Category Archives: “Natural” Areas Program

Five Reasons Why it’s Okay to Love Oxalis

This is an updated reprint of a May 2015 article. As of 2023, eight years later, Natural Areas (now called “Natural Resource Areas”) are still being sprayed with powerful pesticides against oxalis. It’s still futile. ************** Five Reasons it’s Okay … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Oxalis and the Herbicide “solution”

This article is republished with permission from Conservation Sense and Nonsense, an environmental blog focused on the San Francisco Bay Area.   THE OXALIS OBSESSION As a long-time reader of Jake Sigg’s Nature News, I am very familiar with his … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Toxic Pesticides in Glen Canyon Park

It’s pesticide season in Glen Canyon Park, with one of the most toxic pesticides in use: Triclopyr. (This is the one that’s brand-named Vastlan.) The target plants are oxalis, as usual! And a new one – Sheep Sorrel. It’s actually … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!

The San Francisco Forest Alliance,  a 501(c)4 not-for-profit organization with a mission of inclusive environmentalism, continues our campaign to protect our environment through outreach and providing information. As we near the end of 2022, we reflect that it’s been 11 years. … Continue reading

Posted in OTHER | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Forest on Albany Hill

One of the blogs we follow, Conservation Sense and Nonsense, is trying to prevent the destruction of the eucalyptus forest on Albany Hill. This stand of trees sequesters carbon, cleans the air near a heavily trafficked road – and provides … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A tree ponders life upon waking

Someone sent us this charming, incisive, bitter-sweet graphic about a eucalyptus tree. The artist, Charlotte Hildebrand, kindly gave us permission to reproduce it here. This tree, such an important part of the ecosystem – a shelter for birds, a splendid … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program | Leave a comment

Pesticide Usage in 2021: SFRPD Does Better – except for NRD

As we usually do, we compiled the pesticide usage data for San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department for 2021.  (We exclude Harding Park – but not the other golf courses – from this analysis because it’s externally-managed under a PGA … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program | 2 Comments

McLaren Park Loses More Trees

From Lance Mellon: “This nativism is a strange phenomenon. I see every day, next to my community garden at Mclaren Park, the devastation caused when they cut down those beautiful woods to install their native garden. It is an unforgivable … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program | Leave a comment

Herbicide Time – Triclopyr in Glen Canyon

It’s January, and San Francisco is brightened by the yellow oxalis springing up on green hillsides. Less bright, though, is the usual Blights of Spring – herbicides applied in our parks where our kids and pups play. Here’s an idyllic … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Environmental Danger of Preferring Native Plants

This article is republished with permission and minor edits from Conservation Sense and Nonsense, an environmental blog about current ecological topics including “native plant restorations.” We are publishing it here because we think the opposition to “invasives” by nativist activists … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Fells Trees, Ruins Habitat, Wastes Money | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Season’s Greetings!

This December marks ten years of the San Francisco Forest Alliance. We’d like to reiterate our commitment to protecting our trees and access, and opposing toxic pesticides in the coming years. The San Francisco Forest Alliance wishes all our readers … Continue reading

Posted in OTHER | Leave a comment

Toxic Roundup Herbicide, Fruiting Blackberry

The SFRPD’ Natural Resources Department (NRD) is spraying toxic herbicides on Golden Gate Heights park. The pesticides being used are Roundup (glyphosate) and Polaris (imazapyr). Someone recently saw this notice: On the next visit, the sign indicated that the spraying … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Need to Reduce Toxic Herbicide Use in San Francisco

This note is from Anastasia Glikshtern, an officer of San Francisco Forest Alliance and a long-time San Franciscan. Why We Need the San Francisco Toxic Herbicides Reduction Act Most San Francisco residents do not know that the city routinely uses … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Why Large-Scale Native Plant “Restoration” Cannot Work

This article discusses two approaches to native plant restoration. One creates jobs and provides healthy outdoor opportunities. The other poisons plants with synthetic chemicals. Neither actually works to restore native plants. Reprinted from Conservation Sense and Nonsense with permission and … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides, Wastes Money | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The National Park Service has an Epiphany

  This article is reprinted with permission and minor edits from Conservation Sense and Nonsense. “We were probably always wrong to think about protected places as static.” – NPS Scientist During the Trump administration federal agencies were forced to be … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, OTHER, Wastes Money | Tagged , | Leave a comment

NRD Herbicide Use Shoots Up in 2020 in San Francisco

As we have been doing for many years now, we compiled the pesticide usage data  for San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department for 2020.  It’s getting worse year by year. Toxic herbicide use (i.e. herbicides classified as “More Hazardous” or … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Toxic Herbicide on Mt Davidson – Triclopyr on Oxalis

In June 2020, we reported that SFRPD was using a new version of an old toxic pesticide: Vastlan, with the active ingredient Triclopyr. (The same as in Garlon, which was the single most toxic herbicide they used.) Neighbor and videographer … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Applies Pesticides | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

More Destruction of Sutro Forest

We regret starting the year with sad news in this post from SutroForest.com. It is reprinted here with permission. With the new revised plan for UCSF’s Parnassus Campus having been approved by the UCSF Regents – despite San Francisco’s Board … Continue reading

Posted in Fells Trees, OTHER | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Greetings of the Season, Best Wishes for 2021

It’s been a difficult year in a number of ways. The pandemic still rages, and tree-cutting continues. Nonetheless, there have been signs of hope for all of us. So here’s a candle in the dark to represent hope. Greetings for … Continue reading

Posted in OTHER | Tagged | Leave a comment

Surprise Tree Removals for McLaren Park Native Plant Garden

San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department’s Natural Resources Division (NRD), in conjunction with Fran Martin’s Visitacion Valley Greenway group, have been planning to construct a native plant garden just south of the McLaren Park community garden along Visitacion Avenue. This … Continue reading

Posted in "Natural" Areas Program, Fells Trees | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment