Application for Consideration of Appointment to the Coastal Advisory Committee (CAC)
Thank you for your interest in being appointed to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's Coastal Advisory Committee. The CAC's job will be to review, discuss, and recommend revisions to specified District policies related to the San Mateo County coastal area under consideration for annexation by the District, and will include the responsibility of gathering input from a wide range of community and special interest groups on the Coastside. The District policies to be reviewed include those concerning eminent domain, land acquisition, and agricultural land use.
Please answer the following questions, which will help the existing members of the CAC to select representatives for the three "at large" seats available. The intent of appointing such individuals is to ensure that there is adequate representation for Coastside interests which are otherwise un-represented, or under-represented, on the CAC. "At large" members must live within the area under consideration for annexation. Please limit your answers to the space provided. Please write legibly. This form must be returned to the District office, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022-1404 (fax: 650-691-0485) by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 1999.
1) Briefly describe your reasons for wanting to participate on the CAC.
As a thirty-three year resident of the San Mateo Coast I have witnessed many changes in the way the coastal lands are perceived and used. The coast has changed drastically from a rural, small town, family enterprise environment. A spread-out, lightly developed area where the "baysiders" could come on weekends and enjoy the beaches, hike the park trails and feel they had left their worries on the other side of the hill. A luxury the residents enjoyed full-time.
Now, as in many other areas of the country, the rural areas have come under increased pressure to develop, and the natural resources which are the very foundation for the activities which sustain the coast are threatened.
I worked for the campaign on Measure F because I felt that the annexation of MROSD could provide a viable alternative to property owners who value the coastal lands and wish to see it kept in agriculture and open space for many generations to come. I wish to serve on the CAC for the same reason.
2) Please describe your personal or professional interest in and knowledge of Coastside land use and land conservation issues, and what expertise or experience you will bring to the CAC.
As a rural property owner in Pescadero who owns acreage, and an active participant in coastal environmental concerns, I have a personal interest in coastside land use. I am a former member of the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council (PMAC) and am currently on the Environmental Issues Committee.
Professionally, I am a restoration ecologist/biologist and am currently pursuing a masters degree in Environmental Management. I have had many years of experience in riparian restoration, habitat restoration, and ecological systems.
3) What is the Coastside interest which you feel is un-represented or under-represented on the CAC, and what are your qualifications to represent those interests?
With a majority of the area being considered for potential annexation, the southcoast is currently under-represented by the CAC. I feel that there should also be a representative who is familiar with environmental systems, someone who has a scientific overview of coastal ecological processes and biological communities. I believe of the ten members already seated there is no one expressingly representing that point of view and therefore it is an un-represented and important component of out coastal population.
I have those qualifications and credentials. I have a working, intimate knowledge of Federal, State and local regulations concerning watersheds as well as the applicable land use policies. I am profoundly concerned that the decisions regarding land-use include in-depth deliberations based on good science and the potential long-term consequences for the environment. I feel this committee, in reporting to the MROSD Board, has a responsibility to the entire coastal system which crosses all property lines and human boundaries.
As an ecologist/biologist I feel that I can contribute a balance to the immediate and temporal human needs and represent a science-based view which is concerned with watershed systems and the need for biodiversity.
4) Do you own property in the coastal area under consideration for annexation? If so, please briefly describe its location, size, and use. (It is important for the CAC to be aware of any potential conflicts of interest that may arise that might be relevant to its deliberations.)
My husband and I own eighty acres that are currently in Timber Preserve Zone in the Pescadero Area. We manage our property as a preserve employing conservation practices and the principles of responsible stewardship.
5) What clubs, organizations, or interest groups do you belong to or are you affiliated with?
6) Please provide a brief description of your desired outcome of the work of the CAC.
My hope would be for the CAC to present recommendations to the MROSD Board which represent a balanced view of long-term land use needs and environmental requirements, developed through reasoned discussions, research, and based on the best information available.
Toni Danzig
P.O. Box 100, Pescadero, CA 94060
Phone and Fax: (650) 879-1232