Dear friends and advocates,
Just ten minutes of your time can have an impact across the Bay. Take a moment to speak up for the birds and nature that make our Bay Area such a unique place to live.
Threat to the Bay: Just 2 minutes of your time
One of the single largest opportunities to protect and restore San Francisco Bay wetlands and wildlife in the south San Francisco Bay is at risk of being lost forever. The City of Newark approved a plan that would pave over hundreds of acres of open space directly adjacent to the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Our friends at the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge are urging the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) to exercise their full regulatory authority to protect the “Newark Area 4” baylands before it is too late. To learn more and sign a petition, see here.
Opportunity in Palo Alto: Just 2 minutes of your time
Priority Setting: Deadline January 28
Each year, the Palo Alto City Council reviews its priorities for the year ahead at its annual Council Retreat. The City has been working on housing, sustainability and mobility among other priorities, and we can expect racial equity and Covid-related priorities to be added, but let us remind the council not to leave birds and nature behind. Let’s ask Palo Alto to prioritize Nature and Biodiversity in the City with focus on Bird-Friendly design, Dark Sky, native plantings in parks and the urban forest, restoring habitat, and management of open space in ways that take care of birds and wildlife. You can take the (very short) City Survey here.
Since this is not one of the priorities on the menu, you may add a comment and ask Palo Alto to prioritize Nature and Biodiversity. You can see Shani Kleinhaus' response among many responses here.
New Community Effort in Mountain View: Just 1 minute of your time
A new community group - GreenSpacesMV - has formed in Mountain View. The group advocates for a healthy community thriving with urban tree canopy, nature and native biodiversity. Interested Mountain View residents please contact shani@scvas.org or follow the group on Facebook.
The Newts of Alma Bridge Road: Just a moment of your time
A new website, and please thank the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District for caring.
The Newt Patrol has a new website to document and inform the public about the unparalleled mortality of Pacific Newts on Alma Bridge Road by Lexington Reservoir.
This mortality influenced the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, who earlier this month voted to delay the development of a parking area and trail access at the Beatty property on Alma Bridge Road until after a study of newt mortality is complete. Please use this form to select 'All Board Members' and thank Directors Karen Holman, Yoriko Kishimoto, Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, Larry Hassett, Jed Cyr, Curt Riffle, and Pete Siemens for voting to wait until studies are completed prior to making decisions that could potentially lead to increased newt mortality.
Thank you for your activism in your community,
Shani Kleinhaus
Environmental Advocate
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society