Tag Archives: environment

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

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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

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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

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Good news: Tree Felling Plan in Napa Stops

In recent weeks, we heard of another project to cut down eucalyptus trees, despite the negative impact on climate change, wildlife, and neighborhoods. And today, we were pleased to learn that it had been reversed! Someone wrote to us to … Continue reading

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Still More Trees Cut Down in Sutro Forest – March 2022

The article below is essentially a sequel to the previous one. More Trees Being Cut Down in Sutro Forest  and is also republished with permission from SutroForest.com ——————————————————– As readers of this site will know, a lot of trees are … Continue reading

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More Trees Being Cut Down in Sutro Forest

This article has been republished from SutroForest.com with permission and updates. “Can you tell me what’s happening on the north side of the forest? I’ve been watching them cut down a swath from a lunchroom at UCSF the last few … Continue reading

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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

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Beautiful Trees at Stow Lake to be Cut

San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD) is cutting down more trees. Several supporters alerted us to warning notices on eight large, beautiful trees at Stow Lake that have been marked for destruction. Why? Apparently to repair the perimeter path … Continue reading

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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

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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

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Nesting in the Eucalyptus

Of course it’s no surprise to any of our readers that eucalyptus stands are an excellent resource for nesting birds. A colony of double-crested cormorants nests (or did nest) near Lake Merced; great horned owls nest in eucalyptus trees in … Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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Respect the Nest – Wildcare Thinks of Baby Animals and Birds

Recently, Wildcare – a wild animal rehab organization – published a warning. It’s nesting season and they ask everyone to RESPECT the NEST. It’s republished here with permission. Respect the Nest by Michael Schwab With the help of nationally-acclaimed artist … Continue reading

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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

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More Damage for Sutro Forest

San Francisco Forest Alliance recently responded to UCSF’s Draft Environmental Impact Report consequent on changes it plans to the 2014 Long Range Development Plan. We publish that here. We also publish with permission an article from SutroForest.com, the website that … Continue reading

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Trees Targeted for Destruction In Golden Gate Park

One would think that in these times of climate change and San Francisco’s small and shrinking tree canopy, every effort would be made to save the trees we already have. San Francisco  already has only a 13.7% tree canopy cover, … Continue reading

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SF Rec & Parks Using a New (Old) Pesticide

One of our supporters reports the “Natural Resources Department” (NRD) of  the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD) is using a new pesticide on Mt Davidson: Vastlan (from Dow). It’s being applied in a so-called “natural area” now named … Continue reading

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Pesticide Use Up in San Francisco Parks, Natural Areas – 2019

In 2019, SFRPD applied herbicides 243 times, the most since 2013. Of these, 144 applications were in “Natural Areas” (this includes PUC areas managed in the same way – i.e. use of toxic herbicides against plants they dislike). Though the … Continue reading

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