Program Updates

Land | E-Bikes Lawsuit, Preserving the NEPA Process and Local Resources

In December, EAC along with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), Wilderness Watch, Marin Conservation League, Save our Seashore, and three individuals filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the legality of the August 2019 National Park Service Policy Memorandum 19-01 that directed allowing electronic bikes (e-bikes) where traditional bicycles are allowed and bypassed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that requires a thoughtful examination of current laws, policies, and environmental conditions. Locally, this decision impacts the Point Reyes National Seashore, where twelve trails are now open to class 1 e-bike use. Some of these trails may be appropriate for e-bike use, while other trails may not be appropriate. Since NEPA was bypassed, we cannot answer those questions or have a meaningful conversation about the decision. Continue reading...

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Water | Healthy West Marin Watersheds 

We endeavor to ensure West Marin's watersheds remain healthy with vibrant populations of marine life and little or no marine debris. Below are some current updates under our Healthy West Marin Watersheds program. 

Aquaculture Updates: In November, we submitted a number of comments to the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) and California Coastal Commission (CCC). In our comments to the FGC, we were able to support a 15-year lease extension for Charles Friend Oyster Company, as the company has recently made efforts to come into compliance. We were also able to support Hog Island Oyster Company's lease amendments, which are now consistent with their Coastal Development Permit Amendment from February 2019. We continue to note our concern for after the fact permitting and our support for timely compliance, but we are encouraged by recent compliance steps and agency involvement. We continue our support for special conditions in recently updated Coastal Development Permits issued by the CCC, which include enforceable provisions for gear marking, marine debris reduction, and staff trainings. Most recently, Starbird Mariculture obtained an updated permit. 

Fisheries Updates: The California Pacific Herring Fishery Management Plan was unanimously adopted at the October 2019 FGC meeting. Consistent with our comments, the corresponding regulations establish a recreational bag limit for herring. Unfortunately, our other requested changes regarding Tomales Bay were considered but not adopted. EAC will continue our work protecting the fishery health of Tomales Bay along with our Waters Committee. 

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Water | Marine Protected Areas and Climate Resilience 

The ocean and coastal environments are already feeling the negative impacts of a changing climate including sea level rise, acidification, and warmer waters. However, the ocean also provides an opportunity for nature-based resilience to these changing conditions. Recent studies highlight the importance of protecting biologically significant marine environments as  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), protecting and restoring wetlands and marshes, providing critical habitat for species, and establishing living shorelines that buffer the impacts of rising seas and storm surges. Aquatic or blue carbon can also provide us with a potential solution and carbon sequestration opportunity. Believe it or not, salt marshes can sequester carbon at 10 times the rate of terrestrial forests. We recently presented on this topic to the Drawdown Marin steering committee, as part of our work in the carbon sequestration stakeholder collaborative. We will remain engaged in our work to advocate for California's network of MPAs and coastal resilience.

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Biodiversity | Marin's Monarch Movement, We Need Your Input!

The Western monarch butterfly population is in crisis and needs our support so we can ensure these iconic and essential pollinators continue to share this earth with us. We are currently evaluating Marin County's local and regional response to the crisis in a report, Marin's Monarch Movement, that seeks to identify the collective action of organizations and individuals working to protect Western monarchs. In order to fully capture the regional response efforts by the Marin community, we need individual, organizational, businesses, and public agencies who are working on monarch conservation and recovery projects to take our survey to be included in our report, Marin’s Monarch Movement. Projects can include habitat restoration and acquisition, native milkweed tracking and planting, public education on nectar and milkweed plants, planting milkweed and nectar plants, pesticide use and public education, community science observations, scientific research, and more! Support this work with special tax-deductible gift by contacting us at (415) 663.9312. 

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Climate Crisis | COP25 Update and the Importance of Local Action  

The UN Climate Change Conference took place in Madrid, Spain, earlier this month. While we weren't able to travel to Madrid (sadly!), we did watch the livestream. The US Congressional representatives who were able to attend made it clear that "We're still in!" However, the outcome of the COP 25 disappointed many, with countries unable to agree on key outcomes and funding from major polluters. In the US, without federal support to fight the climate crisis, local and state action is key. That's why we continue our local involvement with Drawdown Marin as we begin our last stakeholder collaborative on Climate Resilient Communities and aim to engage the West Marin community through Climate Community Conversations. We are also actively engaging with the Marin Board of Supervisors to support their efforts and emphasize natural solutions in the county. We remain hopeful that we can work together to develop creative solutions to these complex problems. 

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Watch COP25 Recorded Coverage 

Climate Crisis | Community Climate Conversation II, Decarbonizing California 

EAC, West Marin Standing Together, Mainstreet Moms, Indivisible West Marin, Point Reyes National Seashore Association, Heart of Compassion Sangha, Garden of Eden Apothecary, and Drawdown Marin held our second Community Climate Conversations event on November 10th. This successful event featured speaker Ellie Cohen, The Climate Center, who shared possibilities for decarbonizing California with a guest appearance from Alex Porteshawver, Drawdown Marin. Following the speakers, the attendees worked in small groups to brainstorm local solutions to the climate crisis. We hope you can join us at our next event in Winter 2020. The coordination teams are currently reviewing the results of the workshop and will send out an update with the results. 

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Take Action | Join Our Team

We are now accepting applications for internships for winter and spring 2020! If you are looking for a way to get involved and help implement positive environmental changes in your community, it is time to join the EAC team. We are hosting positions for Coastal and Climate Crisis advocacy. 

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