1299
Fourth Street, Suite 202
San
Rafael, CA 94901
May
17, 2001
Marshall
Jones
Acting
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service
Department
of the Interior
18th
& C Street, NW
Washington
DC 20240
Dear
Mr. Jones:
I
urge you to suspend the current wildlife refuge study being conducted by the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Marin County, California. Only 16% of Marin County is inhabited and
the remaining 84% is already protected through park land, open space and
agricultural zoning. Marin’s bay lands
are also protected by strong environmental policies through the County’s Bay
Front Conservation Zone. There is no
demonstrated need for USFWS to declare a wildlife refuge in Marin. The financial and social consequences, if
this were to occur, would be very drastic and damaging to the tremendous need
for affordable housing and transportation of all types.
I
request that the determination for a wildlife refuge be instead made by the
local governing bodies of the City of Novato, San Rafael, Corte Madera and
Marin County to determine if there is such a need. None of the local elected officials requested, or were they
consulted about a wildlife refuge. The
fact that none of the elected officials, or any of the property owners were
brought into the process before a study was commenced has resulted in a highly
distorted explanation of the reasons for this situation.
USFWS
has not considered or studied the local general plans. There has been no rationale for the
boundaries. In fact, the study boundary
includes properties that have been subject to 20 years of intense land use
planning, with stringent environmental protections in place, and are designated
as three of our best opportunities for significant workforce housing. The serious crisis that Marin County is
facing with lack of affordable housing far surpasses any consideration for a wildlife
refuge on these properties.
USFWS
did not take into consideration the extensive multi-modal transportation plan
passed by the voters in 1998. The
refuge boundaries, if imposed, would impact future planned rail, ferry,
aviation, bike and pedestrian pathway projects, as well.
My
company owns property in southern Marin.
Through this study by the USFWS, it has been placed within the
anticipated boundaries of a wildlife refuge without any prior contract,
consultation or discussions of any kind with me, or my neighboring property
owners.
Page
Two
Letter
to Marshall Jones
May
17, 2001
I
am sure that Congress would not look very kindly at this method of imposing
additional constraints on the very little property, we have left to use in Marin
County. This is an imposition of the will of a select few, contrary to the
clear and honorable conduct demanded of your Agency, through its legislative
process, who are using taxpayers money and unjustified reasons, to implement a
personal agenda.
With
the many critical and complex issues of land planning and usage before our
community at this time, it is highly inappropriate for the USFWS to usurp the
local planning process. I respectfully
request the immediate cancellation of any USFWS study of a wildlife refuge in
Marin County.
Sincerely,
Jack Krystal
Jack
Krystal
Cc: Marge
Kolar, Project Leader
Cathy Osugi, Wildlife Biologist
Mike Spear, Manager Calif. And Nevada
Fish and Wildlife Operation
Dan Ashe, Chief of National Wildlife
Refuge System
The Honorable Gale Norton, Secretary
Untied States Dept of Interior
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Mel Martinez, US Dept of Housing and
Urban Development
Supervisor Hal Brown, Supervisor Steve Kinsey,
Supervisor John Kress, Supervisor Cynthia Murray, Supervisor Annette Rose
San Rafael Mayor Al Boro, San Rafaael City
Councilman Paul Cohen, San Rafael
City Councilwoman Barbara Heller, San Rafael City Councilman Gary
Phillips, San Rafael City Councilman Cyr Miller
Assemblyman Joe Nation