News
Proposition A passed with flying colors February 5, with 71.6 %! Prop A is the first bond in the City's 10-year capital plan to upgrade San Francisco's declining physical facilities and give $5 million to natural areas and trail restoration!
Congratulations to the Yes on A team, and a big thanks to everyone who voted for the proposition. Stay tuned to the Nature in the City newsletter for updates and action alerts.
Peter Brastow on Biodiversity on 91.7 FM
On Tuesday, February 12, Nature in the City's own Peter Brastow along with Stuart Pimm, Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University, and Dr. Healy Hamilton, Director of the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information at California Academy of Sciences, discussed the crisis of biodiversity and species extinction in San Francisco, the Bay Area and on planet Earth.
To hear the broadcast, go to KALW's website.
Response to Tennessee Hollow Comments
In early 2008, the Presidio Trust completed the Environmental Assessment for the Tennessee Hollow Upper Watershed Revitalization Project. A summary of the public input and the Trust's responses can be found in the Response to Public Comment and Final Finding of No Significant Impact Report.
The detailed report documents comments and responses about cultural and environmental impacts on public parking changes, artificial turf, playground relocation, invasive plant removal, endangered species and water quality to name a few.
SF Natural Areas, the new website made by volunteers for volunteers is an important, new portal linking people to San Francisco's natural areas. You can upload photos, blog and manage events at local natural areas.
Declining Salmon Populations
(Salmon Protection and Watershed Network)
The spawning season for endangered coho salmon of Marin is the worst recorded in 12 years, causing high levels of concern by biologists who have been working to monitor and restore the endangered populations following a decade of stable or slightly increasing spawning numbers. Marin's Lagunitas Watershed, located just 25 miles from downtown San Francisco, and one of the Bay Area's most beloved salmon runs, boasts the largest remaining population of coho salmon left in Central California and upwards of 20% of the State's total. Coho have already gone extinct in 90 percent of California streams that once supported this species...
This year's results include:
* The small tributaries of the San Geronimo Valley (undammed headwaters of the Lagunitas Watershed) spawning numbers were down 93% with 121 redds recorded three years ago compared to only 9 this year.
* In the Redwood Creek Watershed in Muir Woods National Monument, no coho returned this year, versus 93 redds recorded three years ago. Concerns have been raised about possible oil spill impacts on this run.
* In Olema Creek, which runs through Pt Reyes National Seashore lands, numbers were down 82% with 25 redds this year compared to 139 three years ago.
* In the Lagunitas/Devil's Gulch/San Geronimo Creek Watersheds as a whole, populations have dropped 70% (from 493 just three years ago to 148 this year), compared to when this year's fish's parents returned to spawn and die.
Go to SPAWN's website to read the full article.
71,000 Square Foot Building
Proposed on Mt. Sutro
These comments were forwarded to us from Mt. Sutro Steward leader, Craig Dawson:
UCSF is in the process of constructing a 71,000 square foot building on the Parnassus Campus. This will be the Institute for Regeneration Medicine, also known as the Stem Cell Research building. THE BUILDING PLANS AND SITE CONFIGURATION HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE PUBLIC WAS SHOWN THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN. If you were already aware of the project please take another look.
A meeting was held for the public where the new plans were unveiled February 5th. With only two weeks notice and the fact that the meeting was scheduled on election day, there were only four community members present to learn the new project details.
While the building is on the "Fast Track" it is due to funding considerations and should not be construed as a sneaky attempt to limit the public's comment. UCSF had three meetings on this project, including a focus group meeting with key stakeholders and two public meetings.This building will be constructed behind and well up the hill from the current campus buildings on Medical Center Way. It will be visible from the Inner Sunset, Golden Gate Park and the Richmond Districts and will contain labs with "stacks" for ventilation. And though the building plans have changed since the preliminary design was unveiled last year, the new plan does appear more functional, though longer, and one which will potentially create less impact and disturbance to the site.
If you have concerns, please download the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration. It contains all the details and specifics on the project.
Please respond directly to UCSF with your comments. The window for public comment closes on MARCH 3, 2008.
Contact person and phone number:
UCSF Campus Planning
3333 California Street, Suite 11
San Francisco, CA 94143-0286
Attention: Michelle Schaefer, Environmental Coordinator
(415) 476-2911
email: EIR@planning.ucsf.edu
Volunteer Opportunities
For more information, contact info, and
directions to natural areas go to the
Community Calendar on the Nature in the City website.
Wednesday February 13
Presidio Park Stewards
CNPS at McLaren Park
Presidio Nursery
Thursday February 14
Crissy Field Landscape
Lands End Stewardship
Friday February 15
Presidio Plant Patrol
Saturday February 16
Presidio Park Stewards
Friends of Glen Canyon
Fort Funston Nursery
Friends of Shields/Orizaba Rocky Outcrop
Friends of Brooks Park
Land's End Stewards
Presidio Nursery
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News Species of Mammal Discovered
(BBC News)
The bizarre-looking creature, dubbed Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, is a type of giant elephant shrew, or sengi.
The cat-sized animal, which is reported in the Journal of Zoology, looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small anteater.
This is one of the most exciting discoveries of my career," said Galen Rathbun, from the California Academy of Sciences, who helped to confirm the animal was new to science along with an international team of colleagues. For the full story, go to BBC News.