Disregarding conservation

Thursday Readers' Forum
Thursday, August 25, 2005

Almost buried in the well-deserved criticism of the Port Sonoma Ferry proposal, included in the recent Congressional tansportation measure, is the pork perpetrators' disregard for years of effort to protect Sonoma County 's bayfront.

Tens of millions of public and private dollars to buy property and easements now protect the landscape and wetlands - except for the 100-acre Port Sonoma property. A 100-acre strip along Highway 37 will not sit idle if this Congressional growth stimulator re-energizes past land development schemes.

County and environmental groups have fought off previous incompatible bayfront projects, including an airport, regional dump, dredge spoils drying yard, industrial park, power plant, casino, and a whole new city .

Yet the ink was barely dry on the daring $19 million 2,300 acre waterfront save by the Sonoma Land Trust when an Alaska congressman injects a $20 million boost to his own ferry-building industry that impacts the front yard of Sonoma and Marin.

Sonoma County can be proud of her undeveloped bay shoreline, a scenic triumph. Marin Supervisor Murray and Sonoma 's Kerns should condemn this tainted effort to establish a long discredited ferry proposal. They have an obligation to protect the public investment in this splendid, but vulnerable, landscape.

Bill Kortum, Petaluma