In October, Tuleyome hosted a community walking tour showcasing Mare Island’s southwestern coastal wetlands, a notable potion of the six distinct parcels proposed to be included in The San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. By law, National Wildlife Refuges overseen by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), are legally mandated to conserve migratory bird and endangered species habitat while allowing for public access and recreation compatible with those mandates. This boundary expansion legislation is expected to be introduced in the 119 th Congress by Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). Approximately 6,934 new acres would be included in the boundary expansion. The boundary expansion aims to enhance the existing refuge’s 24,390 acres of essential wetland habitats along the coastlines of Sonoma, Solano, and Napa Counties. These tidal marshes, mud flats, and seasonal wetlands all host migratory birds, small mammals, and form the nursery grounds to sensitive fish species. Some iconic species include the California clapper rail, salt marsh harvest mouse, San Pablo song sparrow, and Suisun shrew. Current owners of the parcels that are proposed to be included within the refuge boundaries are the State Lands Commission, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the Sonoma Land Trust, all who support the proposal.

Tuleyome welcomes our first Policy Intern, Diego Barraza. Diego is a Senior at UC Davis studying Environmental Science and Management and is from Santa Barbara, California. Diego will be joining Tuleyome for a 10 week internship to assist with Tuleyome’s policy initiatives, including supporting the work of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk working group coalition and the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. We are excited to have Diego join our team and support our policy initiatives!