ReWild Mission Bay supporters held a press conference on April 19 to emphasize the need for the greatest possible volume of restored wetlands in the City’s De Anza Natural wetland restoration proposal in northeast Mission Bay.

The event was sponsored by the ReWild Coalition, which includes members of San Diego Audubon Society, Outdoor Outreach, San Diego Pediatricians For Clean Air, San Diego Coastkeeper, San Diego Surfrider Foundation, and San Diego Sierra Club, among others. It was held the day before the City Parks and Recreation Board’s informational public hearing to receive community testimony on the Draft De Anza Natural Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan, which has been released for public comment.

Developed with input from the public and stakeholders representing the wide variety of interests using De Anza Cove, the De Anza Natural Amendment envisions a balance of land uses serving local and regional recreational needs, while also restoring natural habitats and preparing for the impacts of climate change.

The plan amendment recognizes the benefits of wetlands, which reduce the impacts of sea-level rise and improve water quality. Additionally, the City’s Climate Action Plan has set a target to restore 700 acres of salt marshland and other associated tidal wetland and riparian habitats citywide by 2035.

One of the primary goals of the De Anza Natural Plan Amendment is to identify wetland restoration areas, which will contribute significantly to meeting CAP wetland restoration targets, increase Mission Bay’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, provide critical habitat for sensitive species, and create passive recreation and educational opportunities.

“ReWild Mission Bay is a project of the San Diego Audubon Society essentially to rewild and restore native wetlands of Mission Bay,” said Tommy Hough, ReWild Mission Bay consultant and campaign coordinator. “We have this surviving component, Kendall-Frost Marsh, and we’re trying to restore the wetlands there so we can have cleaner water and a more resilient shoreline sequestering (storing) carbon.”

Added Hough, “We’d like to see maximum wetlands restoration and we’re not really seeing the signs and the numbers for that (in the City’s proposal). “We also want to see more data, more science, on how sea-level rise is going to affect existing public assets in Mission Bay Park.”

“What we are pushing for is to restore some of this (Mission Bay) park, To give pieces back to the humans and wildlife for water-quality improvement, sea level-rise resilience, and carbon sequestration to help us meet our Climate Action Plan goals,” said Andrew Meyer, director of conservation for San Diego Audubon Society.

Noting Mission Bay Regional Park is 4,200 acres, Meyer pointed out Rewild is asking for 315 acres of restored habitat, 227 acres restored to tidal wetlands up-front, with the remaining acres to act as buffer/habitat where the marsh would migrate into it as sea level rises. “It is a small portion of what we all know and love about Mission Bay,” he said adding, “There’s plenty of space for camping and active recreation. We are encouraging the City to improve their plan (adding wetlands), and we also need the City to do sea level-rise modeling.”

“We have a great opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health in our region,” said Vi Nguyen of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air. “Maximum wetlands restoration will help us fight climate change and prevent the worst health effects – allergies, asthma, heat-related illnesses, etc. – that we are already seeing. San Diegans will be healthier if we get this done.”

“The project area had 87 days of either advisories or closure in 2022 due to bacteria levels too high to meet water-quality standards,” said Lucero Sanchez, of San Diego Coastkeeper. “Mission Bay annually draws approximately 15 million visitors, many from low-income communities of color.” Those guests, she noted “do not have the loudest voices in this conversation.”

“I’d like to compliment the City on their serious effort to rewild the northeast corner of Mission Bay,” said Ron Askeland of the San Diego Sierra Club. “The Sierra Club supports the wildest wetlands restoration.”

“Quality data sampling shows Mission Bay’s waters test at such a high level for fecal bacteria that this water is unsafe to recreate in,” said Alex Ferron, chapter manager for San Diego Surfrider Foundation. “ReWild will not only improve water quality in Mission Bay, but it is also a proactive measure to manage how sea-level rise is going to impact San Diego. Join us in supporting the wildest rewilding of Mission Bay for the future of our community and our environment.”