Chance to weigh in on the future of Bair Island Chance to weigh in on the future of Bair Island (September 22, 2004)

Bair Island -- 2,600 acres of former salt ponds, trails and sloughs off the end of Whipple Avenue in Redwood City -- has come a long way politically since 1982.

Then, Redwood City voters turned down a massive development proposal in a referendum. Over more than 20 years, the land has been acquired from assorted developers and become part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The last key purchase by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in 1999 set the stage for breaching the dikes and returning the dried islands to living salt marsh that will support wildlife and endangered species.

Planning that restoration, however, is expensive and time-consuming. It also involves complex decisions about balancing the public's desire for access against healthy habitat for critters.

These choices and their impacts on the environment are laid out in a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS/EIR), which is under review until October 13.

There will be a meeting to collect public comment Wednesday, September 22, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave. in Redwood City.

The public may also submit written comments by October 12 to Clyde Morris, P.O. Box 524, Newark, CA 94560; or fax to 510-792-5828; or e-mail to sfbaynwrc@rl.fws.gov.

Copies of the DEIS/EIR may be viewed at the Redwood City Library, or downloaded from www.southbayrestoration.org.

For information or a compact disc, call the refuge at 510-792-0222.

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