June 17, 2014 — Environmentalists who want to bolster endangered coho salmon populations are hoping to launch an initiative to purchase homes along San Geronimo Creek, make them fish-friendly, then return them to market at affordable prices.
The proposed Community Salmon Land Trust would be a nonprofit made up of environmental, affordable housing and salmon fishing advocates, among others, said Todd Steiner, executive director of the Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network. The county could also play a role, he said. The homes would be bought as they went onto the market.
"We purchase one of these modest houses, we green it with best building practices, we replace its septic system, we restore the habitat along the stream and create a forest buffer," Steiner told the Independent Journal Editorial Board Tuesday.
The house — but not the land — would then be sold to a buyer. The land would stay in the nonprofit's domain so the creekside could remain protected.
"The house costs less because you are not buying the land," Steiner said. "Someone who needs to buy an affordable house could now apply for a loan on it."
Read the full story at the Marin Independent Journal