Aramburu Island Shoreline Protection and Ecological Enhancement Project
Marin County Parks has partnered with the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary to enhance the 17 acre Aramburu Island Preserve in Richardson Bay, off Strawberry Spit. Aramburu Island was once a part of Strawberry Spit. Currently the island is dominated by non-native, invasive plants, making it poor habitat for native wildlife, birds, and aquatic species.
The project is funded by a variety of private and public grants from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Marin Community Foundation, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB).
The primary goals of the project include rehabilitating existing tidal marsh, shoreline, and grassland habitats to provide appropriate refuge and feeding opportunities for shorebirds, waterfowl, marine mammals, and other wildlife. Implementation is expected to begin this summer, once environmental compliance and permitting have been completed. Construction activities are scheduled to begin August 8, 2011 and continue through mid-October of 2011.
Visit the SFBRWQCB’s Available Documents webpage to view the Conditional Water Quality Certification or California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents related to this project. For detailed information about the project and regular project updates, visit the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary Aramburu Island Enhancement Project webpage.
Read the Marin Blog’s post about how the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary is managing nonnative geese to prevent them from eating soon-to-be-planted native vegetation.
For more information, contact Planning and Resources Chief Elise Holland at eholland@marincounty.org or (415) 473-2820.