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A GREAT PROJECT FOR BAJA, MEXICO
We REALLY need your vote...

As some of you are aware, I joined up 18 months ago with a company here in the San Quintin Valley area called Ostiones Guerrero. My involvement with the company has been to focus on a new project designed to repopulate a sustaining abalone colony out at San Martin Island. It has been a very long and arduous process obtaining environmental impact reports, permits, inspections and approvals from PROFEPA, INAPESCA, the Mexican Navy and so many other agencies I lose track.

After a long process and several trips to Mexico City and Mazatlan we have now secured our Federal Concession for the east side of the island which includes Hassler's Cove. If any of you have been out there recently you may have seen the work in progress to clean up decades of trash that has washed up and/or been left on the beaches. We estimate that no less than 30 tons of garbage has been removed and it is a job still in progress.

We have cleared out many of the old and abandoned fishing shacks many of you have seen in years past and are waiting for a few more to be cleared out once we have helped their former "tenants" to relocate. We weren't very welcome by most of them in the beginning but in time we have been able to get them all moving and some have even come onboard to help us. We have built six structures so far to house personnel, store equipment and provide support to the project as well as an improved launch ramp. Our first abalone seed tank is on the beach here near my house, waiting to be taken out to the island. I am currently sizing two solar/wind off-grid systems; one for the housing and support facilities and the other to power the 24/7 pumping system required for our seed tanks.

Abalone was once a native species to the local coastal area and specifically all along the eastern side of San Martin Island. As has happened all too often, it was harvested to near extinction and today abalone is a rare find along these waters where it once flourished in great numbers.

Our project is to begin reseeding the abalone in the safety of the naturally protected kelp beds on the island's east side at the rate of 300,000 to 500,000 seedlings per year the first three years and maintain an ongoing seed rate of 500,000 minimum in the years that follow. We will be purchasing the seed for the first two years and hope to have our own laboratory in place to produce abalone seed onsite by year three.

By year five, abalone harvesting will begin but always be kept in check with regulated controls and ongoing seeding to ensure a growing and sustainable abalone population. This project truly is a win-win for all:

- Cleanup, maintenance and care of the island and native species.
- Creation of over 100 local, new jobs in construction, abalone seeding, maintenance and harvesting.
- Re-population of abalone to its native site.
- Creation of an artisans group for women that will be supported with start up capital, equipment and all needed materials including abalone shells, logistics and marketing to help promote their products. We already have 35 women signed up. Manos Artesanas

If any of you watch local television you may have seen spots about Iniciativa Mexico. It is a program sponsored by the federal government of Mexico, asking for projects to be submitted that benefit Mexico in a variety of different categories. Our project is listed under "medio ambiente" / "environment".

The general public is being asked to register on their website and then vote for the projects they like best. Upon registering you will be given 5 hearts to distribute to the projects you support. They also offer links to promote the projects on facebook and other related social media pages.

I would be honored if any of you would support our project by giving us a heart (or even five hearts!!!) You must register to be able to vote.

Website Link to Register:
Iniciativa Mexico

After registering then click on this link to give us a heart or multiple hearts (even better!) that will help promote our project:

Where to Vote for Our Project:
Cultivando Abulón para Trascender

Please feel free to ask any questions about the project or how to vote. I will give some quick tips in the next post.

Thanks for listening and your support...

Ron

For those of you who are having trouble with the website (it's in Spanish), here's all you need to know to register and vote:

Click HERE to go to the registration page. It looks like this and click on the link that says Registro:




From there it will take you to the registration page. It looks like this and the answers are easy. The last two questions you can either just pick any one from the list or maybe this would be a good time to practice using your dictionary if you want to be technically correct. It won't make any difference in the polling.



Just answer the easy math problem (to keep auto-spammers out), click on the box below it if you want to receive updates about the Iniciativa progress and then click on Enviar to complete your registration.

After you register you will get an email, confirming your registration. Click on the long link in the email to confirm it and then click on this link to our project to vote for it:

Cultivando Abulón para Trascender

There you will see this screen where you can vote for us (up to five times!) by clicking on where it says: Dar un corazon ♥

Kudos, my friend. I've pasted the web address into an e-mail sent to a bunch of friends.

Thanks! The more folks that help out like that will go a long way...

Great project, CONGRATS, have my vote for sure..

Good job.. have no fear.. I don't even like them.. so they are going to be safe from me...

Hmmmmmmmmm....he got redundant killer attack dogs to keep us from his door & along the same line of thinking, he wants to rip our hearts right out of our chests....not just ONCE....BUT FIVE TIMES!

Five hearts gets you a no bite card for life...



Just checked and we are up to 55 votes!!!

Sounds like an interesting and worthwhile project! Does the winner of the most hearts get a grant or anything? And voting is not even restricted to Mexicans?

Red field lit up on my email address; no text to describe the rejection. Tried another and it worked.

¡Hecho!

It looks like (with a few exceptions based on Marty's post) everybody can vote.

Yes, there are 20 grants up for grabs and we are vying for one of them...

Does Mrs. BG know that you're out soliciting hearts other than hers??

I'd ask you to send me my "NO-BITE card".....but something tells me those beautiful dogs of yours can't read!

They read exactly what I tell them. And Mrs BG knows exactly where my heart is...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Yes, there are 20 grants up for grabs and we are vying for one of them...

Only ONE of them? I promise I'll vote ... mañana.

Hey BG, just gave your project all my luvin'. I was trying to send a corazon to the "Do away with killer guard dogs" section but I could not find it. I know it'll be at least 5 years but I'll start thinking of what salsa I want on my abulones.

Very smart to get your reservation in early!!! My poor dogs are getting a bad rap...



Thanks for your votes!

What's the deadline or cutoff date for voting? I voted! I voted!! Don't sic the dogs on me! I'm just asking for the benefit of all those flaky procrastinator friends of yours!

Way to go! The abalone had 119 hearts last night when I logged off around 11 PM....there were a lot of night-owls giving you their hearts last night.....7:30 this morning there were 209 hearts!

Ya just better hope that Iniciativa Mexico doesn't disqualify the abalone project for stuffing the ballot box!

Baja "my abalone is no bolony" Gringo........I like it, I like it.