bachelorsʹ degree in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley, and earned his law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law. Bruce also completed environmental law coursework at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Danielle Miller joined San Diego Coastkeeper in February 2006 to serve as the organization s Outreach Director. Danielle manages Coastkeeper s Beach Cleanup program, coordinates our community outreach and fundraising events (California Coastal Cleanup Day, Save The Bay kayak race, and our annual Ocean Gala benefit), and assists with member communication and office management. Before joining Coastkeeper, Danielle has spent the last year managing the preparation of the 2005 Urban Water Management Plan for the City of San Diego s Water Department (Water Resources Management Program). She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Geography (Emphasis in Natural Resources and Environmental Policy) from San Diego State University in While at SDSU, Danielle served as an intern at Coastkeeper (then Baykeeper ), where she assisted with the organization s Water Monitoring Program, gathering and analyzing the quality of water flowing into both the San Diego and Mission Bay, and helped organize beach clean ups and support community outreach efforts.

9 Karen Franz joined San Diego Coastkeeper in January 2006 as Watershed Monitoring Program Director. As a part of her role at Coastkeeper, Karen works with volunteers to monitor San Diegoʹs eleven coastal draining watersheds. Each month, approximately 20 citizens are trained to gather data about the health of the countyʹs waterways. Through this program, all data is collected and managed in accordance with EPA / State Water Resource Control Board standards to ensure that this data can be used by decisionmakers for the purpose of improving impaired water bodies and protecting clean ones. Her role at Coastkeeper also includes stormwater management (pesticides, BMPs) and investigative water monitoring in order to identify pollution sources. Karen brings to Coastkeeper a broad multidisciplinary background and six years of project management experience, with research and practical experience in international development for water resource management and integrated water planning. Please note: see attachment B for Organization Chart. V. Non Profit Status See attachment C. VI. Subconsultants Not Applicable VII. Applicant Disclosure Not Applicable VIII. Insurance The San Diego Coastkeeper agrees to procure and hold at all times during the Term of this Agreement, a commercial general liability policy covering any bodily injury, property damage, personal injury or advertising injury associated with all services to be provided under this Agreement, with a per occurrence limit of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000), hereinafter the Commercial General Liability Policy. This Commercial General Liability Policy shall include an endorsement that adds the District, its officers, employees and agents as additional insured. Proof of such insurance shall be found satisfactory to the District. IX. Conflict of Interest San Diego Coastkeeper shall disclose to Port if it is currently performing services of any kind, for any person or entity that would conflict with the services to be provided to the Port under this agreement. Further, should Coastkeeper be selected pursuant to this RFP, Coastkeeper agrees that it will not perform services which would conflict with the services to be provided under this RFP. X. Indemnification San Diego Coastkeeper accepts the indemnification clause as proposed in the Port s Sample Agreement.

10 San Diego Coastkeeper: Budget for Cleaning up San Diego Bay Cleaning up San Diego Bay EXPENSES Detail Rate Total Notes Personnel (Burdened Rates): Executive Director - 20 $75 $1,500 Overseeing of project manager's time Beach Cleanup Project Manager $60 $6,000 Based on Beach Cleanup project manager's work in South Bay Water Monitoring Project Manager - 80 $65 $5,200 Based on Water Monitoring project manager's work Community Based Social Marketing relating to SD Bay Administrative Support - Controller 10 $75 $750 Based on estimated time for Controller on project budgets, grant tracking and invoicing. Administrative Support - Bookkeeper 10 $55 $550 Based on time spent working on items for 2 project managers and the Executive Director. Subtotal Personnel $14,000 $14,000 Travel $300 (Majority of travel funds with be spent for Water Monitoring travel to and from San Diego Bay and watersheds, especially Chollas Creek area) Supplies and Communication Costs $700 (Includes beach cleanup supplies such as orang-u-tongs, gloves, bags, water, food, data cards (purchase and in-house printing), pencils and monitoring supplies such as outreach printed materials, water monitoring kits, lab testing and protective gear. Also, commuications such as newsletter and alerts) Total Expenses $15,000 $14,000 3/29/2007 Port Beach Cleanup (Budget) final.xls

11 San Diego Coastkeeper: Budget for Cleaning up San Diego Bay 3/29/2007 Port Beach Cleanup (Budget) final.xls