About MCL

MCL worked with many allies in the early 1960s to defeat a proposal to construct a nuclear power plant on Bodega Head, and a decade later led a campaign to oppose opening up the Marin-Sonoma coast to off-shore oil drilling.

Provided years-long support leading up to signing of Point Reyes as a National Seashore in 1962 and in contributing financial and other support for Save Our Seashore campaign to secure congressional funding for acquisition of farmlands within the Seashore boundaries in 1969.

MCL worked with many allies in the early 1960s to defeat a proposal to construct a nuclear power plant on Bodega Head, and a decade later led a campaign to oppose opening up the Marin-Sonoma coast to off-shore oil drilling.

MCL contributed funds and thousands of volunteer hours over a period of 10 years to enable five sandy beaches and acres of Bishop Pine forest on Tomales Bay to eventually become a State Park in 1951.

In 1940 MCL began a five-year struggle, involving many trips to Sacramento and numerous conversations with the San Francisco landowner, to turn the 2,332-acre Camp Taylor property into a state park. MCL negotiated the sale, persuaded the County's State Assemblyman and Senator to introduce an appropriations bill to obtain sufficient funds to pay for the land, less the taxes due, and then convinced the County Board of Supervisors to forgive $32,000 in delinquent taxes as the County's contribution.

Along with Audubon Canyon Ranch and The Nature Conservancy, contributed funds to purchase Kent Island, a key property in Bolinas Lagoon, effectively blocking development of the Lagoon for a large resort complex.

One of the first efforts of the fledgling organization was to join with the Tamalpais Conservation Club in 1934 to add 531 acres to the park, which was begun a few years earlier with William Kent's donation of 200 acres in Steep Ravine. Fearing commercialization on Mt. Tamalpais, MCL developed a set of criteria in 1963 to guide appropriate, environmentally-conscious uses on the mountain, gaining the support of all communities that adjoin the mountain as well as the cooperation of Marin Municipal Water District and State Parks

MCL initiated a multi-year massive grassroots campaign involving the County, Corte Madera, and Larkspur in acquiring, parcel by parcel, lands that make up the eastern ridges and slopes of Mt. Tamalpais - "Northridge" - and through this effort was instrumental in establishing Marin County Open Space District in 1972 and gaining voter approval to fund the District.

When the island was declared surplus by the federal government, MCL formed the Angel Island Foundation to save it rather than let it go on the auction block for private development. MCL underwrote police and fire service for the island to delay the auction until the State Park Commission would accept the first deed to a portion of the island. State acquisition began in 1954, and with the final purchase, a 740-acre island in San Francisco Bay was preserved for all time. The island's mountaintop was renamed Mount Caroline Livermore in honor of the MCL's founder who led the campaign to create Angel Island State Park.

MCL worked closely with the newly formed Marin Audubon Society and City of Belvedere to prevent 900 acres of Richardson Bay from being filled for residential development. MCL also supported Save the Bay, with a focus on Richardson Bay, during formation of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission throughout 1960s.

MCL participated in planning efforts to save most of Ring Mountain from development and supported The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) purchase of roughly one-third of the mountain above Paradise Drive in Corte Madera. The Marin County Open Space District currently owns and co-manages the 367-acre Ring Mountain Preserve with TNC.

MCL lobbied and assisted with fundraising to stop plans to fill and dredge a 69-acre salt marsh south of the mouth of Corte Madera Creek. In 1976 the State of California became owner of the marsh, which is now part of the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve under management of the State Department of Fish and Game.

MCL represented County interests in saving the Marin Headlands for a park and provided technical assistance in the campaign of People for a Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) campaign to establish the national park and expand its boundaries in Marin.

MCL worked with the Marin County Parks to have the 670-acre parcel off Highway 101 north of Novato declared a State Historical Park in 1977. The land contains a major Miwok village site and other evidences of indigenous habitation for thousands of years

MCL devoted many years to permanently thwart any plans to convert to a commercial airport, and supported the restoration of the 750-acres of runway and ground facilities to tidal wetlands and repurposing of the hangars for commercial uses. as alternatives.

MCL negotiated with the Marin County Board of Supervisors to persuade them to purchase the Fitzhenry property at Willow Camp, now known as Stinson Beach. The County purchased the shoreline for $20,000. It later became Marin's first state park before becoming part of GGNRA.

MCL directly confronted and resisted movement of logging trucks engaged in clearing Douglas fir forests on Bolinas Ridge in the late 1960s, and successfully got the County to adopt an ordinance forbidding logging in Marin.