In June, the California legislature passed a deeply flawed bill that stripped away critical protections for our state’s environment and communities. Leaders in the legislature acknowledged the bill’s flaws and promised to fix them before the legislature adjourned for the year, but they failed to uphold that promise. This leaves California’s lands, wildlife, and people...
Good things have been happening in San Benito County since voters here passed Measure A last fall. Developers have withdrawn many of their most harmful proposals, and the county is developing new policies that have the potential to help wildlife and protect farmland. However, the county is still considering some proposals for quarries and other...
In December 2024, the Hollister City Council voted to adopt a new General Plan for the city that could have led to the loss of up to 3,000 acres of surrounding farmland and open space. But Hollister residents came together to protect nature and local farms, launching a referendum effort to reverse that decision, with...
Measure A, passed in November, requires voter approval for development proposals that change agricultural, rural, or rangeland to commercial, industrial, or residential in San Benito County. This added protection for open space and farmland is great for nature and the county but was opposed by developers. In the weeks surrounding the election, a few developers...
We are thrilled to announce that the voters of San Benito County have passed Measure A! A strong majority of voters supported this citizen-led initiative, which protects open space, wildlife and farmland and empowers the people of San Benito to decide how the county will grow. Green Foothills supported the Measure A campaign throughout the...
This November, San Benito voters can change the way land use decisions are made in the county. Measure A, the “Empower Voters to Make Land Use Decisions” initiative, would make voters the decision makers on any proposed development that would change rural, agricultural, or range land to commercial, industrial, or residential uses. It would protect...
In San Benito County, just northwest of San Juan Bautista, a 2.5-mile stretch of Highway 101 is a “hot spot” for wildlife/vehicle collisions. This part of the county is still mostly ranches, farms, and pristine natural landscapes, and it is one of the main routes wildlife use when traveling between the Santa Cruz Mountains and...
In November, San Benito County voters have a chance to change the way land use decisions are made in the county. A new initiative to help protect rural, agricultural, and rangelands will be on the ballot. Green Foothills has endorsed this ballot measure, and we will be working with Campaign to Protect San Benito, the...
San Benito County celebrated a victory for open space and rangeland in March when a proposal to expand the John Smith Road Landfill to five times its current size was withdrawn by the landfill operator after overwhelming public opposition. The County had been considering a massive expansion to the John Smith Road Landfill for years....
Update 3/22/24: Good news! Waste Solutions, the operator of the John Smith Road Landfill, withdrew their appeal. This means that the Planning Commission’s decision stands, and the expansion will not be moving forward as it is currently proposed, and will not be discussed by the Board of Supervisors on 3/26. There is a possibility that...
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