► Learn about the need for sea level rise adaptation and join the Bay Alive Campaign.
► Read about nature's hidden climate heroes.
► Learn about the conservation of nearly 2,000 acres in Coyote Valley.
► Attend the Forests and Fire presentation by Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager.
► Take a hike! See the comprehensive list of Chapter activities available through March.
Understanding the Need for Sea Level Rise Adaptation
March 25th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm West Valley Branch San Jose Public Library In person presentation by the Bay Alive Campaign Learn more and register
Sea level rise predictions for San Francisco Bay estimate water rising 6.6 feet by 2100. Many think that sea walls are the solution that will protect us. However, if every community built sea walls around the Bay shorelines it would cause a bathtub effect, devoid of sea life and ruining the west coast's largest estuary, one of international significance.
Instead of sea walls, Natural and Nature-based Solutions (NNBS) should be used whenever possible. New state law requires shoreline communities around the Bay develop sea level rise plans, and authorizes the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to approve them. BCDC has created their Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan guidelines for shoreline communities to follow, which include considering NNBS first.
The Bay Alive moment is now! Attend this presentation to learn about the Bay Alive Campaign, the policy moment we helped create, and why informed, local leadership is essential to turning strong standards into real, resilient outcomes. Join us and help shape the Bay's future for generations to come. Register today.
Bark-ing Up the Right Tree: Nature's Hidden Climate Heroes
A forest might look quiet from the outside, but the bark of every tree is alive with activity. Just beneath the rough surface, entire microbial communities are busy consuming gases that shape Earth’s climate. For years, scientists assumed that trees mostly released methane, since the gas can travel upward from the soil through their trunks. However, new research reveals a far more nuanced story, one in which trees act not just as conduits, but as unexpected cleaners of the atmosphere.
POST Purchases Ranch Above Coyote Valley, Linking Nearly 50,000 Acres of Protected Land
Congratulations to Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) for their purchase of Mead Ranch, securing nearly 2,000 acres in the Coyote Valley area! Coyote Valley has long been a conservation priority area for the Loma Prieta Chapter, and hence for our statewide 30x30 campaign, so we do all we can to support efforts to protect open space in and around Coyote Valley.
"Forests and Fire: How did we get here? Where do we go?" March 16th, 4:00 pm Presented by Alex Craven, Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager
In our present moment, we can look back at more than a century of mismanagement of our federal forests, while also facing an uncertain climate future. At the same time, administrative changes and misguided legislation take us in the wrong direction.
The question for us to answer now is: how do
we conserve old-growth forests, restore the right relationship between fires and forests, and ensure communities are protected and prepared? This presentation will discuss those questions and a path to achieving our objectives. Learn more and register for the forum.
Integrating Climate Resilience in the City of San Mateo Zoning Code Update
"San Mateo has a significant amount of housing, commercial building, essential infrastructure, and roadway in low-lying areas near the shoreline that face increasing risk as sea levels rise and storms intensify. If sea levels rise by 3.3 feet, a conservative estimate for 2100, this would put at risk 12,005 residential parcels, 7 emergency shelter sites, 20 miles of highway, and many other assets. Additionally, rising groundwater may inundate contaminated sites near the shoreline, potentially posing a health risk to surrounding Bay ecosystems and community members (see maps attached).
At 6.6 feet of sea level rise, San Mateo will have 1,028 acres of Plan Bay Area 2050 Growth Geographies exposed to sea level rise and resulting groundwater rise (see maps attached). This means that more than 50% of the geographic areas where future growth in housing and jobs is likely to happen during the next 30 years will be at risk of flooding. As these areas develop, it’s critical that new buildings and infrastructure be resilient to climate-driven flood risk."
BCDC Planning Essentials Webinar Series
Learn more about the sea level rise planning process.
"Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Redwood Shores Flood Protection Project. We offer these comments in the spirit of strengthening the planning process, improving community understanding, and supporting a durable, resilient outcome, consistent with BCDC’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP)."
"We appreciate that the Consultant team is looking at 2 alternatives, including an Adaptive Pathways approach with an intermediate 35 year phase. We generally support a phased, adaptive approach, not merely as a cost-saving measure, but as a core implementation strategy, consistent with BCDC’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP). A phased approach allows the City to align future infrastructure investments with evolving sea level rise and regulatory conditions while minimizing unnecessary impacts and preserving flexibility. However, how Phase One design will influence and limit Phase Two design was concerning. We are concerned that the City Council is being asked to vote on these alternatives without the benefit of community feedback."
Sea Level Rise Webinar Series
Learn how nature can help fight sea level rise with cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Watch recordings of our webinar series with SF Bay experts and please share with your local elected officials.
Toxic Substances Control Act Fee Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2026
draft the Committee split sharply along party lines. Join the SCLP Plastic Pollution Prevention Committee as we educate ourselves and others on how to identify and address the growing list of harms inflicted on the environment and public health by prolific and unnecessary products.
COMMENT LETTERS
Heritage Oaks Memorial Park Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report
"The Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance and the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter are environmental organizations with deep commitment to the natural landscapes, wildlife, and environmental resources of Santa Clara County. We submit the following comments on the Heritage Oaks Memorial Park Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR). Our comments are in addition to comments already submitted by our representatives via email and orally."
"The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter supports the adoption of the staff recommended reach codes including Two-Way AC, FlexPath, and Electric Readiness policies. Our communities are already directly experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis, and the time for bold action is now. Two-Way AC policies encourage residents and businesses to replace broken air conditioners with electric heat pumps. [...] FlexPath policies for single family homes encourage residents to install energy efficiency measures, such installing electric appliances or solar panels, during additions or alterations affecting 1,000 square feet or more. [...] Similarly, Electric Readiness policies also encourage single family residents to install electric ready circuits or conduits when they are conducting an alteration that would make electric readiness convenient."
SFPUC Water Demand Projections are Unrealistically High
"The Sierra Club, representing 5,500 members in San Francisco and 35,000 around the Bay Area, has concerns about the SFPUC’s water demand projections. The draft 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) demand projections paint an unrealistically high picture of future water demand. The projections ignore the clear track record of conservation in SFPUC’s wholesale and retail service territory."
Mercury News Letter to the Editor: Cemetery Would Ruin Coyote Valley's Valley
"The proposed Heritage Oaks Cemetery in Coyote Valley threatens one of the Bay Area’s most important natural landscapes. Coyote Valley isn’t just open space for recreation; it’s a critical wildlife corridor and a key groundwater recharge zone that helps protect our region from drought and flooding. Converting a sizeable amount of this land into a large cemetery would permanently damage an ecosystem that local voters and policymakers have repeatedly prioritized for conservation." - Jennifer Normoyle Read the full letter.
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.
In the Community
Cleanups (March 21st and April 4th), Restoration (March 22nd), and Naturalist Training (March 25th) from our friends at Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful.
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.
Historic Dates
March 1, 1872, Yellowstone was established by President Grant as the first U.S. National Park
Your Loma Prieta Chapter was founded in 1933; what else happened that year in March? 1933, March 2: The original film version of King Kong, starring Fay Wray, premiered at Radio City Music Hall and the RKO Roxy Theatre in New York City 1933, March 4: Franklin D. Roosevelt became U.S. President March is Women's History Month 1933, March 4: Frances Perkins became United States Secretary of Labor, and the first female member of the United States Cabinet 1933, March 15: birthdate of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
“Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty.” Henry David Thoreau
March 7th: thanks to the Loma Prieta Chapter's Day Hiking Section for offering Glacier Point snowshoe and snow camping trip.
