MARIN COUNTY OPEN SPACE DISTRICT (OSD) RESTORATION GRANT
The Planning Group sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors in support of an application in the amount of $17,342 from the Cal. Dept of Fish & Game’s Fishery Restoration Grant program. This is on the heels of two previous grants that were approved for projects in Woodacre and San Geronimo and resulted in major steps toward eliminating sediment that gets into streams from old logging roads and trails and implements major recommendations from the Salmon Enhancement Plan.
The Planning Group Steering Committee and membership will continue collaborating with the OSD in volunteer efforts as we successfully did with a good turnout for the Giacomini Harvest & Plant project.
ROAD & TRAILS MANAGEMENT PLAN – COMMUNITY MEETING #2
By Jean Berensmeier
Marin County Parks and Open Space Dist. held its third community meeting on March 26, as part of a two-year process to develop a Road & Trails Management Plan. The presentation was led by Linda Dahl, Director of the Department and featured an engaging panel that included leaders and Pierre Joske and Al Boro who helped form the district, John Hart who thought of himself only as an “observer” but whose newspaper articles were influential and Barry Spitz who has grown into a well known Marin historian in several fields and covered the “big picture”.
Background Provided
Deputy Director, Ron Miska took us from the early years of buying land to protect it from development to the evolvement of the district into considering uses. He detailed our accomplishments – 15,500 acres; 34 open space preserves as well as support for farmlands preservation, State Parks and regional trails. He pointed out the challenges of current financial constraints to cover a growing list of needs and the efforts to coordinate projects and priorities more closely with other land managers who have similar problems.
Understanding “carrying capacity”
As in previous meetings, Director Dahl stressed the need to fully understand the impacts various activities have upon the land and the need to determine what is the threshold for an activity to irreversibly damage our fragile ecosystems. She stated our Open Space lands have carrying capacities that must be understood and that different areas and ecosystems must be viewed independently. She stressed that “carrying capacity” was not a number but a “condition.” She hoped the plan would address these fundamental principles and allow the Agency to be able to adopt policies that protect the environment, while providing diverse recreational opportunities.
Concern for Coho Salmon
The Planning Group concurs with an important caveat regarding the Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve. The SGV watershed is unique in being home to endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead trout. A two year study during a moratorium on building construction resulted in a Conditions report and Salmon Enhancement Plan whose recommendations are now being implemented with grants from federal and state agencies, the help of local environmental groups as well as county/group collaborations and projects that have utilized local volunteers.
The prime recipient of these efforts has been the Giacomini Preserve including all the tributaries that lead to the main stem – San Geronimo Creek home of our salmonids. With current restoration efforts in mind and future projects planned the PG will look closely at removing illegal trails and discouraging the creation of new ones on this preserve.
Process comment:
While we have the highest regard for a dedicated and knowledgeable staff we feel that the meeting must start on time and staff must restrain itself from overlong presentations. The 6 hr meeting had to be modified and, as in the 1st meeting, what was cut was community input. We urge our membership to become engaged in the community process for the development of this Plan. Our environment is at stake, and there is a need for those concerned about sustaining our fragile and threatened ecosystem to speak up and be heard.
So either keep engaged via the PG Newsletter or, SGVPG Web Site at www.sgvpg.org or the Parks and Open Space Dist. Web Site at
http://www.maringov.org/Depts/PK/About%20Us/Main/Announcements.aspx