Dear Mayor Fergusson and Members of Council,
 
Just yesterday the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project announced the
release its draft Environmental Impact Report. As you know, that
project includes almost all of the salt ponds along Menlo Park's
shoreline, some 1,572 acres.
 
Also announced was the public comment period, open to April 23, 2007,
and the schedule of public meetings.
 
The success of this project depends on a variety of factors
Importantly, one of those is the quality and extent of public comment.
It is my hope that Menlo Park, its institutions and organizations, and
its residents, will take this opportunity to help the project provide a
most successful outcome for the city's shoreline.
 
As I reported to you during your priority comment meetings, the
project's plan for Menlo Park, commencing in 2008, focuses heavily on
public access in its phase one work to begin in 2008. In Menlo Park it
proposes to place an interpretative site in Bayfront Park and to convert
one of the ponds fully as the Project's primary interpretative location
as a demonstration pond. Both actions will increase visitation to the
City's shore with potential impact on city services and facilities. This
impact can offer both opportunity and challenges.
 
It is my hope that comment will be provided to the project by all
affected and interested parties. Perhaps, in Menlo Park, that can
include consideration by members of city commissions on parks, planning
and the environment, by emergency services and by any involved in
providing and maintaining associated facilities and roads.
 
In light of the Council's recent leadership on the global warming
consideration, individuals involved in that effort may wish to comment
as well. This project, in years to come, intends to greatly increase the
extent of earth-friendly biomass in the form of tidal marshes within
city borders.
 
I am including below an announcement that provides the details about
access to the environmental report and the schedule of public meetings.
 
Eileen McLaughlin, Project Director
Wildlife Stewards
P.O. Box 1177, Alviso, CA 95002-1177
408-262-5513 ext. 106, 408-262-2867 fax
408-257-7599 home, 408-230-0054 cell
WildlifeStewards@aol.com
Building citizen-based stewardship among diverse communities in support
of wildlife and National Wildlife Refuges. Partner to the National
Wildlife Refuges of the San Francisco Bay Region. Project of Acterra:
Action for a Sustainable Earth.
========================================================================
=====

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (DEIS/R) for the South
Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is now available on the project
website at www.southbayrestoration.org/EIR
<htttp://www.southbayrestoration.org/EIR> . Supporting information has
also been posted there. The public comment period on the DEIS/R is open
until April 23, 2007. Comment instructions are posted to the website and
are stated below.

Public hearings will be held on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
6 - 8 p.m.
NASA Research Center
Eagle Room. Room 943
Mountain View, CA

Thursday, March 29, 2007
6 - 8 p.m.
Centennial Hall, Room 1
 22292 Foothill Boulevard
Hayward, CA

Maps and directions to the public hearing locations are available on the
project website.

Persons needing reasonable accommodation in order to attend and
participate in the public meetings should contact Anna Schneider
(510/286-1015 or aschneider@scc.ca.gov) at least one week in advance of
the meetings to allow time for arrangements to be made.

The document is available for public inspection, by appointment, during
regular business hours, at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, 1 Marshlands Road, Fremont, CA, (510) 792-0222; U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, 1455 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, (415)
977-8466; the California Dept. of Fish and Game, Region 3 Headquarters,
7329 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA, (707) 944-5500; and the Santa Clara
Valley Water District, 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA (408)
265-2600.

It is also available for public review at the following libraries:

* Alviso Branch Library: 5050 North First St., San Jose, CA 95002, (408)
263-3626
* City of Mountain View Library: 585 Franklin Street, Mountain View, CA
94041, (650) 903-6337
* Sunnyvale Public Library: 665 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086,
(408) 730-7300
* Hayward Public Library: 835 C Street, Hayward, CA 94541, (510)
293-8685
* Fremont Main Library: 2400 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538, (510)
745-1400
* Menlo Park Library: 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650)
330-2500
* Palo Alto Main Library: 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303, (650)
329-2436

Individuals wishing copies of the DEIS/R should contact Anna Schneider
at the State Coastal Conservancy (510) 286-1015.

Written comments on the Draft EIS/R may be submitted to:

Yvonne LeTellier, US Army Corps of Engineers, 1455 Market Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103;
Mendel Stewart, USFWS, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, 9500 Thornton
Avenue, Newark, CA 94560; or
John Krause, California Department of Fish and Game, PO Box 47,
Yountville, CA 94599

Instructions for submitting comments electronically are available on the
project website: http://www.southbayrestoration.org/EIR
<http://www.southbayrestoration.org/EIR> .

  _____

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Received on Wed Mar 7 08:28:55 2007