John Govi

207 Devon Drive

San Rafael, CA

 

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20500

May 29, 2001

 

Re:  Marin Baylands Wildlife Refuge

 

Dear President Bush,

 

As a life long Republican and a strong supporter of yours, I am asking for your assistance. I am requesting that you stop the current study being conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for a proposed Baylands Wildlife Refuge in Marin County, California.

 

The United States Fish and Wildlife service collaborated behind closed doors with a small group of no-growth activists in Marin County to overlay a wildlife refuge boundary over 17,600 acres. USFWS completely ignored and avoided the general planning processes for the City of San Rafael and County of Marin which have been in progress for the past year and are ongoing. There was no community outreach or consensus as to the need for a wildlife refuge. No property owners, elected officials or impacted organizations were notified until after the fact. I cannot believe that you would support USFWS taking over the land use decision making for our county and usurping the local planning process.

 

Marin County is a model community in land use protections. Through our general planning processes over the past 40 years, we have protected and preserved 85% of the land. A Bayfront Conservation Zone provides strict guidelines for protection of the San Francisco Bay and adjacent wetlands. Right now we are facing an affordable housing shortage, transportation, power and water crisis, a shortage of teachers and healthcare workers. After spending many years on conservation issues, our attention must be focused on resolving these important issues. Portions of the properties included in this study area have been designated for affordable housing and rail. Marin County must be allowed to continue to make their own analysis to determine the land use designations for these properties.

 

As president of the Advisory Council for St. Vincent's School, I am deeply concerned about the 880 acre St. Vincent's property in North SanRafael, within Marin County.  For 150 years, this organization has cared for thousands of boys at risk of falling through society's safety nets. Today St. Vincent's provides shelter, guidance, education and emotional support through long term residential care in a group home setting for boys 7-18 years of age.  Funding for these St.Vincent's School programs has become increasingly challenging.  The lands of St.Vincent's have always provided a significant measure of support to the school and residential care program. Today, after 20 years of various community planning initiatives there is a community based plan in place which calls for development of a small portion of the property to create a fund to support the work of St.Vincent's.

 

In May 2000, a broad based community task force, having met for nineteen months, submitted recommendations to develop only 15% of property. The recommendations include environmental protections of wetlands and oak woodlands, creek restoration, significant affordable housing, recreational use, a new campus for St. Vincent School, restoration of the historic buildings and scenic bike and pedestrian pathways for the public to enjoy 800 acres of protected lands.

 

The no-growthers and USFWS ignored this planning process and put all of these properties in their wildlife refuge study area undermining the entire planning process and putting it in jeopardy. This is not right. Please reign in your United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Insist they respect the exemplary planning processes in Marin County. Allow Marin to make the determination as to the need for a wildlife refuge and allow them to conduct their own analysis of the potential local impacts. After that is completed, if desired, they can then invite USFWS to work with the community and conduct a study on a potential wildlife refuge. Your urgent action is needed to stop this.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

John Govi

 

John Govi

President, Advisory Council

St. Vincent School for Boys

CC:

Gale Norton, Department of Interior

Mel Martinez, U.S. Department of HUD

Julie Bornstein, California Department of Housing

Bill Pavao, California Department of Housing

Mike Spear, Regional Director USFWS

Dan Ashe, USFWS, Refuge Director

San Rafael Chamber

San Rafael Dredge Committee

Congresswoman Woolsey

Senator Boxer

Senator Feinstein

Marin Supervisors

Bay Planning Coalition

San Rafael Mayor Al Boro & Council Members

San Rafael Planning Department

Assemblyman Joe Nation

North Bay Agricultural Coalition

Kerner Partners

Novato City Council

Corte Madera City Council