Natural Areas Plan Public Meetings
TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 12, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
In San Francisco, 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way
and
THURSDAY, May 14, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
In Pacifica, Pedro Point Firehouse
Click here for more information.
As discussed in our last newsletter, the Planning Department has finally published the Initial Study for the Significant Natural Resource Areas Management Plan (SNRAMP) and the finding is that an Environmental Impact Report is required. In compliance with CEQA, the City is holding two public scoping meetings
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California Poppies - sfnap.org |
Please read below for our comment suggestions!
ROSE at the Planning Commission
THURSDAY, May 14th
1:30 pm
Click here for more information
The Recreation and Open Space Element (ROSE) provides the goals, objectives, and policies that will guide open space acquisition, preservation and priorities for San Francisco over the next 25 years.
In our last newsletter we wrote about the Planning Department's new draft ROSE (the first update since 1986), toward which we submitted a wholesale rewrite of their initial Objective 4, which we entitled, PROTECT THE BIODIVERSITY, NATURAL HABITATS, AND ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF ALL OPEN SPACES, AND NATURAL AREAS OWNED BY THE CITY AND IN ITS JURISDICTION.
The new draft will be presented at the Planning Commission meeting as item #11!
Please read below for more information and suggested comments!
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Habitat and Trail Work on Mt. Sutro |
Mt. Sutro Vegetation Management Plan
MONDAY, May 18
7 pm
Click here for more information.
The United States Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has preliminarily approved grants for two fire mitigation projects within UCSF's 61-acre Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. These fire mitigation activities will be undergoing FEMA's environmental review process, including its compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The 2001 Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve Management Plan was the catalyst for projects like the summit Rotary Garden, the historic trail revival, and now these 2nd & 3rd significant vegetation management projects. Nature in the City supports UCSF and their care for the natural habitat of Mt. Sutro and their concern about the threat of wildfire. Go to the Mt. Sutro webpage to learn much more about volunteer opportunities and ecological stewardship on Mt. Sutro.
The purpose of this meeting is to give neighbors an overview of the projects and to allow for questions. Please attend to get the complete picture of these future projects and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
Natural Areas Plan Meeting
Suggested Comments
1. The EIR must include a maximum possible ecological restoration alternative for SFRPD's 31 Natural Areas, so that the public has the opportunity to understand the potential for a biodiverse urban ecological future, and how that future would affect people and our environment.
2. The management framework of MA1s, MA2s and MA3s presents some real problems; instead of explicitly addressing the ecological fragmentation of our natural heritage, this arrangement perpetuates it with a fragmented management approach for the natural areas.
Regardless of the relative value of different pieces of our natural areas, they should be managed with coherence, continuity and consistency for wildlife, rare plants, and ecosystem processes. MA-3s should not be subject to "few restrictions on recreational use" nor the "prohibition on (re)introduction of sensitive species." The lines between the areas are fuzzy, and so they should be managed as a whole with the highest degree of conservation protection. Discard the MA1s, MA2s, MA3s approach.
3. The EIR should thoroughly evaluate the environmental impacts of leaving so many - 95% - of the invasive trees in the natural areas.
4. The EIR should comprehensively evaluate the impacts of off-leash dog use on San Francisco Natural Areas and the fact that 90% of Dog Play Areas are in the natural areas.
5. On Page 8 of the NOP, it states, "Trails would be created in previously inaccessible areas, as opposed to improving social trails."
6. The EIR should evaluate 3 different management alternatives for Sharp Park, i.e., golf, less golf and no golf. No golf should be the maximum possible ecological restoration alternative for Sharp Park. The other 2 should still optimize ecological and endangered species management and restoration by presenting the golf course as the most ecologically-sustainable in California.In general, new areas should not be opened up for trail use. Hundreds of miles of social trails criss-cross the natural areas. These should be either improved, if appropriate or closed if appropriate, and the decisions should be based on a comprehensive approach to trail planning. Environmental impacts from trails should be thoroughly evaluated.
Recreation and Open Space Element (ROSE)
Information for Comments
Nature in the City, in collaboration with many other environmental organizations, has provided very detailed comments to the City's Planning Department on Objective 4 (Biodiversity) of the Recreation and Open Space Element (ROSE).
We like their latest title for Objective 4, and the policies have improved. We still think our proposal shows more coherence in terms of the order and the role of each of the five or six policies. They had received feedback about dropping one of the policies, which they did without replacing it, which we did. We have been working on this for a very long time, so we are very comfortable with continuing to advocate that they adopt the remainder of our suggestions.
The following are their draft policies for Objective 4 followed by ours, followed by an analysis in which we simplify the meanings of each policy to illustrate why we prefer our approach:
Planning
Policy 4.2 Preserve the unique and natural characteristics of existing open spaces through a coordinated management approach.
Policy 4.3 Protect and restore native habitat in natural areas.
Policy 4.4 Protect and restore wetlands and riparian areas.
Policy 4.1 Require the inclusion of environmentally-sustainable design principles into all open space construction, renovation and management/maintenance.
Policy 4.5 Develop public and agency and awareness of local biodiversity and natural habitats and ecology.
Nature in the City
Policy 4.1 Preserve all native and naturalistic habitats and natural areas.
Policy 4.2 Restore remnant natural ecosystems, native habitats, natural areas and watershed lands.
Policy 4.3 Protect and restore sensitive and special-status species, habitats, and natural resources.
Policy 4.4 Require the inclusion of environmentally sustainable design principles into all open space construction and renovation, in order to maximize native wildlife and plant habitat in developed and naturalistic areas.
Policy 4.5 Develop public and agency awareness and understanding of local biodiversity and natural habitats.
Policy 4.6 Improve the management and stewardship of San Francisco's natural environment by implementing a combined watershed and ecosystem approach, and foster local community ecological stewardship in cooperation with management agencies.
The 6 policies above represent, briefly:
Policy 4.1 Preservation and Acquisition
Policy 4.2 Protection and restoration of ecosystems, watersheds and natural areas
Policy 4.3 Conservation of (All) Sensitive Species and Habitats
Policy 4.4 Environmental Sustainability in all City Landscapes
Policy 4.5 Education, Awareness and Knowledge
Policy 4.6 Community Stewardship