Protect the Marbled Murrelets
in Butano State Park
Posted March 30, 2006 / Updated March 31, 2006

• What's happening    
• Why this is important
• What you can do    

At their meeting on Thursday, April 13, the California Coastal Commission will be considering denial of a project that threatens the nesting habitat of the Marbled Murrelet.

Committee for Green Foothills and other groups appealed a proposed research station in Butano State Park to the Coastal Commission because of concerns that year-round activities at this sensitive location could adversely affected the endangered bird, as well as habitats of other species.

Please join us in asking the Coastal Commission to support the staff recommendation for denial of the proposed year-round research station in Butano State Park.

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What's happening
The Pescadero Conservation Alliance is proposing to locate a year-round field research station at the former Gazos Mountain Camp with four resident staff, overnight accommodations for up to 24 people, and day use of up to 63 people. After San Mateo County approved the project two years ago, the decision was appealed to the California Coastal Commission by Committee for Green Foothills, the Center for Biological Diversity, Coastside Habitat Coalition, and coastside resident Jim Rourke.

The property where the research station is proposed was acquired by California State Parks in 2001 as an addition to Butano State Park. Part of the acquisition funds came from the Apex Houston oil spill - which killed countless sea birds and other wildlife, including the endangered marbled murrelet. The primary reason for use of the oil spill funds was to protect the nesting habitat of these birds.

Murrelets nest on mossy branches of old-growth redwood and Douglas fir trees. One of the major factors in the decline of the murrelet is predation by corvids (ravens and jays). It is well documented that corvids associate people with food, and are attracted to campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, and other areas where groups of people congregate. The applicant for the field station has proposed mitigation measures including control of food and garbage, monitoring the numbers of corvids, and lethal methods (killing) of corvids if their numbers increase. These measures are demonstrably experimental and cannot be relied upon to ensure the long-term protection of the nesting murrelets.

In a thorough and well-reasoned report, the Coastal Commission staff is recommending that the Commission deny approval of this project.

Committee for Green Foothills strongly supports denial of this project.

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Why this is important
Under the San Mate County Local Coastal Plan (LCP) and State Coastal Act, the burden of proof is upon the applicant to demonstrate that there will not be any significant impact on sensitive habitats, including the nesting sites of marbled murrelets. The applicant has not met this burden of proof.

While Committee for Green Foothills is supportive of the educational programs of the Pescadero Conservation Alliance, this is not an appropriate location for this facility.

For more information on these proposals, read the article in CGF's Fall, 2005 newsletter, CGF's letter on this issue, or the excellent staff report on the Coastal Commission's website.

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What you can do
Please ask the Coastal Commission to follow the staff recommendation on Appeal Number A-2-SMC-04-005, and deny the proposed Field Research Station in Butano State Park.

Write to:
Chair Meg Caldwell and Members of the Calif. Coastal Commission
45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105-2219
Re: Agenda Items Th 5b
Fax 415-904-5400
(Note that the Coastal Commission cannot receive comments on any official business by electronic mail)

Time is short — letters must be received by 5pm Friday, April 7.

Please fax or email a copy of your message to CGF so we can track our efforts on this issue: Fax (650) 968-8431 or email action@GreenFoothills.org.

Please act now to stop this threat to endangered Marbled Murrelets at Butano State Park.

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