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Meet CGF's Legislative Advocates
by Chris Vogel, CGF Board of Directors

Committee for Green Foothills' Legislative Advocates, Lennie Roberts and Brian Schmidt, are CGF's spokespeople on the front lines of local open space protection. They lobby for policies and plans that protect the environment throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, work closely with concerned citizens, and help start community-based environmental activist groups.

CGF Advocates Lennie Roberts (left) and Brian Schmidt (second from right)     photo by Kathy Switky

San Mateo County CGF Advocate Lennie Roberts
A long-time supporter of open space on the Peninsula and voice of CGF in San Mateo County, Lennie is a household legend throughout much of Northern California. Practically anywhere in the area where there are threats to the environment, you can find Lennie on the frontline of the fray.

Lennie joined the CGF Board in 1968. In 1972, she helped found the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) and recently participated in the successful campaign to expand MROSD to the Coast. Lennie's early opposition to the Devil's Slide bypass led to a successful campaign to build the Devil's Slide Tunnel, preserving the dramatic coastal vista for hikers and bicyclists.

Some of Lennie's numerous awards include: Conservationist of the Year, Greenbelt Alliance's Greenbelt Champion Award, the Josephine Duveneck Award from the Sierra Club's Loma Prieta Chapter, and election to the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Lennie lends her support to a number of recent and ongoing issues in San Mateo County: preserving endangered coastal agricultural lands, protecting Pescadero Marsh and its fragile watershed, and establishing house-size limits on the south coast. With so many threats to our open space, how does Lennie operate during a typical day?

Ask Lennie and she'll tell you that there never is a typical day, that each day is unique. Sometimes she has many phone calls and emails to answer, sometimes none. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the San Mateo County Planning Commission regularly send material alerting her to upcoming matters, as do local planners. Issues can be late-breaking or something that's been hanging fire for some time. In either case, Lennie has to judge whether an issue is indeed a CGF concern. If it is, she'll act accordingly. The County usually listens — and takes her input seriously. Lennie's action reflects her attitude that "CGF is nimble and can jump into things."

One of Lennie's favorite things about her position is that it serves as a springboard to empower local groups. She knows the laws and processes and can meet with neighbors to give advice and strategize.

Santa Clara County CGF Advocate Brian Schmidt
When Brian joined CGF in 2003, he came well-prepared. A graduate of Stanford law school, Brian previously worked with Earthjustice (the Sierra Club's legal arm), the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a local land use law firm. Along the way, Brian acquired valuable knowledge of the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and a number of natural resources protection issues. There is never just one issue that confronts Brian in his day-to-day CGF work, and there really aren't any typical days for him, either. Brian's days are filled with attending meetings; writing legal briefs, opinions, reports, and press releases; answering phone calls and emails, and strategizing on issues with other environmental advocates. Meetings can include sitting in on pertinent board meetings or an occasional get-together with opponents of a CGF position. By constantly checking the literally dozens of bookmarks listed on his computer, Brian stays up-to-date on much that's happening on the environmental and open-space scene in Santa Clara County — and beyond.

When a board meeting (such as the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors) deals with issues of concern to CGF, Brian will be there to represent us and speak during the public comment period. This can mean introducing new information or arguments to the Board or submitting an expansion of a previous written document.

Brian writes press releases to alert the public on many issues, including agencies that are making what amount to end-runs around the law. (Santa Clara County and Stanford University, for example, have been guilty of sharing Draft Environmental Impact Reports on Stanford trails without the knowledge of other concerned agencies.) The Mercury News Op Ed staff once called regarding an article that Brian had sent them; they wanted to publish it — "tomorrow" — but wanted revisions, and gave Brian 90 minutes to write them!

Brian's activities run the gamut from Stanford trails plan compliance, to Coyote Ridge preservation, to the legality of the Morgan Hill golf course and the environmental issues of impervious surfaces. Are laws being observed? Are agreements being met? Is the environment being attacked or protected?

Lennie and Brian spend their time and apply their expertise in dealing with environmental issues that affect all of us. We are fortunate to have Lennie and Brian advocating for open space protection and preservation. Their vigilance, dedication, and skill in working with other advocacy groups and advocacy organizations is making a tremendous difference in the quality of life that we all enjoy.