HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Presentation - History of Saving Our Upper Newport Bay - PowerPointy
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'i City of Newport Beach, September 2025
Newport Bay
Conservancy
Protect and Preserve Upper Newport Bay
and its watershed through
Education - Restoration - Research - Advocacy
Photo courtesy of Orange County Archives
Upper Newport Bay
Largest, natural estuary
in Orange County
Less than 5% of these
regions still exist along
our coastline
Ecological Reserve (1975)
Nature Preserve (1989)
Adjacent open space like
Big Canyon
1,200 acres
Ariel image courtesy of Google, LLC
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RIGHT TO PASS
BY PERMISSION AND
SUBJECT TO CIONTROL OF
THE IRVINE COMPANY
SECTION 1008 CIVIL CODE
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Photos courtesy of Newport Bay Conservancy
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01�t Figure 1: Light-footed Ridgway's Rails in California,
1980-2019
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Ridgway's Rail =State Total Top 3 Marshes
Chart from Light-footed Ridgway's (Clapper) Rail in California 2019 Season
by Richard Zembal, Susan M. Hoffman, John Konecny, and Beth Sabiston
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California Least Tern Belding's Savannah Sparrow
Least Bell's Vireo
Species of Special
Concern
Coastal Cactus
Wren
Burrowing Owl
California Gnatcatcher
Salt Marsh
Bird's Beak
(Endangered)
U
Coastal Woolly Heads (Rare)
Photos courtesy of Newport Bay Conservancy
Education
Why do we do it and what do we do?
Share the value of the Bay
Connect with the community
Build the next generation
Ensure continued protection
Visitor assistance
School programs
Public programs on land & water
Special events
Habitat Restoration
Why do we do it and what do we do?
Native vs Non -Native vs Invasive
Support Biodiversity
Plant/Animal Connections
Invasive plant removal
Native plant installation
Native plant watering
Site monitoring
Plant propagation
Nursery maintenance
Photos courtesy of Newport Bay Conservancy
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100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
949 644-3004 1949 644-3039 FAX
newportbeachca.gov
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September 30, 2025
Mayor
Heather Cieslak
Joe Stapleton
Newport Bay Conservancy
Mayor Pro Tern
2301 University Drive
Lauren Kleiman
Council Members
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Michelle Barto
Noah Blom
Robyn Grant
Dear Heather,
Sara J. Weber
Erik Kenneth Weigand
On behalf of the Newport Beach City Council, I would like to extend my sincere
gratitude for your excellent presentation at our recent Council meeting. Your
remarks on the history of the Newport Bay Conservancy were not only informative,
but also a powerful reminder of how a small group of dedicated citizens created a
lasting legacy of preservation and stewardship at the Upper Newport Bay.
Your ability to connect the Conservancy's origins with its ongoing work today
highlighted just how far the organization has come under the leadership of people
like yourself. It was especially meaningful for the Council and community to hear
how decades of volunteerism, advocacy, and education have shaped NBC into the
vital organization it is today.
It was an honor to recognize NBC with a proclamation acknowledging its
extraordinary service, and to celebrate the role you and your team continue to play
in protecting this irreplaceable natural treasure. The work you lead not only
safeguards critical habitat but also inspires new generations to value and care for
our environment.
Please share our appreciation with your staff, board, and volunteers. Their collective
commitment strengthens our community and ensures that the Back Bay will remain
a source of pride, beauty, and learning for years to come.
With gratitude,
9,14,k-
Joe Stapleton
Mayor