Page 4 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2020

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ERIC - I am on a Vacation Rental Committee of the Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council. We have been tasked with helping our area, and therefore our county, with finding a compromise solution to losing affordable housing to an increase in Vacation Rentals, particularly in the 1st and 5th Districts.
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be upon uniting to find solutions for business owners AND public safety?”
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Where I live, along the Russian River, after flood waters recede, too many properties are purchased by outside investors and turned into vacation rentals, which removes them from the local housing market.
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LETTERS con’t from page 3
inconveniences us. It taxes us. But when that effort results in change
it means something. It means the design of the constitution is still relevant. Do we as a county really want to see law “enforcement” selectively determine what laws and ordinances get enforced? Can you imagine a time or situation where such “courage” on the part of an enforcement officer would result in harm or injustice? I love the beach too, but shouldn’t our focus now
It’s easy to buy in to Supervisor Hopkin’s hysteria on this, too.
Point Reyes Seashore
Win your integrity back by insisting only facts be used, or if you dare, publish somebody who would like to present a fact-based analysis.”
I take exception to Leslie Curchack’s rather hysterical and inflammatory article about Point Reyes. (All Fired Up - Point Reyes National Seashore, June, 2020)
- Eric Fraser
No, Johnes disease has NOT been found in cattle. It’s been found in the elk population. This disease is NOT transferable to humans as Curchack erroneously claims. Also found in the elk population is Brucellosis.
This is transmittable to humans but extremely rare. Both of these diseases can be transmitted to cattle but the elk are segregated.
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VOLUME 17, NUMBER 7, July, 2020
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Vacation Rentals - Rock & a Hard Place
In an area where tourism is a huge part of the local economy, losing affordable rentals means that the people who serve tourists cannot afford to live where they work.
- Lindsey Dixon
For historical perspective, the
elk were eliminated in 1850’s but reintroduce in 1978. Dairy farming along with rye, potatoes and poultry began in 1865. The milk and cream were extolled for their high butter content.
Your article on about rental housing (Vacation Rentals - Rock and
a Hard Place, June, 2020) was just excellent and struck the tone we need to incorporate into the Local Coastal Plan Draft. We are reading in the current LCP Draft that another 3800 residents are expected to occupy permanent housing on the coast by the end of this year. At the same time, we heard that the coastal population is dropping.
Finding a compromise that will serve both our need for affordable housing and our need to support our local economy is what we seek.
Since 1992 measures have
been undertaken by the Marin Conservation District and local ranches to mitigate runoff and cattle waste into the watershed fencing
off streams and creating hard bed crossings for cattle. In the past 19 years coliform bacteria has been reduced 95% in Olema Creek a major tributary of Tomales Bay. Similar efforts on Stemple Creek are showing corresponding results.
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The Board, and the LRRMAC, have gone back to do more research to find a solution that will attempt to ease the issue for the foreseeable future. It will be re- visited in August.
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And thanks for giving Richard Retecki the chance to showcase the coast in the Gazette (The Sonoma County Coastal Trail, June 2020). Someone should write an article about HIM and his work over all these years on behalf of Sonoma County.
I might remind people that 95% of Marin Co. dairy ranches are organic spearheaded by the Straus family years ago. In fact the Straus ranch is completely powered by cow poop using a methane digestor - this includes tractors and trucks.
All of this is crucial to pin down with regard to the Land Use Element of the LCP, which currently is all about commercial and tourism growth and services.
If you “attended” the June 23rd ZOOM Board of Supervisors meeting, you heard the broad spectrum of comments from the public on this issue. Rental housing is in its own conflict, and also in conflict with vacation rentals.
Ms. Curchack claims 5000 cattle produce “a lot of poop”. Well if you take 5000 cows on 28000 acres that’s a density of one cow per 50 acres. Hardly a Central Valley feed lot.
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Vesta, you do not get to make
up “facts” regarding this subject. Regarding “compromise”, it appears you have exchanged your integrity in the sale of your newspaper to Sonoma Media Investments. It’s widely believed that the PD is biased against non-hotel, motel, or jail lodging because it goes against their interests, so we can see how the platform/ paper you put your heart into would include total capitulation to their POV on this subject, since you were on the fence before.
If you would like to have your perspective be part of our attempts to find a solution, please participate. We’re hoping to find a compromise that the entire board can endorse that will apply county-wide. It’s a challenge. Whenever people try to find a center place, they offend others at both ends of the spectrum.
The cattle are not the enemy. In fact studies of fallow land in Marin Co. show a marked decrease in diversity, from wildflowers to butterflies.
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Rock and a Hard Place ~ Vesta
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Fabulous article Ms. Tummillo (Senior Momentum, May, 2020), and yes, you will be around to see the world change...I hope it is for the better.
I urge people to take a wholistic view of Point Reyes seashore. It’s held as a paragon in the US and the world for the amazing biodiversity it encompasses.
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