SIMA Environmental Fund 2015 Year End Reports€¦ · In 2016, with the support of SIMA, 5 Gyres encouraged involvement of surfers in the AmbassadorShip Program. Briefly describe

SIMA Environmental Fund

2015 Year End Reports

SIMA Environmental Fund 27831 La Paz Road Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 Phone: 949.366.1164 Fax: 949.454.1406 www.sima.com

2015 YEAR END REPORTS

5 Gyres Institute Assateague Coastal Trust Clean Ocean Action Heal the Bay KAHEA North Shore Community Land Trust Ocean Institute Orange County Coastkeeper Paso Pacifico Reef Check Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Save the Waves Seymour Marine Discovery Center Surfers Against Sewage Surfing Education Association Surfrider Foundation Wildcoast Wishtoyo Foundation

2015 YEAR END REPORT

The 5 Gyres Institute

2015 SIMA ENVIRONMENTAL FUND YEAR END REPORT

Organization: The 5 Gyres Institute Contact Person: Haley Haggerstone Title: Development Director Purpose of Grant: The AmbassadorShip is a volunteer leadership program designed to educate, engage, and empower 5 Gyres’ global network of supporters to take action against plastic pollution on a local scale. The program engages 5 Gyres’ global community using science, education, and action. Ambassadors are volunteers who are trained in plastic pollution research, policy, and solutions, and provided with on ramps to take action against plastic pollution within their local communities. The primary purpose of this grant was to leverage surfers to build a plastic-free culture at their favorite breaks around the world through beach cleanups, plastic data collection, and raising awareness. Surf Ambassadors were encouraged to “adopt a break” and build a relationship with the local community, serving as the conservation face for that area. Several influential and recreational surfers have participated in past expeditions and we aim to increase opportunities for the surfing industry to be involved in 5 Gyres’ Programs. In 2016, with the support of SIMA, 5 Gyres encouraged involvement of surfers in the AmbassadorShip Program. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. For the 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant, our primary goal was to amplify 5 Gyres’ message of plastic free oceans in coastal communities. We aimed to add 35 new Ambassadors and to recruit at least 5 surfers as Ambassadors in order to increase the awareness of plastic pollution and provide tangible steps towards reducing plastic pollution in coastal communities. Ambassadors educated, engaged, and inspired their communities to help drive solutions to plastic pollution. Surfers served as the conservation face of their favorite surf breaks, to raise stoke and awareness about the issue through physical and virtual conversations, beach cleanups, and facilitating data collection. 5 Gyres equipped them with research, educational kits, resources, and direct contact with 5 Gyres staff through office hours and webinars to ensure that they felt confident to share this knowledge with their community.

To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? 5 Gyres met and surpassed the goals for this grant on all accounts. Six surfers joined the AmbassadorShip Program, five from the United States and one from New Zealand. These six Ambassadors represent multiple surf breaks and local beaches. In addition, the AmbassadorShip Program grew from 35 Ambassadors to 157 Ambassadors. Four webinars were organized in 2016 for all Ambassadors to stay updated on 5 Gyres Microbead Action Campaign, Arctic Expedition, and new science related to the issue. 5 Gyres Research Director, Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Global Strategy Director, Anna Cummins shared the newest information on research and policy, along with eight Ambassadors who reported on their local campaigns or projects. Ambassadors were also updated monthly by 5 Gyres staff through a newsletter-type email and a closed Facebook group, which allows Ambassadors to connect with one another. Through an open platform for resources, virtual communication and social media, this pilot proved to be scalable as the surf community continues to join this growing movement. In early 2016, the Ambassadors were provided with Education Kits. Each Kit included six durable photographs with talking points on the back, samples of plastic pollution from different oceans and beaches, plastic pollution pieces with bite marks, and educational pamphlets for Ambassadors to use during tabling and speaking events. Each Ambassador is asked to participate in tabling and speaking events in their community. We recently created the hashtag #5GyresAmbassador to facilitate event tracking and gain a better understanding of what actions our Ambassadors are taking globally. Their stories and pictures are then shared on 5 Gyres social media channels to engage our broader global community. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The AmbassadorShip Program expanded to 27 countries and added 122 new Ambassadors, six of which are well-known surfers in their local community. Several of the Surf Ambassadors messaged to their communities and started community projects. For example, Kathleen Egan from San Francisco embarked on a project to pick up microplastics on Ocean Beach, resulting in community members getting involved and helping Kathleen removing one million pieces of plastic pollution from Ocean Beach. Other Surf Ambassadors include Bianca Valenti, Jacklyn Johnson, Alyssum Pohl, Christian Shaw, and Marian Krogh. Each Ambassador has made a commitment to drive solutions to plastic pollution in their community, vastly increasing our global presence. Ambassadors are encouraged to participate in two events on behalf of 5 Gyres each year. Through a survey that was provided to the Ambassadors, it was noted that on average 20-50 people attended

each Ambassador event. As such, it is estimated that between 6,280 – 15,700 people have been reached through Ambassador efforts in 2016. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) In October 2016, 5 Gyres was able to hire an additional staff member to manage the AmbassadorShip Program. The program is growing quickly and we are excited to have representatives from so many countries involved. This expansion has had a ripple effect of 5 Gyres’ message and impact on the global community. Ambassadors share our message in their own communities and on social media. Some of our posts about Ambassadors have reached more than 6,000 people on Facebook and Ambassador Instagram posts using the hashtag #5gyresambassador reached over 24,000 people in October alone.


Assateague Coastal Trust


Organization: Assateague Coastal Trust Contact Person: Steve Farr Title: Development Director

Purpose of Grant: SIMA grant funds were used to support the general operations of the Assateague Coastkeeper and Coast Kids programs. Coastkeeper activities included watershed patrolling, water quality monitoring, beach cleanups and advocacy on priority water quality protection issues with particular attention to the campaign to oppose the proposed federal government plan to open the mid- and south Atlantic to offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling. Coast Kids activities featured monthly educational excursions, school/community group programs and summer camp, including support for scholarships to engage low-income and minority youth in the program. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. Coastkeeper Purpose: To support the general operations of the Coastkeeper program Goals: 1. To generate opposition to the proposed federal plan to open the Atlantic to leasing for offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling 2. To continue regular on the water, on the ground and in the air patrolling of coastal bays watershed to identify pollution sources and educate public about water quality challenges and threats 3. To continue water quality monitoring program and report on possible health hazards for recreational users 4. To lead and coordinate beach cleanup activities associated with International Coastal Cleanup

Coast Kids Purpose: To support the general operations of the Coast Kids program Goals: 1. To provide monthly events for member families to learn about ocean/coastal environmental and conservation issues 2. To provide environmental educational programs to youth in school and community-based settings 3. To provide two weeks of summer camp to area youth, including children from underserved low-income and minority communities To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Coastkeeper Goals: 1. To generate opposition to the proposed federal plan to open the Atlantic to leasing for offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling In March 2016, the Obama Administration decided to remove the Atlantic leasing areas from the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The administration cited the overwhelming flood of concerns from citizens and stakeholders as one of the primary factors in their decision to remove the Atlantic. Through our efforts to encourage others to submit comments on the proposed plan, we were the 12th highest referral source in the country. We also were instrumental in getting all coastal municipalities in MD and DE to pass resolutions opposing seismic surveys and offshore drilling. As part of our campaign, we produced a short video to raise public awareness and generate grassroots support. The video can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxG7UHuhuRo. While our initial goals were achieved, significant challenges still remain. First, the federal government is still considering granting permits for oil and gas exploration using seismic airgun surveys which are extremely damaging to marine mammals and fisheries. Second, the incoming Trump Administration may well seek to reopen the Atlantic to offshore drilling. We will continue our campaign to vigorously oppose these activities. 2. To continue regular on the water, on the ground and in the air patrolling of coastal bays watershed to identify pollution sources and educate public about water quality challenges and threats Coastkeeper has maintained the regular level of patrolling on the water and on the ground. There have been two aerial patrols during the grant period. The first was made in mid-April to observe both general conditions and inspect/photograph two specific sites, including: an industrial-scale poultry operation construction site and a Walmart wastewater treatment facility as part of a search for source of elevated bacteria levels

in a local waterway. The second was made in October to monitor new industrial-scale poultry house construction and take photographs for use in written comments and public presentations about the poultry expansion on Delmarva. Overall, Coastkeeper has kept vigilant watch over the watershed, including discovery of a number of areas for concern such as Critical Area (coastal buffer) law violations and construction site debris pollution, all of which have been reported to appropriate authorities. 3. To continue water quality monitoring program and report on possible health hazards for recreational users Coastkeeper has conducted weekly sampling and analysis of water quality conditions during the summer in 7 heavily recreated sites, reporting conditions to the public via the Swim Guide and Coastkeeper websites. These website reports were viewed by thousands of people with an interest in local water quality conditions in heavily recreated areas. Aside from expected bacterial spikes following rain events, only one site experiencing repeated incidence of elevated bacteria levels. Coastkeeper has reported these conditions to the County and Maryland Department of the Environment to help determine possible upstream source of problem, including full inspection of a wastewater treatment plant that discharges into the subject creek. 4. To lead and coordinate beach cleanup activities associated with International Coastal Cleanup We directly managed the International Coastal Cleanup Day at Assateague Island National Seashore, which involved almost 200 volunteers collecting more than 1.1 tons of debris from the beaches. We also coordinated 5 other cleanup sites around the region. Coast Kids Purpose: To support the general operations of the Coast Kids program Goals: 1. To provide monthly events for member families to learn about ocean/coastal environmental and conservation issues Coast Kids has held 12 monthly events involving more than 200 families over the course of the grant period. Activities have included protecting migratory bird nesting sites, beach cleanups and ocean/bay paddling. 2. To provide environmental educational programs to youth in school and community-based settings

Coast Kids has once again hosted more than 30 classes at five school or community center sites reaching a diverse audience of young students. Class topics included water pollution and testing, habitat, earth science, aquatic biology and chemistry, and green energy 3. To provide two weeks of summer camp to area youth, including children from underserved low-income and minority communities The Summer Camp was a great success, engaging 28 children in a broad range of fun, inspiring and educational activities around the region. The SIMA grant helped us to offer scholarships to 8 low-income and minority youth who would not otherwise have been able to participate. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? Successful grass roots campaign to influence federal government to withdraw proposal for offshore oil and gas drilling in Atlantic. This campaign included generating 12th most submissions nationally during public comment period and gaining formal resolutions opposing plan from 11 municipalities in Delaware and Maryland comprising all coastal communities. Continued vigilant patrolling of watershed. Continued water quality monitoring of most heavily recreated sites in watershed reaching thousands of people with public health information concerning when and where it is safe to go in the water during the summer months. Leading Coastal Cleanup effort involving almost 200 volunteers in collecting more than 1.1 tons of beach debris. Providing Coast Kids environmental education events and activities for more than 200 families through monthly events and school/community-based programs. Reaching a more diverse audience through Coast Kids, including providing summer camp scholarships for 8 underserved low-income and minority youth. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The successful campaign to oppose offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling has generated significant public awareness and support, including from new audiences to the organization. The water quality monitoring program has generated significant positive publicity and feedback from recreational users of our waterways. The ability to offer scholarships for the Coast Kids Summer Camp has allowed us to serve a broader and more diverse community.


Clean Ocean Action


Organization: Clean Ocean Action Contact Person: Cindy Zipf Title: Executive Director Purpose of Grant: Tide Together: Three Campaigns to Save the Sea 1) Protecting Swimmers from Sewage: new federal law will improve water for

swimmers. 2) A Debris Free Sea: a “Feet-on-the-Beach and Hands-in-the-Sand” approach to

reducing litter. 3) The Clean Ocean Zone: Turning victory into permanent protection for the ocean from

harmful industrialization – keeping the ocean wild, free, and blue! Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The goal is to protect all swimmers—whether they have feet, fins, feathers or none of the above. The surfing community is deeply rooted in the outdoors where many play and seek refuge from the industrialized world. COA seeks to engage all ocean enthusiasts by uniting these communities to protect what is sacred – a clean and healthy ocean. Together, we are a unique and powerful voice to protect the environment. Protecting the environmental, spiritual, and economic importance of the natural world is in our DNA. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Keeping Swimmers Safe from Sewage—Dogs to the Rescue In 2016 COA:

- Collaborated with national colleagues to successfully ensure Congress continued funding of the BEACH act which provides funding to states to monitor bathing beaches for fecal contamination. - Worked to establish a model program to include state, municipal, community, NGOs and citizens to address local watershed pollution problems, including fecal contamination. -· Completed a year-long investigation and issued a detailed report highlighting fecal contamination in the Navesink River. This was Step One: Water Quality Assessment for the model in the previous bullet. -· Launched a major initiative to reduce pollution, called “Rally for the Navesink,” based on a “grassroots, no-blame game, find it-fix it approach.” Within 6 months gained support of 32 organizations, 200 citizens, 50 businesses, 12 schools, and all 7 towns in the watershed. - Created a new concept, called “Watershed Mindfulness”, which is an understanding that we are all (small and tall) connected to and responsible for our vast network of waterways that ultimately lead to the ocean. - “Fetched” Environmental Canine Services (ECS), a family owned company that trains dogs to sniff out human sources of pollution, to identify hotspots (see photo). The investigation was extremely successful and was coordinated with state officials to hopefully garner official validation of the dogs as a Phase One screening tool for pollution. COA also arranged media attention that included national news. - Presented an interactive reading and educational program, Be the Sea Change, to over 600 students in local underserved communities, which includes the reading of Joel Harper’s new book, Sea Change. The result to date is 106 3rdth grade students wrote and illustrated personal letters pledging to stop littering and one 4th grade class has stopped using straws. Debris Free Sea In 2016 COA: - Launched a straw-branding campaign during Beach Sweeps to create accountability for overuse and litter of one of the nation’s top 10 marine debris problems. Once established, the branding program will be shared for broad use. - Continued evaluating New Jersey beach sand and coastal waters for microplastics through the assessment of samples COA took from 32 sites along the Jersey Shore. As of today, every sample studied has had traces of microplastics. - Released a report highlighting 6,375 Beach Sweep volunteers who removed over 332,000 pieces of debris in just seven hours. That brings the 32 year totals of the program to 111,000 volunteers and 5.7 million pieces of debris removed. The data is still being tabulated for 2016; however, the fall event was rainy and data was difficult to collect with the paper and pencil format. Data results may be skewed. -· Conducted a pilot shoreline cleanup along the Delaware River with Raritan Valley Community College in areas that have been ignored or overlooked for decades. Just 50 students removed over nearly 6,000 items (44% were plastic bottles) in just one small acre. A short video is available on COA’s website.

- COA chairs the US EPA Region 2 Microplastics Subcommittee of the Trash Free Waters program. The group coordinated a microplastic awareness week. Clean Ocean Zone In 2016 COA: - Convinced the Obama Administration to withdraw the Atlantic Ocean from further consideration for oil and gas drilling by working with a national coalition of groups along the Atlantic Coast. COA ensured that the New Jersey Congressional Delegation were strong voices in opposition to drilling and led a rally where over 200 citizens and 52 organizations turned-out with 2 weeks’ notice on the boardwalk of Asbury Park in January. However, we have not yet deterred the Administration from stopping permits to allow seismic testing in the Atlantic for oil exploration. If these pending permits are not denied before the Obama Administration leaves, this battle looks bleak due to the incoming Administration. - Thanks to the eyes of the surfing community, a mid-winter ocean dumping of muck was caught on film and COA’s legal team drove efforts that led to a state investigation and penalties to the company. (see photo) -· Is working to establish a Trump Ocean Watch webpage portal to publicly monitor activities of the new administration, gauge impact, and proactively respond. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? -· National, regional, and local collaboration exists to ensure powerful networks are sustained which allows for strong public advocacy for our ocean. - Bathing beaches are monitored to keep swimmers somewhat safe from sewage, although the tests are sorely in need of improvement—they take too long, are only done during the summer, and not after rainstorms. - A new model “watershed mindfulness” program is underway that has: o Created a new alliance of citizens, businesses, schools, community groups, and environmental organizations in collaboration with state and municipal governments. o Tracked down and identified four previously unknown areas of fecal pollution, thanks to Environmental Canine Services, and local municipalities are on the case to address the sources. - The ocean off NJ/NY remains wild and free from harmful industry. - Ocean dumpers off the Jersey Shore will know they are likely to get caught—a powerful deterrent. - Beaches are cleaner with hundreds of thousands of plastic debris removed. They are now healthier for marine life and people. The data collected is an educational tool to prevent more harm. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.)

-· Clean Ocean Action’s COAlition is stronger. National, regional, and local collaboration exists to ensure powerful networks are sustained which allows for strong public advocacy for our ocean. This is crucial for the battles that lie ahead in the new Administration. -· COA’s capacity to address water pollution has been significantly improved with the hiring of a PhD Staff Scientist with impeccable and impressive experience in wastewater management to assist helping reduce fecal contamination of waterways.


Heal the Bay


Organization: Heal the Bay Contact Person: Sheila McSherry Title: Foundation Grants Manager Purpose of Grant: SIMA grant funds supported Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card

program from December 2015-November 2016. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. SIMA grant funds supported Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card (BRC) for one year. Created in 1990, the BRC program enables Heal the Bay staff to analyze water quality data collected from more than 650 locations along the western U.S. coastline (California, Oregon, Washington-Puget Sound) to determine fecal bacteria levels and assess their potential to make exposed beachgoers sick. This data is translated into a simple A-F grading format so that it is easily and rapidly understood by users of all ages and education levels. The BRC is the only comprehensive analysis of coastline water quality on the West Coast. Heal the Bay posts weekly grades on a variety of websites and at beachreportcard.org. Heal the Bay also provides an Annual Report which assesses water quality over the last winter and summer seasons at each beach location. This report is then distributed via various media outlets, interviews, and blog posts. Online media outlets and public health agencies such as wunderground.com and www.swellmagnet.com, the LA County Department of Health Services, City of Long Beach, Counties of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Orange County Public Health sites all have links to beachreportcard.org. Support from the SIMA Environmental Fund made it possible for Heal the Bay to: -Identify polluted beaches along the California, Oregon and Washington state coastline; -Disseminate information to the public and regulators about clean and potentially hazardous water-quality conditions;

-Assist with the development of pollution abatement strategies; -Inform millions of beachgoers about water-quality conditions that may be hazardous to their health; -Work with stakeholders to develop and implement protective water quality standards; and -Develop and implement new, cutting-edge public notification tools. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Highlights (location) Last fall, the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant underwent a temporary diversion in order to give the plant time to make much-needed repairs to the pump header or their 5-mile discharge pipe. However, this event - though successful at replacing the aged infrastructure - also resulted in thousands of materials of sewage origin (MOSO) washing up on our shores in the Santa Monica Bay. On September 23, beachgoers in the area started calling us reporting large numbers of tampon applicators, condoms, and needles—approximately 200 pounds. We immediately followed up with the City to investigate the issue. Dockweiler Beaches from Ballona Creek to the border of Manhattan Beach were closed from September 23- 26. Consequent to this event, the City of Los Angeles began to conduct daily sweeps of Dockweiler beach to remove all MOSO debris for multiple months following the event. Support allowed us to be on top of the issue, providing updates through the BRC to our beachgoers and concerned citizens. As a result of the outpouring of concern and the demand for answers, the City conducted a thorough investigation of its plant operations to determine the cause of the MOSO event. They arranged a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of three individuals from outside the City with expertise in wastewater treatment and the Hyperion facility, to evaluate operations. Ultimately, the TAC produced a report detailing their findings— which we advocated for and was required by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) - and concluded that the origin of the MOSO event stemmed from a sewage spill event in 2005. The report found that the spill, which held an abnormally large quantity of MOSO, likely flowed into an internal drainage system within the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant that drains to the one-mile outfall pipe. However, because that pipe is rarely used by the City, the contents from that spill were trapped in a segment of the 1-mile outfall pipe ever since the 2005 spill. This debris was 1) not seen by standard operations and maintenance practices, 2) never properly flushed at the time of the incident, and 3) entrained with the flow from the 2015 diversion. Heal the Bay played a vital role in this situation, giving concerned and infuriated beachgoers and locals a voice to express concern and demand answers, as well as to discuss with officials ways to improve monitoring and reduce the risk of a similar situation occurring in the future.

Highlights (technology) Last summer, Heal the Bay, Stanford University, and UCLA implemented a real-time pilot predictive modeling program at three Southern California beaches from July through October 2015. Predictive models, or beach water quality ’NowCasting’ tools, are mathematic models that predict expected water quality results based upon historic data and location specific environmental variables for a defined beach. These NowCasts can be conducted much faster than the current public notification methods, and can be used to inform the public about how safe the water quality might be for any given day at a particular beach. Predictive models will improve upon the current methods, which can take 18-24 to produce water quality results. This existing system leads to delayed posting decisions, which puts public health at risk, or alternatively inappropriate advisories that may keep people away from enjoying a clean beach. Three beaches were piloted in 2015: Arroyo Burro (Santa Barbara County), Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County), and Doheny (Orange County). The pilot project demonstrated that predictive models can outperform current methods at both protecting public health and keeping the beach open on days when it is clean. Most importantly it showed that ‘Nowcasting’ programs can be easily integrated into current beach management programs. With these positive results Heal the Bay has decided to pursue ‘Nowcasting’ as a permanent part of the Beach Report Card program. After last summer’s successful pilot project, Heal the Bay received a Clean Beach Initiative (CBI) grant to build additional predictive models. Within the next three years, we will be able to predict beach grades at 20 beaches throughout California. ‘Nowcast’ models will primarily be developed for summertime, but we will include winter months in areas with winter surfing use. The project began this summer with five locations from Santa Barbara through Orange County: Arroyo Burro and East Beach in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, Belmont Pier in Long Beach, and Doheny Beach in Orange County. The models are run daily providing a “Nowcast” result which indicates whether the beach is likely or unlikely to have a bacterial exceedance that day. Predictive models can help beach managers make more informed decisions about whether a beach should be posted or open for public use. Part of this project is a revitalization of both our web and app presence, allowing users to find information on the go. Being able to run the model rapidly and daily helps close the notification gap regarding water quality, thus helping to protect public health every day in a more robust manner than the current testing methods. Highlights (policy) This past April, the EPA sponsored a Recreational Waters Conference, enabling those in related professions the chance to connect and educate one other on the latest studies, programs, best practices and technology in the recreational water field. This was the first recreational waters conference held by EPA in the past five years. Heal the Bay attended the conference this year and presented on both the Beach Report Card program as well as our predictive modeling program for California beaches. Feedback

was very positive, and presenting at the event allowed us to interface with other organizations and agencies from around the country, and thus facilitated further awareness of our program. Session topics ranged from “Trends in Beach Management,” to “Advanced in Alternative Indicators and Measurement,” and “Predictive Modeling and Forecasting.” Attending the conference allowed us to share our experiences while learning about the advances in water quality modeling programs elsewhere in the country, especially the Great Lakes where predictive models play a large role in beach management decisions. The information we learned at the conference will directly inform our efforts to grade beaches throughout the west coast and use these grades to drive water quality improvements. Our presentations also helped educate and provide tools to practitioners interested in doing similar programs in other states What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? Heal the Bay believes the public deserves to know the state of beach water quality before exposing themselves and their families to potentially harmful pathogens that can cause severe illness including: fever, flu-like symptoms, ear infections, respiratory illness, and gastroenteritis. Funds made it possible for Heal the Bay to communicate more effectively when conditions were questionable and in turn protected the health of millions of beachgoers, surfer and swimmers. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Heal the Bay is grateful for SIMA's support of its Beach Report Card® (BRC) program. Grant funds enabled Heal the Bay to expand the program's geographic scope and further optimize its public notification function. The program has been instrumental in improving beach water quality, shaping policy, promoting environmental stewardship, informing everyday citizens along the entire West Coast, and ultimately supporting Heal the Bay's mission.


KAHEA: THE HAWAIIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE


Organization: KAHEA: THE HAWAIIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE Contact Person: BIANCA ISAKI Title: BOARD SECRETARY Purpose of Grant: KAHEA used SIMA’s support to broaden our successful network of ocean advocates to better protect Hawai‘i's cherished natural and cultural ocean resources from new, as well as long established threats, in the following three program areas. Ìlio o Ke Kai Program: raising awareness of the Hawaiian cultural significance of the protection of monk seals, their critical habitat, and the relationships between these creatures and recreational ocean users. This program was expanded to support the successful expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. KAHEA worked with strategic partners to educate elected officials of the U.S. congressional delegation, our communities, and even our opposition. Marine preservation is a necessary step towards securing the economic and cultural livelihood of all peoples of Oceania and the world over. By expanding PRIMNM protections, the United States steps up to its responsibility to conserve resources in the lands and waters over which it has asserted jurisdiction and demonstrates its commitment to working with Pacific Island nations who are also implementing marine conservation policies. Our goal was finalization of a federal rule protecting Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat and a Presidential Proclamation designating the largest marine monument in the world. Huakaʻi Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae: community based, guided bus tour excursions into communities and areas affected by poor nearshore resource planning and ocean pollution. Our Environmental Justice Working Group decided to draft a white paper addressing the watershed (breaking up the channelization of Māʻiliʻiliʻi Stream, the Underground Injection Control Line (UIC Line), and reforestation, which was taken up during our Environmental Justice day event. Our goal was to hold three Huakaʻi Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae environmental justice bus tours in 2015, each which would serve at least 40 people. One tour was conducted at the request of the Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center, located in Nānākuli, to learn more about their surrounding community and to enrich their own community programming. Line in the Sand: protecting Hawai‘i’s shorelines through legal actions, including a lawsuit that was decided by the Hawai‘i Supreme Court in Kyo-ya, and community-

awareness-raising of regulations and shoreline development projects that encroach on public access and enjoyment of the ocean. Our goal was to educate Hawai‘i communities on important concerns motivating our litigation in Kyo-ya, including coastal development regulation and stewardship of nearshore resources. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. KAHEA used SIMA’s support to broaden our successful network of ocean advocates to better protect Hawai‘i's cherished natural and cultural ocean resources from new, as well as long established threats, in the following three program areas. Ìlio o Ke Kai Program: raising awareness of the Hawaiian cultural significance of the protection of monk seals, their critical habitat, and the relationships between these creatures and recreational ocean users. This program was expanded to support the successful expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. KAHEA worked with strategic partners to educate elected officials of the U.S. congressional delegation, our communities, and even our opposition. Marine preservation is a necessary step towards securing the economic and cultural livelihood of all peoples of Oceania and the world over. By expanding PRIMNM protections, the United States steps up to its responsibility to conserve resources in the lands and waters over which it has asserted jurisdiction and demonstrates its commitment to working with Pacific Island nations who are also implementing marine conservation policies. Our goal was finalization of a federal rule protecting Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat and a Presidential Proclamation designating the largest marine monument in the world. Huakaʻi Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae: community based, guided bus tour excursions into communities and areas affected by poor nearshore resource planning and ocean pollution. Our goal was to hold three Huakaʻi Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae environmental justice bus tours in 2015, each which would serve at least 40 people. One tour was conducted at the request of the Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center, located in Nānākuli, to learn more about their surrounding community and to enrich their own community programming. Line in the Sand: protecting Hawai‘i’s shorelines through legal actions, including a lawsuit that was decided by the Hawai‘i Supreme Court in Kyo-ya, and community-awareness-raising of regulations and shoreline development projects that encroach on public access and enjoyment of the ocean. Our goal was to educate Hawai‘i communities on important concerns motivating our litigation in Kyo-ya, including coastal development regulation and stewardship of nearshore resources. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project?

SIMA support greatly enhanced KAHEA’s ability to carry out its purposes in all three areas as described further below. Although our grant did not cover all of our programming expenses, we were able to supplement funding for certain programs from other grants. We successfully met our goals for our programs in 2015 by winning our Kyo-ya (Line in the Sand program) case before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, achieving a final critical habitat rule for the Hawaiian monk seal, and a U.S. Presidential Proclamation designating the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. In light of these successes, KAHEA revised its objectives and goals in 2016 to reflect an expansion towards a greater community focus on environmental justice in other areas on O‘ahu and towards marine conservation areas in the moana nui (greater Pacific region). What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? Huakaʻi Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae: SIMA support helped us to greatly extend our outreach to communities concerning education on oceans and environmental justice and in Waiʻānae and across O‘ahu. We conducted four Huaka‘i Kākoʻo no Waiʻanae environmental justice bus tours for over one hundred participants. In June 2015, we worked with other ocean-advocacy partners on O‘ahu’s north shore to work on a huaka‘i consisting in tree-planting and environmental justice education concerning the surrounding area. This event would not have been possible without SIMA’s organizational support. Line in the Sand: SIMA support enhanced KAHEAʻs protections of Hawai‘i’s shorelines through legal actions and community-awareness-raising of public access and enjoyment of the ocean. Educational components specifically concern coastal development regulation and stewardship of nearshore resources. With our plaintiff-partners, we put out press releases to educate Hawaiʻi's public about our case against a corporate developer’s resort that would illegally encroach on the famous shorelines of Waikīkī. In 2015, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court found entirely in our favor and vacated the developer’s building permit. Ìlio o Ke Kai Program: KAHEA continued its organizing and educational activities to raise awareness of the Hawaiian cultural significance of the protection of monk seals, their critical habitat, and the relationships between these creatures and recreational ocean users. Our primary goal was the enactment of a protective critical habitat rule, which we began petitioning for in 2009. In 2015, a federal final critical habitat rule for the Hawaiian Monk Seal would finally be enacted, with the support of KAHEA, its partners, and the Hawaiʻi state government. Also, on September 25, 2015, U.S. President Obama signed a proclamation designating PRIMNM as the then-largest marine preserve.

What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The SIMA grant helped us "keep the lights" on. We leveraged SIMA monies against other grants and to provide for administrative overhead that allowed us to engage fiscal sponsorships for strategic partners working on programs aligned with our own. SIMA's environmental fund enhanced our operations by covering a "gap" in needed funds, such that our administrator could use that time to work with a skilled-accountant volunteer to put in place better accounting and bookkeeping systems and to train our Board treasurer to better oversee those functions.


North Shore Community Land Trust


Organization: North Shore Community Land Trust Contact Person: Doug Cole Title: Executive Director

Purpose of Grant: The mission of the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) is to protect, steward, and enhance the natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and rural character of ahupua’a (watersheds) from Kahuku Point to Ka’ena Point. SIMA provided support in 2015 for the Pupukea Paumalu Stewardship Fund, the North Shore Community Food System Assessment, The North Shore Trails Plan, Kahuku Point Restoration, implementation of a strategic planning process for the organization, as well as NSCLT’s other priority projects that support clean water, surf break protection, and ocean environmental education. The Pupukea Paumalu property, cared for through the Pupukea Paumalu Stewardship Fund, has proven to be a great place for activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, educational programs and nature study, and agricultural and cultural resource restoration. To date over 500 volunteers have dedicated numerous hours to the improvement of the public trails system to allow access for everyone and to help prevent erosion in the area. NSCLT continued the North Shore Community Food System Assessment project by hosting the Third Annual North Shore Food Summit on October 21-22, 2015. The Food Summit brought together diverse food system stakeholders including farmers, landowners, health professionals, educators, non-profit partners, agricultural/food system funders, consumers, residents, and more to learn about and discuss the North Shore food system. Participants were overwhelmingly inspired to partner with each other to build a more sustainable North Shore food system, which lays a strong foundation for developing a food system assessment and action plan. Participants were able to learn about the local food providers on the North Shore during our first day of field trips followed by presentations and facilitated working groups during the second day of the event. The Food Summit added a Youth Summit component with over 200 local high school students learning about the food system and what they can do to get involved. NSCLT’s several other priority conservation projects create on-going opportunities to safeguard and strengthen Oahu’s near shore environment, cultural heritage, famous surf breaks and world-class beaches, and quality of life by permanently protecting an

ecologically significant area that is highly used and appreciated by Hawaii residents and millions of visitors each year. 2015 Expected Results: • Pupukea Paumalu effectively stewarded by the community with monthly workdays • Water quality protected at North Shore surf breaks; surf sites preserved; ocean and terrestrial conservation education opportunities for local youth, residents, and visitors • North Shore Trails Plan has begun the initial phase of reaching out to landowner and regulators to get feedback about the development of a network of trails and bike paths that will connect the North Shore from Kahuku to Kaena Point to provide a safe transportation alternative for locals and visitors that will connect cultural and recreational resources to communities to provide access without the need of vehicles. • North Shore Community Food System Assessment increases understanding of current food system and sets goals for increasing local production of - and access to - healthy food. • Kahuku Point Restoration has to date removed over 20,000 pounds of invasive plants, out-planted over 1,500 natives, removed over 5,000 pounds of marine debris from the coastline and reached over 2,000 individuals who participated in the restoration activities. SIMA’s grant funds are helping NSCLT achieve all of these results and more. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The mission of the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) is to protect, steward, and enhance the natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and rural character of ahupua’a (watersheds) from Kahuku Point to Ka’ena Point. SIMA provided support in 2015 for the Pupukea Paumalu Stewardship Fund, the North Shore Community Food System Assessment, The North Shore Trails Plan, Kahuku Point Restoration, implementation of a strategic planning process for the organization, as well as NSCLT’s other priority projects that support clean water, surf break protection, and ocean environmental education. The Pupukea Paumalu property, cared for through the Pupukea Paumalu Stewardship Fund, has proven to be a great place for activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, educational programs and nature study, and agricultural and cultural resource restoration. To date over 500 volunteers have dedicated numerous hours to the improvement of the public trails system to allow access for everyone and to help prevent erosion in the area. NSCLT continued the North Shore Community Food System Assessment project by hosting the Third Annual North Shore Food Summit on October 21-22, 2015. The Food Summit brought together diverse food system stakeholders including farmers, landowners, health professionals, educators, non-profit partners, agricultural/food system funders, consumers, residents, and more to learn about and discuss the North Shore food system. Participants were overwhelmingly inspired to partner with each other to build a more sustainable North Shore food system, which lays a strong foundation for developing a food system assessment and

action plan. Participants were able to learn about the local food providers on the North Shore during our first day of field trips followed by presentations and facilitated working groups during the second day of the event. The Food Summit added a Youth Summit component with over 200 local high school students learning about the food system and what they can do to get involved. NSCLT’s several other priority conservation projects create on-going opportunities to safeguard and strengthen Oahu’s near shore environment, cultural heritage, famous surf breaks and world-class beaches, and quality of life by permanently protecting an ecologically significant area that is highly used and appreciated by Hawaii residents and millions of visitors each year. 2015 Expected Results: • Pupukea Paumalu effectively stewarded by the community with monthly workdays • Water quality protected at North Shore surf breaks; surf sites preserved; ocean and terrestrial conservation education opportunities for local youth, residents, and visitors • North Shore Trails Plan has begun the initial phase of reaching out to landowner and regulators to get feedback about the development of a network of trails and bike paths that will connect the North Shore from Kahuku to Kaena Point to provide a safe transportation alternative for locals and visitors that will connect cultural and recreational resources to communities to provide access without the need of vehicles. • North Shore Community Food System Assessment increases understanding of current food system and sets goals for increasing local production of - and access to - healthy food. • Kahuku Point Restoration has to date removed over 20,000 pounds of invasive plants, out-planted over 1,500 natives, removed over 5,000 pounds of marine debris from the coastline and reached over 2,000 individuals who participated in the restoration activities. SIMA’s grant funds are helping NSCLT achieve all of these results and more. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? The stated goals and objectives for our 2015 SIMA grant are being achieved on an on-going basis in accord with our plans. NSCLT, in partnership with the community, continues to implement several of the projects, programs, and initiatives identified in the Pupukea Paumalu management plan and we continue to promote community-based stewardship of this amazing coastal bluff. NSCLT hired a Director of Conservation to oversee community outreach events that help connect local community members and visitors to the unique beauty of the North Shore region of Oʻahu and a Part Time Community Outreach Coordinator to help ensure that NSCLT continues to provides service to the community.

Additionally, in 2015, NSCLT began to extensively incorporate the North Shore Greenprint (completed in 2012) priorities into its conservation work. For example, because the North Shore Greenprint identified preservation of coastal lands and increased food production as two of the community’s highest priorities, NSCLT’s continues to facilitate both the North Shore Food Summit and Food System Assessment. The Malama Kawela-Kahuku Conservation Partnership (an effort to protect the Turtle Bay Resort’s undeveloped land in partnership with the landowner, State, and community) reflect NSCLT’s incorporation of the North Shore Greenprint into its conservation work. We plan to continually engage the community in updating the Greenprint to include future conservation successes, such as the permanent protection of the Turtle Bay Mauka Ag Lands (which was finalized in April of 2016) and the finalized agreement in October of 2016 to conserve over 600 acres from Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point (Malama Kawela-Kahuku), improved coastal access and stewardship, and to ensure that the Greenprint values and priorities remain consistent with the community’s vision for the area. Other highlights of NSCLT’s work in 2015 include: • Supported implementation of Pupukea Paumalu Long-term Resource Management Plan and updated and implemented stewardship agreements with the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawaii, and other partners for the Pupukea Paumalu property • Coordinated Pupukea Paumalu on-site community stewardship activities including trail clearing,community clean-ups, and erosion control on the 1,129 acre parcel on a monthly basis • Hiring a Community Outreach Coordinator to ensure that NSCLT recognizes what the community wants. • Finalized the purchase of agricultural conservation easement over 469 acres of prime coastal agricultural land from Turtle Bay Resort – closed April 2016! • Continued stewardship of agricultural conservation easement for 27 acre “Sunset Ranch” • Continued support for and momentum behind the new effort to establish a North Shore Community Food System Assessment and Food Policy Council, and hosted the Third Annual North Shore Food Summit on October 21 and 22 2015. With over 100 youth attending our Youth Food Summit. • Establishing groundwork for the North Shore Trails Plan by engaging landowners and government agencies that would be involved. • Established an agreement between landowner, State, and community through the Malama Kawela-Kahuku Conservation Partnership to preserve over 600 acres of Oʻahuʻs last remaining stretch of undeveloped coastline. • Hiring of a Director of Conservation to help community members and visitors learn about and help preserve the North Shore region. • Working with US Fish and Wildlife, NOAA, and Turtle Bay to help restore 39 acres at Kahuku Point, one of the few remaining coastal strand systems remaining on Oʻahu. SIMA’s support in 2015 allowed NSCLT to aggressively undertake our work to protect and restore special natural areas on the North Shore of Oahu. NSCLT looks forward to protecting even more land in 2016 and beyond for the benefit of the community.

While many of these goals are long term and on-going, NSCLT will continue to utilize the community outreach coordinator and Greenprint to ensure that our goals stay on task with what the community needs are. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? NSCLT is a voluntary land conservation organization that works with landowners, community groups, local government, and individuals to conserve the rural character of the North Shore. The Pupukea Paumalu Stewardship Fund supports the coordination of community planning and stewardship activities so that residents, visitors, and surfers from around the world will be able to enjoy the property in perpetuity via activities that include hiking, educational programs and nature study, biking, horseback riding, and agricultural and cultural resource restoration. The active community use and stewardship provides a highly visible example of the connection between coastal protection efforts and ocean water quality in one of the world’s most recognized marine environments and it continues to provide opportunities for people to appreciate breathtaking views of this spectacular coastline. In addition to the stewardship of Pupukea Paumalu, NSCLT successfully hosted the Third Annual North Shore Food Summit (over 250 community members gathered to understand and improve our food system along with over 200 High School Students at our inaugural Youth Summit), and participated in the community effort to encourage landowners and our local governments to pursue the protection of Turtle Bay, Haliewa Beach Park Mauka, and other valuable properties. Other significant community assets that are benefiting from these conservation efforts include: surf breaks such as Waimea Bay, Pipeline, Ehukai, Rocky Point, and Sunset Beach; the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary; and the Pupukea-Waimea Marine Life Conservation District. Importantly, hundreds of residents and at least 10 major land owners are now aware of voluntary land conservation as an opportunity for preserving the North Shore’s priceless natural resources. Through all of these efforts in 2015, NSCLT was able to conserve over 600 acres of coastal land at Turtle Bay Resort in October of 2016 and over 450 acres of agricultural land in April of 2016. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) SIMA’s support continues to help NSCLT make significant investments in strengthening the organization so that we will have a greater impact in voluntary land conservation. We are also excited about our communications tools such as the Greenprint, an enhanced web presence, our newsletter, additional staff (Director of Conservation and Community Outreach Coordinator) and continued use of database improvements, such as the use of eTapestry and gifttool. SIMA support has directly led to NSCLT enhancing its operations and strengthening its capacity as we improve

our ability to anticipate and adapt to change. These changes are directly improving our ability to conserve land and other natural resources. SIMA's support has also allowed us to invest in the tools and supplies needed to restore 39 acres of coastal strand ecosystem at Kahuku Point which will soon provide a safe nesting grounds for seabirds such as albatross, boobies, shearwaters, and petrels.


Ocean Institute


Organization: Ocean Institute Contact Person: Jane Birmingham Title: Director of Grants

Purpose of Grant: The grant from the SIMA Environmental Fund supported the Ocean Institute’s Watershed Program, helping create passionate and proactive environmental stewards by hooking fifth graders on the ocean and its ecosystems with hands-on programming. The ten-year-old students from all walks of life explored many fascinating aspects of the ocean sparking the desire to become active stewards. Thank you for making this happen. Because of your generous grant, 1,540 students had the opportunity to come to the Institute for the Watershed Program, many seeing the ocean for the first time in their lives. Since its launch in 2004, Watershed has educated and inspired over 25,000 students from forty Southern California cities with programming at sea, in labs, doing first-hand research, and presenting their research findings. Each year, participating students increase the impact and reach of the program by educating fellow citizens in their home communities about joining their efforts to protect local and ocean environments. We are tremendously grateful for SIMA Environmental Fund’s longtime, extraordinary generosity that makes this important ocean-education program a reality for so many youngsters. These eager ten-year-olds are the perfect age to become enthusiastic and ocean stewards through hands-on activities that spark lifelong interest. Their excitement about the ocean grows as your funding sends them to sea on the R/V Sea Explorer. This favorite component is very impactful since most of the students are on a boat on the ocean for the first time. They conduct in-depth marine science experiments, view plankton’s health under microscopes, and learn all about this essential ocean food source. The entire experience impassions students to play a role in improving the health of marine, coastal, and inland environments and work at influencing others to do the same.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. Your grant funding is important in keeping the Watershed Program free of charge to families and schools. The majority of the students who participate are from low-income families living inland with only rare opportunities for first-hand ocean discovery. Watershed is an opportunity they would never have if we charged a fee. If we have any hope of restoring our global oceans to optimal health, including children from all socioeconomic backgrounds in hands-on ocean education is essential. In that regard, your grant helped bring over 1,500 fifth grade students to the Ocean Institute to examine interconnected ocean and watershed environments through a scientific lens. The goal was met as the students learned that everything they do in their neighborhoods, which are in watersheds that all end in the ocean, has much more than local impact. Students in the program ventured out to sea as oceanographers and came back to the dock completely captivated. They emerged empowered and confident to make daily choices and decisions that do not hurt the ocean. Your grant helped achieve the following goals: • Students gained new ocean and watershed knowledge • Students were empowered to take ownership of their ocean • 1,540 ten-year-olds were motivated to make informed choices every day to limit their impact on the ocean • Students understand that everyone’s actions, no matter how small, combine to make a tremendous difference in restoring and protecting fragile marine ecosystems • Students use every opportunity to raise ocean awareness and inspire community action to protect local environments because they all directly affect the ocean that belongs to us all SIMA Environmental Fund’s grant provided ocean research cruises on the R/V Sea Explorer with expenses including wages for the Captain, tech staff, instructors, and floating lab specialists; fuel; insurance; and vessel maintenance. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? The Watershed Program succeeded in immersing 1,540 students from 21 primarily underserved schools in science-based, ocean activities that inspired them to protect the environment. One hundred percent of the students understand that everyone’s daily behavior impacts the ocean, regardless of where they live. They know the importance of motivating others to join them in saving the environment. In this second decade of Watershed, we continued to inspire students to be concerned about major threats and challenges facing the ocean. Eighty percent of the students in the program committed to being active defenders of the ocean because they now know it's essential to life on this planet. The fifth graders gained new knowledge and

confidence to make informed decisions and choices going forward to only make positive impact on their environment. After our instructors prepared them in their classrooms with pre-program curriculum, students came to the Ocean Institute for their field programs with a scientific lab and oceanographic excursion out on the Pacific Ocean. As a class, they chose which current environmental issue to investigate in their neighborhood watershed, along the coast, or in the ocean using the scientific method. Students then developed research projects on those pressing issues and presented their projects' findings at the Watershed Kids’ Conference. Our educators worked with the students and teachers to make those presentations compelling and relevant for community audiences; then the fifth graders gave those presentations to raise awareness and encourage everyone to get involved. The fifth graders achieved a lot during these first ocean visits and voyages thanks to your funding. Teachers shared feedback about how the Watershed experience impacted their students in transformative ways throughout the school year and beyond by connecting them to their ocean. One student wrote a thank you letter to his Ocean Institute instructors asking if he could come back one day to help teach other students about the ocean. He said he had learned “so many new things” during Watershed that he wants to continue to discover the ocean so he can work here one day. We will have an instructor job waiting, you can be sure! What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The program immerses California’s youth in in-depth marine experiences that emphasize the current state of the ocean environment. With our Board-driven mission of creating empowered global citizens, Watershed does just that. The program made an impact again this year through the following specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives: • Increasing student environmental knowledge and empowering them to take ownership of their ocean. • Motivating 1,540 ten-year-olds to make informed choices every day to limit their impact on the ocean. • Creating passionate ocean stewards in 80% of the students as a result of engaging, hands-on programming, measured in the shorter-term by teacher feedback. • Guiding students on designing and conducting successful – and impactful - research projects on the health of the ocean and watersheds. • Preparing students to deliver their presentations to motivate citizens in their communities to get onboard as ocean stewards. • Instilling in students the critical-thinking and informed-behavior that supports the Ocean Project’s "together we can" approach to healing the ocean.

• Students understanding that everyone’s actions – small or large – combined together will make a tremendous difference in restoring and protecting fragile marine ecosystems. • Students using every opportunity to inspire community action to protect local environments that directly affect the ocean that belongs to us all. Using grant funding, we strive to make it possible for any interested fifth grade teacher to bring his or her students to Watershed by alleviating financial and logistical obstacles. Watershed’s student demographics represent the broad spectrum with as high as 90% qualifying for the federal free/reduced price meal program at school and living in families where English is not the first language. Although they are only ten years old, the students gain conviction and confidence to lead their families and adults in their communities to environmental action. Watershed transforms the students and presents new academic and environmental pathways to explore. We are proud that Watershed’s students are equipped and interested to be the leaders of tomorrow. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) SIMA Environmental Fund’s financial endorsement of Watershed over many years has gone a long way toward putting the Ocean Institute on the map. Thank you. Our mandate is to enrich, engage, and inspire and the Ocean Institute could never do that without you. We take our responsibility to serve all interested students, teachers, and public visitors seriously and grant funding makes it possible. Your generosity changes lives. Watershed is the Ocean Institute’s most sought-after program. Your grant allows our top-notch staff to work hard to keep it that way. Teachers and school principals know Watershed makes a tremendous difference for students as well as the ocean and ecosystem environment. The grant from the SIMA Environmental Fund helps our educators maintain Watershed’s high quality content and supports them in keeping the program current and relevant. This sets the standard for all of our programming as we strive to engage students from all backgrounds in real-world learning. Your grant helps us include underserved schools in our programs; without grants our reach would be much narrower. That would make the Ocean Institute significantly less effective at educating all audiences, which is why our Board of Directors makes fundraising a top priority. In conclusion, we hope you know that, without SIMA Environmental Fund’s forward thinking and remarkable generosity, thousands of children would never have the opportunity to experience our captivating ocean programming that builds stewardship and changes lives. Thank you.


Orange County Coastkeeper


Organization: Orange County Coastkeeper Contact Person: Garry Brown Title: Founder & Executive Director Purpose of Grant: Orange County has one of the largest watershed areas in Southern

California. Urban runoff and storm flows from over 3,200 square miles of mostly developed urban area containing nearly 5 million people drains through and from Orange County. This runoff discharges into our waterways, harbors and to our coastal waters. It dramatically impairs water quality for recreational use, including surfing. This toxic water contains viruses and pathogens that can and does cause illness to those who ingest polluted and toxic water. The Purpose is to reduce and eliminate toxic pollutants from entering the water stream that has the potential to impair coastal waters.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The Orange County Coastkeeper requested funding to continue its Coastal Water Quailty Improvement Program. This program has been the cornerstone of Coastkeeper’s body of work. It continues to produce, in measurable results, improved water quality of our coastal water, as well as an enhanced beach environment along our 42-mile coastline. The Program consists of four initiatives; strong advocacy, generating good science with water monitoring, aggressive enforcement using litigation, and education to both students and adults. The Goal is to keep improving and maintaining the ‘Grade A’ for ocean water quality along our 42-mile coastline. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Coastkeeper’s mission is to 1) reduce the flows from sources, 2) promote regulations, programs and projects that improve water quality, and 3) minimize the impact of pollution to our coastal waters.

The result is improvement of our surfing environment along the Orange County coastline. Documented records indicate we have been successful with each of these major tasks. We continue to experience a decline in “beach mile days” of beach postings and closures over the past decade. As positive as this is, we can not afford diminish our efforts or programs; it only shows our programs are working. Each year we continue to experience discharges of polluted runoff, sewage spills, and storm flows that deposit tons of trash and debris on our beaches. The good news is that the frequency and quantities are substantially less. All of Orange County’s surfing beaches are now receiving a Grade A for water quality most, with the exception of a storm event. This is a giant leap from ten years ago! A major component of the program is Coastkeeper’s on-going exclusive campaign focused on cities and sanitation districts to expedite inspections, repairs, and retrofitting of aging sewage collection systems. The goal is to eliminate sewage spills, thus reducing postings and closings of Orange County beaches. Through a combination of litigation, collaboration, and data monitoring Coastkeeper applies constant pressure on cities and special districts to invest more capital in retrofitting collection systems. The Result: The number of sewage spills continues to decrease. Today, the number of sewage spills annually is only a small fraction of what they were a decade ago. Coastkeeper successfully persuaded OCTA’s agreement to create a 2% of gross revenue fund for Water Quality Clean-Up program to the Measure M extension that was approved by the voters. This year fund actively funded O.C. cities and the County of Orange to install “Best Management Technologies” (BMPs) that will treat urban runoff and remove trash and debris from ocean discharges. This program requires Coastkeeper’s involvement in establishing the distribution process of these funds. The Result: Coastkeeper Chairs the Environmental Clean-up Allocation Committee of OCTA which ensures that funding goes to projects that improve coastal water quality. Continual collaboration with regulatory agencies, such as the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the County Watersheds Department, water and sanitation districts, and the Coastal Commission has generated higher water quality standards and requirements that dischargers must comply with. The dischargers are defined as cities, the County, industrial facilities, and special districts. Coastkeeper is the only environmental organization that has participated for the last fifteen years as a major stakeholder in developing these water quality standards for the regions waterways that drain to the ocean. Through Coastkeeper’s continual collaboration with the development industry, new development projects, both inland and coastal, are ensured to have state-of-the-art water quality management plans, which include total capture or treatment of urban runoff. The Result: Due to Coastkeeper’s efforts, all new development will be engineered with Low Impact Development Standards. This results guarantees less volume of water being discharges to the ocean. Coastkeeper has substantially increased its enforcement presence throughout the watershed. With less enforcement from the agencies charges with enforcing water

quality laws, Coastkeeper has compensated by increasing our volume of enforcement cases. Today, Coastkeeper has brought over 90 Federal Clean Water Act enforcement cases to largely industrial polluters and to several local government agencies—all with a 100% success record. Industries such as the scrap metal, truck dismantlers, mining, food processing, trash haulers, machine fabrication, ready-mix plants, and metal foundries have been forced to clean-up their facilities and ensure no discharge of pollution into our waterways, which ultimately discharge to the ocean.The Result: Through our clean water enforcement litigation we are cleaning up our watershed industry by industry. Coastkeeper’s multi-level education programs received some funding from this years SIMA grant. These funds supported our “Kid’s Ocean Day” program. This is focused at the elementary age students where we go to the schools and put on assemblies talking about the ocean and the pollution that comes from the land and our streets and highways. On one day in June, 1,500 elementary kids come to the beach at Huntington Beach. They first pick up trash, then pose for ariel photography send a Message for the Ocean. This a great program fostering the concept of stewardship our our young children. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The area we serve is over 3,000 square miles of dense urban development with approximately 5 million residents. It is Coastkeeper’s contention that the entire area and population is both served and enhanced by our Coastal Water Quality Improvement Program. Reducing pollution and toxic runoff that flows through our watershed in creeks, streams, and channels and into our harbors to our coastal waters serves the entire population. By enhancing the quality of the water that flows through our communities and to our coast, we are improving the integrity of our communities. Surfing is, of course, the most direct beneficiary of our work, but it is really the entire watershed that benefits as well. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The Impact of Coastkeeper’s Coastal Water Quality Improvement Program has had a very significant impact on the Organization’s visible standing throughout the watershed (Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties). Our successes in advocacy, our collaborative nature and commitment to work with others (even those that do not share our passion for the environment), and our enforcement of clean water laws, have given Coastkeeper a high level of credibility throughout the region. Our successes have brought greater credibility and the credibility has allowed for more successes.


Paso Pacifico


Organization: Paso Pacifico Contact Person: Sarah Otterstrom Title: Executive Director

Purpose of Grant: The goal of this project has been to protect the Pacific Ocean and

beaches of southwestern Nicaragua through increased awareness within the local Nicaraguan surfing community and through ocean conservation and restoration measures.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. During the year, we have worked on three specific goals which advance us towards ocean conservation. These have been to: 1) Support and strengthen the Nicaraguan surfers as they grow in their role as ocean stewards, 2) Improve water quality and marine ecosystems through reduced pollution, and 3) Provide technical support to community-based efforts to restore coastal ecosystems. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? We describe our activities and results for each of the three specific objectives: 1) SUPPORT NICARAGUAN SURFERS AS OCEAN STEWARDS This year, Paso Pacifico supported the Claro Latin Pro Nicaragua Surf Classic through sponsorship and an environmental education stand and educational banners. This surf competition was held in July of 2016 at Playa Hermosa in San Juan del Sur. This event was part of the Tour Latinamericano de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) allowing for high visibility of our environmental messaging to surfers from throughout the region. The event organizers allowed us to provide ocean conservation messages and slogans which were shared by the announcer throughout the event. Paso Pacifico’s community rangers helped to staff the educational stand throughout the day.

In addition, twenty of Paso Pacifico’s Junior Rangers (ages 8-12) attended and supported our educational stand by speaking with attendees throughout the day. These youth were selected to attend from among the ranks of our Junior Ranger due to their enthusiasm about ocean conservation and their knowledge about ways to protect it. Throughout the day, the youth connected with their surfing heroes such as Nicaragua’s Rex Calderon and Kevin Cortez. It was inspiring for them and reinforced their excitement about the ocean. Paso Pacifico also facilitated the connection between ocean conservation and local Nicaraguan youth through multiple field trips for a total of 153 children from five rural villages to the La Flor Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Nicaragua. This area is the only marine protected area in Rivas Department of Nicaragua and is home to Nicarauga’s largest olive ridley sea turtle nesting population and also hosts humpback whales from both South America populations, and Southern California sub-population. The children learned about the natural history of the area and the importance of the marine protected areas for wildlife and fisheries. Students filled out a pre and post field-trip evaluation where they described the things that they can do to protect the ocean and sea turtles. The students finalized each field trip with a beach clean-up. These 153 children are now advocates for the ocean in their communities and with their friends and neighbors, many of whom are or will soon become part of Nicaragua’s surfing community. 2) IMPROVE WATER QUALITY THROUGH REDUCED POLLUTION Paso Pacifico served as the national coordinator for Nicaragua’s Coastal Clean-up which is a country within the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean-up. This year was a big success in that we were able to do extensive outreach with national and local news outlets and as a result there were stories covering the event and ocean pollution issues in three newspapers, three television news outlets, and our staff were interviewed on two separate national talk-shows. In addition, there were short interviews and takes of the clean-up around the country that were played and replayed for days following the event. The national clean-up event received the support of the U.S. Ambassador Laura F. Dogu and she and her staff from the U.S. State Department participated in the clean-up at La Boquita in Carazo. Her involvement also provided us with additional visibility for reducing beach pollution in Nicaragua. In total, we had 1092 participants and we collected 33,250 lbs of garbage. A total of 20 beaches were cleaned up in six provinces of Nicaragua: Carazo, Rivas, Leon, Chinandega, RAAS, y Granada. We took advantage of the clean-up to share the issues affecting sharks in Nicaragua’s seas. We gathered over one hundred signatures in support of listing the Silky Shark in the Appendix II of CITES as part of petition organized by PRETOMA (Costa Rica) and

with the participation of ocean conservation groups across Central America. We presented the signatures to the president’s office in Nicaragua. In the end, this measure was successful at the CITES meeting in South Africa thanks to the advocacy of groups all over the world such as our own. In addition to the coastal clean-up, Paso Pacifico supported 96 local children ages eight through twelve years of age through the Junior Ranger curriculum until they reached graduation in late October. One of the curricular units focuses on caring for watersheds and coastal areas by reducing pollution and one of the participatory activities is a clean-up of river and beaches. During this educational unit, children participate in clean-in the waterways near their villages, both beaches and riverways. 3) PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO EFFORTS TO RESTORE COASTAL ECOSYSTEM Paso Pacifico worked very hard over the last year to improve water quality and restore coastal ecosystems in southwestern Nicaragua. In the area of coastal restoration, we have focused our efforts on the Ostional Mangrove where we have held two community-wide workshops focused on mangroves and their function and have discussed with the local cooperative a plan to remove all cattle from grazing inside of the mangrove. We provided tourism training to 30 community guides as part of a community-based eco-tourism project, and 20 graduated as eco-tourism guides certified by the national institute of tourism. Through this effort, we collaborated with Dr. Eric Olson of Brandeis University who funded the construction of an elevated path through the mangrove in order to support bird-watching tours through the wetland. We have been working with researchers from the University of South Florida to identify funding to design an implementation plan to restore the hydrology of the mangrove area. Additionally, we led a stakeholders committee at the La Flor Wildlife Refuge and hosted monthly meetings with the group. Through this work we developed a new management plan for the wildlife refuge which was recently approved by the ministry of the environment. During the development of this plan we reinforced the importance of removing cattle from the beaches, mangroves, and coastal forests. The Ministry of the Environment and its rangers seem to have a renewed commitment to this norm that is vital to protecting the coastal environment. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? Our measurable results in the community include: - Nicaraguan surfing and a linkage to ocean conservation promoted through the Nicaraguan pro-surfing classic - 500 Nicaraguan youth reached through beach field trips, educational training and involvement in beach clean-ups

- 33,000 tons of garbage removed from local beaches, international coastal clean-up and anti-letter messaging to a nationwide audience (1+ million people) - Cattle removed from three key mangrove wetlands (Escameca, La Flor, and Ostional Rivers) - 20 community tour guides prepared and graduated as certified eco-tourism guides in coastal areas What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Paso Pacifico would like to thank SIMA Environmental Fund for its continued support. By strengthening the capacity our ocean conservation programs, you have enabled us to provide urgent help and support to coastal fishing and surfing communities. For example, just this past month, Hurricane Otto approached the south coast of Rivas at the same time that a large earthquake off the coast triggered a tsunami warning. Paso Pacifico’s team was on the ground and available to help people prepare their homes and then evacuate to higher ground using our vehicles and relying on our team of rangers who just this year had received training in emergency management. Another example is that our presence in the communities has led us to build a community library in the fishing village of Ostional. This investment increases the well-being of local people and in turn will contribute to improved knowledge and stewardship of our oceans.


Reef Check Foundation


Organization: Reef Check Foundation Contact Person: Jan Freiwald Title: Director, Reef Check Califorina Purpose of Grant: Thanks to the wonderful support of the SIMA Environmental Fund

in 2015, the Reef Check Foundation’s California Program (RCCA) has just completed its eleventh year of improving marine management in California through education, training and community engagement. The 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant allowed Reef Check to grow in efficacy and impact as California’s only statewide reef monitoring network. The Reef Check California program was established in 2005 to sustain and strengthen California’s coastal communities by protecting and improving the health and sustainability of California’s reefs. It does so by empowering California’s ocean enthusiasts, through education, training and community engagement, to become active stewards of their local ocean resources. Specifically, RCCA’s goal is to use citizen science, community-based monitoring and data collection to improve marine management and educate the public about the marine environment along our coast. RCCA’s training and monitoring program effectively empowers thousands of California’s ocean lovers to take direct action in the stewardship and management of California’s reefs. Our volunteers, who range in experience from surfers to commercial fishermen to recreational ocean users and university students, come to RCCA because they are concerned about the changes they see in California’s marine environment. They want to “make a difference” and “dive with a purpose”. RCCA gives these concerned citizens an avenue to make a tangible difference in the management of their marine resources by engaging them in the education and conservation processes, and promoting ocean stewardship among California’s coastal communities. The SIMA grant in 2015 supported this mission and our goals in 2016.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant.

The Reef Check Foundation was awarded, in 2015, a one-year SIMA grant for its Reef Check California Program (RCCA) for the stated goal of continuing to improve marine management and conservation in California. RCCA provides critical ecological baseline data on California’s nearshore rocky reef ecosystems through its work with volunteer scuba divers as citizen scientists; and by educating the public it creates an informed constituency supportive of science-based management and conservation. RCCA’s four objectives are to: 1) Facilitate grassroots “citizen science” monitoring by increasing the number, and retention of certified RCCA divers; 2) Directly contribute to marine decision-making and management by expanding and strengthening RCCA’s monitoring network; 3) Work with decision-makers, resource professionals, and stakeholders to bring RCCA’s monitoring data to bare on resource management and policy decisions by analyzing and sharing data; 4) Broaden RCCA's public education and outreach to surfers, recreational divers, ocean users, community members, commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, academia, state agencies, and business groups, all of whom work together to monitor and conserve the rocky reef ecosystems. In 2016, RCCA was involved in marine protected area (MPA) monitoring throughout the state and in fact is now the only program that monitors kelp forest and rocky reefs in MPAs statewide to inform California’s resource managers. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? We are excited to report that in 2016 - once again - the Reef Check California program met or exceeded all of its annual objectives as outlined in the SIMA proposal: Objective 1) In 2016 we have maintained a body of active volunteers of about 290 participants. We have retained about 110 long-term volunteers and trained 180 new volunteers in 2016. We are particularly excited to report that we continue to expand our trainings in the northern part of the state. Objective 2) In 2016 we conducted 84 surveys statewide. Again, we completed two three-day excursions to survey sites in the difficult to reach coast lines of the Northern Channel Islands and along the Big Sur coast. These multi-day expedition were in large part self-financed by volunteer contributions and a very successful Kickstarter campaign. Objective 3) We have shared the results of our monitoring work widely in 2016. Our findings from the southern California MPA baseline monitoring have been distributed in the “Kelp & Shallow Reef Snapshot” brochure developed by the Ocean Science Trust. We continually improve the capabilities of our Global Reef Tracker data portal (data.reefcheck.org) and we have presented the results of our work at conferences and

meeting at all levels from local community gathering to national scientific conferences and co-authored two scientific publications. Objective 4) We have successfully broadened our outreach through several avenues. We have continued to give presentations on marine conservations, MPAs and the importance of citizen sciences monitoring of the marine environment. We have made much progress on our social media campaign and increased the programs online presence again this year. These new efforts have greatly increased our outreach activities and will continue to do so in the future. In particular, we are excited to report that we have successfully piloted a school children education program – Reef Check’s Student Ocean Scientist (SOS) program - and taught over 500 children from 11 different schools in collaboration with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI). What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? We now have a time-series dataset of the ecological communities on California’s rocky reefs spanning more and a decade and of an unprecedented geographic scope. No other organization has such an expansive dataset on the rocky reef and kelp forest communities along our coast. This information will be useful for current and future management of our marine resources and for understanding the effects of Californian’s MPAs. The largest success in 2016 was the participation of RCCA in the launch of the state-funded MPA long-term monitoring as one of the key partners for subtidal monitoring. RCCA is now the only subtidal monitoring program that provides data to the state from a network of sites along the entire California coast. This in turn will help to better inform adaptive management of California’s marine resources for many years to come. Similarly, with the increased number of volunteers and our expansion in northern California we have successfully launched a partnership with local fishermen and The Nature Conservancy to add additional monitoring capacity and collected data on red abalone sizes far beyond what could have been collected during regular RCCA surveys. We hope these data will contribute to the management of the recreational abalone fishery in northern California. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Thanks to SIMA’s generous and ongoing support, RCCA continued in 2016 to give California’s concerned citizens an avenue for engagement in the conservation processes of California’s marine resources. SIMA funds helped to pay for the salaries of our tireless and dedicated staff, many of whom work every weekend during the entire dive season, from April to November, to empower our incredible volunteers to survey California’s reefs and make a difference. Your support enables us to continue our core mission of monitoring California’s reefs. Thank you again for your generous support of the Reef Check California program.


Santa Barbara Channelkeeper


Organization: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Contact Person: Kira Redmond Title: Executive Director Purpose of Grant: The purpose of this grant was to support Santa Barbara

Channelkeeper’s Clean Water Advocacy and Enforcement Program in 2016. The purpose of our Program is to protect and enhance water quality and aquatic habitats in the Santa Barbara Channel and its beaches, creeks, and ocean waters, and to defend our community’s right to clean water. Our aim is to compel government agencies and polluters to clean up major sources of water pollution and to institute stronger environmental protections for the Santa Barbara Channel and its beaches and tributaries in the interest of better protecting public health, wildlife, the environment, and our tourism and recreation-driven economy.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The purpose and goals of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper's 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant were to: • Compel the County of Santa Barbara to eliminate the discharge of pollutants from its South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station to Atascadero Creek, Goleta Slough, and Goleta Beach; • Protect public health and the environment from agricultural pollution by participating in and influencing Regional Water Board policy processes to revise regulatory programs that address agricultural runoff; • Track and weigh in on the City of Santa Barbara’s studies to analyze the feasibility of subsurface intakes for its desalination plant and of potable reuse as an alternative to desalination; • Compel the City of Santa Barbara to implement a more rigorous and effective program to better reduce sewage spills; • Track the ongoing response, clean-up, policy reforms and enforcement against Plains All American Pipeline for the Refugio Oil Spill and conduct monitoring and advocacy to ensure thorough clean-up, enforcement and future spill prevention; and

• Advocate to ensure that local oil exploration and production activities, including fracking, don’t harm water quality, aquatic habitats and public health. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Santa Barbara Channelkeeper (SBCK) made significant gains for clean water through our advocacy and enforcement efforts over the past year, thanks in no small part to support from the SIMA Environmental Fund. First and foremost, we successfully settled our lawsuit against Santa Barbara County for discharging polluted stormwater from its South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station, a seven-acre waste and recycling facility that has had the highest number of violations of California’s industrial stormwater permit in the Central Coast region for the past five years. We signed a court-enforceable settlement agreement with the County in July 2016, which requires the County to implement a suite of Best Management Practices to prevent the exposure of pollution sources at the facility to stormwater, and to eliminate the discharge of polluted stormwater or meet water quality standards. As part of the settlement, the County also contributed to South Coast Habitat Restoration for a Supplemental Environmental Project to restore steelhead habitat in Atascadero Creek. SBCK scored another major victory for clean water in May 2016 when the Los Angeles Regional Water Board updated its regulations to curb pollution from agriculture in LA and Ventura counties. The new “Ag Order” contains some of the strongest protections for streams and wetlands in the entire state. As a lead environmental advocate in this policy-making process, SBCK successfully secured key new provisions to protect water quality and public health from agricultural pollution, including date-certain timelines for farmers to comply with water quality standards; enforceable water quality limits for discharges from farms; edge-of-farm monitoring to verify compliance of individual farms with water quality standards; and well testing requirements to protect rural farm workers from drinking contaminated water. We are now serving as a lead advocate in the processes currently being undertaken by the Central Coast and East San Joaquin Valley Regional Water Boards to revise their Ag Orders in an effort to secure equally strong agricultural pollution regulations in those regions. In response to the City of Santa Barbara’s failure to meet the sewage spill reduction targets mandated by a settlement agreement we signed with the City in 2012, SBCK recently invoked dispute resolution and demanded that the City sign a modified settlement agreement with more stringent requirements to effectively reduce sewage spills and extend the agreement so the City can demonstrate compliance with the new requirements. We have been engaged in settlement negotiations with the City for the past three months and are on track to sign a strengthened and extended settlement agreement before the end of 2016.

In response to the current drought, SBCK has been championing sustainable water supply solutions like recycled water as an alternative to the City of Santa Barbara's current plan to desalinate seawater using an open ocean intake, which will suck in and kill billions of marine organisms every year. As a result of SBCK's advocacy, the City completed two studies in 2016 which analyze the feasibility of utilizing a subsurface intake instead of an open ocean intake to draw seawater into its desalination plant, as well as the feasibility of producing potable water from highly treated wastewater as an alternative to desalination. The City’s subsurface intake feasibility study found that several different types of subsurface intakes could feasibly produce between 4,800-8,000 acre feet per year (AFY) of water, and the potable reuse feasibility study found that between 5,800-6,900 acre feet of potable water could be produced through various types of indirect or direct potable reuse, which could satisfy more than half of the City's current demand. However, the City decided to define “feasible” as capable of producing 10,000 AFY of water (the maximum amount of water they have permits to produce from the desalination plant), and thus none of the subsurface intake or potable reuse options they examined were found to be “feasible.” SBCK testified before City Council and submitted written comments, emphasizing that the finding of infeasibility is inappropriate given the fact that the City is currently recommissioning its desalination plant to produce 3,125 AFY, or less than 1/3 the amount they set as the threshold for feasibility. Their response was that the study's findings will be useful in informing the next update to the City's Long Term Water Supply Plan, which will happen if and when the current drought ends. SBCK will continue to advocate for subsurface intakes and potable reuse as well as other, more sustainable and environmentally friendly water supply alternatives to respond the drought. In an effort to help water districts in our area transition to more sustainable water supply portfolios, SBCK commissioned a study by a group of Masters students at the University of California Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) Bren School of Environmental Science and Management to analyze the financial, energy and environmental costs of the various water supply sources currently used in our region as well as several new supply and demand reduction options that could be developed in the future. The Bren Study demonstrated that there is significant untapped potential to reduce demand and increase supply by improving water use efficiency, capturing rainwater, and recycling and reusing water, while at the same time cutting energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, saving money, reducing pollution, and increasing our preparedness for future droughts. SBCK has and will continue to share this important study with local policy makers, water districts and the general public and use it as an educational and advocacy tool to help inform important decisions that need to be made about how much water we use and where it will come from in the future. SBCK has also been playing a pivotal role in the response to the devastating Refugio Oil Spill of 2015. We were instrumental in securing the passage of three new state bills to improve oil spill prevention and response; filed suit against the federal government for refusing to disclose information about inspections and oversight of oil pipelines, including the one that caused the Refugio spill; provided information and resources,

including a free six-part “After the Spill” speaker series, to help our community understand and engage on issues related to the spill and oil development in our region more broadly; developed a new tar ball monitoring program to aid in the identification and response to future spills; and contributed to spill response agencies’ “lessons learned” debriefing sessions to provide recommendations on ways to improve oil spill response. We are now working on a number of fronts to ensure that oil spill response agencies, SBCK as an organization, and Santa Barbara as a community incorporate the lessons learned from the Refugio spill so that we are all better prepared to respond effectively to future oil spills, and ideally, are more successful in minimizing the environmental and economic damage they cause. Finally, SBCK recently filed a lawsuit against the federal government over their decision to approve well stimulation techniques, including fracking and acidizing, from 23 offshore oil platforms in southern California, including in the Santa Barbara Channel. Our lawsuit alleges that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement violated the federal Endangered Species Act because they failed to consult with federal wildlife agencies regarding potential impacts of well stimulation techniques on threatened and endangered species. It also alleges the agencies violated the National Environmental Policy Act for failing to prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement to fully evaluate and disclose potential impacts on the environment. We will be pursuing settlement or litigation in the coming year to compel these agencies to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the offshore use of well stimulation techniques and to halt the issuance of additional permits for these practices until that assessment is complete. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? As a result of SBCK’s clean water advocacy and enforcement efforts over the past year, the beaches, rivers and coastal waters along the Santa Barbara Channel will be cleaner, healthier and safer, and fewer people will become ill from recreating in polluted water. SBCK’s success in signing a court-enforceable agreement with Santa Barbara County to settle our lawsuit over polluted stormwater discharges from the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station will prevent the discharge of pollutants from the facility to Atascadero Creek (an important creek for steelhead), ensure compliance with California’s industrial stormwater permit, and establish the standard for pollution control at all industrial facilities owned and operated by Santa Barbara County. The clean-up of the Transfer Station, which had the highest number of violations of the industrial stormwater permit of any facility in the Central Coast region, will result in cleaner, safer water and healthier aquatic habitat in Atascadero Creek, as well as the Goleta Slough and Goleta Beach downstream.

The new agricultural pollution regulations that SBCK was instrumental in securing for Los Angeles and Ventura counties contains some of the strongest protections for streams and wetlands in the entire state, and these regulations will set a precedent for how other regions in California regulate agricultural pollution, one of the most significant sources of water quality impairment in the state. Our success in compelling the City of Santa Barbara to undertake thorough, independently reviewed studies to analyze the feasibility of a subsurface intake for the desalination plant and of potable reuse options has generated important information that could ultimately result in the avoidance of significant environmental impacts. Based on the findings of these studies, the City may decide to transition from the existing open ocean intake, which will suck in and kill billions of marine organisms, to a subsurface intake, which would virtually eliminate that impact. Subsurface intakes also require less energy to operate - thus causing less greenhouse gas emissions - and require less pretreatment chemicals to be added to the seawater to remove particulates, minerals and organic compounds – chemicals which are ultimately discharged back to the ocean with the concentrated brine waste. Alternatively, the City may decide to convert its desalination facility into a potable reuse facility to treat sewage to a level high enough to produce drinking water, which would not only avoid the marine life impacts of desalination and lower greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also benefit the marine environment by avoiding the discharge of treated wastewater back into the ocean. These alternatives will be thoroughly analyzed by the City when it updates its Long Term Water Supply Plan, likely in 2017. The study that was done for SBCK by the group of Master’s students at UCSB’s Bren School has been and will continue to be an extremely useful and informative tool to help water districts in our region make informed, reasoned decisions about how and where to invest public monies to meet their water supply needs while minimizing economic and environmental costs. The project also provided excellent training and experience for five Master’s students in performing professional-level work, managing group dynamics, developing strategies, and applying technical expertise to help solve a complex, multidisciplinary and timely environmental problem. We have been presenting their study to a wide audience, including water districts, city councils and community groups, which is raising awareness and interest in our community about the possibilities and benefits of less expensive and more environmentally sound alternatives to desalination to meet our water needs moving forward. Our outreach, education, advocacy and monitoring efforts in the wake of the Refugio Oil Spill are helping to ensure that important lessons from that spill are learned and incorporated so that oil spill response agencies, SBCK as an organization, and Santa Barbara as a community are better prepared and can respond more effectively in order to minimize the environmental and economic damage caused by oil spills that may occur in our region in the future.

Finally, our lawsuit against the federal government for approving fracking and acidizing from offshore oil platforms aims to protect the environment and wildlife from these risky practices by ensuring that they are halted until a comprehensive environmental review is completed. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Thanks in large part to the generous support from the SIMA Environmental Fund, SBCK has been able to strengthen our capacity to provide credible, informed and effective advocacy to protect the beaches, rivers and coastal waters of the Santa Barbara Channel from the many pollution threats they face. Our success in influencing policies to better protect our water resources has not only resulted in better protections for the environment but also for the health of surfers and other ocean enthusiasts who recreate in our waters as well as the wildlife that inhabit them.


Save The Waves Coalition


Organization: Save The Waves Coalition Contact Person: Nick Mucha Title: Director of Programs Purpose of Grant: Ever since Save The Waves Coalition launched our initial campaign in urgent response to an ill-conceived coastal development in Madeira, we have seen waves continually threatened by coastal development, water pollution, coastal armoring, and beach closure. Many coastal communities also face trade-offs between costly infrastructure or development projects and longer-term tourism income. Without adequate economic information, robust coastal conservation plans, or mobilized stakeholders, communities are likely to discount the resources they already have, such as surfing spots, and instead promote unsustainable coastal development. Save The Waves seeks to preserve and protect the most iconic coastlines and surf breaks through a unique combination of protected areas, economics and direct action campaigns. Funds from this grant were used to directly address threats by creating a network of protected areas (World Surfing Reserves), using economics to educate policy-makers on the value of protecting coastlines (Surfonomics), and taking direct action to address acute coastal threats around the world (Endangered Waves). Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The goal of the 2015 SIMA grant was to support our environmental programs aimed at protecting and preserving our coastal resources with a focus on the surf zone. Specifically, this grant aimed to support the effective delivery of the World Surfing Reserve program and Endangered Waves program while increasing our organizational capacity to respond to more demands around the world. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project?

With the support of the 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund, Save The Waves has met and exceeded the goals and objectives we laid out in our grant proposal. The only modification to the goals and objectives that we outlined in the grant proposal was focusing our resources on World Surfing Reserves and Endangered Waves, and not Surfonomics. This was done because the grant award amount was lower than the proposal amount and we needed to focus our effort on those two primary program areas. World Surfing Reserves Gold Coast, Australia In March 2016, Save The Waves formally dedicated Gold Coast Australia as the 8th World Surfing Reserve. To date, STW has worked closely with the Gold Coast Local Stewardship Council to approve the Gold Coast Surf Management Plan, which is the definitive coastal planning document used by the City of Gold Coast. The support for the WSR in Gold Coast has been evidenced by the Mayor’s decision to have the Local Stewardship Council serve as the formal advisory group on all coastal resource matters. Most importantly, the Mayor has gone on the record saying that the WSR is not an appropriate location for the controversial cruise ship terminal proposed for Kirra; thereby affirming that this designation has already secured meaningful protection for the Gold Coast. Santa Cruz, California With SIMA’s support we have taken great strides in implementing our Local Stewardship Plan in the Santa Cruz WSR. Our focus has been on improving the water quality at Cowell’s Beach, which has earned the distinction as ‘California’s Dirtiest Beach’ on the Heal The Bay report card. We have assembled and coordinated a Cowell’s Working Group over the past two years and have collectively studied the issue, resulting in our recommendation to Santa Cruz City Council to install bird exclusion barriers under the wharf. We concluded that pigeons were a significant contributor to the high bacteria levels. Since installing the bird barriers this summer, we have already reported a 50% reduction in high bacteria postings compared the 2015. We will continue to work closely with the Cowell’s Working Group and conduct ongoing monitoring. Punta de Lobos, Chile Over the course of the year we have advanced the implementation of our Local Stewardship Plan and strengthened strategic partnerships for the long -term, legal protection of Chile’s most iconic point-break. Our conservation strategy for Punta de Lobos is to acquire private coastal parcels that were under threat of commercial development along the point. Working with our local partners we have now successfully acquired two parcels and are developing conservation easement terms to guarantee their full legal protection in perpetuity. We have also helped establish a

Chilean foundation, Fundación Punta de Lobos, that will oversee the long-term management and monitoring of those parcels. Bahia de Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico The Stewardship Plan for the Bahia de Todos Santos World Surfing Reserve is focused on establishing the first state park in Baja California. The proposed San Miguel State Park would legally protect 58 hectares of the critical watershed and rivermouth that create the epic surfing conditions at San Miguel. With SIMA’s support this past year, we have deepened our working relationship with Baja California’s Secretary of Environmental Protection and we are on track to have the State Park legally declared in early 2017. Stanford World Surfing Reserve Study In partnership with Stanford University, STW has helped develop an evaluation framework that assesses the effectiveness of each WSR. This framework provides a comparative analysis of each reserve and establishes best practices so we can improve the conservation outcomes across the program. Global Wave Conference Initiated planning with Global Wave Conference partner organizations for the October 2017 event taking place in Santa Cruz, CA. Endangered Waves Doughmore Beach, Ireland In response to Donald Trump’s proposal to build a 3 kilometer seawall defense around his luxury golf course to protect from sea-level rise, Save The Waves launched #NatureTrumpsWalls; an international campaign to defeat the proposal. We mobilized a coalition of Irish and European organizations and launched a global petition against local decision-makers on the proposal. We gathered over 100,000 signatures, which led to Trump’s withdrawal of the seawall proposal! Endangered Waves Mobile App Over the past year, Save The Waves has created the beta version of a surf spot-monitoring app that uploads photos and catalogs to an online mapping platform. This allows any user with a smart phone to take a picture of a coastal threat that will be geo-tagged to their location, choose the type of threat (water quality, marine debris, access), and then share it with our team on a mapping platform. This will allow us to create a database of user-generated threats from all over the world, and prioritize campaigns and actions. We are still undergoing further app development and plan to unroll our first phase of beta testing in early 2017. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The goals achieved in 2016 with the 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant had the following impacts on the communities Save The Waves serves: World Surfing Reserves

• Completed the 8th WSR Dedication Ceremony at the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve • Completion of Gold Coast Local Stewardship Plan and adoption of Surf Management Plan by Gold Coast City Council. • Legally incorporated ‘Fundacion Punta de Lobos’ to manage legal protection of 6 acres of coastline through acquisition and conservation easements. • Achieved a 50% reduction in high bacteria postings at Cowell’s Beach, compared to 2015. • Approved Guarda do Embaú, Brazil as the 9th World Surfing Reserve • Held four Global Wave Conference (GWC) planning meetings to prepare for the October 2017 GWC held in Santa Cruz Endangered Waves and Direct Action • Defeated ‘Trump’s Irish Wall’ proposal through our #NatureTrumpsWalls Endangered Waves campaign • Gathered 101,000 petition signatures against Trumps Irish Wall • Finalized first round of beta development for mobile app What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The support from the SIMA Environmental Fund has allowed Save The Waves to enhance its operational infrastructure, including technology and processes; increase our capacity to deliver and improve our programs; improve our board policies and organization governance; and attract, recruit, and retain talented employees and fellows.


Seymour Marine Discovery Center


Organization: Seymour Marine Discovery Center Contact Person: Julie Barrett Heffington Title: Director Purpose of Grant: The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a learning center in Santa Cruz, California, that offers the public hands-on immersion into the world of ocean exploration. With increasing human pressure on our coasts and oceans, the Seymour Center works hard to grow the next generation of ocean conservationists and advocates, and to help young people build strong relationships with the sea. The Center’s Ocean Explorers program is a series of summer, marine science and conservation programs for youth. Ocean Explorers meets these important institutional goals: • Promote public awareness of the importance of Earth’s ocean using the unique environment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as a stunning example. • Provide research-based, youth / K-12 marine science programs for diverse populations. • Stimulate the interest of young people in marine science and conservation, building their confidence in a university setting, and encouraging them to pursue careers in science. • Improve marine science literacy for visitors of all ages and empower them to take action in their lives that helps protect and conserve our ocean environments. Funds were spent during fiscal year 2015-16. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. With the support from the SIMA Environmental Fund, the Seymour Center hosted nine, weeklong, in-depth, marine science and conservation programs for youth ages 7-14. These summer marine science programs served ~110 children in a high-intensity environment. Programs provided sustained contact over a weeklong period, where concepts were introduced, built upon, and reinforced in an exciting and inviting

atmosphere, in and near the water. Ocean Explorers was held at the Seymour Center and at field sites around Monterey Bay. Full and partial scholarships were provided to children from low-income families. Students in these age-specific programs worked closely with marine researchers, professional science educators, college student mentors, and volunteer instructors. This in-depth experience (a total of 35 or 40+ hours) helps provide children with a solid foundation for future science literacy and can serve as a pivotal life experience. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Our goals were met through our ability to implement sessions as follows: Two weeks of Ocean Explorers for ages 7-8 in a program called “Something’s Fishy!” These weeks of adventure were full of exploration of the fascinating world of fishes, from sharks to surf perch. Our youngest explorers investigated the habitats and adaptations of fish from stream to the sea by mucking around creeks in local redwood state parks then enjoying fishy fun at nearby Natural Bridges State Beach. Back in our lab working alongside our aquarium curator, kids learned how we take care of our resident fishes (including sharks) here at the Seymour Center. Explorers also “assumed the role of the scientist” selecting their favorite fish in our aquarium to study all week long. Other highlights included exploring the diversity of fish with fish printing, a tidepooling adventure, and a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to view other fishes. One week of Ocean Explorers for girls only, ages 9-11, in a program called “Marine Science for Girls.” This specialty week was focused on providing middle school girls targeted experiences in both science and outdoor recreation at a pivotal time in their lives. Girls were paired with female researchers and educators who served as important role models and mentors. Explorers experienced behind-the-scenes access to research including two days working with seals, sea lions, dolphins, and sea otters. They also traveled south for a morning of hiking and exploration at Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel, then on to the beautiful Big Sur coast and associated watershed. Here they hiked through redwoods, swam in the river, complete with a night of story telling, star gazing, and camping. This exceptional week wrapped up with a kayak adventure on the Monterey Bay. Three weeks of Ocean Explorers for ages 9-11, and three weeks for ages 12-14 in a program called “Masterful Marine Mammals.” For a total of six weeks, children of different ages explored how marine mammals are adapted for life in the sea and how research happening here in our associated marine lab is contributing to the conservation of dolphins, seals, sea lions, and sea otters. Explorers gained first-hand experience in animal care techniques. Everyone kayaked on the Monterey Bay observing behaviors of marine mammals and other kelp forest animals in the wild.

Factors affecting success: While programs were very successful, changes occurred between the grant submission and funding/implementation as follows: We were able to hire an outstanding educator named Claire Nasr as lead instructor due to the maternity leave of our long-term lead, Katrina London. Claire holds a B.S. in marine biology, and had served as an educator for the Marine Science Institute in Redwood City, as a marine naturalist for the Pacific Whale Foundation in Maui, and as a student employee at the Seymour Center. She had also worked as the research technician for the Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory at Long Marine Lab. Amanda Cameron joined our team as our college student intern as Katia Whitham graduated and moved into a new job. Amanda was in her final year of study for her B.S. in marine biology at UC Santa Cruz. These two provided excellent science teaching and recreational leadership. Additionally, the marine mammals living on site expanded both in numbers and species between writing and implementation. At the time of our grant submission, mammals included Taylor, a southern sea otter; Rio and Ronan, California sea lions; Puka and Primo, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins; and Sprouts, a harbor seal. During the grant period, children were also able to experience working with KE-18, a Hawaiian monk seal; Amak and Tunu, spotted seals; Natchek and Nayak, ringed seals; and Charlie, a southern sea otter. Future plans: We will continue providing these programs into the future, although the marine lab is now undergoing significant construction/retrofit. All of the marine mammals listed above have moved to temporary quarters off site while their pools are being renovated and greatly improved. This effort should conclude in 2017. Additionally, conditions in the natural world are always changing (fires in Big Sur, ocean conditions, etc.) making the planning and implementation of safe, high impact, weeklong sessions for children extremely important. We require highly effective, extremely skilled and responsible, yet nimble/flexible planners and leaders. Thank you for supporting us in this effort. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? Children actively learn from scientists and educators in a working marine lab environment, and on the water. They study the astonishing plants and animals that inhabit the bay, and experience life as a marine biologist. They explore habitats from rocky shore to sandy beach; work in our labs with marine mammals and fishes; and explore the Pacific above and below the water. By the last day of every week, kids know a lot about the ocean and its inhabitants, such as being able to identify at least three fish or marine mammal species. Seeing animals in the wild is incredibly exciting––when a seal or sea lion unexpectedly pops up next to a kayak, it provides a firsthand opportunity to spot the differences. Watching sea otters groom, siting jellies,

cormorants, and pelicans, or knowing what fishes may be living in the kelp forest below, provides a special sense of satisfaction. Knowing the names of the invertebrates in tidepools, on jetties, or at the beach may be new and gratifying. Along with their new marine biology knowledge, Explorers learn a great deal about recreational etiquette, outdoor skills and equipment, teamwork, and importantly, communications. They experience new life skills––even for kids who are used to “going to the beach” (although many of our participants are not). Children may be nervous about being in and around the ocean, and especially about being in a kayak and not being able to see the bottom. Being in a kayak with a friend, and without an adult, builds independence and self-reliance. While the discussion above does not completely focus on “measurable impacts,” we see the results in subtle ways such as an increased demand for scholarships from our underserved community, often from the friends or families of former explorers. Or the families of former participants applying in later years for their younger children. Or the “aging out” of kids in the program at age 14, who are on our doorstep to apply for our volunteer positions at the earliest age we accept: 15. And finally, through the long-term connections that the explorers make with our staff––contacting us years later when they are in college studying marine science, or are actually now working in that field as a professional. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) In addition to growing the next generation of ocean conservationists and advocates, we also built a stronger institution. Although the Seymour Center is a public benefit unit of UC Santa Cruz, 100 percent of all our costs are funded from outside the campus. This grant helped us leverage critical funding from other supporters, including major donors who were pleased to underwrite these programs alongside you––including scholarships for children who would not otherwise have participated. Our board of directors continues to be aware of SIMA Environmental Fund’s support over the years, which motivates them, and positively affects their own long-term support. Additional grassroots funding from our at-large membership builds on this success. We are truly grateful to the SIMA Environmental Fund for your support of Ocean Explorers at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz. You helped underwrite both the implementation of these great experiences for kids, and the months of preparation and coordination required for this multifaceted program. Thank you so much.


Surfers Against Sewage


Organization: Surfers Against Sewage Contact Person: Peter Lewis Purpose of Grant: The grant was used to deliver the Global Wave Conference in Cornwall, UK. The Global Wave Conference (GWC) is a bi-annual international event bringing together the world’s leading enviro-surf NGO’s, academics, oceanographers, environmentalists, grassroots activists, surfers, politicians, the surf industry and coastal communities. The key focus of the conference is the protection of unique and irreplaceable surf spots worldwide. However, the event increasingly covers a broader range of marine conservation, health and sustainability themes connected to surfing & the surf industry. The overarching aim of the event is to highlight the threats to global sites of special surfing interest, facilitate global environmental and sustainability collaborations and initiatives, and increase leadership from the surfing community on the protection of waves, oceans, beaches and coastal ecosystems. Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The specific purpose and goal of the Global Wave Conference was to build on the incredible foundations of the GWC, bring together the world’s leading enviro-surf NGO’s, academics, oceanographers, environmentalists, grassroots activists, surfers, politicians, the surf industry and coastal communities. The overarching aim of the event is to highlight the threats to global sites of special surfing interest, facilitate global environmental and sustainability collaborations and initiatives, and increase leadership from the surfing community on the protection of waves, oceans, beaches and coastal ecosystems. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project?

The Global Wave Conference took place in Cornwall and London in October 2015 as Surfers Against Sewage brought the international event to the UK for the first time, hosted in Cornwall at the Bedruthan Steps Hotel and at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London. The event was an unprecedented gathering of the world’s most respected environmentalists, sustainable business leaders, grassroots activists, Members of the UK Parliament, campaigners and marine experts focused on the protection of waves, oceans, beaches, wildlife and surf habitats worldwide. It also featured big wave pioneer-legends and campaigners Greg Long, Dr Easkey Britton, Brad Gerlach and Ramon Navarro. Brad spoke on a recent trip to India and how the caste-system there affected the cleanliness of the beaches, Ramon talked about his involvement with Save The Wave’s campaign at Punta de Lobos, Easkey’s talk recounted her organisation; Waves of Freedom and the importance of surfing in empowering social change, while Greg recounted his near death experience and the new perspective on life it gave him. The conference agenda covered a wide range of issues including: the latest solutions to better protect surf habitats, innovations in sustainability in the surf industry and lowering the impact of surf tourism. Topics included repurposing marine litter, climate change, eco-surfboard designs, sustainable surf travel, how to safeguard water quality and the challenges faced by those involved. There were also talks about how to inspire communities to take action and get involved, the evolution of the surf community and about how waves are a natural, economic and sports resource. The conference culminated with the first ever Global Wave Champion award being presented to 3 times World Surfing Champion – Tom Curren at the Palace of Westminster, London. The next Global Wave Conference will be taking place in 2017, Hugo Tagholm the Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage is working closely with, Nik Strong-cvetich at Save The Waves, Chad Nelson at Surfrider & Sean Smith at SIMA to share SAS learning's from the 2015 GWC and share ideas for GHWC 2017. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The conference gave organisations and individuals in the UK the opportunity to learn from some of the most respected individuals and organisations protecting coastlines around the World. Many of the individuals and organisations who attended have gone on to work closely with people they met at the GWC. It has facilitated an unprecedented amount of collaboration between the enviro-surf NGO’s, academics, oceanographers, environmentalists, grassroots activists, surfers, politicians, the surf industry and coastal communities. It had brought the protection of the UK’s coastline into the mainstream public awareness.

What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Support from the SIMA Environmental Fund has had a huge impact on our organization. In 2015 it gave us the opportunity to dedicate significant resources to ensuring the success of the Global Wave Conference. This in turn has led to Surfers Against Sewage being recognised as a leader in not only the enviro-surf sector but a leading UK charity working on the protection of the UK’s coastline. This in turn has led to SAS being able to secure more support for our work, increase our capacity as an organisation, focus on specific areas of work and streamline our organisational structure.


Surfing Education Association


Organization: Surfing Education Association Contact Person: Keone Downing Title: Vice President

Purpose of Grant: For the 2015 grant, we had three main initiatives in which we

directed our resources and efforts to. These included the Waikiki Beach Sand Replenishment Project, stopping T-head groins in Waikiki, and the supporting the \

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. Waikiki Beach Sand Replenishment Project- Continue to monitor tidal current pattern flow change and sand movement due to sand replenishment. Distinguishing where sand deposits located for future replenishment Making sure when state reactivates replenishment we will help in letting them know which basins sand can be pumped from as to not destroy surf sites. T-Head groins- Continuing to make sure our state and hotel industry keep T- Head groins out of Waikiki, which would directly affect our surf sites. Gearing up for action against T-head groin fronting Royal Hawaiian Hotel which Kyoya Hotels wants to build to replace existing groin that is eroding. These groins are a safety hazard for local, tourist and the lifeguards who have to monitor these individuals. Participant in lawsuit against state for improperly blocking parking at Laniakea beach. Working with North Shore community, City & County of Honolulu, and State of Hawaii regarding rules for public surf sites. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Our goal to monitor sand movement and displacement in Waikiki Beach was achieved, however this work will continue to be ongoing. In the future, we will continue to study

sand flow and where sand deposits are formed in order to determine where adequate sand will enable replenishment. Regarding T-Head groins in Waikiki and our efforts to ensure these aren't developed, we continue to follow the EIS process. A FEIS is anticipated to be published in 2017 and will provide comment during the public comment period. During 2015, we were success in moving the Laniakea Beach parking barriers to a row of parking. Going forward, we will continue the fight to restore parking to the original capacity. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? The measurable impact of our SIMA grant in 2015 allowed us to protect Waikiki surf sites from filling up with sand. The battle against T-Head groins in Waikiki is a continual process until we can successfully prevent their construction. We have made Laniakea more accessible for beach users to enjoy enabling hundreds of people a day to get to and from this North Shore destination safely. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) This grant has allowed us the opportunity to get professional help in areas most important to our mission and yearly objectives.


Surfrider Foundation


Organization: Surfrider Foundation Contact Person: Lori Booth Title: Global Grants Manager Purpose of Grant: Funds from the SIMA Environmental Fund were allocated to

supporting the Surfrider Foundation’s campaigns and programs that enable our grassroots chapters’ activities to enhance ocean and beach environments through clean water initiatives, surf preservation and access and ocean conservation education.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. The SIMA Environmental Fund’s generous grant in 2015 supported the Surfrider Foundation’s core campaigns and programs that promote clean water initiatives and advance coastal stewardship. In addition to clean water initiatives such as Blue Water Task Force water quality monitoring and Rise Above Plastics pollution prevention campaigns, we focused on youth engagement, surf break protection, and building public support for long-term marine protections and monitoring proponents of destructive projects that could threaten coastal health. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? This past year, the generous SIMA Environmental Fund grant once again enabled us to assist and sustain chapter campaigns throughout our grassroots network. These grassroots-driven campaigns are the key to our long-term success, and achieving victories in these campaigns is a focus of all of our organizational activities. In 2016, Surfrider has achieved nearly 50 victories, bringing our total since 2006 just under 400. The 2016 victories included three especially significant wins: Trestles Saved Forever, Dana Point Strands Beach Access, and the California Bag Ban. Brief descriptions of these victories are provided below:

Trestles - After more than a decade, in November we reached an agreement with the toll road developers that ends their quest to destroy the watershed around Trestles and carves out "avoidance areas" that requires them to refrain from building or funding a road project within an area that includes San Onofre State Beach, the Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy and other critical open space, wildlife habitat and cultural resources in the San Mateo Creek watershed. In addition to the avoidance areas, the settlement establishes a conservation fund to help preserve and restore San Mateo Creek and its watershed. This is a tremendous victory in our own backyard that secures permanent protection for Trestles from this development threat. Dana Point Strands Beach Access – Surfrider has been fighting for over the past decade to secure the full beach access rights promised by the permitting agreement for the Headlands at Strands. In November 2016, we put to rest a six-year litigation effort to ensure that the public meaningful, open access during all daylight hours and more. The agreement settles the hours and gates on the controversial Central and Mid-Strands access ways, which were at the heart of the controversy, and guarantees access at other points as well. Surfrider's litigation effort helped to set precedent to ensure that local municipalities do not attempt to evade the coastal access provisions of the Coastal Act by simply issuing a false "nuisance" decision. The strong Local Coastal Program Amendment safeguards and requirements for beach access were ultimately supported and upheld through this effort. California Bag Ban - Over six years ago Surfrider Foundation successfully passed a statewide plastic bag ban in California as part of our larger Rise Above Plastics campaign strategy. On November 8, 2016, with the landmark passage of Proposition 67, the California electorate has upheld the nation’s first statewide plastic bag ban with the California law. Despite the political maneuvering of out-of-state big plastic companies to put the issue on the ballot and then the expenditure of over $6 million in campaign funds by the plastics industry, voters triumphed over plastic pollution in deciding to keep the bag ban that was originally passed as a state law in 2014 by the California legislature. The law will go into effect immediately after all ballots are confirmed. This is a major victory for the health of our environment, protection of marine life and battle against plastic pollution. Additionally, the second initiative that was put on the ballot by the plastics industry as an effort to confuse the voting public and muddy the issue, Prop 65, failed to pass by a wide margin. Surfrider’s work as part of a coalition of groups focused on this important legislation shows that we are committed to fighting long battles with interim wins and losses until reaching a final victory. It demonstrates our ability to partner with other groups and leverage each other’s core strengths and competencies to effect greater change than any of us can do alone. And it shows the power and force of a grassroots network that engages on issues and mobilizes others to act to protect the environment they cherish. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve?

There are many ways that the Surfrider Foundation measures the impact of our mission to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches, but none are more important than winning campaigns. As the only grassroots environmental organization working on all coasts to protect oceans, waves and beaches, our activists have won nearly 50 victories benefitting waters, waves and marine habitats on the East, West, Gulf, Great Lakes and Island coasts this year. These coastal victories have come from all across the country, driven by the work of our chapters, volunteers, and staff. From city ordinances to statewide legislation to historic actions of the Obama Administration, these critical decisions will protect our nation's coast and ocean for years to come. Each victory we achieve means cleaner water, better access to waves, and/or less pollution on the beach and in the lineup. In addition to the landmark victories described earlier, below is a brief summary of some of our victory highlights: - 20 victories to address plastic pollution including laws at the local and state level that will keep plastics out of our watersheds and ocean. - The Atlantic coast is protected from offshore drilling thanks to the passionate advocacy of our East Coast chapters and delivery of a signed surfboard to the White House and Congress. - Hawaii clean water victory to protect public health through requiring the State to post water quality advisories. - Coastal preservation victories in Rhode Island, California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to protect outstanding beaches and coastal resources. - Ocean Monuments designated by President Obama in Hawaii (Papahānaumokuākea) and New England (Northeast Canyons & Seamounts) What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The Surfrider Foundation continuously monitors the progress of our efforts and, as necessary, revises our activities based on shifting requirements and contexts to assure we meet our goals. Victories is one indicator of our progress; others include process indicators such as water quality tests conducted and beach cleanups held, and outcomes such as the number of beach access points retained or acres of coast preserved. Moving forward, our goal is to protect 100% of the coast, and we are working to identify indicators to measure our progress toward that goal.


WILDCOAST


Organization: WILDCOAST Contact Person: Zach Plopper Title: Conservation Director Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. In 2015, WILDCOAST received funding from the SIMA Environmental Fund to support our efforts to reduce ocean-bound trash and pollution on San Diego County - Tijuana border region beaches and build stewardship for San Diego County marine protected areas (MPAs), protecting over 35,000 acres of coastal and marine habitats. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? We are proud to report that with this support WILDCOAST and its partners, including 2,860 volunteers, exceeded our goals and objectives set forth in 2015 and accomplished the following: - Removed 64,083 pounds of ocean-bound trash and 4,387 waste tires from the the Tijuana River Valley in the San Diego Tijuana border region; - Planted 150 native plants in the Tijuana River Valley and south San Diego Bay; - Engaged 264 students from tribal and underserved communities in San Diego County in MPA stewardship activities, including cleanups, human use surveys and biological monitoring; - Educated 264 students from these communities about local MPAs, ecology, threats and opportunities through field presentations; - Presented to 500 students about coastal and marine issues in the border region and San Diego County; and - Engaged 138 students in recreational activities including kayaking, snorkeling, tide pooling, nature hikes and surfing. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve?

WILDCOAST’s 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant helped us protect over 35,000 acres of incredible coastal and marine ecosystems in San Diego County and the San Diego-Tijuana border region. This funding also had tremendous positive impact on underserved communities and their linkage to clean and accessible open space in the region. In 2016, we reached over 760 residents and students from local tribes, inner-city areas and south San Diego County through experiential learning activities about local coastal and marine ecology, MPAs and stewardship opportunities. Over 260 students that participated in classroom and field presentations were also directly engaged in active stewardship activities including human-use and biological monitoring and coastal cleanups. Through our youth engagement projects, 138 students experienced the local marine environment first-hand through kayaking and other recreational adventures in La Jolla, Imperial Beach and Encinitas. For many of the students that participated in our projects, this was their first experience learning and recreating on the region’s coastline. In 2016, our project helped to build knowledge, appreciation and conservation capacity among over 760 residents to steward over 35,000 acres of coastal and marine ecosystems in San Diego County and the border region. The project improved awareness of outdoor recreation areas, issues that threaten them and opportunities to engage in their conservation. In 2017, WILDCOAST will continue to inform and engage these opportunities to grow the new generation of coastal stewards in San Diego County. What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) The 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund enabled WILDCOAST to reach a greater audience through our coastal and marine conservation projects. The grant helped support WILDCOAST to expand our staff in San Diego County to include a Conservation Coordinator that works on MPA outreach and engagement and Project Coordinator to help support south San Diego County open space conservation and policy work.


Wishtoyo Foundation


Organization: Wishtoyo Foundation Contact Person: Rachel Chung Title: Development Associate

Purpose of Grant: In November 2000, Wishtoyo Foundation’s Ventura Coastkeeper

Program (“VCK”) was founded as the 54th member of the worldwide Waterkeeper® Alliance. The mission of VCK is to protect the ecological integrity and water quality of Ventura County’s waterways, which are vital natural resources for County residents and visitors, primarily through Ventura County specific water quality projects. Grant support from SIMA will have a direct effect on our ability to maintain and expand Ventura Coastkeeper programs and other Wishtoyo Foundation water initiatives.

Briefly describe the specific purpose and goal for your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant. Wishtoyo Foundation and its Ventura Coastkeeper program requested support from the 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund in order to augment our existing water protection efforts and to expand our legal actions and programs. All of our initiatives strive to maintain clean and ecologically healthy waters throughout Ventura County through a highly effective and holistic approach, utilizing advocacy, legal enforcement, restoration projects, and watershed monitoring in conjunction with education and community mobilization. To what degree were these goals and objectives achieved? If not fully met, what factors affected the success of the project? Legal Enforcement 1) Enforcement of Consent Decrees to Protect Waterways and Ventura’s Coast: During the grant period from December 2015 – December 2016, to protect Ventura County’s inland and coastal waters from toxic industrial stormwater discharges of metals, E. coli, trash, and other pollutants, we enforced our legal settlements spanning over 350 acres of industrial facilities, including scrap metal yards, waste transfer

stations, electric generating facilities, automobile dismantling yards, and an amusement park. Wishtoyo successfully enforced our Clean Water Act stormwater Consent Decrees by: a.) tracking facility progress in meeting water quality standards in stormwater discharges through reviewing facility water quality discharge reports and through site inspections; b.) documenting implementation of stormwater pollution source and treatment controls / best management practices required by the Consent Decrees and advising on additional best management practices; and c.) for facilities not in compliance with water quality standards, requiring implementation of enhanced best management practices/source and treatment controls to further protect water quality and to comply with Clean Water Act water quality standards. In addition, our compliance monitoring of our Sanitary Sewer Overflow (“SSO”) Consent Decree with the City of San Buenaventura demonstrated the City’s continual reduction in spills of raw sewage and progress towards meeting the Decree’s 2020 requirement of 2 spills/year per 100 miles of sewage lines, which would approach the lowest spill rates in California. In 2017, VCK plans to continue rigorously enforcing its Consent Decrees. Doing so is essential to ensure abatement of pollution from industrial facilities and municipalities we initiated citizen suits against, and has the effect of reducing polluted discharges from other industrial facilities and municipalities in Ventura County because of the public’s knowledge VCK is out there to ensure Clean Water Act compliance. Either this month, or early in 2017, we plan on initiating two additional industrial stormwater suits not only to eliminate stormwater pollution from the facilities, but to further raise public awareness that VCK will enforce the General Industrial Stormwater Permit against polluters that threaten the health of people and wildlife. 2) Magic Mountain Clean Water Act Enforcement Action: In April 2015, we reached a settlement with Magic Mountain to protect the Santa Clara River, the Santa Clara River Estuary, and Ventura County coastal waters and beaches from discharges of trash, E. coli, and toxic metals from the 260-acre amusement park. This resource intensive and hard fought stormwater case against Magic Mountain began in 2011 when a Magic Mountain employee informed VCK that he was instructed to wash trash down the amusement park's storm drains after hours. Our stream team responded to the whistle blower's concerns about the park's impact on the Santa Clara River and Ventura’s coastal waters with a site investigation. We discovered Magic Mountain labeled trash and souvenir items lining the Santa Clara River's side channels from the park's three discharge points all the way to their confluences with the Santa Clara's mainstem. Subsequent sampling during storm events and Magic Mountain's own stormwater sampling results also demonstrated exceptionally toxic levels of metals such as copper, zinc, aluminum, and iron spewing from Magic Mountain's discharge points. In

April 2012, we initiated a Clean Water Act citizen suit enforcement action. In April 2015, after almost three years of hard fought, resource intensive litigation to protect the Santa Clara River and Ventura’s coast from Six Flags Magic Mountain’s discharges of polluted storm water containing trash, E. coli, and toxic levels of metals, we inked a promising settlement to ensure the Santa Clara and and the County’s marine waters are protected from the amusement park’s discharges. Under the agreement filed in federal court, Six Flags must treat its polluted discharges to legal limits or capture and infiltrate its stormwater discharges to groundwater. From April 2015 through December 2016, we rigorously enforced the settlement agreement to ensure the Santa Clara River, the Santa Clara River Estuary, and Ventura County’s coastal waters will be protected from the amusement park’s stormwater discharges. In addition to closely monitoring Magic Mountain’s compliance with the Decree’s stormwater sampling and monitoring requirements, VCK retained an expert stormwater engineer to work with Magic Mountain to design an infiltration system with pretreatment that would a.) prevent Magic Mountain’s discharges from impairing the Santa Clara River and that would b.) recharge depleted groundwater. After finalizing the design, we met with Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (“Regional Board”) staff and Magic Mountain to review the Infiltration Plan. As a result of this meeting on December 5, 2016, it appears that infiltration will not only be implemented pursuant to our Consent Decree, but that the Regional Board will also prescribe, require, and supervise infiltration as part of Magic Mountain’s new Clean Water Act permit. The next steps are for VCK to work with the Regional Board and Magic Mountain on the infiltration gallery anti-degradation analysis that will involve the installation of groundwater wells and complex water quality monitoring. Such an analysis is necessary to ensure the infiltration gallery serves its purpose to enhance water quality and prevent pollution. 3) Newhall Ranch: Wishtoyo and our VCK program have taken a lead litigation role in four federal and state Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), Clean Water Act, National Environmental Protection Act (“NEPA”), National Historic Preservation Act (“NHPA”), California Fully Protected Species Statute, and California Environmental Protection Act (“CEQA”) cases to protect the Santa Clara River and Ventura’s coastal waters from the Newhall Ranch mega development that would create a new, unsustainable city along the River. As proposed, the project would create a new city of roughly 60,000 residents over 12,000 acres of Santa Clara River floodplain and tributaries that would devastate wildlife, human recreation and cultural uses, and Native American cultural resources in its path and throughout the region due to water quality, dredge and fill, and other local, regional and global impacts. In November 2015 we prevailed in the California Supreme Court in our case against the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and in March 2016, we prevailed in the California Supreme Court in our two related cases against Los Angeles County! For now, our victories have halted the proposed development, and will help ensure

developments throughout the state, and the Newhall project, have less than a significant impact on global warming and no impact on fully protect endangered species. After these victories, VCK turned its attention to our federal case against the United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”). After a disappointing decision from the District Court, we are now before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The claims in this case pertain to a.) the Corps failure to consult with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians about impacts to their cultural resources; b.) the Corps failure, like in Standing Rock, to adequately consult in good faith with other Chumash Peoples; c.) the Corps failure to adequately analyze sub-lethal toxicity impacts to the endangered Southern California Steelhead downstream; and d.) the Corps illegally authorizating the dredging, filling, and concreting of the Santa Clara River and its tributaries. In April and August 2016, VCK’s staff attorney extensively briefed the ESA and NEPA Steelhead water quality claims in the Opening and Reply appellate briefs respectively. Oral argument has been calendared for February 2017, and a decision should be issued shortly thereafter. We are optimistic for a victory that would further protect the water quality and ecological integrity of the Santa Clara River and Ventura County coastal waters, and the cultural resources of the Chumash Peoples. Water Monitoring From December 2015 through December 2016, VCK focused its water monitoring efforts on a.) tracking and reviewing Clean Water Act discharge monitoring reports submitted to the Regional Board for all Ventura County industrial facilities to determine facility compliance with Clean Water Act water quality standards and facility impacts to Ventura County inland and coastal waters; and on b.) using its stream team to inspect waterways and industrial facilities for pollution and insufficient pollution prevention best management practices. As a result, VCK has identified two large dirty corporations that have historically impaired, and continue to impair, the Ormond Beach Wetlands, Santa Clara River, and Ventura’s coastal waters, and plans on bringing Clean Water Act citizen suit enforcement actions against these egregious polluters in December 2016 or early in 2017. Our research and inspections indicate these companies have the resources to abate pollution from their facilities, but are failing to implement the necessary and feasible stormwater pollution prevention practices. As part of our monitoring program, we also coordinated, and shared expertise and knowledge from our monitoring efforts, with other non profits initiating Clean Water Act General Industrial Stormwater Permit citizen suits against industrial facilities discharging pollutants into Ventura County waters. Further, we worked collaboratively with the Regional Board to facilitate Regional Board General Industrial Stormwater

Permit enforcement actions, and to help ensure VCK obtains the information needed for our General Industrial Stormwater Permit enforcement work. In 2017, VCK plans to continue monitoring the health and quality of inland and coastal waters, and to continue inspecting industrial facilities to determine their compliance with the Clean Water Act. We also plan to utilize our Stream Team to collect evidence for cases as needed, and to pinpoint and document pollution from the most egregious polluters. Marine Protected Areas During the 2016 reporting period, Wishtoyo served over 5,000 K-12 students from Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties through our Chumash Tribal Marine Protected Areas program. This educational field trip program integrates Chumash culture and history with environmental science, marine biology, and regulatory content to instill a sense of personal connection and responsibility for natural and cultural resources in student participants. Programs take place at Wishtoyo’s 4-acre Chumash Village in Malibu, CA overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This core educational program is key to maintaining our organizational commitment to fostering diverse constituencies in support of Marine Protected Areas through direct education and engagement. Wishtoyo has also been an active participant and leader in the Los Angeles Marine Protected Area Collaborative, a collective of organizations, agencies, and community groups that are invested in the protection and advocacy of the South Coast MPA network. Our work with the Collaborative included editing and disseminating information about fishing rules and regulations within MPAs and encouraging the inclusion of First Nations people and perspectives in all initiatives. Most notably, Wishtoyo co-hosted the LA MPA Collaborative’s first public outreach event, called “Honor the Ocean: A Celebration of Los Angeles’ Indigenous Maritime Peoples & Marine Protected Areas” held in Malibu, CA in September 2016. Over 200 visitors attended the event, which featured a traditional Chumash tomol (redwood plank canoe), ceremonial blessing by Mati Waiya, storytelling with Chumash elders, free surf lessons from Malibu Makos, and informational tents from Collaborative partners including Wishtoyo/VCK, Heal the Bay, LA Waterkeeper, and Dept. of Fish & Wildlife. Finally, during this past year and into 2017, Wishtoyo is involved in multiple efforts to amend, add to, and/or correct existing and future Marine Protected Area literature in California, including working on new legislation such as a Marine Life Protection Act amendment that includes tribal access to South Coast Marine Protected Areas in order to preserve indigenous rights to natural resources, and the continuation of sustainable and protective cultural practices. Similarly, Wishtoyo is currently partnering with the Ocean Science Trust (a “boundary” organization liaising between government agencies and NGOs) to feature, for the first time, language about coastal California Native Nations in the 2017 South Coast State of the Region Report regarding cultural connections and MPA management. Community Beach Cleanup

Wishtoyo/VCK hosted the Coastal Clean Up Day event at Point Mugu Rock Beach in September 2016. We had a total of 67 volunteers who collected 55 pounds of trash over approximately 0.75 miles of beach. Although we had fewer volunteers than in years past, we were glad to hear from many returning volunteers that Mugu Rock Beach was cleaner than they had ever seen it. All types of trash were recorded and submitted to the Coastal Clean Up Day statewide database in order to inform local and state policy on trash and pollution prevention. Wishtoyo/VCK plans to continue coordinating such beach cleanups because our volunteers’ efforts directly protect and restore the ecological integrity, marine life, and water quality of our local coasts. What has been the measurable impact of your 2015 SIMA Environmental Fund grant on the population or area you serve? In Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties, Wishtoyo Foundation and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program are fighting to protect the recreational uses, cultural uses, and ecological uses of the inland and coastal waters of the Santa Clara River watershed, Ormond Beach watershed, Mugu Lagoon/Calleguas Creek watershed, and Ventura County’s other coastal watersheds. These waters are critical and cherished areas for native and endangered species; Chumash and Tataviam Native American burial grounds, sacred sites, villages, and cultural landscapes; surfers and beachgoers; kayakers and swimmers; and for the communities of Ventura, Oxnard, El Rio, Saticoy, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru, Valencia, and Santa Clarita, many of whom are underserved. We deem the economically and politically marginalized Ventura County neighborhoods along the Santa Clara River, consisting primarily of Latino residents and some Chumash Native Americans, as some of the communities that benefit most from our work that provides Ventura County residents with enhanced wellbeing resulting from the protection of and access to Ventura’s natural amenities. The median household income, unemployment rate, and poverty rate in Piru, Fillmore, Santa Paula, El Rio, Oxnard, and Saticoy (average per capita income = $12,192) along the Santa Clara River fair much worse than other communities in Ventura County such as Thousand Oaks (average per capita income = $46,093). Many of our programs directly outreach to and prioritize involvement of these communities, including our goal of 75% of Chumash Tribal Marine Protected Area Education programs reserved for Title I or underserved K-12 schools. The measurable impacts to all of Ventura County’s communities are cleaner and safer waters suitable and or more suitable for wildlife use, observation, and study; surfing; beach going; swimming; kayaking; and Chumash Native American and other cultural and spiritual uses. The outcomes of our successful legal actions directly affect the quality and ecological integrity of inland and coastal water bodies. Wishtoyo and VCK reach over 7,000 people in-person annually through our programs and events and continually engage new constituents in education and environmental protection.

What have been the measurable results to date of this grant on the functioning or effectiveness of your organization? (i.e. enhanced operations, increased capacity, etc.) Grant support from SIMA has provided VCK the increased capacity to monitor and protect the water quality and ecological health of Ventura County inland and coastal waters. SIMA Funds were critical in supporting a year of transition to significant organizational growth; notably, the increase of our staff from four to six full-time employees, all of which directly contribute to the initiatives outlined in our project submission. As a result of this growth, we have increased our organizational capacity to engage in new legal actions, monitoring efforts, community events, advocacy work, and educational activities.

Documents

SIMA Environmental Fund 2015 Year End Reports€¦ · In 2016, with the support of SIMA, 5 Gyres encouraged involvement of surfers in the AmbassadorShip Program. Briefly describe