MALT Analyzing Poll to Assess Feasibility of Sales Tax Benefitting Ag Conservation.  In this first of a two-part series with Robert Berner, executive director of Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), on the year ahead, Berner tells George Clyde that MALT and the County are considering proposing a sales tax to help preserve farmlands as well as support parks and open spaces. Meanwhile, MALT has several new conservation easements planned for this year. Link to second installment.

Also, two news stories from the San Geronimo Valley (not on the audio .mp3 file) - First, according to Jean Berensmeier, local residents have raised $100,000 to complete funding to acquire a private parcel in Forest Knolls on the Manzanita fire road.  With $100,000 from the County and $450,000 from the California Coastal Conservancy, the Open Space District can assure public use of the trail to the Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve. And secondly, after the Marin Municipal Water District released water from Kent Lake last week, water biologists counted 20 new coho redds and 84 salmon swimming and spawning in Lagunitas Creek, mostly upstream of Devil's Gulch - welcome news in this year when the spawning had been crippled by the lack of rainfall.