Time is running out to make sure that wetlands are a part of the Alameda Point Town Center Plan. Send a message to the City Council today urging them to prioritize wetland creation when they vote on the Plan on July 1.
Last year Alameda's own Planning Board and consultants recommended that the city pursue wetland development along the western shoreline of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point. A few weeks ago, the Planning Board made clear that they would like this effort to happen in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, city staff are now making the short-sighted recommendation to defer wetland creation indefinitely in favor of short-term revenue from the leasing of three existing buildings on the Seaplane Lagoon's west side.
Wetland development would provide enormous benefits to Alameda and to the San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Wetlands capture carbon dioxide, enhance wildlife and marine habitat, and make communities more resilient to sea level rise. There is a vast amount of leaseable commercial space at Alameda Point, but only a few shoreline areas that offer opportunities for the city to expand wetlands; the west side of the Seaplane Lagoon is one such area.
Postponing wetland creation in the face of both ecological crisis and opportunity would be a tragic denial of history and science. Please send a message to the Alameda City Council today requesting that the city pursue the creation of wetlands at Seaplane Lagoon!
Thank you for taking action to enhance the shoreline of San Francisco Bay at Alameda Point.
Sincerely,
Michelle Myers,
Chapter Director
P.S.—Read more about the Chapter's position on wetlands at Alameda Point in this letter to the editor published in The Alamedan.