Stanford recently received a $43.5 million donation that is expected to be used primarily to house law school students. The university had previously announced plans to build a 500,000 square-foot dormitory near the law school. Generally, building on-campus housing is a good thing that reduces Stanford’s environmental impact. However, CGF will also have to watch...
Author: Staff
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Agricultural preservation versus agricultural mitigation
In Santa Clara County, one increasingly hears the argument that “farming is doomed.” Farmers have told CGF that it isn’t just a matter of them wanting to make windfall profits by selling to developers, but that they can’t make any profits at all being farmers in the County. While this is likely an exaggeration, there...
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Environmental cemeteries
CGF’s Executive Director Tom Cronin pointed out another interesting article in Bay Area news: an environmental cemetery in Marin County. The cemetery will come with a permanent conservation easement with guaranteed public access and trails, it will sell “internment rights” on 5% of the land, and it uses the funding to protect the environment through...
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It’s here….
West Nile virus, that is. A dead crow in East San Jose has been diagnosed with the disease. This exotic disease may force some unfortunate changes in wetlands management. Environmental groups will have to watch government agencies to make sure they do not cross the line separating reasonable caution in conducting mosquito abatement, from paranoia that...
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Tiger Salamanders finally get protection
The Fish and Wildlife Service has apparently decided to finally grant protection under the Endangered Species Act to California Tiger Salamanders throughout their range. While the government missed its promised May 15 deadline, it at least decided to go ahead with the listing, contrary to the wishes of developers. The timing is also fortuitous for...
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Sprawl comes home to roost in Gilroy
For years, the City of Gilroy has had an unfortunate obsession with promoting “big-box” retailing, placing massive discount outlets near the outskirts of town in order to attract retail customers from around the Bay Area. Besides using up open space and destroying farmland in the last stronghold for agriculture in Santa Clara County, this policy...
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Metro Weekly corrects the Mercury News
A good article about Coyote Valley was in last week’s Metro Weekly: “Coyote Ugly – Why is the ‘Mercury News’ calling the city’s vision for Coyote Valley sustainable when it isn’t?” The Metro points out that 25,000 homes will not satisfy the demand created by the massive industrial development in Coyote Valley. Neither the City...
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Otters recovering, but still in danger
Some good news about California sea otters: “After a long, frightening decline, a new survey shows that the number of California sea otters living along the coast has increased sharply for the second straight year.” (Mercury News, registration required for viewing.) Before that long, frightening decline, the otters had been steadily progressing towards recovery, and...