Action Alert

Planting Trees in Cupertino?

YES Please, but also think about birds and butterflies!

What is happening

On November 16th, Cupertino City Council will be holding a study session on the updated Climate Action Plan Measures and Actions. One of the goals is to double the urban tree canopy by 2030 (an addition of 24,000 trees!). We are very supportive of this Tree Canopy goal, but believe that 80% of the trees should be native trees! This is critical if we wish to mitigate the synergistic forces of climate change and loss of biodiversity globally and locally.

Nature Based Solutions are critical to our future, and trees are important to our health and our quality of life. But trees can also support biodiversity, especially if they are native to our region. . myriads of local insect and bird species. Our beautiful months, butterflies and birds depend on restoration of native forests and habitats. We can create a win-win solution, where people and nature benefit from the plantings of oaks, sycamores, and other locally native trees.

Hoesung Lee, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recently said "Climate change and biodiversity loss combine to threaten society -- often magnifying and accelerating each other". The UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity reminds us: “We cannot address climate change & biodiversity loss in isolation. These twin threats are profoundly interconnected and must be addressed together!”

What you can do

  1. Help protect biodiversity in our community and take action on this issue! Email City Council (citycouncil@cupertino.org) before November 16th or speak at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 16th via Zoom! We expect this item to be discussed around 6:00pm. The previous agenda item, the Housing Element Study Session, starts at 5:15pm and may end before 6:00pm, so if you are able to arrive before 6:00pm, please do!

  2. Please fill out Cupertino’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 survey! Please make sure to respond to Questions 17-20 by asking the City to plant California native trees, shrubs and grasses to support biodiversity, including butterflies and birds.

See a sample email below:

Send to: citycouncil@cupertino.org

Subject: November 16th Agenda Item: CAP

Dear Mayor Paul and Council Members,

My name is _____ and I am a resident/community member of Cupertino. I appreciate the City’s work on updating our Climate Action Plan, especially for including a Tree Canopy Goal. We support the goal of planting 24,000 trees in Cupertino within the CAP Measures and Actions and ask that 80% of the planted trees and shrubs should be native to California. This will be a critical step forward in addressing the synergistic and devastating impacts of climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Hoesung Lee, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recently pointed out that the new IPCC report was an "important step" in the collaboration between scientific fields focusing on climate and those focused on biodiversity, stating "Climate change and biodiversity loss combine to threaten society -- often magnifying and accelerating each other". More trees also help people: improved moods and mental health, reduce impact of extreme heat, and increase quality of life!

The importance of cities in providing habitat for wildlife, especially for birds and beneficial insects, has been widely recognized. Cities around the globe are encouraged to adopt biodiversity and “rewilding” priorities to address our global biodiversity crisis. For these reasons we are asking the CAP Measures to include 80% native trees within the Tree Canopy Goal.


Thank you,


Your Name

Action Alert: Protect Coyote Valley!

North Coyote Valley Conservation Area

New (Old) Threats to Coyote Valley (Yup - we need your help again…)
Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in Coyote Valley. The valley is an important bird migration stopover, a treasured open space. One day, we hope to see wetlands and agricultural landscapes regenerate the rich habitats for birds and wildlife of the valley. Yet once again, development of vast warehouses is threatening this precious region!
We need your help to email the San Jose City Council and ask them to finally protect Coyote Valley by approving the staff recommendations on Coyote Valley General Plan Amendments. The decision is expected to be considered by the San Jose City Council on November 16.

Sample Email:

Send to:


Subject: November 16th Agenda: Please Protect Coyote Valley!


Dear Mayor Liccardo and Council Members,


My name is ___ and I am a resident/community member of San Jose. Coyote Valley is a treasure to our community. It is important to keep the Valleys agricultural landscapes and open space and allow the valley to protect our heritage, our hydrology, and the 200 species of birds that have been seen there. To keep San Jose resilient and thriving, please protect Coyote Valley!


Please approve the staff recommendations on the Coyote Valley General Plan Amendments to change the land use designations in North Coyote Valley from industrial development to open space and agriculture.


Thank you,


(your name)


Thank you,

Giulianna Pendleton

Environmental Advocacy Assistant

October Conservation Corner

Cupertino Canopy by Matthew Dodder

Palo Alto Tree Protection Ordinance

The Palo Alto City Council moved forward a community-led Tree Protection Ordinance initiative, which will protect native and ordinary trees and promote planting native trees, especially oaks. This Tree Protection Ordinance is the most direct implementation opportunity for the city’s Urban Forest Master Plan. If approved next spring, it will improve biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and quality of life in Palo Alto. Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative - we will keep you informed as the new ordinance moves through the public process.

Cupertino Climate Action Plan 2.0

The commissioners at this month’s Cupertino Sustainability Commission voted unanimously to recommend Climate Action Plan update measures to the City Council. We were pleased with the robust discussion to ensure biodiversity will be a part of the actionable items, specifically when increasing tree canopy. City Council will be hearing these recommendations at a study session on November 16th and planning for an Urban Forest Management Plan could begin in the near future. This is a critical step forward in blending climate resilience and biodiversity protection!

Nyland Property in San Juan Bautista Permanently Protected for Grazing and Open Space

In 2018, SCVAS supported the San Benito Agricultural Land Trust’s request for Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation funds to support the acquisition of Nyland Ranch, near San Juan Bautista. We are pleased to report that the 540-acre ranch has been acquired and will be preserved for open space, grazing and wildlife. Nyland Ranch provides landscape level connectivity and is considered a high-level linkage priority between the Gabilans and the Santa Cruz Mountains, and includes 70 acres of fenced oak woodland and 29 acres of riparian habitats and wetlands, including freshwater ponds.

Action Alert: Calling all Palo Alto Residents and Community Members!

Townsend's Warbler by Tom Grey

Townsend's Warbler by Tom Grey

On Monday evening, the Palo Alto City Council will consider a new Tree Protection Ordinance.

Join us and speak at the Palo Alto City Council Zoom meeting this Monday 10/18 after 7:00pm (Agenda Item 13) , or email City Council, to show your support for the Tree Protection Ordinance as recommended by the Policy and Services Committee, and ask Council to ensure the ordinance achieves Goal 2 of the Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan, “Re-generated native woodland and riparian landscapes as the key ecological basis of the urban forest with focus on native species and habitat.”

The proposed ordinance would address tree protection and replacement for both private and public land, which is critical for tree canopy as well as for birds and nature. We are asking Council to include a list of acceptable replacement tree species, primarily native trees, that support biodiversity and prevent an influx of non-native trees. Visit Bay Nature to learn more about the importance of rewilding our cities and protecting our trees.

For a sample public comment, see below:

Hello Mayor DuBois and Palo Alto Council Members,

My name is Blank and I am a Palo Alto resident/community member.

Development pressures and drought conditions in the region have resulted in the loss of trees and canopy, with an associated toll on the myriad health, wellness, habitat, climate and air quality benefits that trees and canopy provide.

I support the Tree Protection Ordinance as recommended by the Policy and Services Committee, and ask Council to improve these recommendations by providing a list of acceptable replacement tree species, primarily native trees, that support biodiversity and prevent an influx of non-native trees.

This will help Palo Alto achieve Goal 2 of the Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan, “Re-generated native woodland and riparian landscapes as the key ecological basis of the urban forest with focus on native species and habitat”.

Over time, this mitigation framework should allow Palo Alto to lead the region in rewilding the city, to regenerate an ecologically resilient community, and to support birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and other wildlife.

This approach should also help advance and implement the Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (Natural Environment Element), the Urban Forest Master Plan, and the City’s Climate Action Plan.

Thank you for your consideration and for taking a step forward to protect our trees and canopy.

Additional Details:
Zoom Link to join City Council Meeting and Give Public Comment
Agenda: see Item 13

Thank you and we hope to see you there!