Letters to the Editor January 28 2010 - West Marin Citizen Community Newspaper: Local news, opinion, calendar and advertising about West Marin County California

Best viewed with Firefox.

Click here for

January 28, 2010

To a putative editor

Dear Editor,

Having spent 40+ years working in almost every branch of media I have witnessed almost every abuse of journalism imaginable. I am thus hard to shock. But that unsigned sidebar injected into Andrea Blum’s otherwise excellent article about the Marine Mammal Commission, without her knowledge and permission, is shocking by any standard. A reader of the Citizen would be right to assume that Andrea reported and wrote it, when in fact she filed her story, went home and woke up the next day to find an insulting, unchecked, ad-hominem attack on a personal friend appearing under her byline.

I have to ask you, Jim, how you square the writing of all those sanctimonious editorials about journalistic ethics with doing something like this? And while I have you, did you fact check the piece, authenticate the documents it’s based on, interview any of the parties mentioned, particularly Corey Goodman (as a simple courtesy to someone who is clearly catching heat in the article?) Had you called Pete Peterson I can assure you he would have given you a very different version than the one reported in the sidebar…in less than a minute of your time.

In fact do you have a fucking clue what you’re doing? It’s sloppy, vicious little actions like this that disgrace our profession.

Thanks a lot, Jim,

Mark Dowie, Willow Point, West Shore Tomales Bay

January 28, 2010

Horses impacting Drakes Estero

Dear Editor,

Regarding the recent study of “potential human factors,” including horseback riding, that might disturb the harbor seals in Drakes Bay, the last I heard, equestrians don’t take their horses for a swim in Drake’s Estero, (“Another study rains on Drakes Estero,” Jan. 21.)

Nor, according to several UC Davis research papers dated 2002 through 2007, do waterborne oocysts from agricultural, cattle, or equine runoff with adequate surrounding vegetation in place.

These papers contain the good news that a vegetated buffer strip of as little as three meters will filter out 99% of any possible pathogens in grassland watersheds. Rest assured that Marin equestrians will be watchful for any unsubstantiated allegations about the impact of horses riding in West Marin.

Connie Berto, Director, Marin Horse

January 28, 2010

Defining misconduct

Dear Editor,

It is with some interest that I read your article on the upcoming Marine Mammal Commission efforts to review conditions in Drakes Estero.

I must, however, correct several errors in the sidebar. There has, indeed, been clear scientific misconduct in the efforts of the National Park Service to paint the local oyster farm with adverse environmental impacts, if “misconduct” means misrepresenting the facts, altering evidence, and presenting conclusions that are not supported by science. That was the conclusion of the National Academy of Sciences report. And Dr. Corey Goodman’s independent reviews of the so-called science coming from the NPS have been clear and compelling in their identification of serious and fatal flaws. I am also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and I’ve independently reviewed Dr. Goodman’s findings. You quote the Assistant Inspector General of the Department of Interior as saying they completed an inquiry and found no evidence. In fact, their effort did not look into the specific allegations of scientific misconduct. Could the oyster farm be hurting, or even helping, the Estero? Perhaps. But not based on the data available, presented, and analyzed to date.

Dr. Peter Gleick, President, Pacific Institute

January 28, 2010

Report from the water front

Dear Editor,

Gratitude to Sierra Club, Marin Group and Mill Valley StreamKeepers, for an inspiring, informative panel on rain catchment and greywater at Mill Valley Community Center, on Thursday, Jan. 14.

Brock Dolman, of OAEC Water, Paola Bouley of SPAWN, Tony Yarish of John Deere GreenTech, and Josiah Cain, Design Ecology, provided abundant informative imagery, giving viewers a clear visual grasp of watershed dynamics, and the solutions entailed with rain catchment and greywater use. Offering the visual, not just the linear scientific, fosters folks’ ability to grasp essentials, and respond favorably to innovation. Heart connections spring from rainwater imagery. As garden designers, women and lovers, we see the right brain excel at moving peoples’ hearts and minds.

Brock led off, providing key concepts and the inspiration to act. Paola’s enthusiastic sincerity painted community as the enabling context: “A lively social network is calling you, ready to help. It’s fun, and brings economic benefits.”

Tony showed us corporate giant John Deere at work on the industrial scale: a large cat digs a hole, a certain tank gets lowered in, to store water underground. This mimics one function of aquifers, except it’s a techno-fix . . . but it works! You like knowing there is water stored you can draw from. You like knowing the scale of the movement, which links geographically disparate groups to remediate water shortages in the west.

Josiah closes on greywater, offering the simple “it can begin with three valves, and it’s newly legal” to the complex: “greywater pools in a mulch basin, part of a biologically sophisticated system delivering to plants and soils.”

Paola of SPAWN and Dan Carney of MMWD joined to create “10,000 Rain Gardens” offering incentives to Marin residents to bring rainwater home and keep it there. We are fortunate in this plethora of talent, devoted to helping restore and manage our watersheds. Please avail yourselves of the skills and resources offered herein.

Katharine Cook, Marshall

January 28, 2010

Precautionary principle in the parks

Dear Editor,

The Jan. 21 West Marin Citizen article on the Marine Mammal Commission claimed, “even with the recent violation with DBOC clams in a harbor seal protected zone, the seals…according to NPS officials, remain unharmed.”

But DBOC bags were placed on one of the three pupping areas for over a month when the mother seals were in what amounts to their third trimester. Contrary to the article, that these pregnant seals were unable to rest in their preferred location could well have harmful consequences…such as greater stress on mothers, premature pupping, lower birth weights for pups, and thus higher chance of mortality.

But it is impossible to know the consequences of this disturbance for certain because, as the National Academy of Science noted, the research needed is functionally impossible to conduct. Such research would require intrusive lifetime monitoring of the disturbed individual seals and pups and comparing them to similarly monitored but undisturbed seals and pups…all the while keeping all other life variables the same. Such research is logistically almost impossible and would cost millions using sophisticated monitoring equipment, but if we want to have seals around in the future, we have to manage and protect them even in the absence of such research.

That is the “precautionary principle” followed by NPS, by the Marine Mammal Commission, and recognized in the National Academy of Sciences Report “visits to these areas (within 500 m of seal haulouts) by oyster farm workers can be expected to lead to the short-term disturbance of any seals… No studies have determined whether short-term responses to disturbance have long-term population consequences for harbor seals, but if the disturbance affects behavior during the breeding season, a precautionary approach to management would seek to reduce these types of disturbance.”

To put that Precautionary Principle in a human perspective, it is also impossible to know the consequences of conducting bomb squad exercises in Marin General’s maternity ward every day for over a month. But the fact that those mothers may make it through the exercises “unharmed” would not likely be used, as The Citizen article implies, to dismiss potential impacts. Similarly while an NPS official may have told The Citizen that it was not known whether DBOC’s bags harmed the pregnant seals, it is simply incorrect for The Citizen to translate that to an unequivocal statement that the seals “remain unharmed.”

In fact, for generations prior to DBOC’s placement of bags there, mother seals have used that nursery haulout, but did not use the haulout while the bags where there and have so far failed to return even though the bags have been removed. It is too early to tell whether DBOC has caused a permanent abandonment of one of the three pupping sites in the Estero, but it is critical that we find ways to eliminate such disturbances in the future even if we can’t prove the consequences.

Gordon Bennett, Sierra Club Marin Group Parks Chair

January 28, 2010

Partner in community building

Dear Editor,

On behalf of the entire staff at West Marin Senior Services, I would like to thank you for all your heartfelt coverage of our events.

Your reporters have been very professional and a pleasure to work with.

Ad director Linda Peterson always shows great interest in the well being of our seniors.

The support and willingness of your entire staff is an asset to our organization. It is great to have your support in reaching out to our wonderful community to help us keep seniors in their homes. Thank you.

With blessings and gratitude,

Jane Vait, Volunteer Coordinator, West Marin Senior Services

January 28, 2010

Send postcard to Pacific Legal Foundation: ‘Bolinas is lovely, wish you were here.’

Dear Editor,

I really like Justin DeFreitas’ Jan. 21 cartoon, “How to beat the Bolinas Water Moratorium.”

That is really funny and accurate.

Bravo!

Cass Hicks, Bolinas

January 28, 2010

CERT success

Dear Editor,

A cold, wet, and windy weekend could not deter twenty-six hardy souls determined to serve their community.

They came to the chilly Nicasio Yard to learn from Fire Chiefs and others how to effectively respond to a disaster.

Subjects ranged from first aid, medical triage and rescue procedures, to the dangers of downed power lines and leaking propane tanks.

Last weekend’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training was a testament to the grit and resolve of our neighbors in Bolinas, Inverness, Inverness Park, Lagunitas, Nicasio, Pt Reyes Station, Marshal, Stinson Beach, San Geronimo and Fairfax. They are now better qualified to assist Disaster Councils and Fire Departments in responding to emergencies such as earthquakes, floods and fires.

Free, fresh pastries from Bridgette Devlin and the Bovine Bakery helped sustain morale and energy through the weekend.

The spirit of community service is alive and well in West Marin!
Thanks, Neighbors!

And - if you haven’t taken part - there is another round of CERT classes in March and in May.

Libby Colman, Coordinator, West Marin Disaster Council

January 28, 2010

Who bears the costs of the salmon plan

Dear Editor,

Writing in their Jan. 21 letter, the San Geronimo Valley Stewards rightly raise the issue of who will bear the costs of implementing the Salmon Enhancement Plan. Supervisors whose constituents live outside The Valley may be too willing to support increased enforcement of existing ordinances (e.g., those relating to septic systems and unpermitted structures) and new ordinances (e.g., imposing setbacks from even seasonal creeks and restricting repair of streamside erosion) without sufficient scrutiny.

The obligation to comply with the Endangered Species Act is an obligation imposed by federal law on the County–not just on property owners in the Valley. Voluntary cooperation will be enhanced if the financial burdens resulting from implementing the SEP are shared broadly.

Any changes in enforcement policy or adoption of new ordinances should be coupled with measures to spread the full costs so as not to impose an unfair burden on the residents of one lightly populated rural valley. Such sharing will give all Marin residents, and all Supervisors, an interest in focusing carefully on what is truly cost effective and how both salmon and the financial well being of Valley property owners can be protected.

Delos Putz, San Geronimo