Hope springs eternal from the voices of Familias Afectadas de Rancho, the newly formed group representing the people who live and work in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Its members speak with eloquence, clarity, and pragmatic optimism. FAR demonstrates the type of grassroots leadership that makes West Marin better for everybody. The group is organizing families, supporting children and connecting neighbors—work that uplifts the dreams, power and leadership of essential members of our community who have been silent for long enough.
The wisdom offered by FAR proves why decisions affecting a particular group should not be made without the full and direct participation of the members of that group. The crises facing these residents and our greater West Marin community are complex. Myriad needs related to the closure of the seashore ranches intersect with the local economy, housing affordability, climate change, the future of agriculture and the historic marginalization of Latino community members.
Recently, on the radio, Supervisor Dennis Rodoni interviewed Raissa de la Rosa, who leads the interdepartmental task force to support ranch residents and workers at risk of displacement for the county executive’s office. Ms. de la Rosa credited the community for being well organized and engaged. The Community Land Trust Association of West Marin has been sprinting to identify feasible interim housing solutions for Martinelli and seashore ranch residents, with support from local foundation partners and county staff.
Yet Ms. de la Rosa was also clear that county staff required additional time to parse the complexities with rigor. It is a step I know is an essential part of good policy and program design.
I was pleased to hear Ms. de la Rosa pledge that the county will take an “iterative approach,” which signals a commitment to continuous improvement, a process that should be defined by meaningful two-way communication with stakeholders such as FAR. My two decades working in community and economic development taught me that a growth mindset and commitment to accountable action is essential for success. As Ms. de la Rosa said, we cannot allow perfection to prevent progress. I hope this approach will empower the county and its partners to create more innovative solutions to our challenges.
Supervisor Rodoni and his aides deserve to be celebrated for channeling focus and resources to West Marin. Two recent unanimous votes by the Board of Supervisors are examples. The shelter crisis declaration and the $9-plus million loan to CLAM are part of a necessary, if not sufficient, foundation to empower local solutions. During the shelter crisis hearing, Community Development Agency Director Sarah Jones said the resolution was the first tool in the toolbox.
We can both celebrate these wins and hold the county and all involved parties accountable to keep adding the tools we need.
FAR has clearly stated its readiness to work with county officials, nonprofits and community members to prevent displacement from Point Reyes and Inverness. This will require partners to 1) create more short-term and long-term housing; 2) develop new training and employment opportunities; and 3) mitigate childhood trauma by coordinating timelines and schedules to align the March 2026 eviction date with the school calendar.
The Bo-Linda Vista R.V. campground project in Bolinas was a surprising success because many partners innovatively worked together to do things differently than they had in the past. This is how we make miracles happen. A profound social multiplier effect is possible when people come together in new ways. But let’s not forget that trying new things requires all of us to learn and grow.
Effective leadership and partnership is not about assigning blame. It requires us to take responsibility and focus on solutions. May we listen to FAR with compassion, find the courage to try new things, and deepen our support for essential community partners such as CLAM. This is an opportunity for each of us to help build and belong to an ever more healthy and equitable community. There is truly no greater joy.
Annie O’Connor is a Bolinas resident who is currently on a temporary leave from her role as executive director of the Bolinas Community Land Trust.