Point Buckler Island
38°05′46″N 122°00′58″W / 38.096°N 122.016°W
Point Buckler Island is an island in Solano County, California, United States. It is a marshy island in the San Francisco Bay,[1] with an area of 39 acres (16 ha).[2] It is part of Suisun Marsh and is located east of the Carquinez Strait.[3]
The island and surrounding area are a habitat for animals including the delta smelt and Chinook salmon.[4] It has a bar and lounge, two helipads, and a deep-water dock.[1][2] It has repeatedly had problems with levee maintenance.[5]
History
[edit]The island's first owner has been claimed to be construction businessperson Gaetano Seeno.[5] The origin of its name is unknown.[5]
John Sweeney bought Point Buckler Island in 2011 for $150,000[1] and ran a kiteboarding club and a duck hunting club on it.[2][4] According to Sweeney, he transferred the island's ownership to Point Buckler Island LLC in 2015.[3] In 2023, he listed it for sale for $75 million.[6]
Sweeney carried out work on the island to repair or build levees, leading to disputes with regulators and claims of environmental harm.[3] San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered him to remove a levee in 2016, and the Environmental Protection Agency said that he had violated the Clean Water Act.[4] He was issued fines of $2.8 million.[4] Amid the legal disputes, the island was sold at auction to the nonprofit John Muir Land Trust for $3.8 million on 22 January 2025.[4] In accordance with the court-imposed conditions of the sale, the organization announced plans to restore the island to its natural state, at an expected cost of millions of dollars.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "A marshy, minuscule S.F. Bay island is for sale for $75 million, with one peculiar buyer in mind". Los Angeles Times. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Once listed for $70 million, controversial private Bay Area island to be auctioned off". East Bay Times. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Bucke, Molly (Dec 31, 2024). "Private island popular with Bay Area kiteboarders to be sold at public auction". Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "San Francisco Bay island sold at auction for $3.8 million to John Muir Land Trust". East Bay Times. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b c "Buckler Brouhaha – Estuary News Magazine". Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Chamings, Andrew (20 September 2023). "Entire private island in the San Francisco Bay lists for $75 million". SFGATE. Retrieved 1 January 2025.