Marin prepares to preserve more open space

The Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) is developing a five-year Strategic Plan to almost double its protected landholdings from 15,000 acres to 27,000. The first draft is due late this year with a final version in early 2008. The county will then place a measure on the November, 2008 ballot to provide funding for the acquisitions.

The plan needs to balance priorities for land-acquisition including:

protection from wildland fires;
protecting the fragile Baylands Corridor;
limiting additional development to targeted infill areas already under development;
watershed protection and water quality;
recreational use including trails and parks.

MCOSD currently manages over 15,000 acres of land in 35 open-space preserves. These lands are primarily for resource protection, but are accessible for limited recreational, educational, and scientific uses. Of Marin County's 378,574 acres (including wetlands and tidal areas in the Bay) 54% (203,236 acres) is currently protected in some way either by easement or ownership. In addition to MCOSD's preserves and state and national parks, the protected acreage includes large-scale agricultural easements owned by the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which, in partnership with the county's Parks and Open Space Department, has focused on West Marin farmland conservation.

If you have questions or ideas about these issues contact Sharon McNamee, director and general manager of Marin County Parks and Open Space at smcnamee -at- co.marin.ca.us or Marge Macris, Sierra Club's representative on the Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, at mmacris -at- aol.com or (415) 381-6667.

Valerie Merrin