Alternatives Workshop Scheduled for Giacomini Ranch Wetlands Restoration Project

Date: May 13, 2004
Contact: John Dell’Osso, 415-464-5135

The National Park Service (Park Service) is holding a workshop about preliminary restoration alternatives for the Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Project. The workshop will be held Tuesday, June 22, 2004, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Red Barn conference room adjacent to Point Reyes National Seashore’s administrative headquarters.

Because this project is very important to West Marin, Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) felt that it would be invaluable to get early input from the public before beginning preparation of the environmental document. At this workshop, the Seashore will briefly discuss the background and purpose of the project and baseline information collected on existing site conditions and resources. Following this, the preliminary restoration alternatives will be presented, along with results of hydrologic modeling.

The National Park Service purchased the Waldo Giacomini Ranch in February 2000 for the purpose of restoring wetlands to historic coastal salt marsh. Since 2000, the Seashore has been in the process of collecting baseline information and starting to refine restoration goals. The Seashore conducted scoping for the project in fall 2002 to obtain public and agency input on issues and concerns related to the Project, including a suitable range of alternatives and the nature of potential impacts. Since fall 2003, the Seashore has been working on developing preliminary restoration alternatives.

All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend the workshop or they can provide written comments or suggestions. Written comments may be mailed to: Superintendent, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes, CA 94956, or they may be emailed. If individuals submitting comments request that their name and/or address be withheld from public disclosure, it will be honored to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated prominently in the beginning of the comments. There may also be circumstances wherein the Park Service will withhold a respondent’s identity as allowable by law. As always, the Park Service will make available to public inspection all submissions from organizations or businesses and from persons identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and businesses. Anonymous comments may not be considered.

-NPS-