Marin County Board of Supervisors' resolution supporting protection of our ocean and coast from offshore drilling and fracking passed unanimously on January 30th, 2018!
District Four Supervisor Dennis Rodoni and coastal advocates following the resolution by the Board of Supervisors to protect Marin's coastline from offshore oil and fracking. Jan 30, 2018 © Marin County
EAC was one of the many organizations advocating in support of this resolution at yesterday's Board of Supervisors' meeting. The meeting opened up with Supervisor Dennis Rodoni reading the draft resolution requested by Supervisor Kate Sears and Supervisor Rodoni.
EAC's Conservation Director, Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, testified at the meeting in strong support of the resolution. Ashley highlighted the "priceless biodiversity and thriving marine ecosystems of the northern California coast" and their unique vulnerability to the impacts of an oil spill or fracking.
“The waters off of Marin County are globally significant and provide a productive marine ecosystem, abundant wildlife, and valuable fisheries. These waters provide habitat for at least 25 endangered or threatened species, 36 marine mammal species...over a quarter-million breeding seabirds, and one of the biggest, most significant white shark populations on the planet (1). Additionally, the beaches and shorelines of Marin are visited by people locally and internationally. In our survey samples from 2014-2017, EAC’s Marin Marine Protected Area (MPA) Watch program recorded more than 4,800 people recreating on the shores that border MPAs.”
During her testimony, Ashley also highlighted the devastation from the 1971 San Francisco Bay Oil Spill, which poured 800,000 gallons of crude oil into our local waters, including showing a historic image called "Landing on Oil Bird" of two local volunteers involved in the clean up efforts who were featured by the Point Reyes Light. The 1971 disaster was one of the critical local environmental events that helped spark EAC's creation.
Supervisor Sears was touched by the poster, and she said the picture "took [her] back to walking along the waterfront in Sausalito and seeing the oil on the water and seeing the oil on the birds...." She stated that the photo "should get the broadest circulation it can....To see the real impact is something you really never forget."
Supervisor Sears then called everyone to action against the "assault by the Trump administration" stating: "...everything that all of us can do to speak out, to support, to protect the health of our oceans, and the wildlife that depend on our oceans, and to take action to address our climate change crisis....These are the issues of our time....We need to get more people active."
Thank you to all of our constituents that submitted comments in support of this resolution. There has never been a more critical time for local action than now, and your actions are vital! This is a wonderful example of local environmental advocacy groups coming together to protect our marine resources from the Trump administration's dangerous attacks.
More Information:
Watch the January 30th Board of Supervisors meeting
Read EAC's Comment Letter
Read EAC's Testimony
Review the Board's Draft Resolution
Related Press: Supes say no to offshore drilling
Information about the North Coast:
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
California's Marine Protected Areas
footnotes:
(1) Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, About Us, Accessed January 2018.
