Enewsletter for March 2021

Under the new administration, EPA recently abandoned its appeal of Baykeeper vs EPA.

Trump's EPA declared the South Bay salt ponds were land, which would have removed Clean Water Act protections—and would have let Cargill sell the area to developers who would then pave over the ponds.

Baykeeper challenged the absurd declaration by filing a lawsuit against Trump’s EPA.  Last fall, the U.S. District Court agreed with our position: the ponds are water because they are wet, and they're connected to the Bay.

Just as Trump was leaving office, his EPA administrators appealed the court's decision, but we're relieved that Biden’s EPA recently cancelled this nonsensical challenge. And we’re hopeful that this move will make it easier for the salt ponds to be restored to their original condition as wetlands, which will help protect the South Bay’s shorelines and communities from sea level rise.

Photo: Peter Thoeny, Flickr/CC

Baykeeper is excited to announce the Clean Bay Challenge! You’re invited to join us in stopping trash before it hurts San Francisco Bay. Together, we’ll work toward our goal of 1,000 volunteer hours to protect the Bay during Earth Month!

As a Clean Bay Challenge volunteer, you’ll conduct your own individual or household cleanup, at shorelines, parks, or neighborhoods close to home. With our easy-to-use app, you’ll log volunteer hours, share pictures, and be a part of the Clean Bay Challenge virtual community.

It’s a fun and safe way to get active, stay connected, and protect the Bay all at the same time!

Registration is free and everyone is invited to participate.

Click here to join us to stop trash in San Francisco Bay with the Clean Bay Challenge!

California lawmakers are busily crafting new legislation, on important topics—including putting an end to fracking, strengthening water laws with the California Clean Water Act, and prohibiting "forever chemicals" in food packaging.

See where Baykeeper stands in our legislative tracking report.

Photo: Lyrinda Snyderman

Every year, Baykeeper honors three recipients with the Blue Rivet Award, recognizing important groups and individuals who help us defend the Bay. Just as the rivets of the Golden Gate Bridge hold the span together, the Blue Rivet Awardees represent the structure of partnerships essential to our work and the Bay's future.

At our annual Bay celebration on Sunday, we were very happy to present the Blue Rivet Awards to:

Fresh Air Vallejo for leading the way to stop a proposed Vallejo shoreline shipping terminal, which would have ramped up toxic shipments of cement and coal on the Bay. As a result of community-led advocacy by Fresh Air Vallejo volunteers, assisted by Baykeeper’s legal team, the terminal developers withdrew their appeal of the proposed permit.

United Airlines, whose employees have volunteered hundreds of hours with Baykeeper to clean up Bay shorelines impacted by the highest levels of trash. For the last four years, United Airlines has also contributed thousands of dollars in flight vouchers, allowing Baykeeper staff and partners to travel across the country pre-COVID to collaborate with fellow Waterkeepers and other grassroots water activists.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our annual event on Sunday to celebrate these amazing partnerships—and congratulations once again to our incredible Blue Rivet Award winners!

Pictured, above: Dan Koopman and Niko Milonopoulos of Autonomous Imagery (left panel); Liat Meitzenheimer and Don Osborne of Fresh Air Vallejo (middle panel); Baykeeper Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh and Vincent Passafiume of United Airlines (right panel). 

Are you ready to raise a paddle for the Bay? (Auction paddles, that is.)

Our annual silent auction is virtual this year, and we're excited to share a fun new line-up of items, all donated by friends of the Bay. Bid on unique on-the-water experiences, fine wine, Warriors memorabilia, outdoor gear, restaurant certificates, airline flights for travel through summer 2022, and much more.

All proceeds will benefit Baykeeper's mission to hold polluters accountable and defend the Bay from the biggest threats. So don’t hold back!

Click here to view our full selection of silent auction items.

Do you know who’s fighting over your water?

If you missed River’s End at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, you have another chance to catch this eye-opening documentary about California’s most precious resource. Baykeeper Senior Scientist Dr. Jon Rosenfield and many other prominent water experts are featured in this award-winning film, which takes a deep dive into California’s infamous “water wars”—and what they mean for the future of SF Bay and the Delta.

River’s End will be available through the Sonoma International Film Festival from March 24 to 28 (under the title “Special California Environmental Film”). Click here to get tickets.

Plus, Jon recently hosted an expert panel discussion of the film, covering the history and likely future of water conflicts across the state and the globe. You can watch the panel discussion on YouTube by clicking here.