Enewsletter for July 2020

Amidst social distancing and shut downs, Baykeeper is seeking innovative ways to investigate polluters. Bad actors haven’t stopped polluting on account of the pandemic, and so that means our staff hasn’t stopped working either.

While our boat is still on the water, our volunteer skippers are having to conduct solo patrols without staff. So we’ve been looking for ways for our investigative team to conduct more virtual patrols of the Bay. Enter Baykeeper’s newest team member: Osprey, the drone. Ospreys are local birds known to hover as they hunt, and our Osprey will be doing the same as the drone searches for polluters.

We’ve worked with volunteer drone operators in the past to conduct aerial patrols of the Bay through our partners at Autonomous Imagery. But now, thanks to the generous donation of equipment by Autonomous Imagery co-founder Dan Koopman, our staff has much more flexibility to investigate hotline tips, scope out new developments, and keep an eye on known polluters.

Baykeeper's field investigator Cole Burchiel, who is a licensed drone operator, will oversee Osprey’s work. Osprey flew her first mission last week over Alameda, capturing detailed imagery of the future site of DePave Park.

Pictured, below: Osprey's view of the DePave Park site in Alameda. 

In May, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a developer to block the City of Oakland's authority to stop coal pollution within its own city limits. In response, San Francisco Baykeeper and the Sierra Club—through our attorneys at Earthjustice—filed a request asking the court to reconsider the decision.

"Protecting the Bay and Bay Area communities from dirty coal pollution has never been more important," said Ben Eichenberg, staff attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper. "Oakland should stay the course and continue fighting against the harm that toxic coal causes in their communities. California cities have the right to protect the health and safety of their residents, and, in the case of Oakland, the health of San Francisco Bay, too."

Read more about our latest action to keep toxic coal out of Oakland.

Crab fishing gear can be deadly. In increasing numbers, whales and sea turtles are being ensnared and injured in crab lines and drowning. The National Marine Fisheries Service has recorded deaths involving crabbing gear of humpback whales, gray whales, and leatherback sea turtles.

Through recent advocacy, the Center for Biological Diversity and Baykeeper, along with other organizations, are asking the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to facilitate the adoption of ropeless crab traps.

It's possible to have a healthy, robust crabbing industry without accidentally killing sea creatures—and we’re hopeful that this will be a reality soon.

Read more about our advocacy for whale-friendly crabbing.

Photo of a humpback whale in San Francisco Bay by Ken-ichi Ueda, Flickr/CC

To restore San Francisco Bay and the Delta—including fisheries, frontline communities, and every creature that depends on a healthy watershed—California officials need to strengthen water quality standards that aren’t working. Updates to the Bay-Delta Plan are required by law and are long overdue. For decades, instead of fixing the Bay-Delta Plan, California tried to let all the water interests come up with "voluntary agreements"—but those have failed, and California has reached a critical juncture.

Baykeeper Senior Scientist Jon Rosenfield and Nature Conservancy Science Director Jeanette Howard recently published a commentary in CalMatters explaining the ramifications of the current water crisis—and what Governor Newsom and regulatory agencies need to do now to put us on the path to sustainability. 

"Our organizations want science-based solutions for San Francisco Bay and its watershed," write authors Jon and Jeanette. "The opportunity for voluntary agreements might emerge again in the future, but relying solely on them now will doom the fish and wildlife, human communities, and businesses that depend on a healthy San Francisco Bay."

Click here to sign our letter asking Newsom to take action now.

Photo by John Chacon, Department of Water Resources

After many years at the helm, our Board Chair, Peter Molnar, is terming off of the Baykeeper Board. In his "retirement," he plans to remain a core member of the Baykeeper team as the Chair of our Leadership Circle. He also plans to continue his 20+ year role as a volunteer skipper conducting Baykeeper boat patrols. We’re so appreciative of Peter’s time as Board Chair. During his tenure, he masterminded exciting events like our Bay Parade and the annual Baykeeper crab dinner, and he and his team at Obsidian Wine Co. created the Rosé for the Bay for us. He has been a passionate ambassador and supporter of Baykeeper’s work for over 25 years.  Thank you, Peter!

Peter is passing the role of Board Chair on to his former Vice Chair, Diane Livia. Diane has brought to the Board extensive professional experience in habitat restoration and environmental planning. She has spent nearly a decade championing and supporting Baykeeper's advocacy. Over the last few years, Diane has also been a key representative in Baykeeper’s battle to fight toxic coal pollution around the Bay, especially in Oakland and Richmond. We are grateful for her smart, experienced, collaborative leadership and are looking forward to working with her in this new role!  Welcome, Diane!

Photo of Peter Molnar, above, at a Baykeeper event aboard the USS Potomac by Robb Most

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Baykeeper and our supporters have been posting images to help people connect with, and be inspired by, our beautiful Bay.

We’d love to see your photos, past or present, of the parts of the Bay that you find inspiring. Just tag us in your posts on Instagram and Twitter, and use the hashtag #beautifulSFBay.