Bel Marin Keys, Bolinas Lagoon, Larkspur Ferry Channel, Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration, San Francisco Bay Estuary Ecosystem Restoration

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) testified Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. She fought for the inclusion of five local projects to be included in the "Water Resources and Development Act of 2002." The Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) authorizes Army Corps of Engineer projects and is brought to the House floor every two years.

The following is Rep. Woolsey's testimony:

"Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before your Subcommittee today. I'd like to take this time to share my District's local priorities for the Water Resources and Development Act of 2002.

"As many of you know, I'm privileged to represent Marin and Sonoma counties, which are the two counties just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. As a district surrounded on three sides by water, and home to the Russian River, the Petaluma River, Tomales Bay and numerous other mostly pristine waterways, my District certainly has a large number of Corps projects - perhaps the most in the state. When our local Corps officials visit with me in D.C. each spring, we joke that since my 'project book' is the biggest that they like to visit with me first so they don't have to lug it around the whole week.

"That's why this Subcommittee's work is so important to my constituents, especially the biennial WRDA bill. In the past, this Subcommittee has been very supportive of my District's efforts to advance our local projects to the construction stage. I'm here today to ask for your continued support for five projects that need authorization in this WRDA bill. Four of these five projects are watershed or environmental restoration projects. That's not a surprise considering the Corps does some of its most forward-thinking, environmentally friendly projects in Marin and Sonoma counties.

"It's smart public policy, and hopefully an idea this Subcommittee will embrace, that Corps projects are determined to be environmentally sound and supported by communities in addition to being economically justified. At a time when many Corps projects are being scrutinized and criticized for their harmful environmental impact, my environmentally conscious constituents demand that our local Corps projects are the model for the good that this agency can do. I'm honored to bring several of them to your attention today."

"First off is the Bel Marin Keys project. This environmental restoration project is located adjacent to the current Hamilton Airfield restoration project that was authorized in 1999. The Bel Marin Keys project is 1,600 acres of dyked bayland to be restored to a combination of tidal, seasonal and upland habitat. This project is significant because it will continue with the Hamilton model of re-using dredge material from various San Francisco Bay dredging projects, including the Port of Oakland. For WRDA '02, we request a modification of the Hamilton Airfield authorization so that it can include the Bel Marin Keys parcel. This strategy will allow integrated planning of the combined property to provide economies of scale savings that were identified in the Hamilton project's Chief Report.

"The second project, Bolinas Lagoon, is also an environmental ecosystem restoration effort. The Lagoon is a 1,100 acre tidal estuary and in 1998 was designated under the Ramsar Convention as a "Wetland of International Importance." This home to critical wildlife habitat and rare, threatened and endangered species has been filling in with sediment at an alarming rate. Working with the Committee to Save Bolinas Lagoon - a dedicated local organization comprised of community members - the Marin County Open Space District (the local sponsor) set an aggressive schedule, which has been supported by Energy & Water appropriations, in order to be considered for a conditional authorization this year.

"My next request is the only non-environmental restoration project. It's to permanently authorize the Corps to perform regular periodic maintenance dredging of the Larkspur Ferry Channel. The channel is operated by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District and is used for ferry service between Marin County and San Francisco. In 2000, this Subcommittee included in the WRDA bill Section 306 that accommodates this request. However, it did not survive conference. In the interim, we've worked on Senate-side support for the project. For the record, while the Larkspur Ferry Channel was not originally constructed with Corps funding, it was constructed with federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Furthermore, in Fiscal Year 2000 the Energy & Water Appropriations Committee provided federal Operations & Maintenance (O&M) funds for the Corps to dredge the main navigation channel.

"The fourth request is for the Napa River salt marsh restoration project. With more than 85% of the wetlands around San Francisco Bay lost, this restoration project is an opportunity to restore a significant parcel. The salt marshes, located between the Sonoma County line and the west bank of the Napa River, comprise nearly 10,000 acres of former commercial salt ponds. Currently there's a push to secure FY02 reprogramming funds in order to finish the District Engineer's and Chief's Report so the project can meet the criteria for a conditional authorization.

"Lastly, I'd like to share my strong support for a $40 million authorization for the San Francisco Bay Estuary Ecosystem Restoration project, with $20 million targeted to carry out restoration projects in the San Pablo Bay watershed. In 2001, 26 entities, including the Corps, signed onto the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture's implementation strategy for restoring the estuary. This authorization is crucial to this effort. Projects undertaken pursuant to this new authority would also complement the CalFed program and accelerate other on-going Corps of Engineers efforts to restore San Pablo Bay. It's my understanding that language for this project will be included in the Administration's WRDA proposal.

"While the list is long, I assure you that these are worthy and exciting projects. There's no doubt in my mind that the Subcommittee's support of these projects will pay off in many ways, including them being models for other community's Corps projects nationwide."

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