The passing of Senator Feinstein

We are saddened by the loss of Senator Feinstein. She was an amazing woman and had a long history of advocacy for California’s natural resources, including San Francisco Bay. Senator Feinstein will be missed and we thank her for the legacy she has left behind. Her work improved the health of San Francisco Bay for future generations.

She personally negotiated the south bay salt pond acquisition from Cargill twenty years ago. We have been able to restore thousands of acres of former salt ponds to wetlands, create miles of Bay Trail, and provide sea level rise resilience in the South San Francisco Bay thanks to her active involvement in the land acquisition and subsequent long-term support for federal funding for planning and restoration.

Senator Feinstein also played a role in the placement of Measure AA on the ballot in 2016 and its subsequent passage by over 70% of Bay Area voters. Her support for the measure and her active involvement in the measure was critical to its passage. We have been able to put $25 million per year towards restoration of San Francisco Bay habitats thanks to Measure AA.

She worked with others in the Bay Area Congressional delegation to authorize the San Francisco Bay geographic program within US EPA. While many other estuaries and water bodies across the nation had geographic programs (such as Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, and the Great Lakes), San Francisco Bay did not. Thanks to the Congressional authorization in late 2022, the US EPA has had a tenfold increase in federal funds for projects that improve the health of San Francisco Bay.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

- Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer