We’ve arrived at a “watershed” moment for the ReWild Mission Bay campaign, as the city’s draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for their wetland restoration plan for northeast Mission Bay, called De Anza Natural, was made public earlier this month.
As we expressed in a previous e-mail, the city’s proposal is short on details, and it’s clear from the draft EIR the city is only about three-quarters of the way there in terms of restored wetland acreage.
Maximum wetland restoration in northeast Mission Bay offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore our park for the next 100 years — and to do it, we need the greatest volume of restored wetland acreage at the Wildest level NOW.
Comment On-Line or via E-Mail
With public comment drawing to a close on April 20th, we need you to make comments via an on-line form or by e-mailing the city about the need for the maximum possible acres of Wildest-scale wetland restoration.
Here are three ways to do so.
- Make a general comment on the city’s proposal via an on-line form on the De Anza Natural page. Scroll down to the middle of the page, and you’ll be met with a form titled “De Anza Natural Amendment Comments.” You can add your own personal touch, of course, but here’s a suggested comment: “My family and I support prioritizing maximum wetland restoration in Mission Bay — it’s the best place in the city to meet our Climate Action Plan goals.”
- General comments on the city’s proposal can also go to Scott Sandel with the city’s planning department at ssandel@sandiego.gov. Please be sure to put “De Anza Natural Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan” in the e-mail subject line. Here’s a suggested comment: “More wetlands means cleaner water for Mission Bay, which makes the bay safer and more fun for all of us to enjoy — we want clean water.”
- Specific comments on the environmental impacts of the city’s draft EIR can go to a CEQA Planning address at planningceqa@sandiego.gov. Please title the e-mail subject line with “De Anza Natural Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan PEIR.” Here’s a suggested comment: “The EIR is incomplete without a full scientific analysis of the impacts from sea level rise — please demonstrate how the city will restore and preserve native wetlands, as called for in the 1994 Mission Bay Park master plan.”
Comment in Person April 4th
A good opportunity to comment will be during the city’s presentation on the De Anza Natural proposal to the Mission Bay Park Committee on Tuesday, April 4th, at 6 p.m. in the Mission Bay Room at Paradise Point Resort and Spa, located at 1404 Vacation Rd., San Diego 92109.
Can we count on you to attend? Better yet, can you let us know you’ll be there?
Remember, we don’t want a watered-down version of Wildest that fails to get us to the needed volume of restored wetland acreage. That’s why your input is vital in ensuring the city keeps its eye on the ball.
Make your e-mail comments to the city by April 20th, and join us at the Mission Bay Park Committee on April 4th to make your concerns known in person or to show your support. Insist the city’s wetland restoration proposal includes Wildest-level restored acreage of wetland habitat, as spelled out in our Wildest proposal.
Let us know if you can join us at Paradise Point Resort and Spa on Tuesday, April 4th, and if you’ve got your teal ReWild Mission Bay shirt, wear it!
Thank you for your ongoing support. Viva ReWild!
Photos by Tommy Hough
