Bahia Acquisition and Wetland Restoration Project

COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION CASE STUDY

Unique habitat saved and restored.

Location: Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic

Project Summary: Project to permanently protect a 632-acre property consisting of unique native oak woodlands and diked/filled wetlands and to restore significant acreage of tidal wetlands.

Jim Gonsman

Resource Challenge

The resource challenge was to prevent the loss of important estuarine habitats to development. The developer-owner of a 420 unit housing project had received local approvals. The Marin Audubon Society (MAS), a non-profit, stepped forward with other community leaders to take aggressive action to protect the property's unique Blue Oak wooded hills and diked/filled wetlands and to preserve the opportunity to restore more than 375 acres to productive tidal marsh for the benefit of anadromous fish, endangered species, migratory species, and public access.

Examples of Key Partners

Key participants in the acquisition were the California Coastal Conservancy, the Marin County Open Space District, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Caltrans Environmental Enhancement Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Marin Audubon Society, the Marin Community Foundation, and Citizens to Save Bahia.

Results and Accomplishments

Community leaders succeeded in bringing a referendum to the voters who rejected the development by a large margin. The MAS negotiated a contract of sale with the owner of the property and then obtained significant funding ($15.8 million) from many government and private funding sources. The acquisition was completed in 2003. Shortly thereafter, the MAS transferred title to 364 acres of wetland to the California Department of Fish and Game and 208 acres to the Marin County Open Space District. The MAS retained ownership of 60 acres. The MAS is now managing the restoration design process and will also manage the restoration construction portion of the project. Some funding for construction was provided during the acquisition phase early funding but additional funding for construction is still needed. Partners assisting with the restoration funding the Forest Lattner Foundation, the Fish and Wildlife Service San Francisco Bay Program, and the Marin Community Foundation.

Innovation/Highlight

The MAS is a non-profit, all volunteer organization. MAS used a strategy of seeking smaller amounts of money from many sources to make up the very large amount needed. The MAS then transferred these habitats to government agencies.

Project Contact

Barbara Salzman
President
Marin Audubon Society
48 Ardmore Road
Larkspur, CA 94939
415 924-6057
bsalzman@att.net

Jim Gonsman
Treasurer
Marin Audubon Society
9 Antonette Avenue
San RafaelCA 94901
415 456-9540
jim444314@speakeasy.net

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