U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Vallejo resident Elena DuCharme were honored as Bay Champions today in the first annual People Save The Bay 2003 report, released by Save The Bay. The report celebrates individuals whose extraordinary efforts protected San Francisco Bay and denounces the people whose action - or inaction - harmed the Bay in the past year.

"The quality of life in the Bay Area depends on a healthy and vibrant San Francisco Bay," said David Lewis, Executive Director of Save The Bay. "When people take action to protect and restore the Bay, they are making the Bay Area a better place to live, work and have fun."

Save The Bay praised Feinstein for her leadership in acquiring 16,500 acres of Bay salt ponds for restoration, Peskin for forcing San Francisco International Airport to drop biased plans to fill the Bay for runways, and DuCharme for successfully organizing citizens to stop a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal and power plant at Mare Island in Vallejo.

"Thanks to an unprecedented public-private partnership,16,500 acres of salt ponds that had been an eyesore in the San Francisco Bay are now under public ownership, setting the stage for the largest wetlands restoration in our State's history," Senator Feinstein said. "I am proud to have played a part in this effort and very thankful to Save the Bay and all the other organizations and people who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality."

"Every person can and should do something to protect and restore the Bay," said DuCharme. "For me, protecting the Bay was also about protecting my community's health. The Bay and its shoreline are critical to everyone who lives here."

The report also names three Bay Foes:

• Assistant Secretary of the Navy Hansford T. Johnson for dodging his responsibility to clean up toxic pollution in wetlands at Moffett Field;
• Bush Administration official Bennett Raley for crafting a secret deal to divert critical fresh water from the Bay-Delta; and
• The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board for allowing pesticide pollution to drain into the Bay.

People Save The Bay 2003 includes an honor roll of seven citizen leaders, newspaper reporters and local elected officials who improved the Bay's health this year with persistence and determination.

"These Bush Administration officials and the hands-off regulators upstream threaten our community, but this year's Bay Savers show that people can improve the Bay's future," said Lewis. "Together, we have the power to protect and restore one of California's greatest natural treasures -- San Francisco Bay."

The full report People Save the Bay 2003 report is available on line at www.saveSFbay.org.