Representative Lynn Woolsey will speak at the Army Corps of Engineers and State Coastal Conservancy ceremony to begin restoration of Hamilton Wetlands When: Earth Day -- Monday, April 22, 2002 Event: 2:00 to 3:00 Where: Hangar #3, Hangar Avenue, Hamilton Field, Novato Speakers: Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey Dominic Izzo, Principle Dep. Assist. Sec. for the Army (Civil Works) Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer Coastal Conservancy Cynthia Murray, Marin County Supervisor David Lewis, San Francisco Bay Joint Venture In celebration of Earth Day, the Army Corps of Engineers and the State Coastal Conservancy will sign an agreement to start the construction of the Hamilton Wetlands Restoration project. Rep. Lynn Woolsey secured the $55 million authorization for the project from the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) in 2000. The Hamilton Wetlands restoration project is the largest wetlands restoration project in the bay to date. The restored wetlands will provide habitat for various endangered species, including the California Clapper Rail, California Black Rail, Brown Pelican, Chinnok Salmon and the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and will support birds migrating on the Pacific Flyway. The project will restore almost 800 acres of habitat using dredged materials taken from the Port of Oakland. The dredged material would accelerate marsh establishment and raise the elevation of the site in order to restore seasonal wetlands. Ninety percent of San Francisco Bay wetlands have been lost and the Hamilton Wetlands restoration project is one of the largest efforts to reverse this trend. Once the Hamilton Wetlands project is complete, it will be a national model for base redevelopment and for environmental restoration. Rep. Lynn Woolsey has obtained over $256 million for North Bay environmental projects, including: $55 million for wetlands restoration at Hamilton Air Field, $85 million for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Restoration project, over $3 million for the Russian River Restoration Project and $750,000 for the Bolinas Lagoon Restoration Study. ###