Last month, we wrote about the city’s new proposed “Biodiversity” Plan that is even worse than the Natural Areas Program (NAP). In that post, we talked about their effort to get a $250,000 grant from the California Strategic Growth Council, and urged you to write to oppose it.

We’re pleased to say that your voices were heard in Sacramento. The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) did not select the application from the Office of Biodiversity from the Dept. of Environment. Their staff did not recommend the application to the full Council.

Had the application been granted, it would have funded developing a city-wide master plan to manage all of San Francisco’s open spaces, including private backyards, like NAP areas – cutting down trees, using toxic herbicides, and restricting access. Your many letters and calls expressing community opposition to this idea were clear, well-articulated and convincing.

All of us are stakeholders in San Francisco’s open spaces. Many of us have a long history of objecting to NAP, but our voices have been ignored by representatives of our “public servants.” This time our voices were heard.

The state received 184 grant proposals to compete for the $23.9 million in award funds through the Urban Greening Grant Program. Thirty-seven projects received $22.9 million in funding, and 3 Urban Greening plans out of 14 submitted shared $1 million in funding. San Francisco Rec and Park did receive funding for the Noe Valley Town Square Development, and for Mansell Corridor Improvement.  Literacy for Environmental Justice received funding for Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. These are worthwhile projects. At this point all the funding through the SGC for the Urban Greening Grant Program for Sustainable Communities has been awarded and will not be available beyond this year.

BEWARE OF THE ROSE

Next up  is the review of the ROSE (Recreation and Open Space Element of the General Plan), by the Land Use and Economic Development Committee of the Board of Supervisors. The ROSE contains the dangerous “Policy 4.2” which gives the City the right to bring NAP practices even into private open spaces. This proposed policy will allow implementation of NAP and destroy our mature eucalyptus forests in places such as Mt. Sutro and Mt. Davidson. It allows the same Biodiversity Coordinator in the Department of the Environment to get involved in land use decisions prohibited by the City Charter. Click HERE for details on what it is, and what you can do.

Please try to attend the meeting on Monday, June 16th, 1:30 pm, Room 263 of City Hall (double check the agenda after it’s posted on the sfgov website.) It is the ONLY time public comment will be taken.

Please ask the Supervisors to vote NO on the ROSE until Policy 4.2 is removed.

Ideally, please attend the meeting and speak. If not, please write to the Supervisors involved and let them know. Here are the meeting details: 

Land Use Committee
Monday, June 16, 2014, 1:30 pm
Room 263, City Hall – San Francisco

If you cannot attend, please write/ call the Supervisors on the Committee to say you want Policy 4.2 removed:

• Supervisor Scott Wiener: scott.wiener@sfgov.org 415-554-6968
• Supervisor Jane Kim: jane.kim@sfgov.org 415-554-7970
• Supervisor Malia Cohen: malia.cohen@sfgov.org 415-554-7670

We have been heard in Sacramento, and we will continue to speak up in San Francisco. We have established ourselves as stakeholders with a strong voice to help shape the future management of our city’s open spaces.

Thank you!