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<br />7A - ATTACHMENT NO.2 <br />Page 19 <br /> <br />from the west side of the Bay between the Bay and Dumbarton bridges." (Letter from <br />Ellie Cohen, President and CEO, PRBO, to City of Redwood City (July 2, 2009).) <br /> <br />The proposed project includes restoration of approximately 400 acres of the site to <br />tidal marsh habitat. If the City moves forward with the CEQA process, the EIR will have <br />to analyze the extent to which the value of existing habitat on the site (primarily salt <br />ponds) for migratory birds will be adversely affected, and the extent to which the impacts <br />to that habitat will be offset by the restoration of 400 acres to tidal marsh habitat. <br /> <br />Restoration goals. In 1999, the Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project - a consortium <br />of scientists funded by a grant from USEP A and other agencies -- published a document <br />entitled the "Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals." The report includes the report <br />information regarding the Redwood City site: <br /> <br />The Redwood City crystallizers and associates salt ponds offer the <br />opportunity to maintain and enhance shorebird and waterfowl habitat in <br />close proximity to the large tidal flats that are so important for foraging <br />shorebirds. Creating salt pan habitat would provide nesting habitat for the <br />snowy plover. <br /> <br />(Goals Project, Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals (1999), p. 127.) <br /> <br />The report includes the following recommendation: <br /> <br />Restore tidal marsh along Westpoint Slough and Redwood Creek, but <br />modify the salt crystallizers adjacent to Redwood Creek as salt pan habitat <br />managed for shorebirds and waterfowl. . .. Enhancing the salt ponds <br />would benefit shorebirds and waterfowl and would provide an opportunity <br />to improve snowy plover nesting habitat. <br /> <br />(Ibid.) <br /> <br />Following the publication of this report, resource agencies targeted salt ponds, <br />including the Redwood City site, for public acquisition and restoration. In 2002, Federal <br />and State agencies and non-profit organizations entered into an agreement with Cargill to <br />acquire 16,500 acres of salt ponds in the south bay and Napa County. The acquired <br />property is slated to be restored as tidal marsh or other habitat when Cargill ceases using <br />the land for salt production. Restoration activities are underway at some of these sites. <br /> <br />Initially, agencies proposed to acquire Cargill's Redwood City site as well. <br />Ultimately, the agencies did not acquire the Redwood City site. Nonetheless, there is still <br />interest in acquiring the site. In, 2005, the San Francisco Bay Area Conservation and <br />Development Commission amended its San Francisco Bay Plan to adopt a policy stating <br /> <br />19 <br />