Source: baytrail.org
Published: May 18, 2017
Bair Island planting event (photo by Save the Bay)
The Bay Area is prized for its beauty, and is one of America’s great estuaries. Over the years, urbanization and the transformation of open spaces to more intensive land uses have contributed to the marginalization of the region’s native species and their habitats — wetlands in particular.
In the 1960s, about four square miles of Bay were being filled each year. In the 1990s, a campaign to restore 100,000 acres of marshes, wetlands and sloughs around San Francisco Bay was born. The Bay Trail Project’s mission complements the wildlife-oriented public access and recreation goals associated with the restoration projects. The following wetland restoration projects include segments of the Bay Trail:
Napa Plant Site
- 1,400 acres one mile north of American Canyon
- 3 miles of levee-top Bay Trail
Hamilton/Bel Marin Keys
- 2,600 acres in Novato
- 2.5 miles of levee-top Bay Trail
Sears Point
- 2,300 acres between Port Sonoma Marin and Infineon Raceway
- 2.5 miles of levee-top Bay Trail
Sonoma Baylands
- 320 acres near Port Sonoma Marin
- 1.5 miles of levee-top Bay Trail
South Bay Salt Ponds
- 15,000 acres in Santa Clara, San Mateo & Alameda counties
- Over 30 miles of existing and future levee-top Bay Trail
Breuner Marsh
- 150 acres in Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, Richmond
- 1.5 miles of future Bay Trail
Bair Island
- 3,000 acres in Redwood City
- 2 miles of existing Bay Trail
Why Wetlands?
Healthy tidal marshes and wetlands serve as the lungs of the Bay, and provide myriad benefits to the community such as clean water, protection from flooding and sea level rise, wildlife habitat, open space and recreation. Wetlands give life to hundreds of fish and wildlife species and billions of small organisms that form the base of the food chain.
Bay Area Voters Pass Historic Measure for Bay Restoration
In June 2016, Bay Area voters approved a regional measure known as Measure AA that will generate $25 million per year over 20 years to fund restoration of San Francisco Bay wetlands and creation of new shoreline public access. The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority is the entity responsible for managing these funds.
San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority