After years of effort, the rural farmworker community of Pescadero will get safe drinking water for its local school and a solution for its flooded-out fire station. In December, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved an amendment to the county’s Local Coastal Plan that will allow the 50-year old Pescadero Fire Station to be relocated...
Author: Lennie Roberts
Major Strides Towards New Farmworker Housing on the San Mateo Coast
January 23, 2024 marked the anniversary of the tragic mass shooting of seven farmworkers at two farms in the Half Moon Bay area, which focused public attention on the disgraceful living conditions for many farmworkers. A year later, while there is still much to do, we are heartened by the significant progress that’s been made...
Protecting Pedestrians While Accommodating E-Bikes on the Coastal Trail
Half Moon Bay’s efforts to ban e-bikes on the Coastal Trail may be thwarted by a new state law. But there is a possible solution that will be a win-win for everyone involved: redesigning the Coastal Trail to include both paved surfaces for bikes and e-bikes, and unpaved surfaces for pedestrians. This would increase safety,...
Saving Our Beaches
California’s coastal bluffs, cliffs, and iconic beaches face a perilous future, as rising seas and hammering waves, fueled by climate change, are causing increased rates of shoreline erosion. Many beaches have been impacted by shoreline “protection” structures such as sea walls, revetments and rip-rap (boulders) that were installed in hopes of protecting coastal development. Ironically,...
Why We Protect Coastal Wetlands
Coastal wetlands are too valuable to lose. They filter our water, help protect coastal communities from floods and sea level rise, and preserve biodiversity. That is why Green Foothills speaks up for protection of wetlands and the wildlife that depends on them whenever development is proposed that may encroach into required buffer zones. Wetlands...
Species Spotlight: Coast Redwood
If you are seeking an experience of quiet contemplation of nature, there’s no better place than a grove of coast redwoods. If you are lucky enough to find one that is off the beaten path, the first thing you might notice is that you seem to be treading more softly and lightly, as your footsteps...
Update: AmeriGas Closes Propane Tank Facility and Puts Property Up for Sale
In a major victory for Green Foothills, AmeriGas is removing their 15,000-gallon propane storage tank and shutting down operations on a 1.5-acre site along Airport Street in Moss Beach, finally removing an ongoing existential threat to the Pillar Ridge community. Risky Storage Tank Threatened Residents, Airport We have been advocating for closure of this hazardous...
Remembering Bruce Frymire
The Green Foothills community was saddened to learn of the passing of Bruce Frymire, an eloquent advocate for open space protection, who was our Santa Clara County Advocate from 1989-1991, and then served as a board member for several years. Bruce’s interest in the environment began in his early years living in a semi-rural delta...
Half Moon Bay City Council Threads the Needle on E-bikes
The Half Moon Bay City Council made a wise decision on April 4 to allow electric bicycles (e-bikes) on its two paved, multi-use trails along Highway One, while prohibiting them on the recreational Coastal Trail. Green Foothills had recommended this nuanced approach, noting that e-bikes and other e-devices (e-scooters and e-skateboards) are a motorized form...
Species Spotlight – Dwarf Plantain and Bay Checkerspot Butterfly
In this season of spectacular wildflower blooms, if you’re observant enough you may spot the small, unassuming dwarf plantain peeking out of the grass among its more showy wildflower cousins. Dwarf plantain, or dotseed plantago (Plantago erecta), is a small annual wildflower that plays a fascinating, critical role in the life cycle of the threatened...