Desalination has quickly become the newest touted solution to our water woes. Under all the publicity, however, are some major environmental and economic concerns. Only a decade ago, desalination was dismissed as an overly expensive joke. Today, nine new desalination plants have been proposed within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary alone.

Thanks to all who attented the talk by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. You can download the presentation here (20.3mb ppt). Thanks again to everyone who came, together with SOS we can take on this huge issue of marine debris. Also visit algalita.org.

Email your support for underwater state parks, or speak your mind on April 22 or 23 in San Rafael. California is in the process of creating Marine Protected Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena. These underwater state parks and wilderness sites will help protect diverse habitats and let fish and marine wildlife thrive. On April 23, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters.

We need your help to make sure they choose the best plan that includes the most important places along our coast — Package 4, which gets the highest marks from scientists and provides the highest level of protection to special places like the rocky reefs along the Sonoma Coast, seabird nesting areas at Point Reyes, historic Fitzgerald Marine Park and the Farallon Islands. Package 4 offers the most protection to the best places in the region, while still allowing small boat fishermen access to the sea to sustain traditional fisheries. Designed with input from local residents, conservationists, and fishermen, Package 4 offers California a true ocean legacy.

Come on down to Pilarcitos Creek in Half Moon Bay for a creek cleanup effort on May 17th from 9am to 1pm.  Save Our Shores with the help of Coastside volunteers will be hosting the cleanup.

In 2004, volunteers cleaned Pilarcitos, effectively removing shopping carts, tires, used motor oil containers, and more from the Coastside Watershed. Come help be a part of our efforts this year! We will be handing out supplies and greeting groups at the Pilarcitos Creek Footbridge at the corner of Pilarcitos and Oak. We will also have a table and dumpsters set up in the back lot of Safeway.

Coastside volunteers have already been contacting local organizations and businesses for donations and volunteer help! If you can help donate any cleanup items such as gloves, shovels, or your bodies and would like to know more information about the cleanup, please contact Emily at the Save Our Shores office (831) 462-5660 ext. 6.

For more information about the cleanup location... click here

Thank you to those that participated in Save Our Shores' Ocean Leadership Conference! We received valuable feedback and hope to continue our dialogue with Coastside residents in regards to what types of Save Our Shores programs and resources would best fit your community needs.

Please take a look at the feedback that we recieved from the Conference (below). Some of the Conference participants along with Save Our Shores staff will be hosting a Creek Cleanup effort at Pilarcitos Creek on May 17th from 9am-1pm in order to address the marine derbis problem. This event  will mark the first of many collaborative efforts between Coastside residents and Save Our Shores staff.