2005 Programmatic Report Card - Executive Summary

Purpose of this report. This Programmatic Report Card evaluates the actions that the Santa Clara Basin Watershed Management Initiative (WMI) undertook from September 2003 to December 2004 to implement its Watershed Action Plan.

There will ultimately be two parts to the Report Card:
Part 1. Programmatic Report Card: To document the progress that the WMI is making in implementing the Action Plan.
Part 2. Watershed Health Indicators (to come later): To document the progress the WMI, its stakeholders, other agencies and private landowners are making towards improving the health of watersheds. The objectives and scope of the Indicators development is attached as Appendix C.

The process for the development of the Programmatic Report Card and the evaluation of the programmatic actions are discussed in this report. The Indicators Report Card will be a separate report, and the scope of the indicators development is attached as Appendix C.

Process for Programmatic Report Card. The WMI Core Group formed “Workgroup H” in July 2004 to support the development of the Programmatic Report Card. Workgroup H collected information on the various actions undertaken from the Watershed Action Plan and the WMI 2003-2004 Workplan (Appendix B). For each action, information was compiled on the action’s efforts, outcomes, challenges and next steps. The compiled information was assembled into the Programmatic Report Card Evaluation Tables (Appendix A-1). A condensed version of the Evaluation Tables was also produced (Appendix A-2). After the information on each action was reviewed, the WMI Core Group evaluated whether each action needs work, met expectations, or exceeded expectations.

Key Findings. Most of the actions evaluated ‘met expectations’ but there were a few that ‘exceeded expectations’ or ‘needs work’ as noted below:

Fully or Partly ‘Exceeded Expectations’

• Provide a forum to resolve the conflicts surrounding development in the Upper Penitencia watershed.
• Conduct Site Design Training Dialogues
• Coordinate on POTW Permits
• Track & encourage pollutant specific plans (Mercury)

‘Needs Work’ or Barely ‘Met Expectations’

• Incorporate the WMI Vision in general and specific area plans.
• Provide resources for Baylands Assessment

For next steps for the WMI, the Core Group is looking at the programmatic actions that should or need to be continued, and is incorporating them into an updated Workplan for 2005-2006.