Garamendi introduces bill to expand San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA08) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) have introduced the "San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act" (H.R.9826). The legislation, co-sponsored by Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA02) and Mike Thompson (D-CA04), aims to expand the National Wildlife Refuge to include adjacent baylands owned by the State of California and nonprofit Sonoma Land Trust.

The proposed expansion would not affect private land ownership or local land use decisions and prohibits the use of eminent domain by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for this purpose. In September 2023, Garamendi announced a public comment period on this draft legislation.

"Conserving California's special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Solano County," said Garamendi. "Our bill will help to restore the saltmarshes in San Pablo Bay for future generations."

Senator Padilla added, “Expanding the refuge’s boundary by over 5,500 acres would both protect Northern California tidal marshes to support wildlife and advance California’s ambitious conservation goals.”

Representative Huffman noted, “The San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge is home to some of the North Bay’s most vital habitats – serving as a safe haven for threatened species.” He emphasized that expanding this area aligns with long-term conservation efforts.

Representative Thompson stated, “San Pablo Bay is an essential part of California, and protecting local saltmarshes and baylands is a priority for Bay Area lawmakers and communities.”

The proposed expansion covers approximately 5,658 acres of state-owned and privately owned conservation land across several parcels:

| Parcel Name | Ownership | Acreage | County | District |

|-------------|-----------|---------|--------|----------|

| Bel Marin Keys Unit V | Coastal Conservancy | 1,774 | Marin | CA-02 |

| Mare Island Western Early Transfer Parcel (WETP) | Lands Commission | 2,449 | Solano | CA-08 |

| Camp 4 | Sonoma Land Trust | 1,149.4 | Sonoma | CA-04 |

| Camp 5 | Sonoma Land Trust | 285.6 | Sonoma | CA-04 |

The act directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enter into cooperative agreements with state agencies like California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage these lands within the San Pablo Bay watershed. Federally owned land within this expanded boundary will remain open for outdoor recreation including hunting and fishing where permitted.

Funding from sources such as The Great American Outdoors Act allows agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase land or conservation easements from willing sellers without cost to taxpayers. This complements funds available under other acts aimed at expanding national wildlife refuges.

Currently encompassing 24,390 acres primarily over water, the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge would increase its acreage by more than 23 percent with this expansion proposal. This supports President Biden’s goal to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 along with Governor Newsom’s similar goal for California.

Endorsements for this legislation come from various organizations including Sonoma Land Trust, Sierra Club, Tuleyome among others.