The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council is meeting Thursday, Aug 12. The public is invite to attend for discussions about the biological and maritime cultural resources of the National Marine Sanctuary, the federally protected waters outside the Golden Gate.

Topics will include the BP oil spill impacts, vessel impacts on wildlife  (e.g. ship strike of whales, noise, pollution), and gray whales (a familiar species but one which is already showing impacts of climate change).

Details after the jump.

This engaging documentary deals with the dilemma of economic growth versus species preservation. San Bruno Mountain provides a context to explore these complex issues. San Bruno Mountain is the largest intact fragment of wild San Francisco.

For 50 years, many people have fought to protect the mountain and its rare butterflies. The fight resulted in a significant change to federal policy on endangered species, and in the process turned allies into enemies. Told with humor and insight from those involved with the battles, this is a tale of right vs. right.

It is also a story about the rights of nature and the rights of people, one of compromise and commitment, and one about the difficult choices we all have to make. Following the screening, filmmakers Ann and Steve Dunsky lead a discussion and answer questions about the film. This film is appropriate for all ages, but we ask that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult and be able to sit quietly for one hour.

BUTTERFLIES AND BULLDOZERS: David Schooley, Fred Smith and the Fight For San Bruno Mountain (a film by Ann and Steve Dunsky), Friday, July 16 @ 7:30 p.m., Mission Blue Center, 475 Mission Blue Drive, Brisbane. Free admission. Presented by Brisbane Public Library.

Botanist and author Toni Corelli will be presenting a talk and slide show on Native Plants for Coastal Gardens on Saturday July 24th from 2:00 to 3:30PM at the Half Moon Bay Library.  Come to this talk to learn which plants will work well in gardens located in our milder microclimates.

Corelli’s books include FLOWERING PLANTS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE, ILLUSTRATED FIELD GUIDE TO THE WOODY PLANTS OF THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, and most recently PLANT AND PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE SAN MATEO COAST (the latter written in cooperation with Avis Boutell and Nancy Frost).

We posted a picture of eggs in a backyard hummingbird nest a couple of weeks ago. We set up a blind in our bedroom and got some nice pictures of the mother raising her babies.

Last week, the babies left the nest.

County Parks is planning to construct 10.5-foot wide asphalt trail, with 3-foot wide aggregate shoulders on either side at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. The plan includes a 60 ft long by 12 ft wide bridge across San Vicente Creek.

The public comment period for the Negative Declaration is July 1 to July 30. 

The plan includes:

• Trail in the approximate location of an existing Dardenelle Trail on the east side of the FMR. The proposed trail will have a 10-foot wide asphalt surface with 2?foot wide aggregate shoulders on either side of the trail.
• A 60-ft. long by 12-ft. wide prefabricated fiberglass clear span bridge approximately 30 feet upstream of the removed bridge.
• Bridge abutments, which are 12 feet wide, spanning the width of the bridge. The abutments have wing walls, which extend approximately 10 feet. The wing walls on the north side of the bridge are at 45-degree angles from either side of the abutment base and the wing walls on the south side of the bridge are at 90-degree angles extending behind the bridge. The abutments are 9.5 feet in height and are mostly buried underground. A 3.5-inch diameter foundation pipe pile extends from the bottom of the abutments to a minimum of 37 feet in depth and will be embedded 10 feet into bedrock.
• Fence with handrail along the asphalt trail
• Retaining wall, 1-6 feet tall along the north side of the trail
• Large overlook, 35 ft. long by 40 ft wide, with reinforced concrete grade beam surrounding it
• Auxiliary overlook, 30-ft. by 20-ft and approximately half way down the trail, on the creek side

Send comments to Michael Schaller, County Planner:

Michael Schaller
Senior Planner
Planning and Building Department
County of San Mateo
P: 650/363-1849
F: 650/363-4849

The proposed "trail" would be wide enough to drive an RV on. Please send comments!
 
www.thepelicaneye.com

I’m reaching out to you all as I know you care about the coast and the environment, particularly the recent horrific spill in the gulf. 

What can we do to help the Gulf?  Stand in the Sand with "Hands Across the Sand" against off shore drilling and for clean energy!

I want to invite you all to join the Montara Beach Coalition and the Pacifica Beach Coalition at Montara Beach on June 26th at 11.00am to join hands across the sands.
 
Lynn Adams of the Pacifica Beach Coalition, and myself Kevin Stokes of the Montara Beach Coalition decided to join forces and concentrate our effects on one beach for the ‘Hands Across The Sand’ gathering to oppose off shore oil drilling.

We hope to form as long a line as possible on Montara Beach, the more people the better! The plan is simple:

• Arrive at Montara State Beach (South end) on June 26 at 11 AM,
• if arriving by car (we encourage you to walk or bike) use the parking lots either side of ‘La Costanera’ restaurant.
• Gather on the South part beach
• Form lines in the sand and at 12:00, then join hands.
• The image is powerful, the message is simple.  NO to Offshore Oil Drilling, YES to Clean Energy!
• Why Montara Beach?
• The vantage place for photos there is incredible! 
• Montara Beach is one mile long and easily accessible
• To make one event bigger and better than two separate events in Pacifica and Montara

Please tell everyone you can about this event, forward this email, Tweet, Blog and use Facebook to link to the Montara Beach events page.

We are looking for photographic and video recordings of this event, if you can help please contact Kevin. If you need any questions answered please send me an email at the address below. I look forward to seeing you at the event, please tell all your friends!

Cheers

Kevin & Wendy

Montara Beach Coalition
Protect, Preserve, Enjoy

Please join us June 26, and bring your friends, neighbors, gloves and sun cream for a day of trash cleanup and non-native plant removal near Pilarcitos Creek. We’ll talk about our local flora and fauna and how we can continue to ensure the protection of open space in Half Moon Bay. We’ll trade restoration stories and share the fun of keeping the sensitive habitat areas of our town clean. 

Meet at 10 am in the parking lot of the Stone Pine office park, 120 Stone Pine Rd, Half Moon Bay

We’ll provide gloves and trash bags. Wear layers and sturdy shoes. 

Upcoming Events:

4th of July Parade - meet in front of the HMB Library, 11 am. We will pass out poppy-seed packets and carry our banner. 

July 24 - Pilarcitos Creek Bird Walk, led by Alvaro Jaramillo, 3 to 5 pm; meet behind Safeway, 70 Cabrillo Hwy N, HMB.

Jo Chamberlain
Executive Director
www.coastsidelandtrust.org

Join the San Mateo County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and the LIVE 105 Action Team on International Surfing Day (ISD) for a beach cleanup at Linda Mar in Pacifica from 4-6pm.  Cleanup gloves and bags are provided, plus there’ll be a ton of cool prizes including ISD t-shirts, Surfing magazines, Jack Johnson CDs & DVDs courtesy Brushfire Records and much more!

After the cleanup, it’s a Summer Surf Party at the Octopus Lounge in Eureka Square, Pacifica, featuring live surf music from Drifting Sand and The Reefriders!  Plus surf movies, prize giveaways from Surfrider and LIVE 105, DJ Surfer Spud spinning the surf tunes and hosted by Pacifica’s beachin’ waternaut Big Wave Bob!
 
WHEN: Sunday, June 20, International Surfing Day

WHERE: - Beach Cleanup at Linda Mar State Beach, Hwy 1 at Crespi Drive, Pacifica, Summer Surf Part at The Octopus Lounge: 180 Eureka Square, Pacifica

FREE. Donations are accepted.

CONTACT:  For more info contact us at [email protected]

San Mateo County has released the report on the third phase of its Midcoast groundwater study.

We will release an analysis of the report in the near future. You can read the conclusions and recommendations after the jump. Or you can download the report from Coastsider and draw your own conclusions.

The Phase II report released last year raised the alarm of risk of saltwater intrusion due to overpumping in some areas of the Midcoast.