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reminded Council she had discussed that issue with the Council many years ago. Mrs. Spangler read a Press Release ITom U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of Interior dated March 5, 1997, the headline "Refuge looks forward to public access at Bair Island." She said the article states, "We want the public to know that public access is a goal for all our urban refuges and we will begin the planning process for access as soon as the property becomes part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This process of planning is a public process. It will be open to the public." Mrs. Spangler urged Council to fully endorse the proposed acquisition. She said a connector road wasn't necessary, but acquisition ofBair Island by POST was. She asked Council to also support a Bay Trail. Ralph Nobles, 3720 Country Club Drive, said he wasn't going to speak for or against a connector road, but wanted the Council to consider exactly what was being reported by the consultant and the impacts of several lanes of traffic in that area. Dr. Nobles advised that a recommended wetland replacement ratio of 2:1 was not realistic, and probably 4:1 or 5:1 was more accurate (125 acres of mitigation of ~ wetlands), as these lands are "exceedingly high grade wetlands." Dr. Nobles reported that a family of burrowing owls, a species of special concern, had been found on the Bayshore side of the inboard levee. Dr. Nobles said the easement for the sewage force main would stay in effect even with the sale of the land. He said there were actually no plans to breach the dikes. "The dikes would be opened up in selected areas... the old existing sluice channels that are there ITom back in the days before this land was taken away ITom the bay. The sluice channels are there and I am pretty sure that restoration of the land would involve simply making openings in the dikes along those old sluice channels. Opening is not taking down the dikes... It can be done with just a culvert. It wouldn't effect the surface of the levees whatsoever." Dr. Nobles said he hoped the City would reject the suggestions that it pursue special initiatives such as eminent domain or quiet tidal action easements of necessity or assertion of implied contract, "because these are things that would... serve to generating an antagonistic attitude towards the very people you need to deal with." Dr. Nobles added that the funds to purchase this land come ITom "a special fund called Land Water Conservation Fund, a fund started years ago, which comes ITom offshore oil, because depletion of the resources affects all the people of the United States." Mayor Hartnett asked if anyone else wished to speak. No one else came forward. Mayor Hartnett thanked all the speakers, especially Mr. Moore of POST, who with the confidentiality issue could have simply not attended the meeting, but chose to appear before the Council and give as much information as possible. Mayor Hartnett suggested that Council recognize the impracticability of a road, but explore some of the issues related to that. He said the Council needs more information related to CalTrans and rights of way, environmental and economic issues. Mayor Hartnett said he felt it would be a more productive use of staff time to make sure the force REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 APRIL 7,1997 MINUTES Page No. 244 PAGE 22