Cormorant rescue
Steve Hill of the Marin Humane Society last Thursday collected a stranded Brandt cormorant that had curiously landed on Highway 1 near Five Brooks. Four women - Zoe and Donna Gardner of Bolinas, Cecelia Thorner of San Anselmo, and Pam Niesley of Sacramento - stopped their two cars when they came upon the confused bird. They called the Humane Society and waited an hour and a half by the side of the road until help arrived. Cormorants can only take flight from water.
Sewage hearing set
The City of Santa Rosa will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 24, on the environmental report for its controversial plans for disposing of treated sewage. One of the proposed sites is in Two Rock near the Marin County line, which has alarmed many West Marin environmentalists and ranchers.
The hearing will start at 1:30 p.m. and resume at 7 p.m. at Finley Center, corner of West College Avenue and Stony Point roads in Santa Rosa.
Lucas permit hearing slated
Marin planning commissioners at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, will hold a public hearing and consider a masterplan and use permit for Nicasio-based Lucasfilm, which hopes to construct 607,500 square feet of buildings on the former Big Rock and Grady ranches.
The proposed facilities would be used for the development of computer-entertainment, interactive-multimedia, and educational products, and an estimated 640 people would be employed at the two sites.
The development would cover 108 acres. The remaining 2,048 acres on the two properties would be permanently preserved as open space with some public trails.
Two more properties, the Loma Alta and McGuire ranches (totaling 1,235 acres), would be preserved under an agricultural easement and would also have some public trails.
Planning commissioners last week recommended that county supervisors approve the project's environmental-impact report, despite vocal protest by some residents of Lucas Valley.
Headwaters protest
Numerous West Marin residents, especially from Bolinas and the San Geronimo Valley, were among more than 5,000 people who traveled to Carlotta, Humboldt County, Sunday to protest the Maxxam corporation's plans to log 3,000 acres of redwoods 2,000 years old. In response to the protesters' civil disobedience, Highway Patrolmen and Humboldt sheriff's deputies arrested 897 people on trespassing charges, stopping only when they ran out of handcuffs.
North Marin Pact with Giacominis By Dave Mitchell
Directors of North Marin Water District unanimously approved a compromise with Point Reyes Station's Giacomini Ranch over how to split costs for studying a now-abandoned plan to share Papermill Creek water.
North Marin initially asked the Giacomini family to pay $26,507, but the family responded it had spent $15,301 on studies as it and the water district considered how to comply with a State Water Resources Control Board ruling allocating water rights.
In addition, North Marin General Manager Chris DeGabriele and the family agreed that when the two parties previously worked together, the general manager's time was not shared by the ranch - although the time of other district staff was.
The final agreement, which Directors George Amaroli and Don Brand negotiated with the Giacominis, calls for the family to pay $11,206 to the district.
DeGabriele also warned his board that if the matter went to litigation, the cost to the district "could reach $9,000 to $12,000," which is almost the amount that had been in dispute.
Conservation Corps funding
A bill (AB 2219) by Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni to authorize the Department of Conservation to award grants from the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund was signed by the governor last week.
For the last 10 years, the Marin Conservation Corps has been limited in getting these funds because of a population requirement in the original legislation.
The Marin Conservation Corps is a community service organization whose purpose is to develop the youth of Marin County by providing meaningful employment, education, and training opportunities through projects that conserve natural resources, deliver human services, and respond to public emergencies.
Last year, the Marin Conservation Corps collected over 17 tons of recyclables from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, and several California State Parks.
The enactment of AB 2219 will allow the Corps to expand their recycling efforts to include other Marin County recreation areas and work with local schools on waste reduction.
Park plans fire near Dogtown
A prescribed fire is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in the Olema Valley. The fire will be on a 36-acre site east of Highway 1 near the McCurdy Trailhead, just north of Dogtown.
This week Park Services crews were creating a "blackline" by burning a safety buffer around the controlled-burn area.
The burn is part of an ongoing effort by Point Reyes National Seashore resource management specialists to remove the invasive, non-native plant, French broom. Because control of the broom has been limited in the past, the quickly spreading plant has "crowded out" California native plants.
Prescribed burning has been an effective method in removing invasive plants from the Point Reyes National Seashore. Burning also provides other ecological benefits such as improved wildlife habitat, reduction of hazardous fuels, and an improved environment for native plant species.
The prescribed fire will only be conducted if weather and other conditions are favorable. The fire will be monitored by National Park Service and Marin County Fire Personnel.
If the conditions are not favorable, an alternate day for the prescribed burn will be scheduled.
Fire plans in Marshall
Marconi Conference Center in Marshall will carry out controlled burns during September and October. The burns will be done under the direction of the state Department of Parks and Recreation, weather permitting.
Pt. Reyes election
Point Reyes Station Village Association members last Thursday elected a new president and reconfirmed three other positions. Anne Vitale is the new president. Officers reelected include Vice President Pat Bannerman, Treasurer Fred Rodoni Sr., and Secretary Wiebke Buxbaum.
County planning
County supervisors at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, will consider amending the Inverness Ridge Communities Plan in order to limit the size of second dwellings on a lot to 750 square feet.
Supporters of the amendment say the limit is necessary to stop construction of over-sized buildings and excessive residential development.
Opponents say the amendment would further aggravate the Tomales Bay area's housing shortage by limiting construction of rental homes big enough for families with children.
A county zoning administrator on Thursday, Sept. 26, will hold a public hearing to consider issuing a coastal permit and second-unit permit, as well as approving the design, for a 993-square-foot second dwelling on a 2.55-acre lot at 60 Woodhaven Rd. in Inverness. Applicants Richard and Virginia Havel also propose building a 264-square-foot carport.
A county zoning administrator will hold a public hearing Thursday, Sept. 26, to consider issuing a coastal permit and second-unit permit, as well as approving the design, for a converting a guest house/studio into a second dwelling on a 2.5-acre lot at 121 South Dream Farm Rd. in Inverness. Applicants Nicholas Dewars and Nicki Michaels also propose building a 480-square-foot garage.