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...
Author: Lennie Roberts
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...
Reflections on the Plight of Farmworkers
The tragic death of seven farmworkers at California Terra Garden and Concord Farms on January 23 in Half Moon Bay has shined a spotlight on the deplorable living conditions endured by many farmworkers — over many decades — on the San Mateo County coast. County officials have said that they had no way of knowing...
Remembering Tom Jordan, 1933-2023
The Green Foothills community is saddened to learn of the recent death of Tom Jordan, one of our earliest board members. Tom was born in 1933 in Florida, and grew up in Louisiana and Virginia, where he developed a deep love of nature, exploring nearby creeks, forests, and wild areas. After graduation from Princeton, military...
Redwood Forest Saved from Logging
After a 16-year battle, 920 acres of YMCA land near La Honda are now permanently protected. Camp Jones Gulch, where generations of kids have gone to camp, had been proposed as a site for commercial timber harvesting. The property contains 39 acres of old growth redwood forest and 668 acres of younger, second growth trees....
Green Foothills Remembers: Barbara Green
The Green Foothills community was saddened to learn of the passing of Barbara L. Green, an ardent advocate for open space protection, who served on our board from 1985-91. Barbara was born to Colonel Cecil and Florence Land at Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 8, 1938. The Land family moved regularly to many Army...
Supervisors Vote to Phase Out Hazardous Propane Facility
Green Foothills applauds the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for its unanimous vote to direct the Planning Department to develop a plan to phase out a hazardous 15,000-gallon propane tank distribution facility. Located adjacent to the 227-unit affordable Pillar Ridge Manufactured Home community and the Half Moon Bay Airport, the facility has been a...
E-Bikes on Open Space District Trails
Should Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) allow electric bicycles (e-bikes) on District trails? This question was extensively debated by the Midpen Board on June 29 during a five-hour meeting where members of the public weighed in with persuasive comments both pro and con. District staff had done extensive research on the potential impacts of...