Woosley Endorses Legislation to Protect San Francisco Bay

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who represents parts of San Francsico and the Penninsula, has reintroduced a bill authorizing funding for efforts to restore and improve the environmental health of the San Francisco Bay.

The San Francisco Bay Restoration Act would authorize up to $20 million annually over five years to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for efforts to curb the effects of pollution, restore wetland habitat, protect fish and wildlife and help local communities keep the Bay clean, Speier said.

"All of us who live by the Bay are uniquely blessed with one of the most beautiful places to live and work in the country, and it is incumbent upon us to protect our home ecosystem from pollution, habitat loss and the growing threat of climate change," Speier said.

While a master conservation plan exists for the Bay, that plan has been underfunded for more than 20 years, Speier said. The legislation is supported by Bay Area legislators including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Reps. George Miller, Pete Stark, Lynn Woolsey, Anna Eshoo, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Thompson, Mike Honda, Jerry McNerney and John Garamendi.

According to an ecological assessment by the Bay Institute, the San Francsico Bay over the last 150 years has been harmed by overfishing, pollution, fill and shoreline development and the introduction of invasive species that outcompete native plants and animals for resources.

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

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