Wetlands are the transition area between open water and dry land, constantly appearing and disappearing with the ebb and flow of tides. As the heart and lungs of the Bay, wetlands support over 500 species of fish and wildlife, from the smallest microorganisms to the largest of seals. In addition to providing vital habitat, the Bay’s wetlands fulfill a central role in community and environmental health by:
- Improving water quality by filtering out trash and toxics
- Capturing and storing greenhouse gasses from earth’s atmosphere
- Serving as buffers against storms, flooding, and erosion control
- Supporting thousands of jobs in industries such as tourism, fishing, recreation, and education.
- Connecting residents to hundreds of parks, open spaces, and agricultural lands across the Bay Area
Since the Gold Rush, 90 percent of the Bay's wetlands have been destroyed for development and agriculture. Scientists agree that the Bay needs 100,000 acres of tidal wetlands to be healthy, but as of today less than half that number exist. It’s time for new approaches to jumpstart restoration of the Bay to ensure that this incredible resource will continue to support people and wildlife for generations to come.
There are currently 45,000 acres of healthy tidal wetlands throughout the Bay, the result of significant restoration efforts over the past half-century. Since the 1960’s, conservationists have worked with state and federal agencies to secure an additional 31,000 acres of former wetlands, including the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, Bair Island, Hamilton Field, and others. Although these lands are now protected forever from development, a small fraction of the funding necessary to restore them to healthy Bay marsh is currently available.
Save The Bay is committed to meeting the goal of 100,000 acres of restored Bay habitat. Since 2007, we have been working to identify new sources of funding for Bay restoration, staring with the release of a groundbreaking report, Greening The Bay.