The Gov signs our wetlands bill!

by Jessica Castelli, Communications Director

Originally posted on October 2, 2008

The Save The Bay staff is jumping up and down in excitement and celebratory orange and blue streamers are hanging from our hallways—we are celebrating a landmark win for San Francisco Bay wetlands!

Late Tuesday night Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 2954, establishing the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority to secure crucial funding to restore Bay wetlands. Creating this Authority is the primary recommendation in Save The Bay's ground-breaking August 2007 "Greening the Bay" report. And the policy team has been working very hard over the past year to make this bill a reality!

Scientists say that establishing 100,000 acres of wetlands is essential to a healthy, sustainable Bay. However, securing the funding necessary to pay for restoration has been the biggest obstacle to reaching this goal. Now with the enactment of AB 2954, the 100,000 acre goal is in reach! The next step is for the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to appoint seven board members to the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, to being exploring ways to secure regional funding for wetland restoration.

Assembly Speaker pro Tem Sally Lieber (the bill's author) said it well: "It's our responsibility to take care of and restore San Francisco Bay, one of our State's most valuable and beautiful natural treasures. Our greatest asset is also one of our greatest protections against the impacts of global warming. Our bay wetlands provide natural flood control and capture greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere."

Thank you to everyone who took our action and asked the Governor to sign AB 2954—your voice made a difference! We'd like to ask you to also send a thank you message to the Governor. He vetoed a heck of a lot of bills this year and we want to thank him for signing this one.

A landmark step for wetlands

by David Lewis, Executive Director

Originally posted on September 23, 2008

Right now a landmark bill for wetlands is in limbo waiting the Governor’s signature.

Forty years ago, public outcry put a badly needed end to the slow destruction of San Francisco Bay from widespread filling and development. Indeed, the Bay as we know it now is a monument to that victory. Today, we have a significant opportunity to build on that legacy and ensure that future generations can enjoy the economic and ecological benefits of the Bay. The key lies in making smart investments to restore thousands of acres of salt ponds and diked hayfields to tidal wetlands

Only five percent of the Bay’s original wetlands remain&mdashrestoring more wetlands is vital to support endangered species, combat global warming, filter pollutants from the water, protect communities against flooding, and provide open space.

In 1999, scientists created a regional blueprint for restoring Bay wetlands, including 100,000 acres of restored tidal marsh at sites where it was still possible. Large shoreline parcels were acquired to pursue this blueprint, from salt ponds in San Jose to hayfields near Petaluma. Although state and federal resource agencies and private foundations have already invested at least $370 million, a broad long-term commitment supported by public and private interests is needed to preserve the Bay.

Save The Bay’s Greening the Bay report documents for the first time the total projected cost of these restoration projects, finds strong public willingness to pay that cost, and recommends ways to secure the necessary funds. The report states that over 50 years, $1.43 billion of investment will be required to fully restore more than 36,000 acres of tidal marsh. That’s only about $4 annually per area resident. We have the will and the wallet – what we lack is a way to translate this strong regional support into steady funding for restoration of Bay wetlands.

That's why Save The Bay sponsored California Assembly Bill 2954, which establishes the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, a special district that can raise funds and make grants to restore tidal wetlands in San Francisco Bay, without new costs to the state. Currently, this bill has passed the California Legislature and is waiting to be signed by our Governor.

Over the last four decades, Bay Area residents have overcome tremendous odds to prevent the Bay from being destroyed. By developing a long-term Bay wetlands restoration plan now, we can make the Bay healthier for people and wildlife long into the future.

Please help by telling the Governor to sign this landmark wetlands bill.