Bolinas Community Public Utility District

Resolution No. 504

Establishes A Sister City Relationship With San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico
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WHEREAS, the people of Bolinas, California, have a tradition of social solidarity and ecological awareness; and

WHEREAS, the Bolinas ecosystem, including the ocean, the lagoon, and the birds and other wildlife who populate it, are an essential part of what makes Bolinas so desirable a place to live; and

WHEREAS, the health of the Bolinas ecosystem is linked to the health of distant ecosystems, including that of the town of San Francisco (known to its locals as San Pancho), in the state of Nayarit, in Mexico; and

WHEREAS, a number of Bolinas residents who have visited San Francisco, including Francesca Vietor and Mark Hertsgaard of 270 Laurel Road, have attested to the striking similarities between the two towns’ ecosystems and especially their bird life and vegetation, including many pelicans; and

WHEREAS, San Francisco and Bolinas are located on the same Pacific flyway that the pelicans and other migratory birds use during their seasonal migrations, and San Francisco, like Bolinas, has an estuary that attracts those species that prefer a mix of salt and fresh water.

WHEREAS, the estuary of San Francisco is, according to the testimony of San Francisco residents interviewed by Mark Hertsgaard, now shrinking and unable to reach the ocean, apparently because of construction of a road and luxury homes at one end of the town’s beach, which construction has also prevented San Francisco residents from continuing the age-old practice of walking down the beach to the neighboring town of Sayulita; and

WHEREAS, the townspeople of San Francisco have organized themselves against this threat in coordination with the civic association Hojanay, A.C., requesting that the homeowner repair the problems he caused and seeking intervention from the regional and federal governments of Mexico, but have received no satisfaction; and

WHEREAS, the success of the townspeople of San Francisco could be encouraged by expressions of solidarity from other towns, especially in the United States, which would show that their struggle is being watched and cheered by friends to the north; and

WHEREAS, the disappearance of the estuary in San Francisco would also pose a threat to the vitality of the Bolinas ecosystem by depriving pelicans and other migratory birds of yet another place to stop, rest and feed during their season travels; and

WHEREAS, the people of Bolinas face our own challenges in maintaining the health of the Bolinas lagoon in the face of expanding local development and might be able to exchange lessons with the people of San Francisco;

BCPUD Resolution 504                                          page 2


NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the BCPUD that:
BCPUD supports the proposition that

(1)    The community of Bolinas, California be a sister city to the town of San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico;

(2)    The People of Bolinas are encouraged to enter into mutual support with the People of San Francisco in our quest for common goals, especially the restoration of the estuary in San Francisco;

(3)    Written communication of this resolution will be sent to the People of San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico;

(4)    Other districts in Marin County and California in general are encouraged to adopt resolutions similar to this one.

    IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that this resolution was duly introduced and adopted by the Board of Directors of the Bolinas Community Public Utility District this 16th day of June, 2004 , by the following vote:

AYES:    Amoroso, Bertsch, McClellan, Siedman, Smith
NOES:  None
ABSTAIN:  None
ABSENT:  None
                                                                               Joan Bertsch
                                                             ____________________________________
                                                                President, Board of Directors


attest:        Philip Buchanan
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secretary