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Wetlands of the lost Tides shift over strategies to save Marin’s ancient marshes by Peter Seidman
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n innovative U.S. Fish and Wildlife about 35,000 [acres] were left by 1980,” says Service plan to restore and protect Marc Holmes, restoration program director tidal marshes includes some of the at the Bay Institute in Novato. “You will hear last ancient wetlands along the shores of that bay-wide there’s an 86 percent loss. The Marin and southern Sonoma County. math doesn’t add up, and here’s why: Only The plan, dubbed the California Tidal 8 percent of the marshes that existed before Marsh Recovery Plan, currently is in draft the Gold Rush remain. What is a little less form and open for public comment until clear is that there are another about 7,000 or June 10. The final version is expected later 8,000 acres of tidal marshes that grew out this year. The plan envisions a recovery effort post-1850 as a result of the altered hydrolthat will last 50 years— ogy [from Gold Rush which might seem like a activities].” BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION long time, but the shoreMost of those acres View the California Tidal Marsh line of the bay has a long are in San Pablo Bay, Recovery Plan at http://ecos. way to go to recover from and are easily visible. fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/ development and enviA large amount of TMRP_Intro_1.pdf and send written ronmental pressure that mine dredging from comments to Sacramento Fish and stretches back some 150 the gold fields came Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, years. Only about 8 perdown the waterways W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825, atcent (from about 190,000 and ended up on the tention:Valary Bloom or Josh Hull. acres down to 16,000) of north shore of San ancient marshland along Pablo Bay, starting the bay remains. But when at the Napa River. “If counting the number of acres of tidal marsh- you go out today and look at that big strip es, it’s critical to understand the concept of marsh that’s easy to see along Highway 37... ancient marshes and “modern marshes,” that’s all new. It didn’t exist ecologically areas that actually increased because of hu- before the Gold Rush.” Additional new tidal man influence. Even combining the ancient marsh acreage grew between sloughs, where marshes and human-influenced marshes, the levees drained open marshes, as seen from number of remaining tidal marsh acreage still the bridge over Sonoma Creek, for instance. is a mere hint of what once ringed the bay. The water velocity slowed and marshes grew “Of the original tidal marshes in the bay, between the levees. “Throughout the 10 >
›› NEWSGRAMS We’d like to thank the Academy... Well, the Association, anyway. The California Newspaper Publishers Association has bestowed multiple honors upon the Pacific Sun in its Better Newspapers Contest 2010. This year’s recognition includes a first place for Ronnie Cohen’s feature story,“Mountebank Tamalpais,” about the unique ways Marin’s Madoff-scandal victims were coping with the loss of their fortunes; another first place went to the Sun for overall lifestyles coverage. The Sun also received blue ribbons for “general excellence,” and for business stories by Don Speich—”Trouble in Paradise,” about how the Great Recession was hitting Marin—and Samantha Campos’s “Entering the Work Farce,” about the importance of humor at the office. Nikki Silverstein received a blue ribbon for her “Single in the Suburbs” columns and a blue ribbon in writing went to Jason Walsh for “Corner Souls,” about one Marin town’s response to a tragic death. Ronnie Cohen’s feature on Bernie Madoff’s forays into Marin took first place in the Better Newspapers Contest. Phony fed forced to settle bill at Inn Marin This week in San Francisco, a federal judge sentenced a woman accused of impersonating an IRS agent and accruing thousands of dollars in bills in 2008 at the Inn Marin of Novato. Sherry Lynn Vertoch has been ordered to serve five years probation, as well as pay $55,000 to the hotel owners. Danielle Steel’s embezzler to serve 33 months in prison The woman—formerly of San Rafael but who now lives in Tiburon—convicted of wire fraud and tax evasion while working as a bookkeeper for author Danielle Steel has been sentenced this week. Kristy S. Watts (aka Kristy Siegrist), 48, was ordered to pay nearly $61,000 in restitution and must serve 33 months in federal prison. Watts pleaded guilty on Sept. 24, 2009, to embezzling more than $760,000 from Steel. As part of her plea agreement, Watts agreed to forfeit assets—including a $1.2 million home (with $1 million in furnishings) in San Rafael, and vehicles—to her former employer. Public works budget needs upgrade, says director At a recent budget hearing, Marin’s public works department was allocated about $80 million—from a combination of state, federal and county funds—to maintain roads, bridges, buildings and other public structures for the year. But the county’s director of public works, Farhad Mansourian, said $1 billion is actually needed to address flood control issues, repairs, pavement replacements, upgrades and disability access improvements to aging facilities. Marin County supervisors will review spending priorities—as well as eliminate an existing $8 million budget shortfall—on May 18.—Samantha Campos EXTRA! EXTRA! Post your Marin news at ›› pacificsun.com
8 PACIFIC SUN APRIL 23 - APRIL 29, 2010