When MCL founders chose their course to protect the scenic coastal shorelines and inland ridges of Marin from exploitation and set them aside for the public’s future enjoyment, they were also prescient! Protected natural areas have become the cornerstone for conservation of biodiversity, a concept unknown to MCL’s founders.
Decades later, over half of the county is natural, open, and public – host to thousands of plant and wildlife species. These protected lands are also host to millions of visitors every year, seeking relaxation, the rewards of nature, and health and fitness. Diverse new visitors are encouraged to join them. This means constant vigilance to ensure that the long-term ecological health of our public lands is not compromised by the inevitable footprints of human overuse, even as other threats such as wildfire, invasive species and forest disease challenge land managers in a time of changing climate.
The Parks and Open Space Committee works with public land managers on a variety of projects to address these concerns, such as:
- MCL closely tracks and supports projects in and around Muir Woods that are restoring health and habitats for sensitive species in the Redwood Creek watershed;
- We evaluate the County’s proposed road and trail improvement projects and advocate only for those improvements that will protect sensitive resources and ensure safe experiences for all open space visitors;
- MCL has been a steward of Mt. Tamalais since our founding, advocating for protecting the long-term health of the mountain and, in recent years, monitoring One Tam’s coordinated efforts toward that objective.