IN THE NEWS
APRIL 2013
- San Francisco Bay Guardian carried an article “SH!T H@#PENED – The Battle of Mt Sutro.” It hasn’t shown up online, so we’re posting a photograph here (click on the pictures for a legible copy):
MARCH 2013
- West Portal Monthly published an article about the potential felling of thousands of trees on Mount Sutro if UCSF goes ahead with its plans, entitled ‘Sutro Forest: Beautiful, Unique, Endangered.’
Unfortunately, they are not online, so we are providing a photograph of a clipping. If you click on it, it should become legible.
- The Westside Observer published an article about UCSF’s plan for Mount Sutro Forest: http://www.westsideobserver.com/2012/MtDavidson.html (It also has an article on Mount Davidson).
MAY 2012
1. The Pacifica Patch published an opinion piece by Arnita Bowman about the planned felling of 15,000 trees in Sharp Park. The story is here: San Francisco to Cut 15,000-Plus Pacifica Trees.
2. The San Francisco Chronicle‘s CW Nevius carried an article about opposition to Mt Davidson tree-felling: Park Dept Plan to Remove Trees Irks Neighbors.
MARCH 2012
1. The West Portal Monthly published a follow-up article by Jacquie Proctor about the San Francisco Forest Alliance’s petition drive. Headlined “Neighbors mobilize to save Mt Davidson from the axe,” it ran on the front page. Unfortunately the newspaper isn’t available online; you can read the article here by double clicking on the picture below. (Or pick up a copy in the newsboxes at West Portal.)
Neighbors organize to save Mt Davidson from the axe
2. The Westside Observer carried an article entitled “Trouble on the Mountain – Fight Brews Over Future of Mt Davidson’s Forest.” CLICK HERE to read that article.
FEBRUARY 2012
1. The West Portal Monthly published an article by Jacquie Proctor about the NAP problem on Mt Davidson specifically and generally across the city:
Clear case of overkill at Mount Davidson Park
(Click on the thumbnail here for a readable scan of the article. Unfortunately, the WPM is not online at this time.)
2. The SF Examiner
This article looks at the “Creeks to Peaks” trail, and points out that the current plan destroys habitat in Glen Canyon – and it doesn’t need to. Janet Kessler of SF Forest Alliance is quoted.
Read the article here.
JANUARY 2012
Within the last month, three journals and a newsletter have covered the issue of the Natural Areas Program:
1. The Wall Street Journal
This article covered the controversy in some detail, with a beautiful photograph of Mount Davidson.
“San Francisco officials are nearing final approval of a Recreation and Park Department plan to remove more than 18,000 healthy but nonnative trees from wild areas across the city—and residents are organizing to block it.”
Read the article here.
2. The San Francisco Examiner
“Residents demanded in 1997 that The City do more to protect its natural landscape. But now more than a decade later, the release of the Natural Areas Management Plan has been met with skepticism.
“Critics are claiming the Recreation and Park Department has gone too far with plans to eliminate thousands of feet of trails, nearly 20 acres of dog parks and thousands of non-native trees — saying it would be better to do nothing at all.”
3. The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee ran an article about the Natural Areas Program plan to cut down 18,448 trees.
“An intense battle is building over a little-known plan to cut down thousands of eucalyptus and other trees in urban forests here and at a city-owned golf course in Pacifica,” it starts. “Both camps believe they know what’s best for some of San Francisco’s most stunning landscapes, including Mount Davidson, Mount Sutro and Glen Park Canyon.
“It’s a clash of environmental visions, with each camp maintaining that it’s right.”
The whole article is available here.
The article quotes several people, including SFFA President Eric Miller (President) and member Jacquie Proctor.
4. The Miraloma Park Improvement Association (MPIA)
A detailed and thorough article on Mount Davidson and the Draft Environmental Impact Report appeared in “Miraloma Life” – the newsletter of the MPIA. An excerpt:
… we noted that The Historic Resource Evaluation Response for the NAP confirms that the Mount Davidson forest area is a historic natural resource and potentially eligible for listing under the CA Register as an ethnographic landscape. The NAP project alternatives described in the DEIR would significantly negatively impact this historic natural area because
(1) the DEIR proposes that replacement trees can be planted anywhere in San Francisco, rather than in the Park in the location of trees removed;
(2) it specifies replacement of trees removed with oaks (which take a generation to grow) rather than faster growing historic forest species (e.g., cypress or pine); and
(3) it lacks any plan for replanting the remaining trees (i.e., those trees not subject to planned removal) as the existing historic species reach the end of their lifespan;
(4) it proposes removal of 3000 feet of trail on Mt. Davidson in order to protect native plants from people and dogs; and
(5) it does not address global warming concerns, which argue against large-scale destruction of mature healthy trees for whose oxygen content replanted seedlings cannot compensate.
