Recently, the forces of the absurdist wing of the environmental movement have been at work in Marin: SPAWN. They are the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network, a West Marin-based organization dedicated, beyond most reason, to re-establish a thriving, Coho-centric riparian community.
Clearly, having a healthy environment is important and in an ideal world, the creeks in Marin would be universally healthy enough to support a robust Coho population. But things just ain't that way. Their most recent ideas have included demolishing illegal housing within a given perimeter of the Lagunitas Creek, getting rid of paved driveways in the San Geronimo Valley, having residents build catchment basins to collect water for private use and taking out all non-native species from the creek area and replace them with native species.
Each one of these proposals is foolhardy, if well-intentioned (if indeed all these points are well-intentioned). Illegal housing is endemic in the Valley, and to demolish it would certainly prove detrimental to people's lives and likely also hurt fish. Add the fact that SPAWN's executive director, Todd Steiner, is seeking to exempt his own new creekside development from the prohibitive mandates he and his organization are working to create. It's a case of having your cake, eating it, and taking away everyone else's slices of frosted deliciousness.
Ridding the Valley of paved driveways, a move intended to limit seeping chemicals into the water table, would only pick up dust and increase the silt they want us so badly to limit. And though Marin receives its fair share of precipitation, residents can not reasonably be expected to find a terribly useful volume of rainwater, and even if catchment basins were created, what good would that serve the Coho? What good would ripping out plants from creek sides do? Yes, having native plant species along our creeks would be lovely, but what does that have to do with fish? It seems that SPAWN is reaching beyond its statement of purpose.
Certainly, they cannot be faulting for trying to help. But they can be blamed for harmful ideas, well-intentioned though they may be.
Comments
Real men use the word "riparian!"
Nice cake metaphor.
Real men use the word "riparian!"
I can't go a day without making a cake metaphor, myself. And tis true-- real men do use the word "riparian." ;p
May I have the extra cake?
Not to mention the fact that their proposal to the county basically gets rid of the rights of property owners along the creek to do any work to their property, including repairs, as well as forcing them to pay for the catchment basins out their own pocket.
Being a property owner on the Lagunitas Creek, this S.E.P. if the borad of supervisors vote yes on the draft, I would no longer be able to fix my fence, repair my bridge, repair my stairs to my home, clear out any fallen trees, brush, or anything that would cause the creek to block water from flowing down the creek, This would prohibits any development for existing home. Our home is 104 years old, my husband and his brothers and sisters are 4th generation to own this property, we have kept in our family for 104 years, and we'd like to pass it on to our children to keep this tradition going. If this plan is in effect, we have to let our house rot and fall down. This plan is about Spawn becomeing part of the permit process for the Valley, along with the county permits that you need, you'd also need a permit from Spawn in order for your permit to be approved.
Help the residents out, write, blog, send your comments to Steve Kinsey, Liz Lewis of the Marin County.
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