Dear Tomales Dunes Supporters,

Thanks to your commitment, passion, and long hours of work, we succeeded in protecting this amazing place! In 1998, we called it"Marin's least-known ecological treasure." Today, it is recognized as a nationally important coastal resource that deserves protection.

Just to put it into perspective, 12 years ago, Marin County was about to approve with no environmental review, the Lawsons' application, which called for:

  • camping on 83 acres of functioning wetlands and other sensitive habitat;
  • no buffers for wetland or dune scrub
  • continued artificial drainage of wetlands
  • no public access to a large part of the campground, in favor of small
  • group of "travel trailer" owners.
  • a new septic system with a leachfield situated in dunes and wetland;
  • continued sand quarrying;
  • no controls on grazing in wetlands;
  • no protections for listed species, including western snowy plover and
  • no plans for removal of invasive species such as European beachgrass;
  • no plans for introduction of rare species, such as the Myrtle's
  • silverspot butterfly;
  • no conservation easement
  • no management or restoration plans at all;
  • no alleviation of the traffic impact on DIllon Beach; and
  • no undergrounding of utilities to protect viewshed from public lands.

    • After 13 years of work on this issue, the final Coastal Development Permit:

    • allows camping on 18 acres of sensitive habitat (an 80% reduction over 1998);
    • mandates 100 foot wetland buffers and 50 foot dune scrub buffers;
    • requires restoration of the natural wetland hydrology, except for camping areas;
    • requires removal of several roads through wetlands;
    • eliminates the private travel trailers and opens all camping to public access;
    • moves the leachfield out of sensitive habitat;
    • does not allow sand quarrying;
    • restricts grazing in wetlands;
    • puts 465 acres under a permanent conservation easement
    • has a Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement Plan, the goal of
      • which is to restore and enhance the dunes-wetland complex by
    • restoring natural hydrology of wetland,
    • protecting listed species,
    • preventing spread of invasive species,
    • planting native species to create habitat for Myrtle's silverspot butterfly, etc.;
    • has a traffic plan that sets standards for traffic flow and safety;
    • and provides for additional measures if those standards are not met;
    • requires undergrounding of utilities.

    This is a great coastal victory! Thank you for supporting EAC to protect the Dunes and for your indispensable part in it!!

    Sincerely,

    Catherine Caufield
    Director, Dunes Campaign

    Amy Trainer
    Executive Director
    --
    Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
    Protecting West Marin since 1971

Read the full press release.

For more information on Tomales Dunes, go to http://www.eacmarin.org/campaigns/tomales_dunes.php


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