Loma Prieta Chapter eNewsletter: September, Volume 2
September 29, 2025
YOU Can Make a Difference. Read How Here.
► You have only two weeks until our 2025 Guardians of Nature Benefit; buy your tickets today!
► Learn about Sierra Club's new Executive Director, Loren Blackford.
► Read about Sudden Oak Death in the Loma Prieta Chapter.
► Learn about the hidden threats from sea level rise and join our Bay Alive Campaign.
Join Us! Less Than Two Weeks Remain
The 2025 Guardians of Nature Benefit is almost here. On Friday, October 10, our community of advocates, leaders, and supporters will gather to honor the remarkable legacy of Garnetta Annable while strengthening our shared commitment to protecting our local environment. This evening of inspiration, connection, and vision for the future will not be complete without you.
Sierra Club Celebrates Loren Blackford as our Next Executive Director
The Sierra Club’s member-elected Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Loren Blackford as our next Executive Director, making her the first woman to lead the Sierra Club in our 133-year history!
Loren has been a leader in our movement for nearly two decades, serving as Sierra Club President, Interim Executive Director, and Sierra Club Foundation Board Chair. Now she’s ready to guide us through this pivotal moment.Read the full press release on Blackford's appointment.
FOREST PROTECTION
Sudden Oak Death in the Loma Prieta Chapter
Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is a tree disease caused by the invasive, fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, which was first described in the mid-1990s. SOD primarily affects specific species, and especially the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), Shreve’s oak (Quercus parvula shrevei), and a related species known as tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus). It has had devastating impacts in the coastal area within the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, as well as other coastal areas throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon. Learn more about Sudden Oak Death.
Letters: Put Fire Safety Focus on Neighborhoods, Not Backcountry
The front-page story from Sept. 7 underscores an important truth: California’s wildfire strategy must evolve.
As catastrophic fires become an annual reality, our leaders must prioritize protecting lives and homes — not remote wilderness areas. Scientific evidence continues to show that thinning forests in distant backcountry areas does little to shield communities from fast-moving, wind-driven wildfires. Instead, resources should be redirected toward proven measures: defensible space around homes, ember-resistant building materials, community wildfire preparation and local fire mitigation efforts. Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders must recognize that the frontlines of wildfire defense are neighborhoods, not remote ridgelines. Read the full letter.
Forest Protection Forum
Extreme Climate and Active Management Drive Unprecedented Forest Degradation October 27th, 4:00 pm Presented by Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala
Forests around the world and in North America are under unprecedented stressors from climate change interacting with inappropriate active management practices that amplify the global climate and extinction crises. Dr. DellaSala will outline what's driving fast-fires, insect outbreaks, and forest degradation in western North America. This talk may help activists deal with overzealous thinning projects and related logging and road building that falsely claim to restore and prepare ecosystems for climate change. The talk is based on peer-reviewed articles with co-authors from forest regions in North America (US & Canada), western Europe, and south-eastern Australia that are finding the same patterns of forest losses despite major differences in biogeographical locations. It should help in pushing back on inappropriate active management. Learn more and register.
Forest Management Educational Hike
The Forest Protection Committee and Outings sponsored a hike on July 20, 2025, to learn more about forest management methods. It was an educational hike in Butano State Park.
We learned about recently completed work in Butano State Park that included thinning (removal of some trees), removal of dense understory, and prescribed fire to help the forest recover from historic clearcut logging, fire suppression and the 2020 wildfires. We saw active forest management firsthand and discussed ecological resilience, sensitive habitats, and wildfire risk. We learned that long-term forest stewardship improves resilience to climate change impacts such as drought, pests, and wildfires. Learn more about the forest management educational hike.
Pacheco Reservoir Project Fails, Sparing the Diablo Range for Now
After eight years of Sierra Club’s unwavering opposition, the controversial Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project was canceled on August 26 by the Valley Water Board of Directors. The project unraveled after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation blocked the project’s use of federally controlled San Luis Reservoir water, adding to concerns over skyrocketing costs and mounting schedule delays.
Since 2017, many Loma Prieta Chapter members, along with Sierra Club California and other advocacy collaborators, consistently warned Valley Water and the
CWC about the significant issues related to this project and participated in the environmental review process, requesting full analysis and mitigation of the significant environmental impacts.
Below the surface of the land are vast reservoirs of groundwater. Groundwater is rain water that has soaked into the ground over many, many years.
Seawater also seeps into the ground under the sea floor. Seawater is salty and is heavier than groundwater. At the shoreline where the two waters collide under the surface of the land, the seawater stays under the groundwater. So when the sea rises, not only does the water flood across the beaches, mud flats, wetlands, and our communities, but under the surface, the seawater also pushes up the groundwater, contributing to more surface flooding and wreaking havoc underground where we can’t see it.
"The Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, Green Foothills, and the San Mateo County Bird Alliance respectfully submit the following comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Brisbane Baylands Specific Plan. Our organizations represent tens of thousands of Bay Area residents with a deep interest in the San Francisco Bay and its ecosystems, as well as areas near the Bay where development may impact natural resources and climate resilience in the region. We recognize the critical role that the Baylands Specific Plan will play in shaping the future of Brisbane and its natural resources alongside San Francisco Bay. We have participated in the various iterations of this Specific Plan over the last several years and commented on them. We appreciate the long comment period to enable community review of this large and complex Specific Plan and DEIR."
Presentation to Redwood Shores Community
The Loma Prieta Chapter drew a round of applause from a packed room following Gita Dev’s presentation at last week’s Redwood Shores Library community information session, coordinated with the Redwood Shores Coalition’s talk on the Redwood Life bayfront redevelopment proposal. Gita, Bay Alive Campaign's Sea Level Rise Committee Vice-Chair, expertly informed the curious crowd about the Bay Alive Campaign’s work and the myriad nature-based community-wide benefits of implementing the Bay Conservation and Development Commission's Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan’s resiliency measures around the Redwood LIFE campus and greater Redwood Shores bayfront. The enthusiastic questions that followed reflect the depth of the Redwood Shores community’s appreciation for the Bay Alive Campaign’s ongoing efforts to preserve our bayfront ecology. Do you know of an organization that might want to learn about our Bay Alive Campaign, or want us to come to your organization? Let us know.
Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report
"At more than twice the size of the Oracle campus built in 1989, the Redwood Life Project would be the largest development in Redwood City’s modern history. Unlike past projects, however, it is proposed on a closed, degrading1 landfill surrounded by sensitive shoreline habitats and residential neighborhoods, and subject to accelerating risks related to sea level and groundwater rise. This creates unusually precarious site conditions for new development. The combination of unprecedented scale and uniquely vulnerable conditions raises extraordinary risks of long-term harm to people, the Bay ecosystem, and regional resilience. For these reasons, we urge the City to pursue a broad scope and rigorous analysis for the DEIR, evaluate the project’s long term impacts related to sea level rise using the projection criteria required by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan, and provide vigorous and enforceable mitigations beyond the minimum required by CEQA. If the City fails to fully evaluate and address these risks, the consequences could be irreversible."
The PILOT: Planning for a Resilient, Wild and Welcoming Redwood Shores
Here in Redwood Shores, our 19-square-mile island is encircled by levees—our protective ring against the Bay. But times are changing. With sea levels on the rise, we’ve already begun to see parts of the Shores flood during extreme high tides. Last year, as FEMA updated its flood maps, Redwood City completed a Sea Level Rise (SLR) Adaptation Plan to prepare for the future. Since then, California has introduced new state laws that raise the bar for coastal planning. Now, all local adaptation plans must align with the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP), a framework designed to address not just each city’s needs, but the well-being of the entire San Francisco Bay. Read the full article, on page 6.
Letter to the Editor: Bay’s Health is Critical to Health of Region
"The Bay is often valued only for its inimitable beauty and recreational opportunities, but its natural shorelines, marshes and wetlands labor every moment of every day to provide us with clean air and water, moderate temperatures, protection from storm surge waves and much more. Rich shallow water habitats also nurture life, from fragile hatchlings that sustain our commercial fisheries to the vast abundance of birds and wildlife that call it home. This is all at risk of being lost to sea level rise." - Gita Dev Read the full letter.
Karen Maki Receives Sierra Club's 2025 Volunteer Service Award
We are proud to share that Karen Maki has been selected to receive the Club’s 2025 Volunteer Service Award, which honors Sierra Club volunteers for strong and consistent commitment to the environment or the Club over an extended period of time. Karen currently serves on our Chapter Executive Committee, and as Council of Club Leaders Representative (representing our Chapter), and our Forest Protection Committee Chair.
ELECTRIFICATION
Silicon Valley, Start Your Electrification Journey
Whether you’re a homeowner replacing your gas equipment, a renter shopping for smaller appliances, or a business wanting to "go electric", eHub, the Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) interactive tool, has everything you need to make informed decisions. Join thousands of Silicon Valley homes and businesses who have already saved with SVCE offers and services — explore the new eHub for yourself.
Claim Home Electrification Rebates and Tax Credits Before They Expire
Good News! You likely already have all the power you need to fully electrify. Nearly all homes can fully electrify (including an Electric Vehicle) on a 100 A panel. The time to act is now, before rebates and tax credits expire. There's never been more support to help you start electrifying your home. Rebates are plentiful (especially for limited income), and federal tax credits are disappearing by the end of the year. It is a great time to upgrade aging appliances and systems such as a water heater, home heating and air conditioning, or to get that performance induction cooktop.
Environmental Stewardship Program 2025 - 2026 Registration is Open
If you are curious about environmental issues and would like to take action to protect our environment, this is the program for you. Space is limited so register today.
At our in-person Environmental Stewardship Program you will learn about critical environmental issues, learn how to be an activist, enjoy nature through connections to optional outings, and receive a certificate of completion. These goals will be accomplished through screenings of award-winning environmental documentaries, discussion, presentations and learning to work with legislators.
Previous program participants have afterwards played integral roles in various environmental organizations, both grassroots NGOs and government agencies, including elected officials, and have ranged in age from high school students to senior citizens. They are continuing to work to build a better world.
"The Sierra Club Loma Prieta expresses its concern about the Draft Comparative Analysis of Synthetic and Natural Turf Athletic Fields commissioned by the City. While the report may be copious and well-written, in a grammatical sense, it falls short as a serious analytical study needed for the staff and council to make an informed decision. It presents information selectively, relies on questionable and outdated data, particularly in relation to natural grass care, and often lacks transparency in sourcing. A meaningful and conclusive decision on this matter cannot be made until the report is properly revised and corrected."
"Thank you for your review of the draft Stream Corridor Protection Ordinance. As you consider your recommendation to Council, we urge you to strengthen the ordinance to ensure it truly fulfills Palo Alto’s Comprehensive Plan commitments, aligns with Valley Water guidance, and anticipates climate and future development pressures on our waterways. Recommendation 1. Please include 2030 Comprehensive Plan Program N3.3.3 to the current draft ordinance, restricting the development of recreational trails to one side of natural riparian corridors. [...] Recommendation 2. Please include 2030 Comprehensive Plan Program N3.3.1 to the current draft ordinance, preventing the siting of impervious structures within the setback area. [...] Recommendation 3. Provide more information on what and how many parcels less than 20,000 square feet in rural areas will be allowed to use a 30 foot setback."
Sign the Petition to Save San Bruno Mountain
A massive threat looms over one of our most cherished natural treasures. San Bruno Mountain is not just any mountain, it is a sanctuary for endangered butterflies, a haven for rare plants, and a refuge of unparalleled ecological significance. The proposed project threatens to unravel the delicate balance of this natural treasure, and we urge you to take action to protect it.
The City of Brisbane is considering a plan to build a massive 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse, 100 feet tall, right in the heart of San Bruno Mountain, at the historic Guadalupe Quarry.
This industrial facility would bring hundreds of workers (1,500!) and an incredible amount of traffic through our city and into the heart of sensitive habitat. Sign the petition today.
One of the best ways to safeguard a thriving and just future is by ensuring that your Loma Prieta Chapter remains a champion for the environment of Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Benito Counties. Naming us as a beneficiary in your bequest will provide meaningful and enduring resources that will allow continued local and powerful environmental activism.
Please contact our Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman for the specific language for your estate planning and/or read more here. For additional information about planning a bequest please contact Julia Curtis, (800) 932-4270.
Photographers, see the great images in our Chapter Annual Summaries and help protect local nature with your images! Share with us your high-resolution photos of local nature, with or without people, to inspire local residents to support Loma Prieta Chapter work. Please contact Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman.
In History
September 25th, 1890: Sequoia National Park established October 1st, 1890: Yosemite National Park established
“But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.” Rachel Carson
2025.08.23: Montara Mountain view of San Pedro Valley, fog stretching across the Peninsula, during Chapter Director's hike with Loma Prieta Day Hikers, including a stop at the Lennie Roberts commemorative plaque on the Devil's Slide trail.
