On March 14th , over 40 ReWilders showed up with their game faces on and sat in council chambers for over 4 hours to make their voices heard for wetlands. We had 25 speakers, including representatives from the Climate Action Campaign, San Diego Audubon Society, San Diego Coastkeeper, Friends of Rose Canyon, Rose Creek, and Famosa Slough, students from Grossmont Conservation Club, the American Academy of Pediatrics, C-3, the Environmental Center of San Diego, residents of Pacific Beach, business owners, and community leaders stand up and ask for more wetlands and ReWild priorities.
Councilmembers spoke up for ReWild, and did not remove anything from the existing plan. Joe LaCava asked that before this comes to city council they commit to working on several of ReWild’s 10 requests, including requiring a minimum 100 foot buffer for wetlands, having wildlife agency and community review as it moves forward, showing a commitment to coastal access, and more. Councilmember von Wilpert asked that there be considerations for limiting poorly designed night lighting as the plan moves forward, and echoed the requests of Council President Pro Tem LaCava.