Shani Kleinhaus
Environmental Advocate
A recently published study by National Audubon highlights the dangers that climate change imposes on migratory bird populations in California and throughout North America. Science Magazine focuses on the great overall decline in numbers of birds (3 billion in 30 years!).
In Santa Clara Valley and throughout our region,it behooves us to continue to fiercely protect birds from harm, to oppose harmful development, and to support the types of development that regenerate native habitats in a meaningful way. Because birds are everywhere, we continue to engage in efforts to protect landscape-scale open spaces and natural resources as well as efforts to protect birds from hazards and regenerate habitat in urban/suburban landscapes.
Collisions with Glass
One of our long-term campaigns focuses on protecting birds from collision with glass. City by city, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, we make progress. In recent months, we have been successful in:
Mountain View has redently adopted new, sustainable building requirements that include bird safe design for most types of new buildings in the city
After hearing 10 of our advocates’ testimony, the Cupertino Planning commission instructed staff to prepare a bird-safe design ordinance. They will also be developing dark-sky requirements, which will benefit birds
We supported Santa Cruz advocates in their successful efforts to require bird safe design in that city
Santa Clara County is starting to work on County Wide Bird Safe design guidelines
Downtown San Jose now has standard and guidelines for bird safe design. The National Audubon Society recently published an online article that mentions this achievement, quoting our advocate, see https://www.audubon.org/news/theres-growing-political-push-make-more-buildings-bird-safe
Habitat in Cities
Palo Alto is planning a pilot “Horizontal Levee” project at the edge of the wetlands at the end of Embarcadero. As stakeholders (and guardians of Ridgeway’s Rail), we expressed appreciation for the project’s intent to create habitat for native species while at the same time protecting Palo Alto from sea level rise. We also provided comments asking for a trail to be placed along the road, rather than on top of the levee.
In San Jose, we provided comments on the ActivateSJ Strategic Plan for the City’s Parks and Community Services Department, advocating for a plan that includes the enhancement of habitat and nature, and promotes nature- oriented activities.
Also in San Jose, we are following Google’s mixed-use framework for the Diridon area, which looks to remove parking areas in order to plant native trees along Los Gatos Creek in a wide, park-like creek setback. Google’s plans are in contrast to the proposed Almaden Office Project on the Guadalupe, which we oppose because it looks to build a 2-block long, 17-story high (and 4 levels underground parking garage) within 30-ft of the riparian setback of the Guadalupe River. We are also following with concern the efforts of the Light Tower Corporation to solicit submittals to a design competition for an iconic structure in Arena Green park.
CA Legislative Session Ends
The legislative session came to an end in Sacramento. Of the bills we have been following, both of Assemblyman Ash Kalra’s sponsored bills have been signed into law:
AB-454 - Migratory Birds: California Migratory Bird Protection Act will reinstate protections to Migratory birds that were removed by the federal administration.
AB-948 Coyote Valley Conservation Program has also been signed, authorizing the Open Space Authority to establish and administer the Coyote Valley Conservation Program to address resource and recreational goals of the Coyote Valley.
However, Governor Newsom vetoed two important bills:
SB-767 Off-highway Vehicular Recreation: Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area: Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area. This bill aimed to stop the expansion of off-road vehicle recreation to an ecologically sensitive area in the East Bay. We hope the bill will be reintroduced next year.
SB-1 California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019: Aimed (among other goals) to reinstate protections to clean air and water, and protections to endangered species to respond to the removal of these protections by the federal administration. We are greatly disappointed as this surrender to Central Valley agribusiness puts many of California’s endangered species and their habitats at risk.