Overview
Bair Island is 2,600 acres of marsh and a part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Redwood City. Though portions of Bair Island are owned by the State of California as the Bair Island State Ecological Reserve, the entire island is managed by the Refuge. Bair Island is home to many species of shorebirds, as well the native oyster and harbor seals, and is an important stop for birds on the pacific flyway. An important part of South Bay ecology, environmentalists have fought to protect and restore Bair Island for decades.
Save The Bay volunteers remove invasive
ice plant from Bair Island.
Bair Island Restoration
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is taking the first steps toward restoring Bair Island. This restoration project is an important step in the revitalization of San Francisco Bay wetlands, which are critical to the health of the Bay ecosystem. It will improve water quality, expand and enhance wildlife habitat and reduce mosquito breeding conditions by restoring tidal flow. The restoration will also give public access to the Bay shoreline and provide opportunities for public involvement and stewardship.
The goals of the restoration project are:
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to restore a significant wetland complex to high quality tidal salt marsh
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maximize tidal function and habitat values relatively quickly
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enhance habitat for endangered species and native Bay wildlife
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provide enhanced opportunities for the public to enjoy and learn about the Island’s unique resources
Save The Bay and Community-Based Restoration
Save The Bay is partnering with the Refuge to provide on-going Community-Based Restoration programs at Inner and Middle Bair Island. Through our program, the public can participate in non-native plant removal, native plant restoration, seed collection and plant propagation.
Bair Island History
Bair Island once included thousands of acres of unspoiled tidal salt marsh, tidal sloughs and mudflats. In the 1940s, Leslie Salt built levees that divided the island into three sections - known today as inner, middle and outer Bair Island - and used the islands as salt ponds until the 1960s. Mobil Oil bought Bair Island in the 1970s and donated half the outer island to the Refuge. In 1982, Redwood City approved its plan to develop the rest of the island into homes, a shopping center and corporate offices. Local residents, led by Ralph Nobles brought these plans to a halt until Bair Island was purchased by Tokyo-based developer Kumagai Gumi in 1989. Kumagai also planned to develop Bair Island but in1997, with federal funding secured with the help of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, the Peninsula Open Space District purchased Bair Island for the public, paving the way for restoration.
Take Action Now!
 Minnesota-based agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. is threatening to fill in and build on 1,433 acres of Bayfront salt ponds in Redwood City. Tell Cargill that San Francisco Bay cannot be sacrificed for profit.
Now that these former tidal wetlands are not needed for salt production, the site must be sold or transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be included in the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge to provide recreation for residents and habitat for fish and wildlife. Take Action Now.
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