Susan Little

PMB 947 – 1001 Bridgeway

Sausalito, CA 94965

415-332-7543

projectimagine@earthlink.net

 

April 19, 2001

 

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

1050 Northgate Drive

San Rafael, CA 94903

 

Dear Congresswoman Woolsey:

 

I am hoping you will share my outrage at the recent intrusion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into Marin County.  What I particularly resent is that they unilaterally decided to place specific properties in their Bayland Refuge Study, without consulting the property owners or local elected officials.  I’m also hoping that you will ask USFWS to stop their study and allow the process to revert to our local jurisdictions so that Marin County can decide through own planning process whether or not we need a wildlife refuge and who we want to manage it for us.

 

Marin County has an excellent environmental record, and, as you know, has over 85% of its land in open space – in perpetuity.  It’s just insulting to have USFWS come in and make decisions for an area that has no trouble taking of its environment by itself.

 

But even if they insist upon throwing their weight around, it seems they would at least take into account the needs of the community before they make their decisions about which properties to “study.”  Specifically in the cases of the Canalways property and the St. Vincent’s/Silviera land, critically necessary housing must be placed on these lands, and no federal agency ought to be able to tell our local officials “no.”

 

I know you to be a thoughtful person of an independent mind and spirit.  Is there anything you can do to stop federal agencies, particularly USFWS, from their arrogance against local governments and individuals?  This situation just has to stop.

 

I look forward to your reply.

 

Best regards,

 

 

Susan Little


CC:

Gale Norton, Department of Interior

Mel Martinez, U.S. Department of HUD

Julie Bornstein, California Dept. of Housing

Bill Pavao, California Department of Housing

Mike Spear, Regional Director USF&WS

Dan Ashe, USF&WS , Refuge Director

San Rafael Chamber

San Rafael Dredge Committee           

Senator Boxer

Senator Feinstein

Marin & Sonoma Supervisors

Bay Planning Coalition

Mayor Al Boro & Council Members

San Rafael Planning Department

Assemblyman Joe Nation

North Bay Agricultural Coalition

Kerner Partners

Novato Council

Marge Kolar, USFWS