Mountain View Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan - Comments

May 24, 2026

Re: Item 7.1: Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan

Dear Mayor Ramos and Mountain View Councilmembers,

On behalf of GreenSpacesMV, Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter and Mountain View residents, thank you for the thoughtful work reflected in the Draft Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan and for recognizing biodiversity and the urban forest as core goals of Mountain View’s parks system.

Many of us participated in the public process for this Plan from the beginning. We attended meetings, submitted comments, worked collaboratively, and encouraged community participation throughout the process. At the same time, we advocated for the City’s emerging Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan, which is moving forward concurrently.

We especially appreciate that, following the recent City study session, the draft Plan now explicitly elevates biodiversity and the urban forest as central goals of the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. This is an important and forward-looking shift in how parks are viewed in Mountain View.

The draft Plan includes one of the strongest recognitions yet that biodiversity should be integrated into all parks large and small. In particular, we strongly support the concept of “Biodiversity Anchors” throughout the park system. The recognition that even mini parks can contribute meaningfully to habitat, ecological function, urban cooling, environmental education, and climate resilience through pollinator gardens, small groves of trees, bioswales, and native and habitat-supportive plantings is a major step forward.

We also appreciate the Plan’s broader integration of biodiversity into park design, including emphasis on tree canopy, habitat value, climate resilience, stormwater benefits, and ecological health as core components of the parks system. Equally important is the recognition that access to nature and biodiversity is an equity issue, with stronger focus on underserved neighborhoods and walkable, bikeable access to parks and natural elements.

At the same time, we encourage the City to continue strengthening the Plan as implementation moves forward. In particular, we encourage the City to prioritize locally native plants wherever feasible. While the draft appropriately emphasizes California native and regionally native species, we remain concerned about the use of the term “near-native.” The current definition, “species that are native to a nearby region, such as broader California, the western U.S., or North America generally”, is overly broad and potentially misleading. The term blurs the distinction between locally adapted native vegetation and non-native species that often provide lower ecological value for local food webs, pollinators, and wildlife. The use of this term also creates an unfortunate precedent for other jurisdictions and plans by implying that broad categories of non-local species are ecologically equivalent to locally native vegetation.

Therefore, we respectfully request that this term be removed from both the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan and the upcoming Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan prior to adoption.

We further encourage the City to strengthen plan language so that locally native species are not only prioritized, but clearly established as the default planting approach wherever feasible. We also encourage continued coordination with the upcoming Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan, along with strong transparency, reporting, monitoring, and adaptive management to ensure that biodiversity goals translate into measurable on-the-ground outcomes over time.

Thank you again for advancing a more ecological, climate-resilient, and equitable vision for Mountain View’s parks system.

Sincerely,

Silja Paymer, President
Tracy Ferea, Ph.D., Vice president
GreenSpacesMV

Shani Kleinhaus, Ph.D., Environmental Advocate
Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance

Bruce England

Judy Fenerty, Conservation Chair
California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Gita Dev, Conservation Chair
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter

Mountain View Parks Plan Embraces Biodiversity in All Parks

Sora: Luis Villablanca

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Mountain View’s Draft Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan will go before the City Council for consideration on May 26. The draft Parks Plan includes one of the strongest recognitions yet that biodiversity should be integrated into all parks - large and small.

SCVBA participated in the public process for this Parks Plan from the start. We attended meetings, submitted comments, worked with other community groups such as GreenSpacesMV, and alerted our members to opportunities to participate. At the same time, we advocated for the City’s Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan, which is moving forward concurrently.

During a recent City study session, we urged the City to elevate biodiversity and the urban forest as core goals of the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. The resulting draft Plan now recognizes biodiversity and the urban forest as central goals of Mountain View’s parks system.

A particularly exciting concept is the inclusion of “Biodiversity Anchors” throughout the park system. The draft Plan recognizes that even mini parks can contribute to habitat, ecological function, cooling, and environmental education through features such as pollinator gardens, small groves of trees, bioswales, and California native, regional native plantings.

The draft Plan also thoughtfully integrates biodiversity into park design more broadly, emphasizing trees, habitat, native plantings, climate resilience, stormwater benefits, and ecological health as core parts of the parks system. It further links the parks system to the City’s emerging Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan, which is expected to come forward soon.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

This represents a major shift in how parks are viewed in Mountain View. Instead of treating biodiversity as something limited to Shoreline, the draft Plan recognizes that every neighborhood park, mini park, trail corridor, and public space can help support pollinators, birds, urban canopy, cooling, and ecological resilience.

The draft Plan also recognizes that access to nature and biodiversity is an equity issue, with stronger focus on underserved neighborhoods and walkable access to parks and natural elements.

At the same time, there is still room to strengthen the Plan. While the draft appropriately emphasizes California native and regional native species, community members may wish to encourage the City to prioritize locally native plants wherever feasible, while using “near-native” species more cautiously and selectively. The term “near-native” itself can be problematic and misleading, as it may blur the distinction between locally adapted native vegetation and non-native species that provide lower ecological value for local food webs and wildlife.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Email Mountain View City Council before the May 26 meeting at city.council@mountainview.gov

Thank Mountain View Mayor Ramos, Council members, City staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission for advancing an ecological and equitable vision for Mountain View’s parks system. Encourage support for:

• Biodiversity integration in all parks - large and small

• Biodiversity Anchors in mini and neighborhood parks

• Expanded tree canopy and habitat features

• Stronger native planting commitments - prioritize locally native plants wherever feasible, and avoid the term "Near-naive”

• Equitable access to nature across all neighborhoods

• Continued coordination with the upcoming Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan

• Transparency, reporting and adaptive management.

Palo Alto Adopts Bird-Friendly Design Ordinance

Sora chick: Teresa Cheng

Palo Alto has adopted a bird-friendly design ordinance - an important step toward reducing bird collisions and better aligning development with the natural environment.

This is the culmination of a long effort for our community. At the hearing, nearly all members of the Environmental Advisory Commission were present, and several ceded time to allow for detailed presentations from advocates, including our Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance Shani Kleinhaus and Sierra Club’s advocate Dashiel Leeds. The outcome reflects both the strength of science and the community’s commitment to protecting birds. This is also a meaningful win for Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance advocacy.

Importantly, the ordinance is designed to work alongside new housing. It applies to new construction, major remodels, and window replacement, with stronger requirements for areas in the foothills and the baylands, and stronger requirements for non-residential structures. It provides flexibility for residential buildings, where structures under 35 feet are exempt. Above 35 feet, up to 40% of glazing may remain untreated. Glass treatment is also required near features that attract birds, such as green roofs. In practice, most residential buildings already fall within these limits, meaning the standard reflects typical design rather than constraining housing.

Bird populations across North America are in decline, with losses accelerating in recent decades, and bird-window collisions are recognized as a significant and preventable contributor to this trend. The need for this ordinance is well established. Bird-window collisions are one of the leading human-caused sources of bird mortality in North America, supported by decades of international, national, and local research, and proven design measures can significantly reduce these impacts. While there was some opposition, including claims that insufficient local data exists, the scientific record is clear and extensive. This ordinance brings Palo Alto in line with best practices and reflects a growing recognition that bird-safe design is both feasible and necessary.

We thank the Palo Alto City Council for advancing this effort, and appreciate the leadership of Councilmembers Keith Reckdahl, Pat Burt, Ed Lauing, Vice Mayor Greer Stone, and Mayor Veenker in supporting protections for birds and biodiversity in our community.

This is a meaningful step toward a built environment that is safer for birds and more responsive to the ecological values we share. With the recent adoption of a dark sky ordinance, Palo Alto is now among a select group of cities leading the way in protecting birds in the urban environment.

Mountain View centers nature and biodiversity in parks planning

Encouraged by SCVBA, GreenSpacesMV, and the Sierra Club, the Mountain View City Council took important steps to place nature, biodiversity, and everyday access to green space at the core of its Parks & Recreation Strategic Plan. Community input emphasized that trees, pollinator habitat, shade, and unprogrammed green space are essential park features, not optional add-ons.

Council responded. Members supported reframing the vision to “put nature first,” and in a 6 to 1 vote elevated biodiversity, including natural parks, to a standalone goal. Council also directed staff to revisit how trails are counted to ensure equity and to re-examine privately owned open spaces (POPAs) so they do not substitute for meaningful public parks. The discussion also highlighted the need to integrate nature into everyday park management, not just major capital projects.

The revised draft reflects these improvements. Biodiversity and natural parks are now clearly elevated, and natural elements are better recognized as core park amenities.

What comes next: Implementation.

This includes taking every opportunity, large and small, to enhance habitat, increase native planting, and expand tree canopy across the park system. These improvements should occur not only through major projects but also through routine upgrades and maintenance.

Recent City-led projects show why follow-through matters. At the planned police and fire headquarters, the City proposes removing 76 trees, including 42 heritage trees, with limited native replacement . The Parks and Recreation Commission pushed back, citing insufficient canopy and lack of native planting, and called for a revised plan.

City projects should set the standard. We hope future projects fully reflect the strengthened direction of the Strategic Plan and consistently deliver on its commitments to biodiversity, canopy, and habitat.