http://coastsidevideo.com/sites/hmb-high-school/pages/hmb-high-school-les-miserables-2012-trailer-coastside-video.html

Schedule for remaining shows:
   Friday 3/23 7:30 pm
   Saturday 3/24 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm  

Location: HMB High School auditorium.

Tickets available at the door and on-line here:
https://tix3.seatyourself.biz/webstore/webstore.html?domain=hmbhs&event;

Today, the leading vote-getter in the Republican primaries is Rick Santorum - a fundamentalist “Christian” extremist who seems to regard the Constitution as an inconvenience.

To me, it’s pretty simple:  God doesn’t need Government Assistance.  God can do just fine without the Government’s help. Jefferson’s “wall of separation” is intended to protect religious institutions from the government’s interference.

I wouldn’t mind having a little more real Christianity among our leaders in Washington DC—the “love thy neighbor,” “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers,” etc.  Instead, the neo-Calvinist zealots and their transmogrified brand of “Christianity” seem to think that “small government” means going on “uterus patrol,” and determining with whom I can or can’t enter a state-licensed marriage contract.

I hate to remind ‘em, but Jesus was both unemployed and homeless!

Are you suggesting that volunteers take up law enforcement duties at the FMR? 

As I’m sure you are already aware the Friends of the FMR are prohibited from enforcing the marine mammal act and marine reserve rules.  FMR volunteers are not trained in law enforcement.

It would be good to educate the youth and put a stop to the misconception w/ that generation. Othewise, high schoolers would have about as much success transcribing it otherwise as many adults try… but with less crying and tantrums at the meeting.

In other words, if the county is the trusted steward and custodian of the Reserve, and the Reserve’s primary function is to serve as a Marine Sanctuary, then it stands to reason that as a good custodian and steward of the Reserve, it will seek to limit or otherwise restrict visitor impacts on the Reserve to the extent that these negatively impact its primary raison d’être as a safe haven for marine life.

All we are asking is that the county be a good host, just as you would if you opened the doors of your home to a large group of visitors.

If you chose, for example, to host a party in your home, and you found yourself overrun by unruly guests, you would seek to limit the number of people coming in the front door and do a better job watching the ones you are allowing in. You’d do this to safeguard your family, your valuables, and your home - so that you can keep hosting parties for many years to come.

Nothing different is being asked of the county.

—DavidV

If you try to close FMR to the public, you might have a situation such as Martin’s Beach on your hands.  Public access has been established.

Overuse at FMR is at least a 20 year old problem, from my own experience, so instead of getting angry and blasting Horsley, [or Philip Fradkin for not entertaining a call while he’s promoting his last book, see Comments section: (http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201108021000)], then focus on resolving the visitor center/entrance fee issue.

Channel Islands are federally protected and with permit access only.  Cabrillo National Monument requires permits for groups of ten or more.  (Entrance Fee.)
Monterey Bay Aquarium, albeit a commercial facility, is a revenue source and handles crowds. (Entrance Fee.)
But each of these are staffed to receive and manage the funds.

Although the county has the authority to implement management of its park, they have replied, “I agree in principle but limiting visitors without a visitor center or adequate staff to monitor, it is not possible at this time.”

You have agreement from the county on the need for a visitor center and staff, but the county’s busy dealing with its budget problems, and since no one’s dying at FMR and it’s not a money-maker, there is no immediate cause for concern.  Instead of finding fault with the county, provide them with the answer to:  How to implement a visitor kiosk/entry fee/permit system for field trips? 

Notification of the new policy will need to be sent to all universities and schools that visit FMR for field trips, as they are accustomed to arriving without notice, parking throughout the neighborhood, etc.  This includes a need to educate the general public who massively visit on weekends.  This includes the need to update the many internet sites that list FMR as a great place to visit.

This isn’t much different from the overfishing situation.  Many areas are so overfished that the only way to keep some species from completely disappearing is to completely ban fishing in those areas for a few years.  This has happened right here in recent years.

Either we implement the policy in the FMR Master Plan to limit visitors or the area will at some point be closed entirely by a State or Federal agency.  Those are the choices.  Which would you prefer?

There is no “out-of-context personality conflict manifesting here,” there is only my request (stated above) to Sabrina to provide solutions.

I will admit that I find Sabrina’s ubiquitous internet rhetoric annoying; as she is someone who has campaigned for a public office, and might campaign again, then I expect a leader to be more solution-minded and not constantly finger-pointing.  We all know the problems, let’s hear some solutions.

MidPen hasn’t exactly been a paragon of ecological sensitivity and right-sized access routes on some of its properties, either. Because we can’t trust the county to live up to the protective language of its own plan for the reserve, consideration should be given to transfering the intertidal area—mean high tide line out, at least, or, better, from the blufftops out—to state or federal control. The definition of a “marine life reserve” in the state’s relatively young Marine Life Protection Act (Fish and Game Code Sections 2850-2863) fits Fitzgerald pretty well and would provide a clear standard for protection. Other extensive intertidal areas like Duxbury Reef currently fall under the MLPA, so administrators would be (maybe not great but) more qualified and not like our county parks/public works executives who have a one-of-a-kind property for San Mateo County and are seemingly clueless about what they are dealing with.

And, no, we don’t need another multi-hundred-thousand-dollar study to tell us what we already know and have gone over multiple times.

Anneliese, I’m not sure I follow your perspective. On the one hand, you say:

“The county hasn’t money for coastside requests.  Don’t demand that it “live up to its responsibilities.”

Then Sabrina points out the funding shortfall, in essence, agreeing to your point about too little funding to go around and you respond:

“I don’t see the funding connection, but if you do then go get ‘em tiger.”

Maybe you could help clarify?

Also, the “tiger” comment is a little flippant. Sabrina has single-handedly invested more of her time and energy into working to preserve the marine refuge than any of the countless hordes that have been literally trampling it underfoot and yet she somehow merits disdain while those that misuse and overrun the reserve don’t?

Perhaps there is an out-of-context personality conflict manifesting here, but for those of us that aren’t privy to it, let’s keep the discussion issued-focused.

—DavidV

Thanks for the MidPen suggestion! 

I agree that the County is not going to spend money to increase staff at the FMR no matter how many <u>Dog’s on the Reef</u> videos are posted on YouTube. The County budget problems and Supervisor Horsley’s comment makes that clear. I’m aware of the systemic budget problems in California, the proposed State Park closures and the overrun conditions of State Beaches. The FMR tide pools are designated as a Marine Reserve not a park and that means the tide pools should be protected.

The 2002 Master Plan for the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve recognized the area’s rich natural resources through it’s guiding principles:

“The fundamental concept underlying the Master Plan is that protection of the outstanding natural resources of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve will require a new approach to management of ecological systems and visitors in future years, and that the best way to accomplish this goal is to emphasize the sensitivity of the resource, to enhance the educational value of the Reserve, to manage visitation, and to limit use of the Reserve as a recreation destination.”

To-date the County has not taken reasonable action to protect the tide pools from the onslaught of overuse.  When the good times were rolling in SMC the FMR was underfunded. Budget problems don’t make it any easier to get the County to fund staff at the FMR however first you need the will to prioritize the environment and that seems to have been missing for some time.

I appreciate your point about the Monterey Bay Aquarium however I don’t think it serves as a relevant revenue model. The FMR is located in a residential neighborhood with limited parking and without adequate space to build an aquarium. Moss Beach is an unincorporated area of San Mateo County without local government/city council. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located in the Historic Cannery Row area; a commercial zone located in a city with parking garages, restaurants, hotels, and other visitor amenities within easy walking distance.

Año Nuevo serves as a successful controlled public access example for protecting marine mammals and the environment on the unincorporated San Mateo County coast. I wonder if Año Nuevo generates enough revenue to cover staff?

San Mateo County budget both gives and takes away: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2011/06/san-mateo-county-budget-both-gives-and-takes-away#ixzz1gwS8IuT5

Ups and downs

$18 million: Amount restored from March budget proposal
$129 million: Proposed cuts in 2011-12 budget
$48 million: Amount proposed to take from reserves to balance budget
208: Number of positions proposed for elimination

SMC Budget Info:
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/cmo/menuitem.e6a58c3934b92bca27e8f2c3917332a0/?vgnextoid=5ef59d3ed51b8210VgnVCM1000001937230aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3ef59d3ed51b8210VgnVCM1000001937230a____&vgnextfmt=DivisionsLanding

Every California State Beach is un-(der)managed/funded, every National Recreation Area chases dollar opportunities, and most all of these cherished locations are overrun. 

But take a look at Pescadero Creek and decide if you really want a government agency, whose attentions focus anywhere but coastside, to manage the local natural resource?

Review our MLPA zones and determine where they work or do not.

Think multi-agency.  That’s how a community got a bridge rebuilt to help the coho and steelhead: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20111216/ARTICLES/111219622

Study how the Monterey Bay Aquarium earns revenue, provides access, and crowd-control.

Call MidPen to ask them to purchase FMR?  They could then restrict access by permit only, as they have with La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve.

Whatever you pursue, consider that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Other ideas include transferring FMR management responsibilities to Golden Gate National Recreation Area and/or Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 

This year the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors closed the County Parks Department. The budget for park ranger staffing has been on the chopping block for years.  It’s time the County live up to its responsibilities at the FMR or find an agency or partnership that will provide marine habitat stewardship and enforce reasonable limits on visitor access.

If you have any suggestions I would like to hear them.  All suggestions are important, this is a challenging problem.

“I agree in principle but limiting visitors without a visitor center or adequate staff to monitor, it is not possible at this time.”
—Supervisor Don Horsley, Dec. 13, 2011

QUESTION
How would a grant funded FMR visitors center provide funding for more County staff/rangers to manage the FMR? 

ANSWER
Grants for a new parking lot and visitors center won’t provide any funding for day-to-day management/ranger staff at the FMR.

So what the heck is Supervisor Horsley suggesting?  More visitor amenities and less management?!!  This “solution” has been tried before and it has been devastating for the marine environment.

The County is responsible for managing the park and reef.  To-date, the County has not allocated the resources/staff necessary to manage the FMR.  Years of neglect have resulted in excessive wear and tear.  Foot traffic has worn away sea life, birds avoid people on the reef, and marine mammals relocate during busy times.

A watershed in critical need of protection from polluted runoff flows into the FMR.  The ‘Area29’ watershed is part of a state water quality protection area and is designated as a Area of Special Biological Significance (ASBS).  The FMR has a significant beachwater contamination problem and a record number of closure day.  San Vicente Creek, which drains into the reef is chronically contaminated with coliform bacteria.

On a busy low tide weekend in November over 10,000 people visited the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide pools.  The reef is growing more crowded every year.  Last time I checked 4,854,787 people had watched the “Octopus Walks on Land at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve” video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/FjQr3lRACPI  The Red Octopus has gained celebrity status.

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is designated as a protected reserve and that requires appropriate stewardship. With such a large number of visitors, responsible stewardship is not possible with only one or two San Mateo County rangers on duty.

From the FMR Master Plan 2002:
D. VISITOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Visitor use of the Moss Beach Reef will be limited to a maximum of 300 persons at one time for a minimum period of ten years. The Moss Beach Reef is the area most accessible to visitors, and therefore the most impacted and vulnerable. Highest levels of visitation occur during low tide, when the reef is accessible by foot and most visible. Visitors to the Moss Beach Reef will be limited to a maximum of 300 persons at one time, with a target goal of no more than 500 persons in one day. As part of the Reserve’s adaptive management program, the number of visitors can be lowered at the discretion of the Reserve Manager, if the resource remains impacted by visitation.

Responsible marine habitat stewardship is needed.  Please restrict the number of visitors allowed on the reef and protect the FMR for future generations.

Thank you!

http://lajollafriendsoftheseals.org/help.html
http://youtu.be/FNtu4pWmyuU
http://savesandiegoseals.com/

It’s a controversial effort:
http://www.10news.com/video/28133319/index.html

and tensions are intense:
http://youtu.be/81nPaHH5idc
http://youtu.be/GI_k8sQol08
http://youtu.be/lZH9177Yx0U

Why not limit public access? It is a marine reserve, after all. That means in this instance, marine life comes first.

Ways to limit public access might include restricting access to various parts of the reserve to guided tours on weekends, charging for parking, and enforcing a “by reservation only” policy for group visits.

There are plenty of places along the coast where people come first in the enjoyment of the beach. A marine reserve isn’t one of them.

—DavidV

I support the Coastal Act and public access to California beaches.  The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is designated as a protected reserve and that requires appropriate stewardship. 

On busy low-tide weekends over 2000 people per day visit the FMR tide pools. Paths are worn down in the reef due to heavy foot traffic. Only one or two County employees are on duty during busy low-tide weekends at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Visitors and docents can be found poking at marine life with hiking poles every weekend.

Improved Coastal Access needs to include responsible stewardship of the marine habitat, wildlife, and invasive plant management. With such a large number of visitors responsible stewardship is not possible with only one or two San Mateo County ranger on duty at the FMR.

From the FMR Master Plan 2002:

D. VISITOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Visitor use of the Moss Beach Reef will be limited to a maximum of 300 persons at one time for a minimum period of ten years. The Moss Beach Reef is the area most accessible to visitors, and therefore the most impacted and vulnerable. Highest levels of visitation occur during low tide, when the reef is accessible by foot and most visible. Visitors to the Moss Beach Reef will be limited to a maximum of 300 persons at one time, with a target goal of no more than 500 persons in one day. As part of the Reserve’s adaptive management program, the number of visitors can be lowered at the discretion of the Reserve Manager, if the resource remains impacted by visitation.

It’s time for some restrictions on the number of visitors allowed on the FMR tide pools.  I propose that paid parking meters be installed in the FMR parking lot to cover the cost of additional ranger staff, public information about protecting the seals/marine environment, and signage. No parking signage could be installed on neighborhood streets near FMR entrances. Residents could be allowed to park on the street with a proof of address windshield sticker they pickup from the Sheriffs sub-station.  This would reduce reef damage, prevent crime (the FMR ranger station shack was broken into twice recently), keep narrow residential streets safe for kids—pedestrians—pets—bicyclist and generate revenue to fund additional ranger staff to protect seals and marine life. Paid meters and parking restrictions would allow marine life to thrive.

FMR is one of the richest, most biodiverse intertidal environments on the California coast. —2008 FMR Water Quality Assessment Report

Protecting tide pools so that future generations have something natural to experience is good environmental stewardship. The problems at the FMR are the result of poor management by the San Mateo County Public Works Department and the Board of Supervisors. The County no longer has a Parks Department due to budget cuts and ranger staff has been reduced.

Please checkout the FMR facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FitzgeraldMarineReserve

We also collected 31 pairs of eyeglasses in need of new homes.

The food is now safely sorted and stored at Coastside Hope where it will provide support for our neighbors in need. I want to thank everyone who supported the food drive and the Scouts in helping to fill the shelves for our local food bank. Way to go, Coastsiders!

Also, thank-you to all the candidates who ran. I admire your contributions to the Democratic process.

Ginny

Have to give a lot of credit to the candidate and her volunteers for this achievement. And we seem to have a lot of determined voters who went to a lot of trouble to cast a write-in ballot on those blankety-blank voting machines.