Anchor-Out Update USFWS California Condor
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SPEAKER SERIES Newsletter of the Marin Audubon Society. Vol. 60, No. 08 April 2018 Free and Open to the public Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon Information: 415/789-0703 THURSDAY, APRIL 12 7:30 PM Recovery of the California Condor With Richard Neidhardt The MARIN AUDUBONRail SOCIETY Anchor-out Update USFWS California Condor The recovery of California Condors from near-extinction is one of the inspiring stories of American conservation. Richard Neidhardt will describe the California Condor Recovery Project's past and present The two hundred anchor-outs work restoring populations of this in Richardson Bay have iconic raptor. He'll also share his damaged more than fifty personal experiences working as a acres of valuable eelgrass habitat. A new effort has volunteer with the condor program at begun to consider how to Pinnacles National Park. deal with the unauthorized Richard Neidhardt was born and Robert Hinz boats. raised in South Carolina. He grew up on a lake, obsessed with everything pproximately 100 people attended discussion covered debris and derelict boat that crawled, hopped, slithered, the Richardson Bay Regional Agency removal. There were four or five voices swam or flew. This obsession has (RBRA) workshop on March 6 to hear supporting the need to remove occupied stayed with him throughout his Aa review from RBRA Executive Director, Beth anchor-out boats, which is more support than life. After a 40-year career as a Pollard, of the Opportunities and Challenges usual. Thank you to those supporters of the Bay. construction manager/estimator, report. There was a lively discussion ranging A summary will be produced and discussed Richard retired in 2009 and began from enforcing existing laws to modifying rules at the April 5 hearing date. It still feels like the volunteering with the Pinnacles approach is to attempt to modify or weaken the condor program in 2010. Richard is to allow for some permanent liveaboards in a board member of the Pinnacles the Bay, and then attendees were divided into restrictions on the length of stays required by National Park Foundation and serves groups to discuss specific topics. boats rather to enforce the existing laws. as the chair of the Pinnacles Condor The new Audubon California San Francisco Marin Audubon continues to be concerned Fund. He is also a board member of Bay Program Director, Rebecca Schwartz that boats moored in eelgrass beds not only the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. Lesberg, gave a preliminary overview of the damage the beds themselves, but coverage of Marin Audubon will host a results of a GIS analysis quantifying the the Bay by their permanent mooring makes it follow-up trip to Pinnacles National damage to eelgrass from the anchor-outs. impossible for birds that forage in bay waters Park to view the condors. Led by The data indicates that the damage from to use those areas of the beds. The moored Rusty Scalf, it will take place on the anchors attached to boats is worse than boats move on their anchors in circular motion Saturday April 14th. previously known—more than 50 acres have driven by the wind and tides and leave large been directly damaged. A 2013 survey found circular gaps in the eelgrass beds. 354 acres of eelgrass. Rebecca reminded the IN THIS ISSUE RBRA of the cost of eelgrass restoration, which HOW YOU CAN HELP President’s Message 2 would range from $50,000 to $100,000 per It is important again for folks to attend acre, if an entity were found liable. Although Field Trips 2 and 3 the upcoming RBRA meeting to speak out. the RBRA members seemed receptive to this Attend the next meeting on Thursday, April Conservation Report 4 information, members of the anchor-out 5, from 5 to 7 PM at Tiburon City Hall. Habitat Stewardship 6 community challenged the results and even Come and speak up for the birds and wild- criticized the survey methods. life by urging enforcement of existing laws Birdlog 7 There were valuable discussions in the to remove the anchor-outs from the Bay. break-out groups. The small-group enforcement LIKE US ON WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MARINAUDUBON APRIL 2018 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS All phone numbers are in the 415 area code President’s Message unless otherwise noted. Questions? Please By Barbara Salzman contact the appropriate Board member. President Barbara Salzman 924-6057 This past month has been busy with many our conservation and property acquisition. We Vice President Lowell Sykes 388-2821 activities focused on sea level rise and dealing began acquiring properties in 1999 and, before Secretary Everett Clark 789-9224 Treasurer Susan Winston 949/632-0908 with complaints about the aesthetics of our that, did restoration projects on properties Conservation Phil Peterson 828-4780 habitat restoration in Corte Madera. I had owned by public entities, Marin County Open Barbara Salzman 924-6057 meetings about our Tiscornia Marsh project Space District, California Department of Fish Field Trips Jane Medley 559/760-1551 with Chris Choo of the county BayWave staff, and Game and the Tamalpais Union School Membership William Legge 388-7883 with the Resilient by Design Bionic Team and District. Outreach Elyse Omernick 694-2320 with San Rafael’s new Community Services We’ve decided to raise our chapter Fundraising Everett Clark 789-9224 Director. I also attended Joint Venture and membership fee to $35 beginning in July of Speaker Series/Programs BCDC meetings focused on sea level rise. this year. Raising our dues a modest amount Susan Kelly 883-9505 See article on page 4. If any of our members will enable us to be more effective in our Special Projects Jude Stalker 680-6291 want more information about opportunities to conservation, habitat protection and restoration Nominating Bob Hinz, 383-8688 Editor, The Rail Bob Hinz, 383-8688 engage with others on the topic of sea level rise, work and bring you more of the programs and Website Susan Kelly 883-9505 let me know. field trips you enjoy and learn from. See page 5 Property Management Ed Nute 669-7710 Some residents of Corte Madera think for a more complete explanation. Publicity Barbara Freitas 924-7477 the new cyclone fence on our Corte Madera BAAC Reps Lowell Sykes 388-2821 property is ugly, and they don’t like the berm, MAS NEEDS YOU! Barbara Salzman 924-6057 either. The purpose of our project is to protect If you love birds, want to protect them and DIRECTORS MEETINGS the endangered California Ridgway’s Rail and want to help educate others about them, Meetings open to members. If you wish to habitat. In addition to providing high tide consider becoming an MAS Board Member. attend please call 924-6057. Contact a member of the Nominating 6:30 PM, First Tuesday of the month refugia habitat for Rails, the berm will support Committee: Chair Bob Hinz, Lowell Sykes or Richardson Bay Audubon Center vegetation that will be nesting, foraging and Susan Kelly. 376 Greenwood Beach Road cover habitat for other special status species, Tiburon, California 94920 including San Pablo Song Sparrow and MAS telephone: 721-4271 (for messages only) Common Yellowthroat. It’s curious that there JOIN US FOR THE NEXT PHASE Marin Audubon Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) are no reports of complaints about the maze OF OUR TISCORNIA NATURE-BASED organization. All memberships and contributions of cyclone fencing on adjacent property or ADAPTATION GRANT are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. about the cyclone fence on the south end of Walking Tour: Meet at the Pickleweed The Rail is published ten times a year by the Community Center on Saturday, April 21 Marin Audubon Society on 100% recycled the Golden Gate Bridge that visitors have to from 11 AM to 1 PM paper; edited by Bob Hinz [email protected], look right through to see the Bay. Undoubtedly 383-8688; assisted by other members of MAS; the explanation for the Bridge fencing would Community Meeting: Meet at Bahia Vista and designed by Studio NaCl (www.studionacl. be that it is to protect people. Our fence is to School on Thursday, April 26 from 6 to 8 com). Deadline is the first of each month. PM. Hear our engineers present options for protect wildlife and their newly restored habitat. addressing sea level rise by modifying the ©2018 Marin Audubon Society Our Board has initiated a process in which low levee and erosion of the marsh. Website: www.marinaudubon.org we will be taking a closer look at our program CORRECTION: The Tiscornia Marsh public Members can receive The Rail electronically meeting will be on April 26, NOT April 21 instead of a hard copy by emailing member- areas to ensure we understand our history and as was stated in last month’s newsletter. [email protected] current practices and are on the same page DONATIONS APPRECIATED! going forward. At our last meeting we looked at Marin Audubon Society welcomes gifts of funds, stock, or property, and bequests in general, or in honor or memory of someone. RETURN OF THE TERNS REGISTRATION OPENS: MARCH 27, 2018, 8:30 AM Gifts may be directed to any MAS project. Unspecified gifts of more than $500 will be placed in the Endowment Fund for conserva- Crab Cove Visitor Center accessible just once a year with limited space tion, the protection of wildlife species, and the Alameda costing $9 for Alameda County residents or preservation and enhancement of wildlife habi- Saturday, June 9, 2018 $11 for non-residents. Experts aboard the bus tats. Since MAS is an all-volunteer organization, 11 AM to 12 PM, 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM, or will interpret bird behavior.