BPC’s November Newsletter

  • by BPC Staff
  • on November 22, 2013
  • 0 Comments
     BPC_Newsletter_header_baybridge_with_ship  
 
Hello!

Thanks for taking a moment to read our November newsletter! It’s been a busy fall, and the BPC events will keep on coming through the winter! Read on to learn more…

You’re invited:

Please join us at the Bay Planning Coalition 2013 Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon!  Mingle with BPC members, our board of directors, friends, partners and agency guests, and enjoy a festive meal and beautiful view at the St. Francis Yacht Club.

This year’s luncheon speaker will be Charlton “Chuck” Bonham,
Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.


Seats are limited!  Please register soon.

FLYER 1


Annual Meeting and Luncheon Sponsors:
 
ARCADIS_logo 2012 BIA Bay Area briscoelaw_sample_garamond cargill-wr chevron Dutra ENVIRON-logo-NEW ESA-logo-old-web Great Lakes Dredge DockLehigh Hanson LRTC logo (Levin Richmond Terminal Corp) MillerStarRegalia MoffattNichol stacked PGE Port of Redwood City Port of San Francisco SCVWD_logo tesoro-logo

                               

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The Bay Planning Coalition Board of Directors will be having their quarterly meeting the morning of December 13, also at the St. Francis Yacht Club.  BPC Members are always welcome to attend Board Meetings.
 

 
BPC wraps up the 2013 Workshop Series and Expert Briefings on a high note


On October 23, there was a great turnout for our Storm Water Briefing, which featured presentations from experts at Wendel Rosen Black & Dean, Central Contra Costa County Sanitary District, Weiss Associates and ARCADIS. This clearly was a topic of great interest to our membership and community, and we thank our knowledgeable speakers and our gracious hosts at Wendel Rosen Black & Dean for their help in making this a wonderful event.

On November 15, a sold-out crowd enjoyed our final Workshop, Dredging and Wetlands Restoration: Who Pays for Beneficial Reuse?  Our first panel, representing the lead agencies that make up the Dredged Material Management Office, discussed the future challenges and opportunities for the LTMS and DMMO to function most efficiently and effectively, and our second panel, consisting of experts on wetlands restoration and beneficial reuse of dredged material, painted a compelling picture of some of the future options and serious constraints around using dredged material for beneficial purposes around the Bay.
Jay Ach of the Port of San Francisco also gave an eye-opening account of the financial challenges faced by our Ports and Harbors when it comes to options for disposing of dredged sediment.

Please visit the workshop website to view the Power Point presentations of our speakers, and to see full video of the event, coming soon.

 

Next year, we look forward to bringing you at least three Workshops and a five Expert Briefings.  Educational events such as these are part of our work toward fulfilling our mission: working through a broad coalition to advocate for sustainable commerce, industry, infrastructure, recreation and the natural environment connected to the San Francisco Bay and its watershed.

 


Events already scheduled for 2014:
Expert Briefing: Abandoned Vessels – January, 2014

Workshop: Ocean Planning- How will it affect the maritime industry? – February 12, 2014, at the Aquarium of the Bay

 

 


WRRDA/WRDA

The US Senate and House of Representatives have named the members selected to serve on the House-Senate conference committee tasked with resolving the differences between the House’s Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) and the Senate’s version of the water resources legislation, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

Bay Planning Coalition has partnered with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the State Coastal Conservancy, Save the Bay, and the Bay Institute to provide input to our representatives in Washington DC on what should be included in the final draft of this important legislation.  We will be sharing the final letter on our website next week, and it will be sent to the Senate and House Representatives in the committee.

 

Member SpotlightEach month, BPC highlights one of its members, to help spread the word about the exciting work and diverse interests of our membership community.

This month:  The Port of San Francisco 
Port of San Francisco

Port of San Francisco Celebrates its 150th Anniversary – 1863 – 2013 sf port historic

On April 24, 2013 the Port of San Francisco celebrated the 150th anniversary of the creation of the State Harbor Commission. The Port traces its official beginning to this date in 1863, but the Port’s history goes back much further in time. Throughout the years the waterfront has been San Francisco’s principal link to the Bay Area, the nation, and the world – serving as the City’s “front door.” Through it has passed treasure seekers in search of gold and silver riches, multinational immigrants in search of new lives, cargoes that established San Francisco as a major port and trading center, materials destined for war and thousands of soldiers. San Francisco’s port has contributed largely to the City’s national and international image as a diverse cosmopolitan center. The Port Commission over the last five decades has led a remarkable transformation of the Port. As the City’s downtown continued to grow towards the water’s edge, new uses were established in previously industrial areas. Today the Port oversees a myriad of maritime, commercial and public activities. While industrial maritime uses dominated the northern edge of the waterfront at one time, cargo shipping and ship repair have re–located primarily south of China Basin. Cruise ships, excursion boats, passenger ferries, recreational boating, commercial and sport fishing activities, with limited commercial maritime operations, have remained on the northern waterfront. The scenic views and lively mix of activities and uses draw millions of visitors to the Port of San Francisco each year.

dredging photoDredging

The Port of San Francisco dredges approximately 125,000 cubic yards of material annually to maintain its cruise facilities plus an additional variable quantity to maintain is cargo and fishing facilities. A long-term average for the Port would be around 200,000 cubic yards in total. As with other Bay Area ports, increased pressures to meet the Long Term Management Strategy for Dredging (LTMS) program goals of 80% out-of-Bay disposal goals is a growing fiscal concern. The LTMS long term goal of 40%/40%/20%, while understandable as an environmental goal, has a significant effect on the Port’s dredging budget. The Port is looking forward to working with the Bay Planning Coalition, Save the Bay, wetland restoration projects throughout the Bay, regulatory agencies, and State and Federal politicians to craft a better regional finance plan for incorporating dredge material into wetland reuse projects.

shore power photoShoreside Power

In late 2010, the Port of San Francisco became the first port in California, and only the fourth in the world, to offer shoreside power to cruise ships at berth. While shoreside power for both cruise ships and cargo ships is now widespread in California due to State regulations requiring it, the Port is proud of its role as a cruise industry leader in this regard. As a follow-on to the Port’s initial success, in 2012 we partnered with BAE San Francisco Ship Repair, operator of the Port’s shipyard at Pier 70, to install shoreside power to the large drydock and main repair wharf at the facility. There was no regulatory requirement for this system; rather it was installed as air quality mitigation for the construction of the Port’s new cruise terminal at Pier 27 and for the America’s Cup 34th regatta.

The Seawall

One of the Port of San Francisco’s least visible yet most important functions is maintaining the seawall that protects downtown from San Francisco Bay. The origin of the curved seawall dates back to 1863, the year the Port was established by the State of California. It eliminated a patchwork of jagged piers along the waterfront, ending cleanly at what is now The Embarcadero; it took 50 years to install. Major capital investment on the aging seawall is necessary due to projected sea level rise, which will affect the Port directly and significantly. The Port must also employ alternative strategies in managing the finger piers and development overall. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and mitigate the effects of climate change, the Port issued a Climate Action Plan.

 

 
Welcome New Member!

This month, BPC is pleased to welcome Mare Island Dry Dock to its membership. Mare Island Dry Dock specializes in ship repair, overhaul and construction. Click the logo below to visit their website and learn more!

 
MareIslandDryDockLogo-Blk
 

BPC Operations News

Following our productive 2013 Strategic Planning Retreat, BPC has decided to re-activate its Committee structure in 2014. Committees, made up of BPC Directors and Member representatives, will help us expand our influence and reach beyond the current capacity of limited staff. Our 2014 Committees will be:

  • Dredging and Beneficial Reuse Committee
  • Water, Energy and Infrastructure Committee
  • Legislative and Policy Committee

Members: If you are interested in joining any of the above committees, we would welcome your participation!  Please get in touch. 

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The BPC Executive Committee will be recommending to the Board of Directors at our December 13, 2013 Board Meeting an increase in membership dues of 10% for 2014.  This will be the first dues increase in several years, and will enable BPC to move toward its goals of staff growth and increased ability to effectively and thoroughly advocate for the interests of its members, while maintaining or increasing the number of educational events. 


 
Join BPC!

 

Being a member of BPC means that we are always working for you!  For 30 years, we’ve been here to help advocate for member interests, bring people together, and find solutions.  Members get discounted access to all BPC events, and are part of a powerful network of movers and shakers in the greater Bay Area Region.
 
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