By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
Tuesday, August 9, 2005

The Giacomini wetlands restoration project, which promises to open more than 500 acres of habitat for rare and endangered species in West Marin, has received $2.5 million toward realizing its goal.

"This will provide habitat for the rail (bird) populations and will open up creeks that have been cut off for coho salmon and steelhead trout," said Lorraine Parsons, who is managing the project for the Point Reyes National Seashore. "It will be important."

The 563-acre site, just west of Point Reyes Station and south of Tomales Bay, was bought by the National Park Service for $4.65 million in 2000 from Waldo Giacomini and family.

The Park Service yesterday announced that the San Francisco-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which supports science and environmental projects, has given $2.5 million toward planned restoration work at the site.

A dairy operation continues on the land. But it will cease when work commences on the project, which could be as soon as next year, officials said.

Although appearing as non-descript, grassy mudflats, the land one day could help filter contaminants from flowing into the bay and provide habitat for thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway.

When the Park Service finishes restoring of the habitat - by late 2008 - the area will be particularly environmentally rich. Lagunitas and Olema creeks, which are home to nearly 10 percent of the threatened coho salmon population in Central and Northern California, flow through the site and feed into Tomales Bay.

Green sturgeon, the tidewater goby, common yellow throat and the southwestern river otter are among some of the other species that will benefit from the project, officials said.

Public education and access to the site will be a component of the project, but animal species will be the focus, officials said.

"There are thousands of birds that come to the area," said Gary Knoblock, executive director of the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, which is raising $5 million to pay for the project. "Additionally, by pulling out berms and dams on the land, it will create channels for fish."

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