Write a personal, hand written letter to the Board of Supervisors!

By February 25, 2014Uncategorized

Write a personal, hand written letter to the Board of Supervisors!

Please fax us a copy at (415) 663-9534 for our records before mailing it to them at
Marin County Board of Supervisors
Room 329 Civic Center,
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

Use this template letter below to help with your personal letter.

Dear Marin County Supervisors,

I urge you to strengthen Marin’s proposed Streamside Conservation Area Ordinance to ensure protections for the endangered coho salmon and steelhead trout that depend on the County’s streams for their continued existence, and to expand their chances for recovery to sustainable population levels.

I ask that the ordinance include at least the following basic provisions:

* 2 for 1 mitigation. For every square foot of development that is permitted under this ordinance, two square feet of habitat should be restored along the Streamside Conservation Area. This will ensure the “No net loss” of salmon habitat required in the County-Wide Plan. This level of mitigation will support salmon population recovery.

* One-time additions. Any permitted construction to destroy habitat and build private home additions under the ordinance should occupy no more than 500 square feet and should be “one-time”, noted on both the deed, in a county database and travelling with change of ownership. This provision will prevent a back-to-back additions that could result in limitless habitat destruction.

* Complete protection of ephemeral streams, including 100-foot setbacks. While such waterways often have only “seasonal” flow, they are an essential component in the function of a healthy watershed. Not only do they transport nutrients and clean water into the main creek arteries, when properly functioning, they also can help to slow water flow during and after storm events, reducing the chance of flooding. Like our own bloodstream, it makes no sense to give lesser protection to our capillaries than our arteries and heart.

Your predecessors on the Board of Supervisors took bold action to protect Marin County ridgelines years ago. I ask that you now demonstrate the same kind of environmental leadership to protect the health of creeks that are critical to all the wildlife of Marin.

Sincerely,