"FMR is one of the richest, most biodiverse intertidal environments on the California coast." —2008, FMR Water Quality Assessment Report
This Facebook page is not affiliated with San Mateo County Parks or the Friends of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.
AREA29 is a 5.5 miles of San Mateo County coastline in critical need of protection from polluted runoff. The watershed that flows into the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is part of a State Water Quality Protection Area know as Critical Coastal Area 29. This biologically sensitive area has regional, state, and national significance, as recognized by:
Inclusion within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (which have joint responsibility for management of resources below the average high tide line)
Inclusion within the boundary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Designation as a Marine Life Refuge under the State Water Resources Control Board’s designation as an Area of Special Biological Significance (ASBS)
Inclusion within the Central California Coast International Biosphere Reserve, as part of the Man and the Biosphere Program of UNESCO
Inclusion within the Critical Coastal Area (CCA) program, a multi-agency collaborative effort working towards reducing coastal non-point source polluted runoff and improving watershed health
The 2002 Master Plan for the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve recognized the area’s rich natural resources through its guiding principles:
"The fundamental concept underlying the Master Plan is that protection of the outstanding natural resources of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve will require a new approach to management of ecological systems and visitors in future years, and that the best way to accomplish this goal is to emphasize the sensitivity of the resource, to enhance the educational value of the Reserve, to manage visitation, and to limit use of the Reserve as a recreation destination."
Wildlife protection, improve the health of the watershed, reduce reef visitation, limit use of the Reserve as a recreation destination, and climate change education.
