| | Dear Friend, I can’t believe summer is already over, and kids are going back to school! The summer flew by as our team has been actively working to protect the coast, engage our members, educate the public, and train our summer Legal & Policy and Coastal Advocate interns. Enclosed is a snapshot of some of our latest endeavors, but we can’t include everything. To learn more, I invite you to take a deep dive into our website and/or stop by our office on Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4 pm to view our latest exhibit, Our Coastal Climate, check out our Advocate store, and chat with our team, including our newest team member Madeline Nieto Hope who is heading up our Cleaner California Coast Initiative in partnership with Leave No Trace. In addition, we want to thank all our members for being so engaged this summer and joining us at various events, including our Member Meeting, Potluck Picnic, and Awards; the West Marin Butterfly Count; our inaugural Coffee with the Director; our interns Capstone Conversation (recap coming soon); the Grand Opening of the latest office exhibit, Our Coastal Climate, and Waste Audit; and the Inverness Fair. It’s been fun to be able to connect with our supporters, welcome some new members, and meet our community. I encourage you to join us for our next volunteer effort, Litter Bugs & Coastal Clean Up Day September 18th-23rd. This is a great way for groups, associations, businesses, and individuals to team up to clean up our watersheds before the first rains, and your help is needed! Learn more and sign up. Lastly, be sure to check out our Stewardship Guide and Community Resources, which encourage our residential and visiting community to be good stewards of our natural landscapes, coastal, and marine environments, and support our vibrant coastal villages and indigenous communities’ cultures and traditions. I hope to see you soon! |
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| | Ashley is EAC’s long-standing Legal and Policy Director. Her expansive program work includes work on EAC’s campaigns: Ensuring Resilient Watersheds; Safeguarding Our Coast and Ocean by advocating for Healthy Tomales Bay and Opposing Offshore Oil; and Advocating for Environmentally Sustainable Communities addressing the threats of the Climate Crisis. She also leads our expanding legal and policy internship program. P.S. Summer Call to Action: By now you should have received our summer mailer asking for urgent help in supporting our climate work with a donation of $25+ by August 31st, which will be matched up to $7,500. If not, or you need a refresher click here to learn more, and use the enclosed buttons to join our member community, renew, or make a special contribution of $25 or more above your annual membership to help support our climate work. Please join me in making a tax-deductible contribution, and consider a gift through your stock or donor-advised fund. |
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| | Grand Opening of Coastal Climate Exhibit, Waste Audit & Launch of the Cleaner California Coast Initiative
Madeline Nieto Hope, Program Coordinator of Cleaner California Coast Our newest exhibit, Our Coastal Climate, had a grand opening celebration at our office over the first Saturday in August and included a waste audit of Point Reyes Station trash bins, and an art installation of plastics found on Kehoe Beach by activists and artists Judith Selby-Lang and Richard Lang. The exhibit, funded by the West Marin Fund, seeks to bring together people to explore our changing climate and find space for hope and action. By providing a platform for education and discussion, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the global ecological and environmental challenges we face, and empower individuals with the knowledge and motivation needed to take action. Our first action for the exhibit was a waste audit which also launched our partnership with the Cleaner California Coast Initiative. The grand opening engaged more than 100 people including EAC members, community members, volunteers, and the visiting public. Our team also engaged a number of local partners and businesses through the waste audit including, Marin County Community Development Agency-Reusable Foodware Ordinance Team, Conservation Corps - North Bay, Recology Sonoma Marin, West Marin Climate Action, and Zero Waste Marin. Continue Reading to Dive Deeper |
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|  | Recap: Annual Member Meeting, Potluck Picnic & Awards Celebration at Bear Valley
Jessica Taylor, Development Director We would like to thank our member community for joining us for the Annual Member Meeting, Picnic Potluck & Awards, which kicked off summer at Point Reyes National Seashore's Bear Valley Picnic Area. The EAC Board, staff, interns, and members gathered over a delicious picnic potluck and lawn games, followed by our annual environmental awards ceremony and member hikes in the park. This year, Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni handed out Marin County Certificates of Recognition to our awardees in addition to our six environmental awards. In addition, our members voted for our annual Board of Directors via mail with over 80 votes (50 needed) confirming the re-election of Ken Drexler, Cynthia Lloyd, Jerry Meral, David Wimpfheimer, and Mairi Pileggi. Learn more about our Directors. Continue Reading |
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 | Safeguarding Our Coast & Ocean Through Legislative Advocacy and How to Take Action Ashley Eagle Gibbs, Legal & Policy Director, & Christopher Mouawad, Legal & Policy Intern As an environmental nonprofit leader, we hold an active role in coordinating and providing input to legislators, committee members, and state agencies on legislation relevant to Marin's coastal region in order to safeguard our coast and oceans. One of the most significant efforts during the 2023 legislative session was our work to defend the California coast by ensuring environmental protections provided by the California Coastal Act of 1971 continue to apply to activity in the Coastal Zone. The Coastal Zone in Marin County accounts for over 82 thousand acres of Marin County - all of it located in West Marin. [1] This includes portions (but not the entirety) of sites of significant ecological importance such as Bodega Bay, Tomales Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore, Duxbury Point, Bolinas Lagoon, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Mount Tamalpais State Park, and Rodeo Lagoon. [2] As a result, the reduction of the applicability of environmental regulations in the Coastal Zone can impact the preservation of ecologically significant sites or neighboring areas. This year we have worked on a number of legislative issues pertaining to defending and safeguarding our coasts and oceans, providing ecological restoration and biodiversity protection, and addressing climate change and sea level rise. Learn more about what we have been up to and how you can help by clicking below. Continue Reading & Take Action |
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|  | Support California's MPA Network
Ashley Eagle Gibbs, Legal & Policy Director The EAC team including our stellar summer interns participated at the California Fish and Game Commission's Marine Resources Committee meeting in-person in Petaluma in July to advocate for our Marine Protected Areas (or MPAs). California has a network of 124 MPAs including Drakes Estero and Duxbury Reef. We have been participating in the first decadal management review of the MPAs including providing feedback for boundary and designation changes as part of the adaptive management process, which we hope will expand and continue to protect these key habitat areas. At the July meeting, our Legal and Policy Director, Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, spoke on a few agenda items including MPA Decadal Management Review, which is the focus of this article. We also submitted written comments in advance of the meeting. Continue Reading and Join us for the Next Meeting |
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 | California Aquaculture Criteria Nearly Finalized
Ashley Eagle Gibbs, Legal & Policy Director Another important topic at the California Fish and Game Commission's July Marine Resources Committee meeting was Aquaculture Leasing in California and specifically, the development of public interest criteria (our guidance) to help guide the Fish and Game Commission and the Fish and Wildlife Department in their new leasing decisions, so that the Commission can ensure newly sited leases take into account important considerations such as impacts to our sensitive coastal environment, eelgrass habitat, recreation, and navigation. We have been engaged in the development of these criteria for the last couple of years, and we are excited that the criteria are close to being finalized. Draft 3 will be released shortly and reviewed at the August Fish and Game Commission meeting. Following submitting joint written comments, our Legal and Policy Director, Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, spoke on the aquaculture leasing criteria at the July Marine Resources Committee meeting on behalf of EAC and Audubon California, pointing out the need for a few additional revisions to ensure eelgrass and shorebird protection. Other NGOs and industry representatives also shared their perspectives at the meeting. Continue Reading |
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|  | Inverness Fair Fun Supports our Mission
Jessica Taylor, Development Director The 2023 Inverness Fair held on the second Saturday of August by the Inverness Association was filled with fun, laughter, and lots of community joy. The event celebrates our local nonprofits, foundations, public works, and community and how they support West Marin. The event included a number of local musicians, a puppy parade, a cake raffle, and a passport program where the attendees collected stamps from each booth to learn more about each of our worthy causes. The event kicked off with the pancake breakfast hosted by our newest team member Madeline Nieto Hope, volunteer Loretta Farley, and numerous other volunteers. The breakfast raised over $1,400 for our work around the California Cleaner Coast Initiative. Continue Reading |
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 | Call for Volunteers: Litter Bugs Me & Coastal Clean Up
Leslie Adler- Ivanbrook, Program Director, & Grace Milstein, Communications Associate You are invited to protect clean water, healthy watersheds, sensitive habitats, wildlife corridors, and riparian zones in coastal Marin County! This year, our efforts are expanded by the Cleaner California Coast Initiative -- a tri-county collaboration between Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Leave No Trace to reduce coastal pollution. Please join us in cleaning up roads and beaches in the following coastal regions: - Marshall
- Inverness & Inverness Park
- Point Reyes & Olema
- Bolinas
- Samuel P. Taylor & Platform Bridge Road
- San Geronimo Valley
Sign Up to Volunteer + Learn More | (415) 663-9312 |
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| |  | Visit Marin County Parks for Free! Now there is no entry fee for Marin County Parks! The Marin County Board of Supervisors recently approved the elimination of entry and boat launch fees for Marin County Park's 65 locations. View List The fees, which had been $5.00 per passenger vehicle, were eliminated to encourage visits by individuals and families who may not normally visit county parks because fees were seen as a limiting factor. The move had been recommended by the County’s Parks and Open Space Commission and Parks’ Equity Roundtable participants. Parks told the Board that the fee elimination will result in an estimated $397,855 loss in annual income. Any loss in revenue will be covered by Measure A, a countywide quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters, to the extent laws allow. “Thanks to the Marin community for its continued support of Parks Measure A, which makes it possible for the Board to remove this longstanding obstacle,” said Parks Director Max Korten. “It’s about fairness, and now individuals from lower-income backgrounds have the same access to parks as visitors who have enjoyed open space preserves for free for decades. This aligns with other Measure A programs dedicated to getting people in our parks who are otherwise not able, including the Breathe/Respira community grant program and free reservable sites for eligible organizations.” |
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 | Golden Gate MPA Collaborative Special Meeting – Regulation Recommendations
August 24th, 3:30 - 5:30 PM Join a diverse group of marine protected area (MPA) stakeholders, including EAC, community members, and ocean stewards in the local area, for a special meeting to suggest and review possible small-scale (minor) changes to Marin and San Francisco County MPA regulations which will be presented to CDFW and the Fish and Game Commission as recommendations for adaptive management as part of the Decadal Management Review process. This effort aims to increase MPA effectiveness and assist local managers in MPA stewardship. This is a locally-focused opportunity to share your thoughts on improving MPA management. The Golden Gate MPA Collaborative is one of 14 Collaboratives in the MPA Collaborative Network, a statewide “network of networks” working together to steward California’s 124+ MPAs. Collaborative meetings are for anyone who is interested in getting involved at the local level, please help spread the word and encourage involvement among your colleagues and community members! Virtual-only meeting on Zoom, August 24th, from 3:30 - 5:30 PM. Learn More and Register to Attend |
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 | Sea The Future!
August 26th, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Join partners, Marin County and the National Park Service, for an immersive sea level rise event at Stinson Beach. Experience what sea level rise could look like at Stinson Beach if we don't take any action! Check out where future tides could reach on the beach, activities, information on what actions we can take, and a chance to see Stinson sea level rise projections in virtual reality. This event is free to the public; just stop by the National Park Service and County of Marin table at Stinson Beach on Saturday, August 26th, 1:00 - 4:00 PM. |
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| | | We endeavor to keep our website up to date with the latest information on our campaigns and included some quick links in case the topic you're most interested in isn't featured in this month's e-news! Some links to campaigns are below or click on the images to view those pages directly. |
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| | | |  | Did you know you can set up a recurring gift online? Whether you choose to set up an annual recurring gift or spread out your giving monthly or quarterly,
a recurring gift is a great way to help provide consistent donations, so we can focus on protecting what you love in West Marin. |
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| | | Shop Our Advocate Store Online - Giving with Purpose Give a gift to the advocate in your life and support our mission.
Shop hats, totes, tees, sweatshirts, and more in a variety of styles. Shop Now |
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| | MISSION To protect and sustain the unique lands, waters, and
biodiversity of West Marin. |
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VISION Our work strives to provide long-term protection and conservation of the unique ecosystems of West Marin and serves as a foundation of environmental protection for future generations. |
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| | Contact Us Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC)
PO Box 609 | 65 Third Street, Suite 12
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
(415) 663.9312 | info@eacmarin.org |
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