Greetings Friend,

We are excited to Spring into Summer with an informal social gathering in appreciation of our mission and the community that makes our work possible!

You're invited to join us on Saturday, June 26th for a little celebration. We are opening our office from 10am - 2pm. We will hold a special ribbon cutting at 11am with our board and staff to officially open the new office space. More information below and a link to RSVP. We can’t wait to share this new space with you, see your smiling faces, and update you on some of our program work.

I can’t believe the summer is almost here and that the team at EAC has been back in the office for a month now! It is fantastic to be back in town, working collaboratively, and preparing for our summer season. Every summer, we kick off our annual MPA Watch summer training series, welcome our summer cohort of interns, and begin planning for our fall engagement opportunities including: Coastal Clean Up/Litter Bugs Me, Piper on the Ridge, and more! It's great to work with the team again.

We have welcomed some new folks to our EAC community the last two months.

Summer Internship Cohort

Each summer we host a cohort of interns, and this year, I am excited to welcome seven fantastic interns into our program who will help to advance EAC’s advocacy, community science, and education work. Our interns are currently working remotely, and we hope in a few months we will be able to host them at the office. Welcome to our team for summer 2021: Carolina Auerbach, Kate Carpenter, Ryan Garroway Meyer, Lauren Goetz, Grace Milstein, Isaac Serratos, and Dhalma Suarez!

New Waters Advisory Committee Members

Our Waters Advisory Committee dives deep into water-related issues in coastal Marin that includes marine, coastal freshwater, and climate crisis issues that impact water resources. The Committee meets regularly to discuss issues, provide input to guide our staff in decision-making, and makes recommendations to our Board of Directors. This month, I am pleased to welcome three new members to our Committee: Sarah Allen, Dick Ogg, and Nils Warnock.

Thank you for your continued support of EAC. Our work is made possible by our membership. More than 70% of our funding comes from direct contributions from people like you making it possible for EAC to protect the habitats and species you love in West Marin.

Hope to see you on

In gratitude,

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.

P.S. We extended our limited edition John Muir Laws Owls of Point Reyes short or long-sleeved tees, tank tops, zip up hoodies, baby onesies, totes, posters, and more through Father's Day June 20th! This is a great gift for some one special in your life, and another way to support our mission and give with purpose. Get yours today by visiting our store online!

Join Our Community Science Team at MPA Watch

Summer is just around the corner and it’s a great time to get to the beach! We are thrilled to launch our summer training series for Marin Marine Protected Area (MPA) Watch. Our program is part of a statewide program training volunteers to collect data on what people are doing in and near California’s network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

This data is important for resource managers, as it provides useful information on visitation in coastal areas. Last year, our volunteers recorded a 100% increase in visitation to Agate Beach / Duxbury Reef and increased visitation at Limantour and Drakes Beaches. This information is useful to understand where we are seeing increased visitation and direct resources to protect sensitive habitats and provide public education. 

If you need an excuse to walk the beach, want to contribute to community science and help collect data to better understand the visitation trends in coastal areas, this program is for you! Join us for one of our upcoming training sessions to become a certified MPA Watch volunteer.

Learn More and RSVP Today!

Space is limited for each training due to public health requirements, sign up today!

Aquaculture and Tomales Bay

It’s been a busy spring for aquaculture related items in the state. We are working to ensure local and state aquaculture development is sustainable. This is an important issue in coastal Marin, as much of the eastern shoreline of Tomales Bay includes aquaculture farms and requires monitoring and engagement locally and at the state level.

In March, we testified at the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) Marine Resources Committee (MRC) meeting, where updates were provided on statewide aquaculture efforts including the development of an aquaculture action plan under the guidance of the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and statewide aquaculture principles.

At the meeting, we voiced our support for a continued hiatus on new aquaculture leases until aquaculture principles are developed, as well as our support for a coordinated statewide approach. The principles (which are meant for internal agency purposes primarily) will be released in advance of the June 15th OPC meeting as part of the Executive Director’s report.

“We must have a coordinated and logical approach to the acceptance of any new leases, as we are dealing with very sensitive habitat areas that have already suffered significant losses and continue to be threatened by climate change. For instance, the recent shorebird decline in Tomales Bay is significant.” - Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, EAC Conservation Director

Continue Reading to learn about the April Fish and Game Commission's decision on the lease hiatus and our legislative advocacy on AB 303.

Protecting Our Coast! Updates from the CA Coastal Commission

We continue to engage on critical issues that threaten our coastal resources that come before the California Coastal Commission and state other agencies. This work is important to protect what we love in our coastal communities like public access, recreation, the marine environment, and land resources as outlined in the California Coastal Act, Chapter 3.

In February, the Dillon Beach Resort’s coastal development permit came before the California Coastal Commission. We submitted comments in advance and spoke at the hearing, generally supporting the staff recommendation. We focused on the importance of broad and equitable public access for all, wide public participation in the development of a traffic management plan, low cost visitor services, and the protection of coastal resources. We also raised concerns about after-the-fact permitting and the bad precedent that this sets for future compliance. The applicant had placed a septic system in an environmentally sensitive habitat area without a coastal development permit. Removal of the septic lines and restoration was required by the permit, which was approved with conditions at the February meeting. The majority of the California Coastal Act violations were resolved with the permit. 

We are working with partners to monitor compliance with the permit. Safe and equitable public access to this well loved beach is critical to the local community and beyond.

Continue Reading to learn more about SB 433 which supports the California Coastal Commission’s enforcement authority.

Protect the Pacific! Oppose Offshore Oil and Fight for Clean Water

We are an active participant in the west coast NGO coalition to Protect the Pacific from offshore oil drilling. As we face a changing climate and threatened marine environments, it is important that we put an end to dirty energy sources.

Last month, we signed on to a letter supporting federal legislation in the House of Representatives to protect our coasts from offshore drilling. You can sign our partner, Oceana’s petition to ask President Biden to permanently protect our coasts!

This legislative session, we have also supported state legislation to protect our water quality by supporting AB 377. This bill would set a statewide target to eliminate water impairment by 2050. The bill would close loopholes in the state permitting program, such as inadequate monitoring and repeated extensions of compliance deadlines that have stalled cleanups. It would strengthen enforcement to ensure that all permittees comply with clean water standards.

Sign Oceana’s petition to permanently protect our coasts!

Former Golf Course Conservation Easement & Water Rights Secured!

We were thrilled to hear the news on April 22nd that the Wildlife Conservation Board approved funding for the San Geronimo Conservation Easement and Flow Enhancement project! 

Marin Open Space Trust will acquire a conservation easement of 135 acres of the former San Geronimo Golf Course property, and permanent dedication of the 20 acre-feet per year instream flow to Larsen Creek to support special-status salmonids that will permanently prevent removal of those flows in Larsen and San Geronimo creeks. 

This funding protects the San Geronimo and Larsen meadows (formerly known as the front and back nine). The land use will be restricted to open space and passive recreation in perpetuity, preventing conversion or subdivision that could diminish or impair the natural resource values, and enable comprehensive restoration. The property will provide publicly accessible natural open space to support compatible community and recreational uses and allow for adaption of the existing network of golf course paths into a public multi-use trail system with connection to surrounding open space areas, like Roy's Redwoods.

Continue Reading to learn more about the easement and potential plans for the clubhouse parcel.

Our Online Store - Giving with Purpose

Give a gift with purpose and support our nonprofit mission with a gift from our online store. Shop wildlife notecards, prints, or our West Marin Wild reusable cups and utensils. Shop Now