NEW RULES TO PROTECT SALMON IN SAN GERONIMO VALLEY, Important Ordinace Unanimously Approved by Marin's Board of Supervisors (Feb 12, 2008)
NEW County Ordinance describing Moratorium. To download PDF click HERE
|
The County of Marin and SPAWN, the Salmon and Watershed Protection Network, are pleased to announce an important salmon restoration effort focused on the San Geronimo Creek watershed. Over the next two years, building on existing scientific research and local studies, the County, with the active involvement of SPAWN, technical experts, and property owner representatives, will prepare a Salmonid Habitat Enhancement Plan for the San Geronimo Creek Watershed. The plan will develop and define proposed County policies, programs and specific actions intended to improve the survival chances of endangered coho salmon and steelhead in this critical reach of the Lagunitas Creek watershed.
The estimated cost to execute the plan and targeted dates for implementing specific elements will be included in the plan. Revision of the County's existing tree ordinance to incorporate protection of riparian vegetation is also expected to be a part of the plan. Another expected important result will be the development of clear guidelines for legalization or removal of the many unpermitted structures already constructed along the sensitive creek banks of the San Geronimo Valley.
"With true partnering, I am confident that the end result will reflect the highest commitment to protecting and nurturing our fisheries back from the brink of extinction. I expect this plan to provide a template for aggressive action in other Marin communities and throughout the central California coast," said Supervisor Steve Kinsey.
To insure that incremental impacts don't undermine the Plan's purpose, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an urgency ordinance on February 12, 2008 that would enact a building permit moratorium on currently unapproved new construction inside the County's mandated Stream Conservation Area within the San Geronimo Valley. The moratorium would last a maximum of two years under the terms of the proposed ordinance. On developed properties, emergency or disaster repairs and up to 500 square feet of additional space would be permitted as long as no net increase in the building footprint occurred. Pending development applications received prior to January 1, 2008 that do not propose buildings within the Stream Conservation Area will not be subject to the moratorium.
This unprecedented and collaborative habitat planning effort addresses concerns raised by SPAWN, other environmental organizations, and leading salmon experts in California including Dr. Peter Moyle of UC Davis, Dr. Jon McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences, and the American Fisheries Society of California, during the Board of Supervisors review and adoption of the Countywide Plan update in November 2007.
Todd Steiner, Director of SPAWN adds: "We are pleased that we can work with the County to implement a comprehensive study that will inform science-based policies for the San Geronimo Valley, which is arguably the most threatened habitat for the critically endangered coho salmon on the Central California coast. We will applaud the Supervisor's decision to implement a two-year moratorium, an important "time-out" to protect Lagunitas salmon and local streams while we collect the scientific data needed for rational development decisions to protect the health of this watershed we all love so much."
The County's decision comes on the heels of data that shows that this winter's run of salmon is the lowest recorded in twelve years of monitoring. In the San Geronimo Valley, a critically important spawning and nursery area, spawning declined by a drastic 79%.
For more information, contact:
Todd Steiner- SPAWN Director- 415-663-8590, x103
Steve Kinsey- Marin County Board of Supervisors- 415-499-3091
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
|
A letter from the American Fisheries Society in support of the strongest protections for Lagunitas coho **VIEW THE LETTER, click HERE
Leading scientists call for strong and immediate protections for Lagunitas coho in the San Geronimo Valley headwaters. **VIEW THE PETITION, click HERE
HELP US SAVE MARIN'S WILD COHO SALMON!
- MAKE AN ON-LINE DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO SPAWN to support the campaign to Save Marin's Coho Salmon- Click HERE
- Contact Paola or Todd to learn how you can GET MORE INVOLVED (415 415.488.0370 ext 102 (Paola@SpawnUSA.org) or 103 (Todd tsteiner@SpawnUSA.org).