Table of Contents:

Climate Action Leadership Team (CALT)

Coastal Issues Committee

Forest Protection Committee (FPC)

Open Space Committee

Soils Committee

Sustainable Land Use Committee (SLU)

Transporation Committee

Water Committee

Wildlife Committee

Climate Action Leadership Team (CALT)

              For half a decade, the Climate Action Leadership Team has worked to establish and support Community Choice Energy (CCE, also known as Community Choice Aggregation, CCA) organizations. CCAs are local, non-profit, public agencies that aggregate the buying power of their customers to purchase energy from renewable sources. These efforts started as early as 2014, and continue today.

              The Climate Action Leadership Team fought hard to establish Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), a CCA in San Mateo County, and San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE), a CCA in the City of San Jose. This involved a lot of discussions with elected officials, written letters, public comments, and community organizing. Now that both PCE and SJCE are established, the Climate Action Leadership Team has transitioned into a supporting role. Team members have helped to spread awareness of CCAs in their communities through Loma Prieta Chapter publications and events. The Team has also opposed statewide legislation that seeks to attack CCAs.

              In 2018 the Climate Action Leadership team worked with CCAs, environmental organizations, and community activists in support of Reach Codes, which are local ordinances that “reach” beyond the California statewide building energy efficiency standards (Title 24). Reach Codes encourage or require new construction to be all-electric, which reduces construction costs, improves community health, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The Team has engaged in Reach Code advocacy in a variety of city and county governments in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Their work in 2018 has helped lay the groundwork for a variety of advocacy victories in 2019. As of September 2019, over 50 city and county governments have begun working on Reach Codes! The Climate Action Leadership Team will continue to stay engaged in decarbonizing and electrifying our cities and counties.

              The Climate Action Leadership team supports a variety of decarbonization and electrification strategies. This includes the electrification of our day to day activities, such as not using gasoline powered landscaping equipment, and using CCA discounts for the purchase electric vehicles. Of special interest to the Team is protecting baylands, which provide a multitude of climate, community, and ecological benefits.

              In 2018, Team members advocated with the County of San Mateo in support of a Declaration of a Climate Emergency. On September 17, 2019, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors officially adopted a resolution declaring a climate emergency. This occurred on the same day that the City of San Jose declared a climate emergency, and shortly followed Santa Clara County, who declared a climate emergency on September 10th. The Climate Action Leadership Team members have supported and continue to similar climate emergency declarations in other city and county governments.

              Going forward, the Climate Action Leadership Team remains committed to taking strong local, regional, and statewide action on climate change!

Coastal Issues Committee

              The Coastal Issues Committee advocates for the responsible stewardship of coastal resources, ranging from sustainable land use practices to the protection of endangered species. Of critical importance to the Committee are coastal wetlands. The Committee regularly engages in advocacy through community organizing and letter writing, acting to ensure that ecosystems are protected and that environmental laws such as the California Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are adhered to. These efforts are done in partnership with various Sierra Club entities and other environmental groups.

The Coastal Issues Committee has been actively involved in local planning efforts such as the Half Moon Bay Local Coastal Program Update. The Coastal Issues Committee has provided comments on this plan for a period of over five years.

Protected the Peninsula Watershed

              A major victory for the Coastal Issues Committee was the protection of the Peninsula Watershed, a vital water supply for the Crystal Springs, San Andreas, and Pilarcitos Reservoirs. The Watershed is managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), who in early 2018 was considering opening up remote areas of the Peninsula Watershed to unrestricted access. Such an action would have caused inevitable damage. The existing service roads and trails are unfenced, which would make trespassing into protected areas likely. Conversely, if fencing were to be constructed, it would interrupt existing wildlife migration corridors. The Coastal Issues Committee, in partnership with other environmental groups, advocated for the expansion of an existing docent program as a solution. In this program, volunteer guides lead controlled outings into the Watershed. Docent programs promote education of and access to nature, while protecting those delicate ecosystems. The Committee successfully convinced the SFPUC to retain and expand the docent system, including the Fifield-Cahill Ridge and other interconnecting service roads and trails.

Negotiated an Agreement to Protect Endangered Species in Quiroste Valley

              The Coastal Issues Committee appealed a San Mateo County Permit regarding the removal of 10,000 Douglas Fir Trees and 50 acres of Coyote Brush from Quiroste Valley. Ultimately the Coastal Committee negotiated an agreement with State Parks that would require them to submit a 5-year status review of the protected species potentially affected, including two endangered species: the San Francisco Garter Snake and the California Red-Legged Frog.

Took Legal Action to Ensure the 5-Year Status Review of the Endangered San Francisco Garter Snake

              The endangered San Francisco Garter Snake was the subject of another successful Coastal Issues Committee effort in 2018, this time involving the US Fish and Wildlife Service. When it became clear that the legally mandated 5-year review of the San Francisco Garter Snake had not been conducted since September 2006, the Committee took action. They retained the services of Attorney Brian Gaffney, and with the support of Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, issued a 60-day notice of intent to file suit against the US Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to conduct the review. After a series of legal steps, the US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated the 5-year review on July 26, 2019.

Forest Protection Committee (FPC)

The Forest Protection Committee seeks to preserve our forest ecosystems. Members engage and educate community members, meet with local legislators, and participate in political and legislative processes.

The Forest Protection Committee has long been involved in local and statewide efforts to ban clear cutting. Currently, there are 13 resolutions calling for a ban on clear cutting in place. Members researched clear-cutting issues and PG&E practices in preparation for their meetings at the offices of State Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, and State Senator Jerry Hill.

In November 2018, the Forest Protection Committee hosted a presentation by Susan Robinson, the Sierra Club California Forest Committee Chair and the Ebberts Pass Forest Watch President. She briefed the Committee on how PG&E is removing trees rather than upgrading utility lines, and what her and others are doing to resist.

Committee Members participated in public events, such as tabling at the San Mateo County Democratic Party’s 2018 Annual BBQ Bash on August 5th, 2018. Members also participated in Ebberts Pass Lobby Day on March 12th to advocate in Sacramento for statewide legislation.

Forest Protection Committee Chair Karen Maki closely followed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans for Natural and Working Lands (NWL). She attended many meetings with CARB and provided regular updates to Forest Protection Committee members. 

Open Space Committee

Advocated for the Protection of Coyote Valley

The Open Space Committee continued in the decades long struggle to protect Coyote Valley, land which has been threatened by development since the 1980s. The Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have fought hard to protect Coyote Valley, especially North Coyote Valley, which has been zoned for industrial development.

Despite its zoning, Coyote Valley is anything but industrial. Its ecosystems are home to a variety of species, including 22 bird species listed as special concern, threatened, or endangered. For many species, such as deer, bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes, the land is an essential wildlife corridor between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Humans depend on Coyote Valley to protect the City of San Jose from flooding; it is the largest watershed in the Santa Clara Basin and plays a crucial role in absorbing rainwater.

              Open Space Committee members participated in the Protect Coyote Valley campaign, which involved many different organizations and activists. The campaign met regularly to discuss strategies and support each other’s advocacy efforts.

No on B, Yes on C

              A major moment in the saga of Coyote Valley was a series of two dueling San Jose ballot initiatives: Measure B and Measure C.

Measure B would have allowed for the development of 200 acres of sprawling development in Evergreen, and would have allowed housing development on all of the San Jose’s industrial and commercial lands, putting Coyote Valley under the threat of development. The initiative, crafted by two billionaire real estate developers, would have allowed developers to bypass environmental review, affordable housing requirements, and local fees.

Measure C was created in response to prevent development in sensitive habitats like Coyote Valley. The Measure made more difficult the “development of non-employment uses on designated lands in outlying areas near San Jose’s Urban Growth Boundary, including Almaden Valley, Coyote Valley, and Evergreen Foothills.”

On June 5th,  Measure B was defeated and Measure C passed! Measure C passed with a 60.83% yes vote, whereas Measure B failed with a 41.00% yes vote.

Measure T

              Coyote Valley was the subject of another San Jose ballot initiative in 2018. Measure T authorized the City to issue up to 650 million dollars in bonds to fund emergency and disaster responses, infrastructure, and roads. Crucially, Measure T allowed the City to allocate 50 million dollars for the purchase of land in North Coyote Valley to preserve for flood control and water quality control. Such a purchase would be a huge step towards the permanent protection of an ecosystem under siege.

              Fortunately, on November 6th, San Jose voters approved Measure T, which received 70.95% of the vote. Since then, Open Space Committee members and their allies in Protect Coyote Valley have written letters, spoken to elected officials, and given public comments in San Jose to ensure that the promise of Measure T is lived up to by the City. Our efforts to protect Coyote Valley are ongoing in 2019!

Researched, Reviewed, and Improved Local Plans

              The Open Space Committee was active in planning efforts at the city and county level:

Climate Smart San Jose Plan

              The Loma Prieta Chapter co-authored multiple joint letters with other environmental organizations on the subject of the draft Climate Smart San Jose (CSSJ) Plan. The letters were overall supportive of the plan, but provide some critiques in some necessary areas. They suggested specific improvements to strengthen the components of the plan involving “Natural and Working Lands”(NWL) and “Vehicle Miles Traveled”(VMT). They also supported implementing a Phase 2 of the plan.

              With support from Open Space Committee members, San Jose passed the Climate Smart San Jose Plan and is currently working on a Phase 2.

Analyzed Development Proposals

            Sometimes open space must be protected on a development by development basis. Open Space Committee members have remained vigilant, ensuring that new development does not encroach on existing habitats.

On February 1st, the Open Space Committee co-authored a joint letter with the Wildlife Committee to San Jose City Council in opposition of a proposed development on Santa Teresa Ride. They pointed out to the City that the proposed home would impact the critically important wildlife linkage between Santa Teresa County Park and Tulare Hill, one of the few remaining safe East-West links connecting open space between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. The City responded by encouraging the proponent of the plan to come back with a new plan, which has yet to be submitted.

On May 22, Open Space Committee Chair Dave Poeschel wrote a letter to San Jose City Council asking them to approve the transfer of the Sycamore Terrace property from the Housing Department to the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department for the future construction of additional park and open space for Almaden Lake Regional Park. The transfer was successfully approved and the property is now a part of Almaden Lake Park!

Soils Committee

              The mission of the Soils Committee is to protect and regenerate soil health through education, advocacy, and political action in order to increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce atmospheric C02 levels.

Resolution in Support of Healthy Soils Program

              Soils Committee members analyzed California’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP). The HSP provides grants to farmers to encourage them to transition to sustainable, regenerative land management practices that improve soil health and sequester carbon. The Program receives its funding from the cap and trade program. In 2017, the California State Legislature passed AB 109 and AB 134, two FY 2017-2018 budget bills that resulted in funding cuts to the HSP. Funding was also cut from the State Water and Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP).

              The Soils Committee drafted up a resolution in support of the California’s Healthy Soils Program. The resolution was approved by the Loma Prieta Chapter’s Conservation Committee, who then sent it off to Sierra Club California’s Conservation Committee. After changing the resolution to support Healthy Soils Programs in general, rather than a specific program, Sierra Club California ultimately approved the resolution in support of ongoing dedicated funding for sustainable practices like those seen in the Healthy Soils Program.

Online Education and Engagement Efforts

              The Soils Committee runs an active facebook page, where they update the community on current events and post information on regenerative farming and ranching practices. The Soils Committee also has an extensive series of webpages on the Loma Prieta Chapter website. These pages convey useful information for anyone interested in soils, such as a glossary of commonly used agricultural terms, and links to books, videos, articles, and peer-reviewed studies.

Sustainable Land Use Committee (SLU)

The Sustainable Land Use Committee (SLU) is a group of environmental advocates and development experts who meet regularly to provide information and guidance for Bay Area planners and developers. The Committee reviews plans for development using their guidelines to numerically score projects and provide recommendations to elected officials on whether projects should be approved, improved, or rejected.

              SLU promotes a sustainable and equitable growth philosophy. The committee promotes densifying new development near transit hubs to provide safe walkable/bikeable access to transit. This is important for social equity, and to lower emissions through a reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). SLU advocates for the creation of affordable housing and for a healthy housing to jobs ratio. They also recommend ecological strategies, such as incorporating native plants, bird safe design, and habitat restoration into development proposals.

SLU has created guidelines and recommendations for plans of all sizes, ranging from single-family home projects to entire downtown and station area plans:

-          Guidelines for Downtown and Station Area Plans (useful for Specific Plans)

-          Guidelines for Residential/Mixed Use Projects (useful for commercial proposals)

-          Guidelines for Transportation Demand Management Strategies (including a brief on Transportation Management Associations)

-          Recommendations for Housing Affordability, Reducing Parking Cost & Congestion

-          Resilience in Land Use Policies (Green Corridors/ Linkages/ Infrastructure)

In 2018, the Sustainable Land Use Committee began working on a new set of Guidelines: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Guidelines for Residential, Commercial, and Mixed-Use Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Each version of the draft was presented to the Loma Prieta Chapter’s Conservation Committee to ensure that the Guidelines were harmonized with the conservation missions of the various Conservation Sub-Committees. These guidelines were eventually finalized and approved by the Chapter in 2019.

Transportation Committee

              The Transportation Committee seeks to promote the most cost-effective, equitable, least polluting, and least sprawl-inducing transportation system possible. Currently, too many resources are being dedicated to automotive transport while pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit is being neglected. The Committee seeks to rectify this imbalance: we should be funding sustainable transit systems rather than expanding roads and paving new parking lots. The Transportation Committee envisions a society with safely walkable/bikeable green corridors and seamless public transportation, allowing for people and habitats to thrive.

              The Transportation Committee and Sustainable Land Use Committee share design philosophy and membership. SLU and Transportation members works closely with each other to create and implement their guidelines.

              Transportation Committee members began working with the City of Redwood City to include separated bike lanes on El Camino, starting in 2018. This work remains ongoing, but is looking positive! The Committee hopes to expand that work in Menlo Park and Atherton. Other transportation advocacy groups have used our efforts in El Camino as a model for their own advocacy.

              The Transportation Committee advocated for Bicycle Boulevard Networks in the Cities of San Mateo and San Jose. These networks have not been implemented. Transportation Committee members continue their advocacy on these networks through their positions on various committees within these two Cities.

              In November 2018, Measure W came before San Mateo County voters, called “San Mateo County Roads and Transit Sales Tax.” The Transportation Committee wrote to the Board of Supervisors opposing the measure. In their letter, they noted that transportation is California’s single largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the only category expanding in GHG emissions. Despite the fact that the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reductions are desperately needed, roads continue to expand and climate-protective programs remain neglected. Committee members argued that since Measure W does nothing to disincentivize solo vehicle use, that VMT will continue increasing under the Plan. The Plan would tie up sales tax funding for 30 years, locking in projects with bond commitments and interfere with future efforts to reduce transportation related GHG emissions. Members expressed concern that addressing VMTs was not part of the staff report or outreach related to the Plan. Ultimately, Measure W passed on November 6^th, 2018

              When the VTA board proposed cutting service on the 522 bus line, the Transportation Committee intervened, writing a letter in opposition to the proposal. The VTA board eventually cancelled the idea to cut service to the line.

Wildlife Committee

The Wildlife Committee advocates for the protection of ecosystems and wildlife with a focus on the most vulnerable habitats and species. These habitats, such as riparian corridors and movement corridors, are under the constant threat of development and are in dire need of preservation and restoration.

Committee members participate in every stage of the policy-making process. Members review development proposals and comment on Notices of Preparation, as well as Draft and Final Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) to ensure that all potential damages to biodiversity are fully analyzed, mitigated, and ideally, completely avoided. They engage with City and County Staff to provide ecological recommendations into various planning processes. The Wildlife Committee often writes letters in support of their policy recommendations and delivers public comments at City Council and County Board of Supervisors meetings.

Wildlife Committee members work closely with other Loma Prieta Conservation Sub-Committees on a variety of issues. The Wildlife Committee assisted the Open Space Committee with the No on B, Yes on C, and Yes on Measure T ballot initiatives, as well as with the protection of Coyote Valley. Shani provided extensive research to the Sustainable Land Use Committee, who has incorporated her recommendations for Bird Safe Design and Riparian Corridor Protection into their Development Guidelines. Shani also regularly works with the Water Committee to co-author advocacy letters.

              Bird-Safe Design and Light Pollution (also known as Dark Sky policies) have been major focuses for the Wildlife Committee in 2018. Committee members advocated for such policies in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Campbell, and San Jose. Many of these efforts have been successful: Mountain View implemented Bird Safe Design in its North Bayshore Precise Plan. Cupertino added a combined Bird Safe Design/Dark Sky ordinance into its 2019-2020 Work Plan. San Jose included Bird Safe Design into its Downtown Design Guidelines and Standards.