the island's designation once more: It would now be "a regional shoreline to be operated under the regional preserve category". Nevertheless, the early 1980s did see substantive progress. EBRPD and Richmond formed a liaison committee and agreed to rework the land use development plan to incorporate the whole island, culminating in an environmental impact report (EIR) that was presented in Richmond in August 1984 and finalized in September 1985. This EIR primarily analyzed EBRPD's proposed land use plan, which proposed ending hunting and opening the island to limited public access via a park-owned shuttle boat or private craft. The plan envisaged instituting controlled burns to maintain the balance of grassland and brush, placing a full-time caretaker on the island, using riprap to protect historic sites from erosion, and closing Bird Island and the west end of the sandspit to protect birds' nesting areas. The plan was to be funded from a 1984 statewide bond. The EIR also considered six alternatives. The mandatory "no project" alternative was seen as degrading the island's habitat over time through increasing shrub growth and subsequent wildfires; the EIR painted a picture of the shooting club then abandoning its lease and vandals looting the shellmounds. A second alternative encompassing public suggestions such as a restaurant, observation tower or hotel complex was dismissed as obviously more impactful than the district's plan. Greater environmental impacts were also identified for three more alternatives: one with no on-site caretaker (and therefore more vandalism), one with a new pier (expensive and likely infeasible), and one where the caretaker's residence would be relocated. The final alternative considered was for EBRPD to sell the island to a private buyer, which was rejected because of the clear conflict with the district's mission. The island was eventually opened for limited public access in 1988. EBRPD began running interpretive tours in 1991. One caretaker from the regional park district lives on the island year-round in a solar-powered cabin. The remnants of human occupation have generally been left to decay, rather than removed entirely. These include pilings extending into the bay, and equipment and ponds left over from the quarry workings on the southern shore. But the park district caretaker does remove litter that washes up on the beaches. Geography and geology The rock that forms the main peak of the island is radiolarian chert underlain by limestone and graywacke sandstone. All these rocks are part of