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Bay Restoration Sign Off

The San Francisco Bay Joint Venture's long awaited Restoring the Estuary plan is now available, and the group is looking forward to its next steps in helping to protect and repair over 100,000 acres of wetlands and creeks (see Now on Line).

Earlier this summer the last of the 27 Joint Venture members - public agencies, environmental groups, private companies, and agricultural interests - signed off on the 111 page document, which is based on the 1999 S.F. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals report. It outlines a 20-year implementation strategy, and sets specific acreage goals for each subregion around the Bay as well as for the entire Estuary. "This creates a framework for restoration of wetlands and creeks in the middle of a burgeoning urban area," says executive director John Steere. Restoring the Estuary gives planners, developers and environmentalists alike a "blueprint" for future restoration. "They can point to this and say, we have agreed to restore this amount of acreage," says Steere.

With publication completed, the Joint Venture is now seeking support for its goals from municipalities and special districts throughout the Bay Area. San Francisco supervisors have given the document their endorsement, and Steere expects Sonoma County to consider the issue soon. The group has also reached another important milestone: recognition by U.S. Fish & Wildlife as the eleventh member of the U.S. Habitat Joint Ventures. "This means we've become a federally sanctioned program," says Steere.

It's more than just a formality he adds - recognition makes the Joint Venture eligible for $300,000 worth of operating funds from the feds for the next fiscal year, and gives the Bay Area a better chance in sharing some of the $41 million in grants under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

Contact: John Steere (510) 286-6767 O'B

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