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Home January 2006 |
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Greenbelt Newswire
In this edition
Volunteer of the Month: Dave Schmidt For the past 13 years, Dave Schmidt has treated Greenbelt Outings participants to his vast knowledge of the Bay Area. As a writer, historian, and a longtime leader of Greenbelt Outings, Dave loves to share his deep appreciation for this region's natural areas. Though born and raised in the Bay Area, Dave learned about Greenbelt Alliance while living in Washington, D.C., researching local property campaigns around the nation. In 1993, after moving back to the Bay Area, Dave became a member and began volunteering as a Greenbelt Outings leader. Dave's life is dedicated to local environmental issues. He works for
the Environmental Protection Agency as a writer and editor for the Pacific
Southwest Region. Dave is also writing a book on the eco-history of the
Bay Area from the 18th century to the present. Thank you, Dave, for many years of imparting great knowledge and good
fun!
Alert: Sonoma County Draft General Plan Released On January 17th, the Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Sonoma County General Plan was finally released. The General Plan acts as the blueprint for the county's growth through 2020. The Environmental Impact Report details the effects of the policies in the General Plan, which the Board of Supervisors will be voting on over the next several months. The General Plan is the most important planning document in the County. It is important to update it in a way that strengthens protections for natural areas and working farms, while encouraging city-centered growth. Greenbelt Alliance is encouraging the community to get involved in the hearings on the plan, especially on greenbelt issues like community separators, agricultural processing, and wastewater management. To get involved, or to learn more about the schedule of hearings, contact
Daisy Pistey-Lyhne, Sonoma-Marin
Field Representative.
Action Alert: Sustainability and Farmland Protection in Coyote Valley This month, the policy research organization, Redefining Progress, released an analysis of planned development in San Jose's Coyote Valley, comparing Greenbelt Alliance's vision with the City's plan. The analysis, called Setting the Standard in Coyote Valley, finds that on each of six quantitative measures, Greenbelt Alliance's smart growth vision Getting It Right is more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable than the city's Specific Plan. On Tuesday, January 31st, the City Council will be considering an agricultural mitigation policy, to protect one acre of farmland for every acre developed. Contact the City Council, to encourage them to support the agricultural mitigation policy, and urge them to develop a mitigation policy for the hillsides surrounding the valley. Or attend the meeting and speak up! When: Tuesday January 31st, 1:30 pm Contact Michele Beasley,
South Bay Field Representative, for more information.
Announcement: New Air Pollution Fee on Central Valley Sprawl Last month, a Central Valley air quality agency became the first in the nation to impose a fee for air pollution caused by sprawl development. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's new rule will go into effect March 1st, 2006. The new rule encourages developers to reduce impacts on air quality; the more they do, the lower the fees. Developers can reduce air quality impacts by increasing housing density, putting homes and stores closer together, using more pedestrian-friendly design, and including affordable housing. All of these measures help to reduce driving, and so reduce air pollution. The fees will fund clean-air projects, like subsidizing public transit and bike lanes. The San Joaquin Valley is now on par with Los Angeles for having the worst air quality in the entire country. It violates state and federal standards and leads to the highest rates of asthma in California. This new policy is a big first step toward better land use and better air quality in the sprawl- and smog-plagued Central Valley--and it's something the Bay Area can learn from.
Event: Go Greenbelt! Bay Area Bike Tour April 23-29 Explore the greenbelt by bike! Join us for the 17th annual Go Greenbelt! Bay Area bike tour, April 23-29, 2006. Raise funds and awareness to protect the greenbelt you ride through! See the Bay Area in a whole new way, as you wind your way through some of the region's most scenic back roads during the peak of wildflower season. The ride begins in San Francisco and heads south along Skyline Ridge to Los Gatos. Over the next six days, the riders pedal over the rolling hills of the South Bay, up Mount Hamilton to Livermore, across the Delta to Fairfield, then through wine country in Napa, and finally down the beautiful Sonoma and Marin coast back to San Francisco. The ride is limited to 70 people, and spots are going fast, so register today!
Sat Jan 28: Chasing Cataract Falls Become a Member or Renew Your Membership Support our work to protect the Bay Area's open space and make our cities better places to live. Click here to join or renew, or click here to join our Greenbelt Guardian monthly donor club. Questions? Contact Melissa Wright at 415-543-6771 or mwright@greenbelt.org.
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