DPC Minutes 2026-03-19

Meeting Minutes
Delta Protection Commission

Thursday, March 19, 5-7 p.m.

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Conference Room,
1450 Halyard Drive, Suite 6, West Sacramento, CA
and online from locations in Brentwood, Stockton, Lafayette, Fairfield and Isleton

Agenda

1. Call to Order and Flag Salute – DPC Chair Diane Burgis

Chair Burgis called the meeting to order at 5:04 p.m.

2. Welcome and Roll Call

Chair Burgis welcomed California Transportation Agency designee Julia Kingsley, Commissioner and Isleton City Council Member Terri Hupfer, and Jessica Tucker-Mohl from the Attorney General’s Office.

Clerk Heather McClure called the roll. Present at roll call were Chair Burgis (online); Commissioners Oscar Villegas, Steven Ding (online), Anissa Williams, Terri Hupfer, Cameron Bregman, Tom Slater, Julie Kingsley, Christine Birdsong (online), Gloria Sandoval, and Brian Bugsch; and Ex Officio Designee Gary Prost (for Sen. Jerry McNerney). At this time a quorum was present.

Commissioner Hupfer left the meeting at 6:07 p.m., just before Item 8.

3. Public Comment

Chair Burgis asked for public comment on any items not on the agenda. There was one: Janet Lake of Freeport requested support for a community effort to create a water-access park at the Freeport Bridge. The area is being used for that anyway, but with no restroom and no garbage pickup, it is currently accumulating garbage.

Consent Agenda

4. Approval of Draft January 8, 2026, Meeting Minutes

Chair Burgis asked if there were any questions, comments or changes to the minutes; there were none.

Motion: Commissioner Bugsch moved and Commissioner Slater seconded approval of the minutes. It was approved on a 9-0-1 roll call vote, with Burgis, Villegas, Hupfer, Bregman, Slater, Kingsley, Birdsong, Sandoval, and Bugsch in favor and Williams abstaining.

Regular Agenda

5. Report on Delta Stewardship Council Activities – DPC Chair Diane Burgis and Legislative and Policy Advisor Audrey Cho

Chair Burgis reported that the Council had held two days of hearings on appeals of the Delta Conveyance Project Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan, and noted that she felt discussion had been robust.

Cho reported on several items of legislation of interest to the Delta: SB 872 (McNerney) Climate change: funding priorities; AB 2218 (Kalra) Water policy: California Native American tribes; AB 2447 (Bauer-Kahan) Water Supply Protection Act; SB 895 (Wiener) California Science and Health Research Bond Act.

She noted that the Delta Science Plan was being updated, and the fifth California Climate Change Assessment was being developed. She also highlighted an Interweaving Traditional Knowledge roundtable series scheduled for June and July, co-hosted by the Delta Stewardship Council, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and California Indian Environmental Alliance.

6. Delta Conservancy Update – Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Executive Officer Campbell Ingram

Executive Officer Ingram updated the Commission about Proposition 4 funding, noting that the Legislature appropriated $4 million of the Conservancy’s $29 million allocation and directed the Conservancy to use the money to fund the Rice Incentive Program, Bethel Island restoration, and Jersey Island acquisition. Those three projects would exceed Conservancy’s allocation, so it is currently moving forward with the Rice Incentive Program.

He also reported on legislation, AB 2216, that would expand the Conservancy’s boundary to allow it to do work at the watershed scale. Given that conservancies are funded based on their size, the expansion would be a significant benefit.

He also reported on legislation, SB 872, that would provide funding to Conservancy to fund levee improvements in the Delta, and noted that Conservancy is happy to play that role.

Chair Burgis asked for questions or comments from the Commission and members of the public. There were none.

7. Report on Delta Protection Advisory Committee (DPAC) Activities – DPAC Chair Anna Swenson

Neither DPAC Chair Swenson nor Vice Chair Russ Ryan were in attendance. Executive Director Amanda Bohl noted that the next DPAC meeting will be held April 7 in Stockton.

9. Golden Mussel Update – California Department of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Program Manager Martha Volkoff and the Office of Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom

At the request of Executive Director Amanda Bohl, to accommodate presenter schedules, the Commission took up Item 9 at this time.

Allie Umemoto, Legislative Director for Assm. Ransom, said the golden mussel issue is one of Ransom’s top priorities this year. She has requested $60 million in one-time funding and $1.5 million in ongoing funding to fund contamination control sites.

She also reported Ransom would be authoring AB 2032 to acknowledge the threat of the golden mussel in the Delta to hasten the state’s response to it.

Chair Burgis asked if there were any questions or comments for Umemoto. There were none, but Burgis noted how much she appreciated Ransom’s proactive work on the issue.

Martha Volkoff, Environmental Program Manager for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, provided an overview of the detection, biology, and threat of the nonnative invasive golden mussel. Its ability to attach to hard surfaces poses a threat to infrastructure, and its feeding habits remove nutrients from the water column.

She noted that so far, response to the threat has been based on existing staff and capacity, with insufficient resources to address containment and population suppression.

So far, there have been no detections of golden mussels outside the flow of Delta water, and the state is working hard to prevent the introduction of golden mussels overland. Inside the Delta, the mussels are fouling infrastructure and watercraft.

Outreach signage and materials are being developed to encourage boaters to clean, drain, and dry their watercraft and gear. Research is underway to learn how to suppress golden mussel populations and protect infrastructure. Monitoring is underway to detect the spread of the mussels.

Chair Burgis asked for questions from the Commission.

Commissioner Villegas offered to help promote outreach materials.

Commissioner Bregman asked about the mussels’ natural predators. Volkoff said fish and potentially some aquatic birds may consume them, but it’s unlikely to happen at a level that would suppress the population.

Commissioner Sandoval asked whether there are plans to do direct outreach to boaters who visit the Delta, noting that Edward Hard from State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways was attending the meeting. Hard said the Division is exploring outreach to marina owners and standing up services to provide decontamination.

Commissioner Burgis said she was moved by the slide showing the golden mussel movement through the State Water Project, and had heard that cleaning of fish screens has been accelerated due to the infestation, which Volkoff confirmed.

Burgis also asked how mussels are being removed; Volkoff noted that the mussels are scraped off. Burgis also noted it appeared that infestation would constrict flow pipelines, which Volkoff confirmed.

Burgis asked for public comment and there was one from George Hartmann.

Hartmann noted that the situation is already an emergency. On McDonald Island, siphons and drainage pipes are full of mussels. He said he would be happy to accommodate anyone from the state who wants to come out and look at the problem. He also noted that marinas are experiencing a lack of patronage.

8. Executive Director’s Report – Executive Director Amanda Bohl

Executive Director Bohl noted that hiring for the vacant Commission Clerk and Senior Environmental Planner positions was in process, and she was moving forward on paperwork to fill the vacant Program Manager position. She also reported that National Heritage Area Information Officer Kira O’Donnell would go from working ½-time to ¾-time in April.

She reported two items of interest not in the written Executive Director’s Report:

Commissioner Patrick Hume has been appointed to the California Water Plan Advisory Committee, adding a Delta voice to that process.
She reported the passing of Bob Benedetti, and asked Program Manager Blake Roberts to share a few memories of him. Roberts noted that Benedetti was instrumental in the Delta Narratives Project, the Delta Anthology Project, and probably no one had done more to support academic exploration of the Delta than he.

Chair Burgis asked if there were any questions from the Commission or comments from the public. There were none.

10. Report on National Heritage Area Progress and Recent Activities – Program Manager Blake Roberts

Program Manager Roberts reported that the National Heritage Area had been allocated full federal funding of $500,000 for the current fiscal year, substantially increasing federal support. The increase from $157,000 per year was due to approval last year of the NHA Management Plan.

He reported that the NHA Passport Program launched on February 28. It is part of a national program allowing participants to get passport books stamped at national parks and national heritage areas. U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, a strong supporter of the NHA, attended the launch, along with Chair Burgis and NHA Advisory Committee Vice Chair Elizabeth Patterson.

He reported the NHA Partnership Program is up to 16 partners, and shared the partnership webpage and application form.

NHA Information Officer Kira O’Donnell updated the commission on development of the Tourism Branding and Marketing Plan. The consulting firm has been conducting surveys about public awareness of the Delta and have begun working on the brand strategy. A marketing strategy will be the next step.

Chair Burgis asked if there were any questions or comments from the Commission or public. There was one: Burgis noted that the Passport Program launch event was really fun.

11. Consider Approval of the 2025 Annual Report – Information Officer Holly Heyser

Information Officer Holly Heyser briefly explained how the draft report was organized, then highlighted areas that had commanded most of Commission staff’s time in 2025: the farmland conversion study, the appeal of the Delta Conveyance Project Certification of Consistency, and the NHA Passport Program. She also noted that some of the less visible routines of Commission staff consume substantial time as well: land-use review, newsletters, and Commission and committee meetings.

Chair Burgis asked if there were any comments from the Commission or public. There was one: Chair Burgis noted that she is very proud of the work that the staff does.

Motion: Commissioner Villegas moved and Commissioner Bregman seconded a motion to approve the 2025 Annual Report. The motion passed on a 9-0-0 vote, with members Burgis, Villegas, Williams, Bregman, Slater, Kingsley, Birdsong, Sandoval, and Bugsch voting yes.

12. Presentation and Discussion on 2026 Workplan – Executive Director Amanda Bohl

Executive Director Bohl reported that the staff met for an off-site retreat earlier in the year to discuss priorities for a 2026 work plan:

Water: The Delta Conveyance Project
Agriculture: Farmland conversion study, scoping an update of the Land Use and Resource Management Plan, a Walking Wetlands Project, and exploring how to support agritourism in the Delta
Levees: Increasing coordination and engagement with partner agencies, and producing a white paper on levee funding
Regional Economy: Scoping an update of the levee chapter of the Economic Sustainability Plan, support a new Delta Residents Survey, participating in interagency efforts about invasive species and abandoned/derelict vessels
Heritage: Implementation of the National Heritage Area Management Plan and programs
Recreation and Tourism: Continue working on outreach on Clarksburg Branch Line Trail extension, as well as the Tourism, Branding and Marketing Plan
Education: Supporting the Delta Protection Advisory Committee and National Heritage Area Advisory Committee
Leadership: Delta Leadership Program, filling vacancies on staff, updating policies and procedures, resuming annual reviews
Funding: Identifying additional funding sources, scoping an NHA small grants program

Chair Burgis noted that as part of evaluations, the Commission would soon be surveyed about Bohl’s performance in advance of a six-month review to be delivered during the May Commission meeting.

Sandoval said it has been an amazing six months with Bohl.

Burgis asked for comments or questions from the Commission or public. There were none.

Closed Session Agenda

13. The Commission may meet in closed session pursuant to Government Code section 11126, subdivision (e)(2)(A).

Chair Burgis said there would be no closed session.

Return to Regular Agenda

14. Commissioner Comments/Announcements

Chair Burgis said in May, the Commission would discuss the rotation of leadership for the Commission. She said her goal has been to stabilize, grow, and nurture the agency, and she was proud of what the Commission is doing.

She asked for any additional comments or announcements. There were none.

15. Adjourn in memory of Bob Benedetti

Chair Burgis adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m.