POLICY COMMITTEE MISSION
To provide guidance, coordination and administrative support for the four action teams.
BORDER ACTION TEAM MISSION
To develop and implement solutions in the immediate vicinity of the border that will capture and divert trash and sediment before it reaches the Tijuana River Valley.
CLEANUP ACTION TEAM MISSION
To identify, map, characterize and cleanup trash and manage sediment in the Tijuana River Valley floodplain in an environmentally sensitive way.
RESTORATION ACTION TEAM MISSION
To imagine, plan, coordinate and implement the restoration, mitigation, and flood control features of the Tijuana River Valley ecosystem from the border to the ocean.
BINATIONAL ACTION TEAM MISSION
To identify the sources of trash and sediment in the Tijuana River Valley watershed that impact the Tijuana River Valley floodplain and to recommend, establish, and implement a plan to abate and manage these sources in cooperation with Mexican agencies.
Action Items
(Being Refined)
Policy Committee:
1. Set priorities and goals for recovery efforts.
2. Explore funding options and legislation needed to implement recovery efforts.
3. Review and approve recommendations from the Border Action Team,
Cleanup Action Team, Restoration Action Team, and Bi-national Action
Team.
4. Facilitate and coordinate stakeholder participation in Tijuana River Valley recovery efforts.
5. Educate decision makers and provide outreach to the general public.
Border Action Team:
1. Review historical data and recommendations from other action teams.
2. Develop alternatives and life cycle costs for transboundary trash and sediment capture.
3. Prepare regulatory and environmental documents.
4. Identify potential funding sources and provide recommendations to the Policy Committee.
5. Secure funding sources and construct interim trash and sediment capture facilities - project duration 3-5 years.
6. Build a permanent sediment and trash cleaning, sorting and transfer station.
Cleanup Action Team:
1. Quantify existing quantities and locations of trash and sediment.
2. Map the valley to show the impacts of the trashand sediment build-up.
3. Identify alternatives for cleanup, disposal, and recycling of existing trash and sediment.
4. Identify regulatory impediments that could constrain implementation of cleanup and abatement alternatives.
5. Identify lead agencies for cleanup and abatement efforts.
6. Remove existing accumulations of trash and sediment.
Restoration Action Team:
1. Assess current exosystem conditions in the U.S. portion of the watershed.
2. Determine the hydraulic and hydrologic characteristics fo the valley.
3. Develop a flood protection plan for the valley.
4. Identify compatible uses as part of the restoration process.
5. Identify ecosystem restoration alternatives.
6. Identify regulatory and other constraints on restoration alternatives.
7. Coordinate implementation of restoration programs, including mitigation banking.
Bi-National Action Team:
1. Identify Mexican and bi-national agencies and their responsibilities
2. Identify existing and proposed binational agreements, efforts and funding sources in Mexico to address Tijuana River trash and sediment issues.
3. Create value for Mexican government agencies working on the issues.
4. Design a joint set of recommendations to stop the flow of trash and sediment at the source.
5. Implement recommendations to abate trash and sediment at the source.
6. Facilitate bi-national communications on Tijuana River recovery efforts.
Policy Committee Co-Chairs:
John Robertus
SD Regional Water Quality Control Board
Carl Nettleton
Nettleton Strategies
Border Action Team Co-Chairs:
Tony Heinrichs
City of San Diego
Steve Smullen, International Boundary and Water Commission
Cleanup Action Team Co-Chairs:
Cid Tesoro
County of San Diego
Michael McCann,
SD Regional Water Quality Control Board
Restoration Action Team Co-Chairs:
Jeff Crooks
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve
Clay Phillips
California State Parks
Bi-National Action Team Co-Chairs:
Oscar Romo
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Nicholas Surjan
California Environmental Protection Agency
