A petition from the campaign to
We strongly oppose revising the Marin Countywide Plan, which would be a dangerous precedent, potentially weakening hard-won environmental protections critical to the future of Marin’s wildlife, including endangered species.
Coho salmon have lived in Marin’s streams and creeks for millennia.
But damaging development and pollution pushed the Coho to near
extinction. The species is listed as endangered by both the United
States and the State of California. Marin’s streams and creeks are the
Coho’s last refuge.
California’s Coho belong to all of us. We each have a responsibility to future generations to help the Coho survive.
Millions of our tax dollars dedicated to federal, state, and county
efforts to restore stream habitats will succeed only if these streams
are adequately protected. Marin must put public good ahead of private
profit if the Coho are to have a fighting chance to survive.
Decisions by the Marin Board of Supervisors will determine the fate of California’s Coho.
Therefore, we the undersigned, petition the Board of Supervisors
to adopt science-based stream protections necessary to the survival of
the Coho.
Signed,
Turtle Island Restoration Network
This petition closed over 4 years ago
Coho salmon are
already critically endangered in Lagunitas Creek, California, but a new
stream ordinance coming up for a vote in the next few months could bring
them even closer to extinction.
...
Coho salmon are
already critically endangered in Lagunitas Creek, California, but a new
stream ordinance coming up for a vote in the next few months could bring
them even closer to extinction.
The Lagunitas Creek coho population in
Marin County is the largest, most important population of this species
in Central California. However, the newly drafted stream conservation
area ordinance promotes real estate development without requiring any
meaningful mitigation measures to protect this iconic endangered
species. In fact, instead of supporting salmon restoration, it likely makes their survival more tenuous.
While Central California Coho salmon have disappeared from streams
spanning their historic range, the San Geronimo Creek Sub-Watershed at
the headwaters of Lagunitas Creek supports one of the strongest remaining populations of this species in their endangered range.
Despite the need to protect this vital watershed, the Marin County
Planning Commission's proposed rules will allow the equivalent of two
WalMart stores (more than 500,000 square feet) of new construction
inside the so-called 100-foot Stream Conservation Area on
already-developed parcels. Additionally, the draft ordinance also allows
another 500,000 sq ft of new construction on undeveloped parcels!
The annual spawning runs of Marin's coho salmon have already declined by 90% from historic levels.
A strong science-based stream ordinance may be the last chance to
save this legacy species from what federal biologists have termed "an
extinction vortex." We can't continue to promote real estate development
without considering how we can support and restore our important
population of coho salmon before it's too late.
We must take action now. Sign this petition and let
the Marin County Board of Supervisors know we want them to write an
improved SCA ordinance that protects Marin County's critically
endangered coho salmon from further habitat loss.