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Marin County Open Space District has scheduled a public informational meeting for Friday, January 9, 2004, at 2 PM in the Marin Center Exhibit Hall. The text of the District’s announcement follows:
The Marin County Open Space District invites the public to an informative meeting concerning 1) future management objectives for Bolinas Lagoon, 2) data related to the lagoon’s evolution, and 3) a conceptual model of the lagoon’s physical and ecological evolution. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, January 9, 2004, 2 pm, at the Friends of Marin Center Room, Marin Center Exhibit Hall, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. This will be the second in a series of public meetings as the Open Space District evaluates the purpose and need for the Bolinas Lagoon Ecosystem Restoration Project. The meeting will involve a presentation and critique of the work completed by the project’s consultant team of Philip Williams & Associates, Wetlands Research Associates and Dr. Stephen Monismith of Stanford University. Representatives of two independent committees reviewing the team’s work will also be present. The public is welcome to observe the proceedings.
Bolinas Lagoon is a 1,100-acre tidal estuary managed by the Marin County Open Space District. The lagoon provides critical habitat for hundreds of resident and migratory bird species as well as marine mammals, fish and invertebrates. The existence of these habitats may be threatened by the accumulation of sediment in the lagoon. A study released by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 2002 proposed a multiple year dredging program to restore the lagoon’s ecosystems. Public concern related to the impacts of dredging prompted the Open Space District to coordinate a rigorous scientific review of the Corps plan and of the need to intervene in the lagoon’s evolution.
The Marin County Open Space District is a tax-supported public agency whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in Marin through the acquisition, protection and responsible stewardship of ridgelands, baylands, and environmentally sensitive lands targeted for preservation in the Marin Countywide Plan. Since its formation in 1972, the District has acquired over 14,000 acres of land in Marin for resource protection and public enjoyment. For more information about the Open Space District and the Bolinas Lagoon Ecosystem Restoration Project, call (415) 499-6387 or visit the District’s webpage on the project.