A $1 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could help further the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetlands Project. Several agencies and organizations are working together to get the permits so they can restore part of the Elkhorn Slough to marshland. The 66-acre initial portion of the project, which is located near Moonglow Dairy, is expected to restore critical tidal marsh. That, in turn, would help Monterey Bay fisheries provide habitat for the threatened southern sea otter, and serve as a model for future marshland restoration. Over the past 150 years, 90 percent of the marshland in the state has been lost. Even with those losses though, the Elkhorn Slough is home to the largest salt marsh on the West Coast that is located south of the San Francisco Bay. 15 state and federal agencies still need to grant permits so the work can begin. Organizers hope that will be before the end of this year.
