Greetings Friend,

I hope this email finds you safe and well. Today, I am happy to write sharing some important news and updates since our September newsletter.

First, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge deep gratitude for fresh air. After more than a month of smoke-filled air due to record wildfires, it has been wonderful to be outside and breathe fresh air. While the pandemic continues, I hope that you have had the opportunity to recreate safely and enjoy the places we love to protect in West Marin.

This month, I am thrilled to feature an incredible update on the protection of the Tomales Dunes in addition to our other program updates and ways you can stay engaged with EAC in the coming weeks and months.

Despite our physical office remaining closed, our work continues! Our team is busy getting our new office space set up for 2021 (we can’t wait to share that news with you soon!), beginning early talks about the Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival, on-boarding our team of fall interns, convening the year-end meetings of our committees, and developing the celebrations for our 50th anniversary next year.

We miss seeing our members, community partners, and friends. I wish you and your family the very best in these very challenging times. If you need to reach us, please call the office and leave a message or send us an email.

In good health,

Executive Director

MISSION

To protect and sustain the unique lands, waters, and biodiversity of West Marin. 
We achieve this goal through advocacy, education and engagement opportunities.

VISION

Our work strives to provide long-term protection and conservation of the unique ecosystems and rural communities of West Marin, and serves as a foundation of environmental protection for future generations.

Honor Thy Dunes: Tomales Dunes

In 1998, Marin County was set to approve a development application for Lawson's Landing (the long-established campground that occupies a sensitive dunes-wetland complex at the mouth of Tomales Bay) without any environmental review. EAC challenged that decision and pressed unremittingly for environmental safeguards during a complex County and State planning process that occupied the following 13 years. Finally, in 2011, the California Coastal Commission approved the Coastal Development Permit that legalized Lawson’s Landing. That permit required the Lawsons to return in the future with an amendment for the installation of a wastewater system. On October 9th (22 years later) this process finally came to a successful close. 

We want to thank Catherine Caufield, EAC's former Executive Director, who launched this campaign, for her vigilance and engagement for us to Honor Thy Dunes! We are thankful to our supporters whose generosity made this happen. Keep reading to read Catherine's verbal testimony as we close this chapter to acknowledge the remarkable and irreplaceable habitats of the Tomales Dunes. Keep Reading...

Seashore's Ranching Plan

On Friday, September 18, 2020, the National Park Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) to the public. The Final EIS is the conclusion of the public process that would determine, if, where, and how ranching in the Seashore would continue to occur.

The National Park Service selected Alternative B, which would allow the existing ranch leases to continue for another 20 years; applies a new ranch land zoning framework into the planning area that defines the type and intensity of land-use allowed; requires new (to the Seashore) management practices to protect soils, water resources, vegetation, wildlife, and air quality; allows for new types of agricultural practices; creates pathways for new visitor serving uses in the ranchland zone; and defines the tule elk population thresholds and explains Seashore’s plan to cull the elk if the population exceeds the Final EIS limits.

Keep Reading...

Marin Draft Climate Action Plan Update

Earlier this month, Marin County released a Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) Update for public review and comment. The County’s Draft CAP Update 2020 includes a plan to cut emissions from both existing and new development in the unincorporated areas of Marin. It contains regulatory, incentive-based and voluntary strategies -- some that build on existing County programs and others that provide new opportunities to address climate change. 

Written comments may be submitted to Alice Zanmiller 
(azanmiller@marincounty.org) or by mail to Attn: Climate Action Plan Update, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael, CA 94903. Public comments on the Draft Plan will be accepted until October 31.

Watch the October 12, 2020 Community Meeting
Read the Draft Climate Action Plan

Monarchs in Marin

The Western Monarch butterfly population is in crisis. In Marin County, we experience a seasonal visitation of Western Monarchs every fall, as the butterflies overwinter in the forested groves along the Pacific Coast. Since the 1980s there has been a 95% decline in monarch populations, that places them at high risk for probable extinction. 

To assist with the recovery efforts in Marin County, EAC launched an analysis of Marin's Monarch Movement, scheduled for release later this month. Our report is designed to connect our communities and our actions to identify gaps in our regional response to support recovery of the western monarch population. There are opportunities for diverse groups to respond and support monarch populations in their backyards and we seek to bring people, information, tools, and resources together for all of Marin County’s regional response to ensure we are doing all we can to support the population to ensure it exists for future generations. Stay tuned for more soon! 

Learn More

Governor Newsom Pledges to Protect Biodiversity and Build Climate Resilience

On October 7th, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to fight the biodiversity and climate change crisis in California with nature based solutions. Of note, the executive order will establish a state goal to conserve at least 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. The executive order also launches the California Biodiversity Collaborative and highlights the role that Native American tribes play as critical partners. The executive order builds on the California Ocean Protection Council’s strategic plan. We are excited to join the coalition of NGOs and other stakeholders that will work to make this order a reality. This order closely connects to EAC’s mission and our specific efforts to conserve land, water, and biodiversity, as well as our Marin Marine Protected Area (MPA) Watch community science program. Currently, our local MPAs are part of the network of 124 MPAs, which make up 16% of California’s coastal waters.

Read the Executive Order

MPA Community Forum, Gratitude!

Thank you to everyone who attended the September 30th MPA Compliance Community Forum hosted by the MPA Collaborative Network. We were thrilled to see so many of our MPA Watch volunteers, partners, fellow community members, and District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni participate in the forum that created a space to raise awareness of the challenges facing our Marine Protected Areas in Marin and San Francisco Counties in an effort to find local solutions to the problems.

Thank you to everyone who attended this important event and shared their experiences.

Learn More about Marin MPA Watch and the MPA Collaborative

Coastal Cleanup Month

Volunteers showed up in thousands, changing our annual Coastal Cleanup Day into the entire month of September. This year, 10,000 volunteers conducted 3,000 cleanups and removed 70,000 pounds of trash from the environment. 75% of the trash collected is composed of plastic (most single-use) that is harmful to wildlife and leaches toxins into our environment. Thank you to our community for getting out and keeping our beaches clean. If you helped cleanup in September, visit www.coastalcleanupday.org to fill out the Coastal Cleanup Survey and receive free chips and guacamole from Rubio’s. You will also be entered into a drawing for some fabulous prizes from the California Coastal Commission. Thank You Zentall family for your hard work helping keep Tomales Bay clean and sharing your pictures with us!

Learn More