Dramatic surf crashing against the rocks. Monster waves looming over surfers as they ride their boards. The power of the ocean is on full display every day of the year on the California coast, and never more so than during the season of king tides. King tides are exceptionally high tides that typically occur during...
Category: San Mateo Coast
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...
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...
Victory for Wildlife at Pillar Point Bluff
On April 5, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to deny the Coastal Development Permit for the proposed Off-Leash Dog Pilot Program at Pillar Point Bluff, while approving the Pilot Program at Quarry Park, as we had recommended. This is a significant victory for wildlife and sensitive habitats at Pillar Point Bluff...
Ask Supervisors to Prohibit Off-Leash Dogs at Pillar Point Bluff
On Tuesday, April 5, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will make a final decision on whether to allow Off-Leash Dog Pilot Programs at Pillar Point Bluff and Quarry Park. The County Parks Department is asking the Supervisors to deny the permit for off-leash dogs at Pillar Point Bluff, due to concerns about sensitive...
Planning Commission Denies Key Permit for Off-Leash Dog Pilot Program at Pillar Point Bluff
On February 9, the San Mateo County Planning Commission put wildlife and public safety first as it voted 3-1 to deny a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for an Off-Leash Dog Pilot Program at Pillar Point Bluff. While the Commissioners would have approved the CDP for the program at Quarry Park, which we supported, the Parks...
Critical Decision for Pillar Point Bluff’s Wildlife at Planning Commission on Wednesday; Midcoast Community Council Calls for Protection and Safe Access for All
Thank you to the more than 100 people who submitted emails or spoke up at the January 26 Midcoast Community Council meeting on behalf of wildlife at Pillar Point Bluff. We are heartened by the Council’s 5-2 vote to recommend to the County Planning Commission that on-leash dogs only be allowed at this sensitive location....
Speak Up for Wildlife and Sensitive Habitats at Pillar Point Bluff
On Wednesday, February 9, the San Mateo County Planning Commission will consider whether to approve the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for the proposed 12-month Off-Leash Dog Pilot Program at Pillar Point Bluff, adjacent to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Please email the Planning Commission and the Midcoast Community Council, by 5 pm...