FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, July 10, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
will.reisman@progress-pa.com
415-420-0905
 

WITH LATEST PLANTING SESSION, RICHARDSON BAY REGIONAL
AGENCY AND PARTNERS NEARLY REACH EELGRASS RESTORATION MARK TWO YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Last month’s planting of 3 acres of eelgrass has agency at the 14.5-acre mark—just a half-acre 
short of 2027 goal outlined in its Eelgrass Restoration and Management Plan
Sausalito, CA— By planting 3 acres of new eelgrass beds during a collaborative, multi-team effort 
over the last week of June, the Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) and its partners have now 
added some 14.5 acres of new plants to the Bay floor—just a half-acre short of the 15- acre goal 
the agency had hoped to reach by 2027.
“We continue to make inspiring progress restoring the eelgrass habitat that is the foundation of 
Richardson Bay,” said RBRA Board Chair Jack Ryan. “When we established our eelgrass restoration 
plan, it seemed like a reasonable idea to plant 15 acres of new eelgrass beds by 2027, but because 
of the hard-working and collaborative efforts of our partners, we have easily
outpaced that goal. I’m proud of the team and optimistic about the future of Richardson Bay.”

Last month’s eelgrass planting initiative was part of a joint effort by RBRA consultants Coastal 
Policy Solutions, Merkel and Associates and Katharyn Boyer at San Francisco State University. The 
planting was funded in part by a $2.8 million grant provided by the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) in 2023. The grant was aimed at restoring at least 15 acres of eelgrass over four years 
through an innovative public-private partnership, but that goal has now been nearly met in two 
years. The 15-acre goal is expected to be met in the next planting session, which is in the process 
of being scheduled for this fall or spring of 2026.
“The success of this campaign is another example of how far we have come on Richardson Bay,” said 
Jess Bode, Project Manager at Coastal Policy Solutions. “Just a few years ago, we had wide swathes 
of eelgrass damaged and there was a concern some areas would never return. While we still have work 
to do, we can all be proud of the progress we have achieved so far.”

The eelgrass planting is a key part of the RBRA’s 10-year Restoration and Adaptive Management Plan. 
That plan includes the establishment of Eelgrass Protection Zone (EPZ), an area of the water 
off-limits to anchoring that will help restore and protect a critical ecological component of
the Bay. The EPZ was officially established in October of last year.

Eelgrass is a critical component of a healthy and vibrant Richardson Bay. It supports fisheries, 
reduces erosion, sequesters carbon and is a crucial ecological resource for harbor porpoises, 
seals, and sea lions. However, when anchors, chains, and other ground tackle scrape along the Bay 
bottom, they essentially act as a lawn mower for all living plants.

“These restoration efforts are a grind, with many sequential pre-dawn meet times and hard physical 
work,” said Kathy Boyer, who directs the Estuary & Ocean Science Center in Tiburon. “I’m so proud 
of our team and all their efforts to push ahead of our targeted restoration goals this year. And I 
am very pleased that we have the EOS Center’s facilities to support rigging up all that eelgrass 
into transplant units using our baywater tables and tanks. It is quite a production!”
“Restoration of nearly 75 acres of damage within the Richardson Bay moorings was kicked off in 2021 
through initial funding provided through the Cosco-Busan Damage Assessment and Restoration Program 
Trustee Council following the RBRAs and Bay Conservation and
Development Commission’s (BCDCs) commitments towards removal of moorings and
commitment to restoration of damaged eelgrass beds,” said Keith Merkel, President of Merkel and 
Associates. “The Richardson Bay restoration effort stands out as the largest successful eelgrass 
restoration in the Bay”
In 2022, there were more than 100 vessels in the area that is now the Eelgrass Protection Zone. 
Through various efforts, the RBRA has reduced that number to just 10 as of July 1.
To incentivize vessels to move off the Richardson Bay anchorage, the RBRA created a housing voucher 
program last year, allowing boaters previously living on the water to move into safe, secure 
housing on land. The RBRA manages the program in collaboration with the Marin Housing Authority, 
Marin Health and Human Services, and Episcopal Community Services.

Additionally, the RBRA manages a vessel buyback program, which offers eligible participants money 
based on the length of their boat ($150 per foot) if they turn their vessel into the RBRA for 
proper disposal.
All illegally anchored floating homes have already been removed from Richardson Bay and the 
remaining illegally anchored vessels will be removed from the anchorage by October 26, 2026, at 
which time anchoring will be allowed for up to 72 hours without a permit, per an agreement the RBRA 
has with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

“We continue to see positive change on Richardson Bay,” said RBRA Executive Director Brad Gross. 
“Whether it’s pulling two tons of marine debris off the Bay floor, or planting nearly 15 acres of 
eelgrass, we are helping to restore a healthy environment here for everyone to enjoy.”
###

The Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) is a local government agency serving Belvedere,
Mill Valley, Tiburon, and unincorporated Southern Marin County. RBRA is dedicated to
maintaining and improving the navigational waterways, open waters, and shoreline of
Richardson Bay.