For Immediate Release, June 2, 2020
Contact:
Todd Steiner, Executive Director, (415) 488-7652, tsteiner@seaturtles.org
Preston Brown, Director of Watershed Conservation, (303) 877-0880, preston@seaturtles.org
Marin County Board of Supervisors Block Appeal Challenging Salmon Restoration Project on Former San Geronimo Golf Course
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The Marin County Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to deny an appeal blocking a creek permit for a restoration project that will remove the highest priority fish barrier in central California.
Managed by Turtle Island Restoration Network’s Marin-based program, the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network, the “Roy’s Pools Fish Passage and Floodplain Restoration Project” will create and restore approximately five acres of creek habitat this summer with the construction of 0.25-mile long floodplain corridors along the former San Geronimo golf course property in San Geronimo — one of the most important watersheds left for endangered coho salmon.
The attempt to appeal the permit was made by an individual who claimed the land should have remained a golf course as a 1997 community plan recommended. The notion was recently rejected by voters in March, when the majority of Marin County citizens voted against Measure D to prevent golf from returning to the property and allow it to be a public park.
“We thank the Board of Supervisors for their decision to uphold the creek permit, which is a win for both endangered coho salmon and homeowners in the San Geronimo Valley,” said Preston Brown, director of watershed conservation. “We’re glad to see the board recognize the importance this project has for the community and wildlife, and we’re excited to start this project with the help of community members in July.”
To learn more about the “Roy’s Pools Fish Passage and Floodplain Restoration Project” and watch a webinar SPAWN hosted on project details, visit www.seaturtles.org/roys.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a global nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people around the world to protect marine biodiversity and the oceans that sustain all life on Earth. It’s program, the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network, protects endangered, wild coho salmon and the forests and watersheds they need to survive in West Marin County, Calif.
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