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Sears Point Raceway Expansion Environmental Impacts
Infineon Raceway Draining Wetlands Affecting Mirgratory Waterfowl
Shortly after receiving email response below from the Army Corps of Engineers Infineon Raceway halted pumping which was draining wetlands in May 2009.
The wetlands involved cover 70 acres across from the Infineon Main Entrance which border the Napa-Sonoma Marshes State Wildlife Refuge Tolay Unit at the southern end of Arnold Drive in Sonoma Valley. Several hundred migrating and nesting waterfowl inhabit this area yearly in late Fall, Winter and Spring.
The problem of illegal mechanical pumping to drain the wetlands by Infineon occurs each spring.
Subject: RE: Draining of wetlands being used by mirgratory waterfowl - Infineon Parking area HWY 121
Sears Point - adjacent to Tolay Creek Unit of Napa-Sonoma Marshes Area
From: Laurence.Farrell@us.army.mil
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 22:06:19 -0700
To: savearnolddrive@earthlink.net
CC: Jane.M.Hicks@usace.army.mil
Sir,
I will have my Chief of Regulatory look into the situation. They will get
back to you with an update.
Thank you
Respectfully,
LTC Farrell
Laurence Farrell, P.E.
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
Commander and District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
San Francisco District (SPN)
USACE-SPN-DC
1455 Market Street, #1673
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 503-6700
Subject: Draining of wetlands being used by mirgratory waterfowl - Infineon Parking area HWY 121 Sears
Point - adjacent to Tolay Creek Unit of Napa-Sonoma Marshes Area
From: savearnolddrive@earthlink.net
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 20:25:56 -0700
To: Craig.W.Kiley@usace.army.mil
Lt Colonel Kiley:
Today I again noticed like last year mechanical pumping of water off the Infineon Parking area next
to the Tolay Creek Unit of Napa-Sonoma Marshes Area back into Tolay Creek Unit. Migratory
waterfowl are present, as they have been for the last few months and it appears that both duck and
geese are nesting in the area. The DFG generally protects the Napa-Sonoma Marshes area up to
June 30 in terms of limited access during nesting season and I don't understand how Infineon
Raceway could be allowed to drain wetlands currently being used by mirgratory waterfowl.
I would again appreciate it if the Federal and State Wildlife Offices and Corps of Engineers would
look into this as soon as possible since waterfowl are being affected adversely now.
Regards,
Bob Hughes
Thank you Bob for your notification of this incident. I will readily pass it on to our regulatory staff to look into.
Sincerely,
cwk
Craig W. Kiley
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
District Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
San Francisco District
1455 Market Street, #1673
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 503-6700
Expansion of Sears Point Raceway. Please see our letter dated July 1, 1999 which outlined several environmental questions and comments centered on preservation of wetlands and threatened migratory waterfowl resting and breeding habitat in response to the second draft of the EIR.In June 2003 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors allowed even larger attendance limits and granted the Raceway permission to set up concessions in the 50 acre wetland site just east of the race track-see yearly wetland draining concern letters to Corps of Engineers above..
![[Massive Environmental Destruction at Sears Point Raceway]](searst2.gif)
Terraces Cut Into Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Sears Point Raceway June, 2001
The vast majority of Sonoma Valley Residents now agree that the lastest expansion of Sears Point Raceway was a very big mistake. The new grading for acres of parking lot space just above the critical wetlands habitat of the Tolay Creek Basin has created a virtual wasteland resembling an open pit mine on a scale of environmental destruction never seen before in Sonoma County. During many events, gridlock occurs in all directions on Highways 37, 121, 29, 101 and 80.
Sears Point Raceway Management had agreed to limit usage of the critical wetland area as a parking lot directly across from the raceway on the east side of Highway 121/Arnold Drive and to apparently designate a conservation easement on the wetland area. This area is 57 acres in size and is directly adjacent to the Tolay Creek Unit of the California Sonoma-Napa Marshes Wildlife Area. This does not adequately protect the critical waterfowl nesting sites observed at the site.
Sears Point Raceway has engaged, as continues to engage in practices that are extremely detrimental to the 57 acre wetland area which have limited natural flooding, severly restrained growth of natural wetland plant life, and destruction of waterfowl nesting habitat with nests in place on a yearly basis.
Please write or sent e-mails to Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Cale and the California Department of Fish and Game requesting complete protection of this critical wetland area. Please see our letter dated July 1, 1999 which outlines several environmental questions and comments centered on preservation of wetlands at the Sears Point Raceway area.
![[Wetlands At Sears Point Raceway]](searwe1b.jpg)
Photo taken January 28, 2000. |
This critical wetland area directly to the east of Sears Point Raceway and adjacent to the Napa Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area (see below) managed by the California Department of Fish and Game is used by Sears Point Raceway as a parking lot. In the full view a group of mallards can been seen in the distance taking flight towards the Napa Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area (see below).
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![[Napa-Sonoma Mashes Wildlife Area Next To Wetlands At Sears Point Raceway]](napaso1b.jpg)
Photo taken January 28, 2000. |
Here we can see a group of mallards flying over the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area managed by the California Department of Fish and Game that had just alighted from the adjacent wetland area at Sears Point Raceway (see above). Directly to the south of this area is the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge another important wetland area.
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In a letter dated 1/15/1999 from Brian Hunter, Manager, Central Coast Region, California Department of Fish and Game to Scott Briggs, Sonoma County PRMD, he stated that relocation of the parking activities of Sears Point Raceway to another location would "allow this" (first area pictured above) "to be reclaimed as wetlands and provide a significant environmental benefit."
![[Napa-Sonoma Mashes Wildlife Area Next To Wetlands At Sears Point Raceway]](napaso2b.jpg)
Photo taken January 28, 2000. |
Here we see another view of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area/California Department of Fish and Game with their boundary marker which is directly adjacent to the wetland area at Sears Point Raceway (see first picture above). In addition to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge the Tolay Creek Wetland Area Restoration Project is also very close nearby.
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Sears Point Raceway Expansion Project Update
A public hearing on the final EIR for the Sears Point Raceway Expansion project was held on January 6, 2000 the Sonoma County Planning Commission Hearing Room at 2500 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa. Release of the Final EIR was made in mid-December 1999.
A final hearing was held before the Sonoma County Planning Commission on February 17, 2000. Unfortunately, the Sonoma County Planning Commission did NOT insist on stringent protections on the 57 acre wetland used as a parking lot which borders the Tolay Creek Unit of the California Sonoma-Napa Marshes Wildlife Area. The Commission approved the project in a 4-1 vote. This weltand area should be dedicated as a wildlife sancturary and restored to it's natural wetland state. It should be donated ny Sears Point Raceway to the State of California for expansion of the Sonoma-Napa Marshes Wildlife Area as a condition to any other expansion of use and facilities at Sears Point Raceway.
The project was tentatively approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on March 21, 2000 with final approval by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors made on April 25, 2000. Sonoma County PRMD File Reference No. is PLP 97-0032.
Help Still Needed!
You can help save and preserve this important wetland area by requesting that the U.S. Corps of Engineers deny all permits relative to this project. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors failed to require that the 57 acre weltand area which is used as a parking lot by Sears Point Raceway and which directly borders the Tolay Creek Unit of the Sonoma-Napa Marshes Wildlife Area be dedicated as a wildlife sancturary and restored to it's natural wetland state. It should have been required that Sears Point Raceway donate this area to the State of California for expansion of the Sonoma-Napa Marshes Wildlife Area as a condition to any other expansion of use and facilities at Sears Point Raceway. Without these conditions the Wetland Related Construction Permits should be denied.
Send a letter or e-mail to Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Cale - mcale@sonoma-county.org and to all other Sonoma County Supervisors. e-mail addresses
of other Supervisors are:
- Tim Smith - tsmith@sonoma-county.org
- Mike Kerns - mkerns@sonoma-county.org
- Paul Kelley - pkelley@sonoma-county.org and
- Mike Reilly - mreilly@sonoma-county.org.
Letters and e-mails to Scott Briggs - sbriggs1@sonoma-county.org and Melanie Heckel - mheckel@sonoma-county.org of the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Department would also be very helpful.
Copies of the Sears Point Raceway Revised Master Plan Project Final EIR are available for review at the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa, California and at the locations listed below.
- Sonoma County Central Library, 3rd and E Streets, Santa Rosa, California
- Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, California
- Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma California
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![[Wetlands planted over with vineyard at Roche Winery Next To Wetlands At Sears Point Raceway]](roche1b.jpg)
Photo taken January 28, 2000. |
Here we see a photo of a vineyard at Roche Winery just North of Sears Point Raceway Parking Area (first photo above) which was planted directly in an important wetland area which is part of the Tolay Creek Basin. In this case, profit won out over wetlands protection similar to the problem at Sears Point Raceway.
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Last Updated November 5, 2009
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