NHA Minutes 2025-08-20
National Heritage Area Advisory Committee
Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 10 a.m. (Tour) and 1 p.m. (Meeting)
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
114 West G Street, Benicia, CA 94510
Tour of Benicia Arsenal departing from Benicia Capitol State Historic Park – 10 a.m.
- Benicia Clock Tower, 189 Washington Street, Benicia, CA
- Commanding Officer’s Quarters, 1 Washington Street, Benicia, CA
- Museum of History Benicia, Arsenal Galleries, 2600 Camel Road, Benicia, CA
Agenda – 1 p.m.
1. Call to Order – Elizabeth Patterson, NHA Advisory Committee Vice Chair
Vice Chair Elizabeth Patterson called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Commission Clerk Heather McClure called the roll. Present were Vice Chair Elizabeth Patterson; members Mike Campbell, Colin Coffey, Dwayne Eubanks, Carol Jensen, Don Nottoli, Jack Johnson (for Oscar Villegas), and David Stuart; alternate Douglas Hsia; and ex officio members Amanda Blosser, Chris Lim, Julie Lee (for Jeff Henderson), and Trevor Rice.
It was noted that Morris Lum arrived at 1:07 p.m. and Dan Whaley arrived at 1:10 p.m.
3. Public Comment
There were no comments from members of the public, but Vice Chair Patterson thanked everyone for coming to the Benicia State Capitol and noted the excellent job done by the tour guide, Don Dean.
4. Approval of June 25, 2025, Meeting Minutes
Nottoli motioned to approve the June 25, 2025, meeting minutes. Stuart seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
5. Update on NHA Activities – Blake Roberts
Roberts started with NHA outreach and noted that Chris Lim and Trevor Rice were able at speak to the Contra Costa County Watershed Forum. He also mentioned his own outreach opportunities including speaking to the Rotary Club of Oakley the following morning, a presentation for the Sacramento Historical Society on September 23 at the Columbus Hall in Sacramento, a booth at the California Native American Day along with the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Conservancy, and his part of a four-person panel at the American Planning Association conference.
He spoke on the Delta Leadership Program window for nominations which runs from September through October, possibly extending into November. He then drew attention to the newsletter submission deadlines for Delta Happenings, and in particular the Delta Heritage Courier which comes out bimonthly. He stated calendar reminders will be sent out for those deadlines.
6. Tourism Branding and Marketing Plan – Kira O’Donnell and Blake Roberts
Roberts reported that Honey, the consultant that will be working on the tourism branding and marketing plan, will be attending the next meeting and possibly the December meeting as well, but unfortunately could not make it today. So far, staff has had two meetings with them. The first, a pre-kickoff to figure out logistics. Then the kickoff, which was a tour of the Delta to visit several sites within the National Heritage Area. Honey has requested a second tour as there were too many sites to cover in one day. He then mentioned they are currently working on a survey that will be going out possibly the end of October. Member Campbell requested to see the survey before it gets sent out.
7. Benicia History Discussion
Vice Chair Patterson introduced Allan Gandy, a writer and a resident of Benicia for 48 years. Gandy presented a detailed history of Matthew Turner, who was born in 1825 in Geneva, Ohio, and built 265 vessels in his career, with 184 constructed at the Benicia shipyard. Turner arrived in San Francisco on May 2, 1850, and stayed overnight in Benicia on May 9, 1850. Turner challenged conventional ship design and developed his own ship. His first ship was built in Eureka, the Brigantine Nautilus, which was designed to navigate the Pacific Ocean. Then he later moved his shipyard to Benicia in 1883. Notable ships include the Amaranth, Galilee (which sailed 63,834 nautical miles from 1905 to 1907), and others. The Galilee was converted into a magnetic observatory for the Carnegie Institute in 1905. Turner suffered a stroke in 1903, and his last ship was built in October 1904. The Call of the Sea foundation built a replica of the Galilee named Matthew Turner, launched in 2017 and now offers tours and youth programs.
8. Report on Delta 250 Ad Hoc Task Group – Task Group
Roberts noted the promotion of Delta-wide themed special events such as America 250, California 175, and Anza 250 provide opportunities to talk to partners about potential projects. Roberts stated the task group met on Friday where they talked about a possible symposium on Anza with the Antioch Historical Society, and an America 250 commemoration with the Contra Costa County Historical Society. Member Hsia brought up providing information on America 250 at the various fairs in the Delta.
Ex officio Trevor Rice asked about the timeline for Honey’s branding report and whether it could incorporate Delta 250-specific branding. Roberts responded that the branding work would likely not be finished until June, making it too late to incorporate Delta 250 branding.
9. Report on and Extend Term of Water Tour Ad Hoc Task Group – Task Group
Vice Chair Patterson said the group met recently, and at their next meeting plan to have members from a kayaking association to give information on kayaking potential in Suisun as well as the strait. She noted Carol Jensen has been putting together contacts with commercial operators to make arrangement for possible tours. She reiterated that “we don’t want to overload our roads, so water is our soft path to visiting the Delta.”
Ex officio Amanda Blosser brought up a canoe trip on Brannan Island and will forward that information to staff. Ex officio Trevor Rice mentioned San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park has previously run ships into the Delta, although they are currently having issues finding licensed captains to do it. Also out of the Maritime are the Sea Scouts, who run an annual trip with youth up into the Delta and it is a good opportunity for education on the Delta. He said he would forward both contacts to Roberts. Vice Chair Patterson suggested the Maritime might have a list of graduates and retired captains that would be helpful. Ex officio Julie Lee recalled a Captain Emil that does Sacramento River wine cruises out of Clarksburg that would be worth looking into. Jensen noted that Bill Wells is putting together a list of licensed captains.
Roberts stated that the Water Tour task group needs more time to pursue their goals beyond the original August 2025 expiration. He recommended extending the task group for one year.
Johnson motioned to approve the one-year extension. Stuart seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Vice Chair Patterson asked for public comment and there was none.
10. Report on Proposition 4 Funding – Karen Buhr, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy
Roberts presented in place of ex officio Karen Buhr, who was unable to attend. He provided an overview of Proposition 4, passed in November 2024, which provides $29 million of state funding to the Delta Conservancy. Of this, $7 million is designated for community projects. There are two paths for grants: projects above $100,000 (with two rounds, one in September 2025 and another in fall 2026) and projects under $100,000 (continuous application, no rounds).
Vice Chair Patterson brought up a concern regarding the state not releasing all of the promised funds. Ex officio Chris Lim said he had heard that, yes, there is this potential at least for the first year. Roberts said he would stay on top of that issue and keep the Committee informed.
Vice Chair Patterson asked what the Conservancy’s jurisdiction is and Roberts responded it is the legal Delta plus the Suisun Marsh. Vice Chair Patterson said there is a property assessment funding out of the Bay Area that nine Bay counties voted on and that Solano County would have access to. She stated it is in response to rising sea levels and the funding needed for work related to this issue. She recommended the Committee look into this.
The Conservancy will fund three categories of projects: community enhancements, restoration, and nature-based solutions. Roberts stated the Conservancy would like Committee to provide feedback on project types and criteria for prioritization. He said they are also looking for expert opinions from people who are willing to volunteer to be involved in the application review process.
Roberts stated that the Conservancy agreed to award additional points to projects associated with the NHA or aligned with the values of the Management Plan. He noted, however, that matching funds would not be used as a criterion, explaining that the federal government evaluates match fund eligibility based on whether a project could proceed without NHA support. Ex officio Amanda Blosser suggested that staffing the NHA is essential to its operations and therefore federal funding is critical to supporting those functions.
Member Nottoli requested a list of projects the Conservancy has funded as it would be helpful to assess future projects.
Member Coffey asked whether land acquisition is allowable under the grant and noted that East Bay Parks has often encouraged the Conservancy to pursue such acquisitions, as there are Delta islands that need preservation. Roberts was not certain, but Member Hsia suggested that it is included based on his experience with the town of Locke’s ongoing processes.
Ex officio Trevor Rice spoke of support for small nonprofits and historical societies through training and workshops, as they often lack funds and expertise for preservation activities. A suggestion was made to use small grants (under $100,000) to fund workshops or trainings, such as on historical preservation tax credits or database management. Member Jenson agreed and noted it would make a world of difference.
Vice Chair Patterson asked Roberts to send out a response form to allow everyone to comment.
11. Partnership and Passport Program Update – Blake Roberts
Roberts stated there are now 11 partnerships established, and the list is being constantly updated on the Delta NHA website (delta.ca.gov/NHA). An online form is available for organizations interested in becoming partners, which asks for information regarding partnership agreements and alignment with NHA management plan strategies. He thanked Holly Heyser for assembling the web resources. He reported there is continued outreach to potential partners in communities that do not yet have passport sites. He will speak to the San Joaquin County Historical Society in October and plans to increase outreach with being as geographically spread as possible. He announced the passport program is close to launching, with a placeholder page currently available. The launch is delayed due to bureaucratic issues with Eastern National (National Park Service’s nonprofit partner) regarding ordering complex rubber stamps. The website will feature a map of passport locations and nearby attractions.
Ex officio Amanda Blosser suggested reaching out to Wilton Rancheria, which is interested in co-managing Delta meadows.
12. Business Partnerships – Blake Roberts
Roberts discussed the potential inclusion of businesses as passport sites. Current selection criteria require that participating sites be located within the NHA boundaries, open to the public, and connected to interpretive themes outlined in the Management Plan. While no other NHAs currently allow businesses to serve as passport sites, he recommended permitting them when a strong connection to interpretive themes can be demonstrated—particularly for businesses such as agritourism venues, marinas, or those operating in historic buildings identified in the Management Plan as potential interpretive locations. He stated he wanted to get the Committee’s feedback on these ideas before moving forward to confirm everyone’s comfort with these partnerships.
Vice Chair Patterson asked for a simple thumb-up from everyone in the room to confirm comfortability with these plans and determined it was only a warm response and should be revisited.
13. Federal Funding Update – Blake Roberts
Roberts provided an update on federal funding for the NHA. The NHA will receive $157,000 for the current federal fiscal year, not the previously expected $500,000. This is due to National Park Service guidance that Tier 2 funding only begins in the fiscal year following management plan approval. The deadline to receive the funds is September 30. Plans to hire a new interpreter and begin a grant program are postponed until Congress approves a new budget.
He also reported that the FY 2026 federal budget process is underway and there is cautious optimism for similar funding next year, as appropriations committees in both the House and Senate have approved budgets for National Heritage Areas.
14. Delta Heritage Forum Planning – Kira O’Donnell and Blake Roberts
Roberts noted that, based on feedback received, planning for the event is expected to follow a similar one-day format to the November 2024 forum, including panels, lightning talks, storytellers, and networking opportunities for a broad audience. Also, it was recommended to hold the next Forum in early 2026 due to current staffing constraints. He commented that staff does not want to be stretched too thin but recognizes the need for a steering committee to help plan the forum and asked for volunteers to contact him.
Vice Chair Patterson stated she and Carol Jensen had already talked about providing input and would volunteer. She then recruited Dwayne Eubanks as well.
Roberts mentioned he may solicit the expertise of others as needed.
Member Campbell asked for the theme of this year’s forum which would be helpful to refine needs for input.
Vice Chair Patterson concluded the discussion with the idea of building on the success of last year’s forum but also looking at ecological aspects that could be featured.
15. Member Announcements and Adjourn
Member Campbell suggested a central repository for events that are going on in the Delta, a Delta calendar of events all posted to a single website so that people would have a way to find out about everything in one place. This would also add to brand visibility. Roberts said he would discuss it with the consultants. Ex officio Julie Lee commented that other NHA’s have their own websites and that it would give better search results if we have our own NHA site.
Program Manager Blake Roberts thanked Vice Chair Patterson for the tour, Amanda Blosser for the venue, and Allan Gandy for his presentation. He announced the next meeting will be on October 29.
Vice Chair Patterson adjourned the meeting at 3:02 p.m.