Monday, November 30, 2009

Dutra and the Petaluma Wetlands

The $32 billion that birders spent generated $85 billion in economic benefits for the nation in 2001. This ripple effect on the economy also produced $13 billion in tax revenues and 863,406 jobs.

-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Birding in the United States, 2003

Last summer the Ellis Creek trail was opened to the public. Now one can walk over seven miles of trails in the Petaluma Public Wetlands. The contiguous wetlands have much to offer – 200 species of birds, 25 of mammals, reptiles and amphibians and over 100 types of plants. The Greenbelt Alliance and San Francisco Chronicle have described it as a top destination for nature lovers. The study cited above says there are 46 million birders in the U.S. and almost 4 million in California. Petaluma plans to start promoting eco- tourism to the area. Starting next January a part of the National Geographic website on California’s Redwood Coast will feature a section on our local wetlands, for example.

The success of any promotional effort will depend upon maintaining the purity of the 500 acres from harmful development, such as the proposed Dutra plant which would be across the Petaluma River from the heart of the wetlands, Shollenberger Park. That operation would impact scenic vistas, generate pollution, noise and potentially devastate a heron/egret colony on the Dutra property.

According to a 2008 census, on an average day over 400 people (mostly local residents) walk the Shollenberger trail, amounting to some 150,000 day-trips a year. Visitors use the park to bird watch, exercise, ride their bikes, walk dogs or just enjoy a relaxing stroll in a natural surrounding. The level of carcinogens that would be released by the plant will certainly give pause to those who now use the park trails. Anyone with respiratory problems (asthma, etc.) most surely would have to forego walking there.

Every spring park docents escort hundreds of local elementary school children to the fishing pier at Shollenberger across from the proposed Dutra barging operation, to view the heron/egret colony (which produced over 70 chicks in 2009). A healthy colony reflects a healthy environment. The Dutra operation’s noise at that location would exceed the General Plan standard and require its amendment because of this serious problem. It would probably mean that docents will cancel this important part of the children’s learning experience because of the noise and fear of auditory harm.

The colony may no longer be there in any case. The excessive noise and other aspects of the proposed operation, including 100,000 annual truck trips in and out of the site would result in a “substantial risk of colony abandonment” per Dr. John Kelly, Audubon Canyon ranch, the leading expert on colony management in Northern California:

…these birds are apparently most sensitive to changes in human activity…loud noises might disturb a colony if the noise levels are increased dramatically or are associated with new or unpredictable human activities. Noise per se may not cause disturbance if the birds associate the noise with normal conditions under which the nesting sites were selected. [His emphasis.]
~ Analysis submitted to Steve Dee, Sonoma County, February 24, 2008


Bob Dyer

Senior Docent
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 9:44 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Supervisor Carrillo is the Swing Vote!

Attention West County Voters – Sonoma County Citizens!

We need your help to save our Wetlands from the toxic pollution of an asphalt plant.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo, District 5 (including Sebastopol), will cast the crucial vote on the Dutra Asphalt Plant. With Supervisors Zane and Brown on record as “NO” votes and Supervisors Kelly and Kerns on record as sure “Yes” votes, Efren’s vote determines what happens to Petaluma and the county’s wetlands, located in the 2nd District.

We need West County voters to write and call Efren Carrillo and remind him the West County voter wants the wetlands protected. A Super-majority of Sonoma County voters voted to keep the Scenic View Corridor protected in 1998. When asked, Sonoma County voters voices are strong- keep Sonoma County Green! Please call, write and email Supervisor Carrillo and let him know, as a voter in Sonoma county, how you feel about this plant.

Below is a suggested correspondence you can use.

Click here to Email Efren

ecarrillo@sonoma-county.org

Letters:
County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
575 Administration Drive, Room 100A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Phone: (707) 565-2241



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Dear Supervisor Carrillo:

I am a West County / Sonoma County voter and I ask you to vote to protect one of our County's finest assets, the wetlands and wildlife habitat of Shollenberger Park. Vote "NO" to approving the Dutra Asphalt Plant.

Don't spread pollution - clean it up. Shollenberger Park, Alman Marsh wetlands and adjacent Ellis Creek Polishing Ponds are the last of a precious resource, a high elevation salt marsh. Our Open Space tax-dollars have paid to acquire and protect these lands and an asphalt plant is incompatible with these goals.

Don't destroy what we have restored. Don't increase air pollution and associated cancers. Instead work towards reducing air contaminants produced by existing asphalt plants and reducing illness in Sonoma County by protecting the environment.

When asked, the Sonoma County Voter votes green by a Super Majority: 1998 Measure D Voter Mandated Scenic View Corridor, Open Space District Funding, Smart Rail, Community Separators and Urban Growth Boundaries. Don't ignore the mandate of the West County voter who passed Measure D to protect the Scenic View Corridor south of Petaluma.

I will remember how you vote. Vote NO on the Dutra Asphalt Plant.

Sincerely,
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 12:14 PM 0 comments

Monday, November 23, 2009

Pick Up Signs & Stickers This Week!

FLASH! EASY ACCESS TO SIGNS AND BUMPER STICKERS TO SAVE OUR PARK

Pick up a Lawn Sign and Bumper Sticker at The Mail Depot. Maureen and her wonderful staff will hand out signs for one week starting today.

Mail Depot Hours:
MON - THURS 8am to 6pm
FRI 8am - 5pm
SAT 9am to 3pm

40 Fourth St.
(near Bus Stop)
Petaluma
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 12:32 PM 0 comments

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Supervisors need to hold firm in opposing asphalt plant

Petaluma resident Bill Kortum, a former Sonoma County Supervisor and former chairman of the California Coastal Alliance, is chairman emeritus of Sonoma County Conservation Action and explains to the Press Democrat why having an asphalt plant across the Petaluma River from Shollenberger Park is a bad idea.

"The visual, noise, smell, toxic air and other asphalt plant impacts on Shollenberger Park are very real to residents of Petaluma. The proposed Dutra assault on voter-mandated protections and community values would cause consternation by any city of our county. Even London now requires asphalt plants to be located 20 miles from city limit lines.

The EIR finds regional asphalt plant capacity more than adequate, so why should the county accommodate a company with such a history of violations in our voter-mandated scenic corridor? "

Click here to read the entire article
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 12:54 PM 0 comments

Thursday, November 19, 2009

PLAN FOR STRAW VOTE AND LAST COMMENT 12/8

SUPERVISORS' PLAN TO TAKE STRAW VOTE AND HEAR LAST PUBLIC COMMENT ON DECEMBER 8th

It appears Paul Kelley, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, is intending to conduct yet another straw vote on the Dutra Asphalt plant proposal on December 8th. Supervisor Valerie Brown, who is on record against the Dutra proposal, cannot be present on the 8th and has apparently received a commitment from Mr. Kelly that a final vote will not happen on that date. It also appears obvious that the pro-Dutra strategy is for Supervisor Kelley to use the Straw vote hearing to close public comment on the "revised" proposal, and then put Dutra on a Consent Calendar vote in January. He tried this earlier this year, but public outcry and right to speak stopped this tactic. Those in favor of Dutra’s proposal would like to close the record and end public comment on the vague "revised" project description as soon as possible, however the facts still remain:

1) The revised project is still a polluting industrial factory located in a protected Scenic View Corridor and next to a sensitive wildlife and wetlands habitat. Approval would still require a zoning change from commercial, agricultural and scenic to industrial. No overriding benefit to the residents has been proven to support re-zoning.

2) Noise of barge unloading still exceeds General Plan decibel limits and would require a General Plan Amendment for excessive noise.

3) The seven story towers (62 ft.) are still significant blight on the area and a noxious landmark for the Gateway to Sonoma County and Petaluma.

4) The project still adds air pollution of the area and the new calculation of 6.7 additional cancers per million exceeds CEQA's level of significance of 5. It is unhealthy and will cause illness.

5) Truck traffic will be constant, every 3 minutes, and the Petaluma 101 South Interchange will be dominated by Dutra traffic. By their own estimates 100,000 trucks per year coming in and out of the Dutra site at Haystack landing will occur.

Help us stop this proposal. It appears a final decision will occur in the very near future. Time is of the essence!
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 10:52 PM 1 comments
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Community bench donations for inscribed bricks now closed


The bench pad has been installed. We will have a Dedication Gathering in January 2017 at the Community Bench site, located on the South loop of the walking path at Shollenberger Park. Check it out!

Donations to Save Shollenberger always welcome and needed. Think of our park and the work we need to keep doing to save it when making your end of the year donations — tax deductible!



Donate Today!


Hands Around Shollenberger

Click here to watch a video of our Hands Around Shollenberger event!

Watch an additional video of our 400 person rally here

Upcoming Events

Shollenberger Shindig
Feb 25, 2019
River Front Cafe
A Benefit for Friends of Shollenberger (O.W.L. Foundation) fund to protect our park.

Mission Statement

We are a group of ordinary citizens who enjoy open space, clean air, and community well being. We have joined together to preserve and protect Shollenberger Park and the Petaluma Wetlands for all of our families and for future generations.

We provide information and a forum for citizens to learn about our local environmental issues and work towards protecting our park. As a “Special Project” of the O.W.L. Foundation, (http://owlfoundation.net/OWL.htm), we are a non-profit organization and donations to support our activities are tax-deductible.

Read More

  • 2014 Petition for Rehearing
  • Dutra Reply Brief 9/25/2012
  • Dutra Opening Brief 7/20/2012
  • Judge Chouteau's decision 12/23/2011
  • City Opening Brief (PDF)
  • Trial Brief CEQA Brown Act (PDF)
  • Dutra's Record
  • Our Partners In This Fight
  • More Information

This fight is not over!

Stay tuned for our next steps in preserving and protecting Shollenberger Park and Petaluma Wetlands, and our community from an asphalt factory at Haystack Landing.

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      • Dutra and the Petaluma Wetlands
      • Supervisor Carrillo is the Swing Vote!
      • Pick Up Signs & Stickers This Week!
      • Supervisors need to hold firm in opposing asphalt ...
      • PLAN FOR STRAW VOTE AND LAST COMMENT 12/8
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