Thanks for Another Great Year!

Thanks to you and our members we’re celebrating another great year of local open space protection. It’s only because of our community that we’re able to speak up for local nature. 2015 was no different. From the San Mateo County Coast, the the Peninsula Foothills, to Santa Clara Valley’s farmlands, thanks to the support from people like you, we celebrated many victories this past year. Some of the most notable were:

• San Jose prioritized creating a strong ordinance to protect creeks from development taking place too close to their banks.
• We successfully worked out a compromise to reduce the impact of 10-year controversial ‘Big Wave’ project.
• As a result of our appeal, the California Coastal Commission required protection of agricultural lands and a public access trail along the former Ocean Shore Railroad right-of-way, and limited development to only one house.
• We successfully got Santa Clara County to adopt our recommended list of mitigations to avoid harm to native plants and wildlife with their solar panel project on county lands.

But, as you know, our work is never done. It often takes our advocates years, even decades, to achieve our most meaningful wins. With your ongoing support in 2016, we will speak up for:

• Open space, farmland, and important habitat in Half Moon Bay. Legislative Advocate Lennie Roberts will continue to mobilize residents and work to ensure the city’s general plan and Local Coastal Program update protect these important areas.
• Local creeks. Legislative Advocate Alice Kaufman will continue working with community advocates and elected officials in order to achieve real protections for creeks, their habitat, and the wildlife that depend on them for survival.
• The baylands. We’ll be working with our allies to support restoration projects and protect wildlife along the Bay in order to protect local habitats and communities against sea level rise.
• Farmland and open space in southern Santa Clara County. Legislative Advocate Julie Hutcheson will continue to be the champion for stopping unnecessary sprawl on our region’s last remaining agricultural lands.
• Parks and urban green spaces. Legislative Advocate Alice Kaufman will continue to advocate for policies and plans that ensure all people have access to nearby parks and nature.
• New and more effective community leaders. In this year’s 9-month Community Advocates Leadership Academy, we will train dozens of people from all walks of life to be more effective champions for good land use planning.

Thanks again for another year of real victories for local nature! You make our work possible.