Fire Protection
The project provides a unique opportunity to address climate change and in particular, fire risk, which is a major concern for this region. The Marin County Fire Department is headquartered in the area, but in a facility that is out-of-date, too far from primary arterials and insufficient to meet the challenges of our changing climate. There is growing recognition that San Geronimo Valley needs a new, state-of-the-art fire station and the property’s clubhouse parcel is an ideal location. The property can also serve as a staging ground for emergency responders and a safe refuge for the community during emergencies.
Resource Protection
The property can consolidate an unusually large conservation landscape in an otherwise densely populated region. Protection of the property will link together a 2,200-acre complex of open space preserves in and around San Geronimo Valley, all managed by the Marin County Parks, and will protect wildlife corridors from ridgetop to valley bottom. From here the property connects to over 100,000 acres of additional conservation lands to the south and west, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Community Building and Access for All
The project will connect people with the land and each other. Public access would be integrated into this restoration context, providing public education opportunities and extensive passive recreational amenities across the property, including new trails along the creeks, trail connections to thousands of acres of surrounding preserves, and new public parking and access points. The former clubhouse parcel is particularly well suited to provide other community amenities associated with the park, such as a community gathering place, visitor center, meeting space, community gardens, food services, restrooms, and other compatible uses.
Habitat Protection and Enhancement
The property presents a unique opportunity to restore and enhance the Bay Area’s last great salmon run. The federally endangered Central California Coast Coho Salmon is an iconic species that once defined life here. While once prolific in the region, they been extirpated from all tributaries to San Francisco Bay, yet they persist in the Lagunitas Creek watershed, spawning in the waters that flow through the property.
The restoration opportunity will take an ecosystem approach to recovering Coho Salmon and promoting biodiversity in the Lagunitas Creek watershed. Such bold investments are essential to protect this fishery and all habitat facing the increasing pressures of climate change.
Public Process
This summer and fall, The Trust for Public Land will convene community meetings and other activities to engage neighbors and key stakeholders in the development of a long-term plan for the property that is consistent with this vision. More information about this process will be announced soon. Members of the public are encouraged to submit comments to SanGeronimo@tpl.org.