Full Wilderness in 2012: As Promised!
The Save Drakes Bay Coalition stands by 30 years of support for the Phillip Burton Wilderness Act of 1976, including support for Drakes Estero as wilderness. It was the right thing to do in 1976 and it is the right thing to do now. We do not support efforts to overturn or undermine it.
The Phillip Burton Wilderness Act of 1976 set the stage to preserve Drakes Estero as wilderness for the public to enjoy and wildlife to thrive. The clear intent of the Act is that this critical wildlife resource should be protected as full wilderness once all human obstacles are removed.
The Phillip Burton Wilderness Act specifically designated Drakes Estero as 'potential wilderness' because of temporary nonconforming uses such as the 40 year oyster operation lease. The Act clearly mandates that all efforts should be made “to steadily continue to remove all obstacles to the eventual conversion of these lands and waters to wilderness status,” which would include eliminating oyster operations after the lease expires. Motorized, commercial operations are not compatible with wilderness areas, so the oyster company's attempt to stay beyond their lease could jeopardize the Act. Moving from Congressionally authorized potential to full wilderness is an administrative action only requiring publishing in the Federal Register.
The word "potential" has been misused to argue that Drakes Estero was not supported for full wilderness, even though the Phillip Burton Wilderness Act of 1976 clearly states otherwise. When the Act was passed, the Seashore decided to honor its previously agreed to 40-year mariculture lease in order to be sensitive to the one existing business in the estero. But the Seashore always intended to honor the 1976 Wilderness Act’s mandate and enforce the law by restoring Drakes Estero to its native state and giving it full wilderness protection when the oyster lease ended in 2012.
The current oyster company purchased the lease in 2005 with full knowledge that the 40-year lease would not be renewed in 2012 so that Drakes Estero could reach full wilderness status. The Coalition views any campaign by oyster operations to stay in Drakes Estero past 2012 as an attempt to undermine the 1976 wilderness act. In fact, industry lobbyists are putting pressure on our congressional representatives in Washington, D.C. on the oyster company's behalf.
Drakes Estero is more than just a beautiful view. It is a safe haven for tens of thousands of sensitive and endangered birds, habitat for one of the largest seal colonies in the Seashore boundary and represents at least 7% of the State of California’s eelgrass habitat, a vital component of a healthy marine ecosystem. We should do everything in our power to ensure that this exceptional area is protected. Wilderness comprises less than 2.5% of lands in the United States, while close to half of land in the country is managed for agriculture.
The Coalition supports the conversion of Drakes Estero to full wilderness in 2012 when the oyster lease ends. At that time, we expect the oyster company to abide by the law and shut down their operation. What we do not support are campaigns to undermine the Phillip Burton Wilderness Act to benefit a private company's own agenda or bottom line.
