Summary of some noted comments made at the San Rafael May 1, 2001 US Fish & Wildlife Baylands Refuge meeting held at the Embassy Suites Hotel follows. These are taken from notes and may not be exact quotes:
USFWS Project manager Marge Kolar:
This is a study process to determine the possibility of establishing a Wildlife Refuge in Marin County. It is a study. A scooping process to determine: 1) Whether a Refuge should be established. 2) If one is established, what are to be the boundaries.
The final decision is made in Washington DC. Only after we establish boundaries can we meet with owners. All of your property rights are not changed by this boundary land use designation.
We have been asked over the last ten years by Marin environmental groups to establish this refuge… We used the maps they supplied and added to those maps in drawing up the proposed study boundary.
This is just a study area where we identify opportunities and constraints.
Strongly support this refuge. A recent San Rafael poll showed 68% of San Rafael was either slow growth or no-growth. If this were placed on a ballot it would win.
San Rafael Mayor Boro
The City opposes the Refuge partially because it has been a flawed process that took too much input from a single interest group. The St. Vincent Silveira process had all interest groups represented…
This Refuge process ignores the balance of needs in our county.
Supports Refuge since 75% of Baylands already developed.
Pete Sjeck Jr.
Novato Creek shouldn’t be in Refuge because can’t dredge it then.
USFWS Kolar response: Dredge areas won’t be in Refuge.
Ed Smith, Gallinas Creek
There will be no money for dredging if we are in Refuge. We hunters save ducklings and birds, and we do a better job than regulatory agencies who just bring restrictions and impound my property.
Various government agencies want to deny us access to the water. You confiscate our property rights by taking away our access rights to the water.
Refuge will cause regional consequences by pushing our work force housing further north.
Sonia Morrison
Should do Refuge because it will connect isolated pieces.
One half of us property owners didn’t receive letters about this process. Learned of this from Bob Allen mailing me his opposition letter. I have been paying taxes for 22 years on my parcel and we land owners have a $3 million dredging job we must do. We have enough agencies interfering. Stay out – enuff from you agencies.
Upset with FWS noticing. I just learned last week from a neighbor. We have 60-70 houses along the water and we are all taxed on land and submerged lots. We don’t want another layer of bureaucracy on top of what we have now that must deal with dredging and other issues.
Echoed Alex Foreman’s Refuge supporting comments.
We need to dredge Novato Creek but Coastal Conservancy and governmental agencies are hampering us. How do we stop you from spending tax payer dollars.
West Marin’s A-60 zoning was saved because land was set in the 101 corridor for development. If this Refuge passes that agricultural zone can be challenged in court… What do we do with the rail line on St Vincent Silveira lands? How will you mitigate the negative affordable housing and rail line effects?
You are serving as a tool for others who force many others to not be able to live here. You are spending money and clouding title. That money should be spent on social purposes, on higher priorities. Hope we don’t have to go to Congress to stop this.
In a totally unscientific count of public speakers. the
vote on those for and against establishing the refuge seemed to be: May 1st
Meeting
9 15 1
5 11 1
Two day (May 1- May 2, 2001) totals:
14 26 2