Save The Bay is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to preserving

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...

and its related

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environmen ...

habitat areas. Founded by Catherine Kerr, Sylvia McLaughlin, and Esther Gulick in 1961, the organization grew into a body that not only achieved its namesake but also inspired analogous organizations dedicated to other environmental and other political causes. The organization continues to fight to protect the bay from development and

landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the wast ...

and to oppose redevelopment of salt flats; it instead encourages their restoration to a natural state. Sf Estuary Historical

History

The organization helped to spark the environmental movement in the United States. The women were successful in saving the bay. They lobbied the state government until state legislation in 1965 established the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission as a state agency. In 1961, Sylvia McLaughlin and 2 other women Kay Kerr, Esther Gulick, worked together and decided to send 1,000 letters asking for $1 membership. In just a few days, the 900 responses came in and it was $900. The organization still works to protect the wildlife of the Bay Area and water quality of the uniquely large inland body of water.Sylvia McLaughlin, Save the Bay founder, fights on
Peter Fimrite, ''San Francisco Chronicle'', 31-10-2011, access date 10-01-2012 When it was founded it was the first successful regional grassroots campaign to achieve that sort of goal. Save The Bay prevented the destruction of

San Bruno Mountain San Bruno Mountain is horst fault block mountain located in northern San Mateo County, California; with some northern slopes crossing over into southern San Francisco, it is also surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the cities of Brisbane, Colma ...

to fill 27 miles (44 km) of the San Mateo County shoreline. The founders' main goal was to preserve the natural beauty of the bay. Their efforts have also been noted as the first successful conservation efforts in an urban area. The women's efforts led to the creation of the

Bay Conservation and Development Commission A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a ...

, which was later used as the blueprint and inspiration for other government commissions such as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency,

California Coastal Commission The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency within the California Natural Resources Agency with quasi-judicial control of land and public access along the state's coastline. Its mission as defined in the California Coastal Act is ...

, and Delta Stewardship Council.

Plastic bag bans

The organization has also embraced and pushed for

plastic bag ban A plastic bag ban is a law that restricts the use of lightweight plastic bags at retail establishments. In the early 21st century, there has been a global trend towards the phase-out of lightweight plastic bags. Single-use plastic shopping bags ...

s throughout the entire region. It includes strong support for strengthening the San Francisco plastic bag ban in 2011 that banned all retailers from giving out bags made of non-biodegradable materials. Save The Bay supported the 2012

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, ban on plastic bags.Attention, shoppers: Get ready to BYOB (bring your own bag) in San Jose stores
Tracy Seipel, '' San Jose Mercury News'', 25-12-2011, access date 08-01-2012

References

External links

Save The Bay"Saving San Francisco Bay", essayA history of the organization's efforts
{{Authority control Environmental organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area Organizations based in Oakland, California Organizations established in 1961 San Francisco Bay

History

Plastic bag bans

See also

References

Further reading

External links