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In battle over wetlands, first round goes to kids
In a battle tagged by some as "birds versus kids," the kids took the first round Thursday as a proposal by a Mill Valley school to convert a wetlands into a playing field was approved by a county hearing officer. The plan was opposed by three key Marin environmental groups. It was the first step of a long process involving local, state and federal agencies. Deputy Zoning Administrator Johanna Patri decided, after adding conditions to protect the environment, that converting a seasonal wetland atStrawberry Point School into a grassy playing field would not harm wildlife. The move came despite repeated claims by the Marin Audubon Society, the Sierra Club and the Marin Conservation League that it would. Environmental groups have argued that the school's proposal would eliminate a seasonal wetland that migratory birds depend on during winter months as a place to land when other wetlands are submerged. A county staff report said that environmental consultants found the "project would not destroy habitat that is essential to species, shellfish, and other wildlife of substantial public benefit." The driving force behind the proposal is the school's Parent-Teachers Association, which has raised more than $300,000 for the project. Proponents said they regretted that in some quarters the proposal had degenerated into a birds-versus-kids debate, which they said is misleading because the plan will likely improve habitat for birds. In exchange for the 0.71 acres of seasonal tidelands it wants to convert to a playing field, the school is offering 0.71 acres of an adjacent area "of new saltwater wetland area through conversion of existing uplands (seasonal tidelands) and would enhance É habitat by removing non-native weeds and replanting the area with appropriate native species." The school at 117 E. Strawberry Drive also would use this area for environmental education classes for its 300 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Roger Roberts, president of the Marin Conservation League, said in a letter to the county that, "in fact, the seasonal wetland, in its proximity to tidal wetlands, offers a rare ecological, educational opportunity benefit - for the children in the school." Tammy Edmonson, chairman of the PTA's Strawberry Point School Wetlands/Field Restoration Committee, accompanied by numerous charts, consultants and about 75 supporters, said that the school has no playground other than a small area of blacktop and, because of that, children playing soccer, dodge ball and other games are continually getting injured when they fall. She said that the state requires that every school have 107,000 square feet of playing fields and that, even with the proposed increase at Strawberry, it would have just 35,000 square feet. As to the wetlands the school wants to convert, she said "it's basically a dirt pit sitting in our campus most of the time." The proposal also calls for the elimination of the berm that borders the wetlands, the removal of which, she said, "will create a sweeping view of the tidal wetlands." Barbara Salzman, president of the Marin Audubon Society, has been in the forefront of the opposition to the proposed project, arguing that the elimination of the seasonal wetlands could irrevocably harm the habitat. "Seasonal wetlands are recognized as an important component of our bay ecosystem because they provide functions that complement tidal marshes and are important for wildlife and water quality," she wrote in an Audubon newsletter earlier this year. "For example, several dozen red phalarope blown in by (January's) storms found refuge in this wetland and were observed during our (annual) Christmas (bird) count. Other species observed include great egret, snowy egret, great blue heron, American avocet, black-necked stilt, mallard, killdeer and black phoebe." Salzman said she will report back to her board, which will determine whether Audubon will appeal Thursday's decision to the county PlanningCommission. Opponents have other opportunities to make their case, because federal and state agencies soon will be reviewing the proposal. They are the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the state Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control board. Contact Don Speich via e-mail at dspeich@marinij.com |
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