5 Minutes to Support Mountain View's Urban Forest

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Mountain View Survey and Feedback Form


In the effort to develop a new Strategic Plan and Visioning the City of Mountain View is looking for community input on their proposed vision statement and seven strategic priorities. We need to push for more protections and enhancements for nature and native biodiversity. The City Council is set to adopt this strategic roadmap at their meeting on June 22nd.
Please complete this survey before May 26th to provide feedback and ask that the strategic priorities include increasing our tree canopy, rewilding, enhancing our urban forest, protecting and enhancing nature in the city, and protecting and expanding native biodiversity.
You can also fill out this feedback form and comment on any part of the City of Mountain View’s strategic planning process. Specifically, comment on the urgency and necessity of enhancing our tree canopy, rewilding efforts, our urban forest, nature in the city and natural spaces, and native biodiversity.

San Jose Parks: Support Urban Nature

Overfelt Park trail: Shani Kleinhaus

Overfelt Park trail: Shani Kleinhaus

San Jose Overfelt Gardens Master Plan - Community meeting and Survey

The City of San José is undertaking a master planning project to reinvigorate and revitalize the Overfelt Gardens. Overfelt Gardens is a lovely nature park in great need for TLC. Please consider responding to this short survey, and ask the city to invest in restoring and expanding the native plant gardens.

You may also participate in the Overfelt Gardens Park Master Plan Community Meeting #2 on Thursday, May 20 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.


San Jose Light Tower

Recently, San Jose City Council advanced the Urban Confluence project. The City, led by Council Member Davis, provided some direction to ensure that the project is not a financial burden to the City, ask that the design be done to the “highest environmental excellence standards” to avoid rather than mitigate negative environmental impacts, and call for citywide outreach.

San Jose residents, please email Deputy Director Nicolle Burnham at nicolle.burnham@sanjoseca.gov to ask for an impartial, citywide survey that provides arguments for and against the project to guarantee that our community is informed and engaged with the process.

Say No to Light Pollution in San Jose

An example of Light Pollution from the Reef at Night, Los Angeles: Dion Noravian

An example of Light Pollution from the Reef at Night, Los Angeles: Dion Noravian

What is happening:


The San Jose Light Tower Corporation (AKA Urban Confluence Silicon Valley) selected an illuminated structure made out of 500 20-story white rods to be “gifted” to San Jose and placed in Arena Green park in downtown. This 150 million dollar structure, intended to be an icon, will cast devastating amounts of light pollution city wide and draw birds to their death, at the confluence of the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek. San Jose leaders crave the recognition that iconic structures can bring, but should our City become famous for environmental degradation and light pollution?

Why is this important:

Light pollution is no trivial matter. It disrupts biological functions in all living things, and harms ecosystems, wildlife and human health.

This 200 foot tall light generating structure will shine across the City, spill light into the confluence of waterways on the valley floor, and will be visible all the way to Mt. Hamilton and Mt. Umunhum. This light will keep residents up at night, disorient and harm birds and wildlife, and pollute our view of the night sky. It could interfere with the research function of the world-famous Lick Observatory. It can distract pilots as they land at the nearby airport.

For more information, see Opinion Letters:


Mercury News: Shani Kleinhaus and Katja Irvin - Why San Jose Should Reconsider Urban Confluence Project

San Jose Spotlight: Ada Marquez - Thanks but no thanks to the ‘gift’ of light pollution

What can you do?


Please call or write to Mayor Liccardo and San Jose City Council and tell them that you are a San Jose resident who is opposed to the light tower project (see contacts and links below).

  • The wrong structure - An imposing 200-ft tall, massive, illuminated structure will generate unacceptable, city wide, light pollution. This structure generates light pollution intentionally, by design, making it impossible to shield and protect residents, waterways, wildlife, and the dark sky from harm.

  • In the wrong place - Arena Green Park is the confluence of two important waterways, and two riparian corridors. It is also an important community gathering place. This Project would dominate our public space and harm our riparian ecosystems, birds, fish beavers, and wildlife by lighting up this sensitive environment.

  • At the wrong time - As the human and economic losses of the pandemic continue to haunt our community, San Jose should encourage investment in what people need and want - not in top-down projects.

  • The wrong symbol for San Jose - The illuminated white light rods of this structure are intended to represent Silicon Valley Tech companies. Our diverse community is not represented in this monolithic white structure that can harm us with light pollution. The promoters showed little interest in diversity, equity or inclusion.

  • Let’s help our community instead - The City should instead direct philanthropy to an environmentally sensitive project that improves our lives and represents San Jose’s culture and community.

A phone call takes 2 minutes. Find your district here.



Please contact Mayor Liccardo, the City Council and your Councilmember: