The Road to the Restoration of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands - Has California's "Sanbanze" Begun the Walk to Revival? -

For over 10 years the seemingly drab wet sand of Sanbanze has pitted developers and citizens in a battle over Chiba's development proposal for the tidal flats. Of course this isn't the only deep-rooted battle of its kind. Indeed, under similar conditions to Sanbanze, there is a case overseas where the strong fight of local people and groups has seen a move towards the protection of the environment and the development of a restoration plan. In view of considering the future of Sanbanze Tidal Flats, California's Bolsa Chica story makes a valuable guide to the road ahead.

Earlier this year, Sanbanze Tidal Flats, a tiny, muddy corner of Tokyo Bay in Chiba, sparkled for a few minutes in the national spotlight as Japan's environment minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, paid a visit. Since the early 1990's the seemingly drab expanse of wet sand has pitted developers and local citizens in a battle over one of Tokyo's Bay's last remaining natural areas-a home for migrating birds and other species. Developers want, among other things, a sewage plant. Local residents' concerns were echoed by the environment minister when she stated, "With nature like this located so close to a major urban area, we have an obligation to pass it on to our children and grandchildren."
Kawaguchi's visit and request for Chiba Prefecture to rethink their already scaled-down, yet still overblown, bubble-era plan offers new hope for one of the last bits of natural coastal environment remaining in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.
As the minister and her charges at the Environment Agency formalize their suggestions to Chiba, and the prefecture reworks its development plan for Sambanze, I would like to suggest that they take a look at a similar situation south of Los Angeles, California, which has become a local success story: The Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach.
Nestled between million-dollar marina homes and the world-famous beaches of "Surf City," the Wetlands at first glance don't look like much. Native vegetation with names like "pickleweed" tend toward drab greens and dry browns for most of the year. An often-murky salt marsh has center stage in a loop trail that takes visitors on a short tour through the wetlands.
While strolling along the well-maintained boardwalk and paths on the trail, however, the hiker is soon impressed by the sheer number of bird and animal species that make this their marshy home. Snowy egrets plod carefully in the shallower portions of the marsh, while a variety of terns-some endangered-frolic and dive in the deeper areas. Brown pelicans are common, and lucky visitors may even spot a rare white pelican at the right time of the year.
Like Sanbanze, Bolsa Chica has been at the center of a developer vs. environmentalist controversy for over a decade. Fortunately, several recent events bode well for the maintenance and restoration of the Wetlands. Last November, the California Coastal Commission, the state's lead agency responsible for carrying out federally approved coastal management programs in both publicly and privately held areas, voted to accept a plan limiting development on a privately owned portion of the Wetlands. The developer, Hearthside Homes, saw its Orange County-approved plans for a new housing development reduced from 183 to 65 acres. The Coastal Commission's decision is now remanded back to the County Board of Supervisors. The fate of the disputed 183 acres is not entirely sealed, and more disputes are likely to ensue in typical litigious American fashion. Nevertheless, tenacious supporters of the Wetlands, such as the nonprofit Bolsa Chica Conservancy, have a positive outlook now that the Coastal Commission is officially in favor of conservation in at least part of Hearthside Homes' private claim.
Another victory for the Wetlands was the 1997 purchase of 880 acres of the Bolsa Chica Lowlands (title held by the California State Lands Commission), which, with an additional 367 acres, are now pending restoration. Last year, the CSLC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a Draft Joint Environmental Impact Report and Statement on restoration, nudging open the door for action.

  Beverly Findlay-Kaneko spends several weeks each year in Huntington Harbor near the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, seen here to the left and in its entirety from an aerial photograph.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands have a checkered history, including stints as a duck-hunting club, a shore-defense station during World War II, and oil fields. Each of these incarnations left its mark on Bolsa Chica. The damage ranges from a severe restriction of the flow of seawater into the marsh, to the scars left by oil extraction facilities. Restoration projects would include dredging and the creation of an ocean inlet to bring much needed salt water into the wetlands.
Land ownership, an official plan and an environmental impact report are just the beginning of the restoration of the Wetlands. More planning, as well as dealing with opposition, are in store. Last summer, for example, surfers who frequent Bolsa Chica State Beach, which would be affected by the creation of a tidal inlet, began to protest the restoration plan.
If there is a moral for Sanbanze's supporters in the Bolsa Chica tale, it is that persistence pays off. In addition, wide-reaching engines of public policy, such as the California Coastal Commission, are able to view local concerns on a broader scale. Housing and other urban development projects may bring more tax revenues and other benefits to a city or county, but depending on their location, can threaten the natural balance of a state, a country, or the world.
High-ranking friends like Yoriko Kawaguchi and tenacious grass-roots organizations like the Bolsa Chica Conservancy help make message clear: More than fancy million-dollar homes and sewage plants, future generations need us to preserve and restore quiet places where they can commune with nature. Most of all, the plants and animals affected by coastal development, whether elegant migrating birds, or slimy, pop-eyed "mutsugoro," deserve to have their lives protected from passing human whims.