A Year in Review
By Shani Kleinhaus, Environmental Advocate and Giulianna Pendleton, Environmental Advocacy Assistant
The SCVAS Environmental Advocates, Shani and Giulianna, cannot begin to express our gratitude and appreciation for all the work and support that our Environmental Action Committee (EAC) members have embraced in 2021, and the support of the SCVAS community at large.
This was the year we celebrated huge successes, such as the protection of Coyote Valley, the adoption of a Dark Sky and Bird Safe ordinance in Cupertino, the prioritization of biodiversity in the City of Mountain View and the start of a habitat garden in Cuesta Park, the allocation of state funds to design a wildlife bridge in the Pacheco Pass area, the adoption of Valley Water policy (tinyurl.com/5xp2j65j) to guide the development of creekside trails on this agency's property, and an urban-ecology focused plan for Google's development in downtown San Jose.
There were a few painful losses as urban “infill” continues to consume open space or encroaches on riparian buffers. San Jose’s approval of a 16-story 2-block-long office project on the banks of the Guadalupe River, and the erosion of the 20-year creek protection policy in San Jose is a great disappointment to our team.
Here are a few of our many 2021 success stories, looking ahead to 2022 (and beyond), and volunteer opportunities for our members. For more opportunities to advocate for birds and nature in your community, please contact us at advocate@scvas.org.
Artificial Light At Night (ALAN)
ALAN is emerging as one of the most widespread global threats to birds and ecosystems and environmental health.
SUCCESS Dark Sky and Bird Safe Ordinance in Cupertino (tinyurl.com/2p97sec4) We thank EAC members Connie Cunningham and Rose Grymes for working tirelessly to promote a dark sky and bird safe ordinance in Cupertino! We thank the Cupertino City Council for passing this ordinance unanimously. This ordinance will control lighting and mandate bird-safe design treatments to all glass surfaces in “bird-sensitive areas.”
LOOKING AHEAD We continue our work to encourage cities to include Bird Safety and Dark Sky policies and standards and minimize the proliferation of ALAN in our communities. We are making progress in Mountain View and in Los Gatos.
VOLUNTEER We are looking for Sunnyvale volunteers who are willing to lead advocacy efforts in this city. We are also looking for volunteers to speak at art commissions and monitor proposed art projects in our county, as we see more and more proposals for large, lit art installations in ecologically sensitive areas.
Birds, Biodiversity & Habitat
SUCCESS We partnered with GreenspacesMV, a Mountain View group that is striving for healthier, more natural communities. Joint advocacy resulted in the prioritization of biodiversity by the City Council, and in the establishment of a native plant garden taking shape in Cuesta Park. Visit greenspacesmv.org
LOOKING AHEAD We are encouraged to be able to collaborate with a motivated, creative team! Native plant rehabilitation is critical for biodiversity protection for native wildlife, pollinators, and even the soil beneath us. This garden at Cuesta Park is an opportunity to engage community members in rehabilitation efforts, to educate park-goers on the importance of biodiversity and native habitats, and to restore native habitats at the local level. GreenspacesMV has garden workdays every Saturday and volunteers are welcome!
VOLUNTEER Join us at Cuesta park garden workdays! Fill out the brief volunteer interest form on their webpage.
Coyote Valley
SUCCESS Coyote Valley, an important open space for birds and wildlife, is protected! This achievement marks decades of advocacy from SCVAS and other regional organizations to preserve this area as open space and agriculture. Both San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors took steps this year to ensure Coyote Valley will remain zoned as open space and for agriculture and free of major development.
LOOKING AHEAD The Open Space Authority (OSA) is embarking on a Master Planning process for Coyote Valley. The planning process will take years, and SCVAS will engage and speak for birds and habitat, for rewilding the Valley, and protecting Burrowing Owls.
VOLUNTEER Want to participate in public meetings to advocate for open space, wetlands and protected Burrowing Owl habitat? To receive updates on opportunities to get involved, go to tinyurl.com/2p8yw4wj.
Wildlife Movement
SUCCESS Wildlife Bridge, Pacheco Pass. We supported the Habitat Agency’s proposal for grant money to fund a new wildlife crossing bridge over SR-152 in the Pacheco area. The Habitat Agency was awarded the funds to study wildlife crossings for Pacheco and find a suitable area for a wildlife bridge. We look forward to continuing to support this project!
(SAD) SUCCESS Newt mortality on Alma Bridge Road. Advocacy with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) and the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) helped allocate funding for studies, stopped the development of a new parking lot on Alma Bridge Road, and motivated Midpen to prioritize work on this issue. Sadly, the studies show that the level of newt mortality on the road is likely to cause local extinction of Pacific Newts near Lexington Reservoir.
LOOKING AHEAD Newt mortality at this site is not an easy problem to solve. We must continue to advocate and speak up for these beautiful and vulnerable creatures.
VOLUNTEER Sign up with the Newt Patrol bioblitz.club/newts
Valley Water Creekside Trail
SUCCESS In December 2021 the Valley Water Board of Directors adopted a policy that provides guidance for Creekside Trails—including stronger protection of riparian ecosystems and a provision to prohibit lighting except where necessary for safety or by law. SCVAS has advocated for Valley Water to promote stronger creekside trail protections for many years and we are pleased with this progress.
LOOKING AHEAD Trails along waterways and in sensitive open space areas continue to be a concern due to the impact of human activity on breeding birds, roosting bats, and wildlife movement through the landscape. There are ongoing efforts to create bike-highways (tinyurl.com/ycke3yx7), light creek trails up, and facilitate movement of electric bikes and other mobility devices everywhere, and while we are glad to see alternatives to car traffic, we have been vocal in opposing lighting along riparian corridors, and highlighting concerns for our ecosystems and wildlife.
Urban Development: Google
SUCCESS After a long planning process and evaluation, we supported Google’s master plans for campuses in downtown San Jose and in Mountain View East Whisman area. These are examples of responsible urban planning which focus on density in the urban core, prevent displacement, protect riparian ecosystems, integrate native trees and shrubs into urban design, and promote sustainability.
LOOKING AHEAD Google is developing master plans for Sunnyvale’s Moffett Park (moffettparksp.com) and Mountain View’s North Bayshore (tinyurl.com/yt545cen). These areas are located near sensitive habitat and the bay, and we are looking forward to continued engagement in these processes.
Thank You
None of our achievements would be possible without the work of our EAC volunteers and collaboration with other local groups such as the California Native Plant Society, the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, Green Foothills, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, GreenspacesMV, the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and others, and we are thankful! We are also thankful to the many agency staff and elected officials who have been supportive of our work, and of birds and wildlife and ecosystems in cities and in the open spaces around us.
There is a lot of work to be done in 2022 and, along with what’s mentioned above, we plan to focus our efforts on Burrowing Owl conservation, advocating for safe wildlife crossings for newts at Alma Bridge Rd, dark sky and bird-safe design policies, greening our urban areas, and protecting creeks and waterways.