| | Greetings Friend, As our team moves through our leadership change, I am happy to report we are working hard and collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition as we move towards the new year. In this issue of our latest online Advocate, you can learn about some key advocacy updates on tule elk in the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) and the statewide public interest aquaculture criteria, recently approved, which will help protect our waters, including Tomales Bay. We also share some opportunities to take action, including participating in the November Coastal Commission meeting on the Seashore’s water quality strategy. In addition, I would like to say how much fun we have had connecting with many of you this past month at the following events including: - The Tomales Bay Foundation’s 8th Annual State of the Tomales Bay Conference, where we spoke on the Cleaner California Coast Initiative.
- Our Litter Bugs Me Week and Coastal Clean-Up Day in September, a volunteer community clean-up effort in West Marin that helped remove nearly 900 pounds of debris from our watershed. A big thanks to everyone who came out.
- Our Piper on the Ridge event at the end of September, where our community gathered under a warm blanket of summer fog on top of the Inverness Ridge to usher in the fall season under the Harvest Supermoon, while listening to the sounds of the Scottish Bagpipes with Dan McNear. For those of you who attended, thank you for joining us and contributing to our mission. Learn more, view our slideshow, and save the date for 2024.
- Our educational exhibit, Our Coastal Climate, in downtown Point Reyes Station, is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4 pm until November 4th. This exhibit, funded by the West Marin Fund, highlights the climate crisis, local resilience policies, and has several actionable steps you can take to care for our planet, plus an outdoor art installation by local artists Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang, entitled Trash Castle.
Thank you for supporting our mission and attending our recent events. I hope to see you soon! |
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| | P.S. I want to invite you to join us for the Winter Gathering this December: RSVP, today! |
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| | Summer Intern Capstone Projects
Leslie Adler-Ivanbrook, Program Director An important part of our advocacy and community engagement work is providing summer, fall, and spring high school, college, and graduate internship opportunities for young people to gain job training in environmental policy, law, advocacy, community science, communications, events, and education, while also contributing to our mission. These mentoring opportunities help foster the next generation of environmental protection leaders with real-world experience that can be applied to future education and career goals. During our summer internship program, our interns each select and prepare a capstone project that helps forward our mission and their learning goals. Not only do the interns help extend and expand our reach, their projects add value to our advocacy work. To share these contributions more widely, we launched our first Capstone Conversations event last August, a public meeting format where our interns shared and discussed their projects with our supporters and the community. Read more about the capstone projects. We are grateful to have hosted a great cohort of summer interns!
Read More... |
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|  | EAC Submits Public Comment in Support of Tomales Point Elk Fence Removal
Christopher Mouawad, Legal and Policy Intern Last month, the National Park Service solicited public comment for the development of a management plan for the Tomales Point area of Point Reyes National Seashore. The new plan, named the Tomales Point Area Plan, will guide how the National Park Service will manage the population of tule elk located in Tomales Point. The tule elk is the only elk species whose entire historic and current range exists solely in California. Their range occupied the coast and valley regions from Lake Shasta to the Topatopa Mountains in Ventura County. However, hunting and habitat loss reduced the species to near extinction. The disappearance of tule elk across California caused so much alarm that as early as 1873, elk hunting was completely banned by the State Legislature. EAC submitted comments in support of Alternative B, which would remove the elk fence and the 2021 water system. This would provide for an unconfined herd in Tomales Point. Read More... |
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 | State of Tomales Bay 2023: Conservation Challenges with Climate Changing
Madeline Nieto-Hope, Program Coordinator of Cleaner California Coast The 8th annual State of Tomales Bay conference took place at the end of September at the Inverness Yacht Club. The day was thoughtfully curated and facilitated by the Tomales Bay Foundation Board, bringing together regional partners, including non-profit and business stakeholders, scientific practitioners, local, state, and federal land managers, as well as elected leaders who actively collaborated to address the topic of the day: Conservation Challenges with a Changing Climate. Three members of the EAC team, as well as Board members, joined the important event. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference presentations gave each attendee access to information about the importance of prescribed fires, Tomales Bay aquatic biology, hydrology, birds and butterflies, as well as introduced participants to Marin County’s coordinated response to sea level rise, student research focused on biodiversity, benthic habitat, biological invasions, restoration success stories, and predation on marine mammals. Read more, including EAC’s role and conference presentation links... |
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|  | State Adopts Aquaculture Criteria + New Application Process
Ashley Eagle Gibbs, Interim Executive Director The aquaculture public interest criteria (or guidance) were finalized at the August Fish and Game Commission (Commission) meeting. The criteria outline a series of inquiries and clarify the process for prospective aquaculture proposals (including the growing of shellfish in Tomales Bay and California waters). These unanimously adopted criteria will apply statewide. Alongside the criteria, an enhanced application review process was also adopted. We have been leading the NGO effort to increase transparency and develop and refine these aquaculture criteria for the last couple of years. Thank you to our partners for their support in getting this across the finish line! The successful adoption of these criteria is the result of extensive public comments (written and presented), as well as coordination with staff, Commissioners, and NGO partners. This guidance will help the Commission and the Fish and Wildlife Department (Department) in their new leasing decisions so that the Commission can ensure newly sited leases take into account important considerations such as impacts on our sensitive coastal environment, eelgrass habitat, recreation, and navigation. Our Interim Executive Director, Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, spoke on the aquaculture leasing criteria at the August Commission meeting on behalf of EAC and Heal the Bay, thanking the staff, Department, and Commission for their tireless and collaborative work and supporting the adoption of Draft 3 of the criteria. Read More… |
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 | 2024 Festival Planning Takes Flight + Save the Date Save the date and come have a hoot with us at the 15th Annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival on April 19th-21st, 2024. This is our largest educational fundraising event of the year, bringing people primarily to Marin and Sonoma counties to discover and learn about the area’s amazing range of birds, wildlife, and plant life along the Pacific Flyway. Proceeds support our mission.
The festival committee is already helping the festival take flight by working on schedule development, including confirming our keynote and former guides and inviting a number of new guides with a variety of flora and fauna skills to bring you the best festival yet! We expect to have some exciting announcements before the end of the year, so stay tuned. A big thank you to our committee, including all the EAC staff, the EAC board directors and co-chairs David Wimpfheimer, Jerry Meral, and Patty Neubacher, and members John Dugler-Sheikin, Nicole Heslip, Nancy Jensvold, John and Eddie Monson, Kristin Nute, and Alison Quoyeser. It takes a flock to make this happen, and we appreciate your contributions to our cause. Learn more about the festival and how to get early bird registration online. Are you interested in leading a field event? Experienced and skilled birders or naturalists are encouraged to contact us for more information. Read Bay Nature article, “Where to Watch the Birds Migrate In the North Bay This Fall,” by EAC Board Director, Festival co-founder, and guide David Wimpfheimer. Read Bay Nature Article, “What Happens When Everyone Wants to Photograph the Same Wildlife,” by EAC Board Director and guide Sarah Killingsworth. |
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| |  | Review Seashore Water Quality Update At next month’s California Coastal Commission meeting on November 16th, there will be an annual informational briefing on the progress made on the implementation of the 2022 Point Reyes National Seashore Water Quality Strategy - developed by the National Park Service as specified in Conditions I and IV of the Coastal Commission’s conditional concurrence on Consistency Determination for the 2020 General Management Plan Amendment for the Seashore and the North District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Coastal Commission will be releasing a staff report next week. We will be engaging on this important topic. Comments will be due November 10th. Email ashley@eacmarin.org for more info. Learn more: coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2023/11 |
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 | EAC's Stewardship Guide is Now Available in Spanish and English ~ Free Download Online, or Grab a Copy at our Office! More than 2.5 million people visit coastal Marin County each year to enjoy scenic coastal villages and public lands for hiking, biking, boating, and dining. This many visitors result in significant impacts on the environment and community. You can learn to reduce your footprint when visiting Coastal Marin by downloading your free copy of the Stewardship Guide or picking one up at the EAC office. EAC, in partnership with the County of Marin and funding from the West Marin Fund, created this guide of simple steps you can take during your visit to Coastal Marin to keep the coast clean and healthy!
Help spread stewardship to your community. Share how to be a steward on your social media through our pre-made posts. This content has already been viewed 500,000 times (throughout the Bay Area) so far! Available in English and Spanish. |
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 | Join the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District (MSMVCD), founded in 1915, protects the health and welfare of the communities it serves from mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases by utilizing cost-effective, environmentally responsible integrated vector management practices. MSMVCD is searching for an additional board member. In particular, we are looking to represent West Marin by filling a vacant seat with a West Marin resident or person employed in West Marin. This person should also be committed to the principles of the West Marin Mosquito Council agreement, which limits pesticide use. The Board meets virtually or in person about every 28 days. Board members usually participate in one or more committees including environment, climate crisis, sustainability, budget, audit, MOU, etc., although it is not required. Diverse skills are welcomed! There are no formal requirements. A small stipend is included in addition to a meal and beverage at in-person board or committee meetings. If you are interested in becoming a board member, please contact ashley@eacmarin.org, so she can connect you to more information. For more information on MSMVCD visit, msmosquito.org. |
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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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