rolling grassy hills and trees in San Benito County, California

Launching Green Foothills’ Upper Pajaro Watershed Program

Green Foothills has historically focused on Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Mountain lions and other wildlife, however, are unaware of county lines, and development impacts don’t stop when one county ends and another begins. As land further north becomes scarce, developers are turning their attention to lands further south in San Benito County. So is Green Foothills. While committed activists and community members have often come together to fend off harmful development proposals, the threats to open space in this beautiful region are increasingly frequent and alarming. Green Foothills’ new Upper Pajaro Watershed program, focusing on San Benito County...

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trash at a landfill

San Benito County Considers Expanding Landfill into the Region’s Biggest Mega Dump

San Benito County is considering whether to approve an expansion of the John Smith Road Landfill, located just east of Hollister, from its current size of 95 acres to 483 acres – the size of 365 football fields. This massive expansion is not because San Benito County’s residents generate that much trash, but because the landfill operator is hoping to accept waste from neighboring counties in order to increase their revenue. Instead of the approximately 300 tons of trash per day generated by San Benito residents, the John Smith Road Landfill would become a mega-dump, receiving up to 2,300 tons...

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trees with yellow blossoms, in an orchard

“Builder’s Remedy” Projects Threaten Local Nature

The builder’s remedy, a provision of state housing law that allows some residential developments to bypass local zoning, is threatening to create sprawl development that will destroy hillsides and farmland in Santa Clara County. This development would pave over open space, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and put residents at risk of flooding, wildfire, and landslides. We believe these proposals fail the criteria required by the builder’s remedy, and should be denied. What is the “builder’s remedy”? State law requires cities and counties to adopt plans for accommodating future residential growth, known as Housing Elements. The builder’s remedy is a provision...

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Pescadero Creek flooding

Safe Drinking Water for Pescadero Middle/High School and New Pescadero Fire Station

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 from its current location in a high-risk flood area to a safer, more secure site at Pescadero Middle/High School. Moving the Fire Station Away from Butano Creek Butano Creek, which flows down from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the coast, regularly overflows its banks and...

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farmworkers in field

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 towards building new, safe, affordable, farmworker housing on three sites in the Half Moon Bay area. Existing Farmworker Housing Is Unsafe and Inadequate Most of the existing housing for farmworkers and their families is located on the farms where they work. However, many of these...

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city park

Ask San Jose Parks Commission to Protect All Parks

On Thursday, January 25, the San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission will hear a report from city staff concerning the official definition of parkland in the City Charter. Please ask the Commission to ensure that the definition of parkland fully protects all existing, under-construction, and planned parks in the City of San Jose. What’s Happening In November 2022, the San Jose City Council directed city staff to develop an official definition for parkland under the City Charter. The Charter provides that “public parks” are city-owned lands that are “dedicated, improved, and open to the public for public park purposes.” However,...

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Don’t Let San Benito Become Silicon Valley’s Dumping Ground

Don’t Let San Benito Become Silicon Valley’s Dumping Ground

Update: On January 31, the Planning Commission voted to deny the Conditional Use Permit for the Landfill Expansion. After hearing public comments, the Planning Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to conceptually deny the project, with Commissioner Scagliotti being the opposing vote. County Staff was directed to return with written findings for denial of the conditional use permit on February 7th. The Planning Commission also voted 4-1 to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they deny the General Plan Amendment. It is likely that Waste Connections (the landfill owner) will appeal this decision to the Board of Supervisors. We will...

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Peter Ruddock with Fonzie the baby goat

Peter Ruddock: A Passion for Sustainable Food Production

Many of us dream of ditching our day jobs to follow our passion, but few people actually do it. Former software developer Peter Ruddock is one who successfully made the leap. In 2011 he switched fields to focus on organic food, initially volunteering with a number of organizations, including Slow Food and the San Mateo County Food System Alliance, where he got a taste for food policy work. Over time, he branched out to focus more broadly on sustainable food production and food’s environmental impact, which eventually led him to his current focus on the regulatory environment for small food...

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huge wave crashing onshore during a King Tide in Pacifica

King Tides Show the Future of Sea Level Rise

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 a new or full moon and when the earth is closest to the moon. California’s biggest, most dramatic king tides typically occur during wintertime, when the sun and the moon line up and their combined gravitational pull creates both the highest and the lowest tides...

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pristine landscape of grasslands in San Benito County where truck stop development is proposed

Huge Truck Stop Proposed in San Benito Wildlife Corridor

An enormous truck stop called the “San Benito Ag Center” has been proposed on a site that would jeopardize a crucial wildlife corridor and damage the sacred tribal landscape of the Amah Mutsun. Green Foothills is requesting that San Benito County thoroughly analyze the potential cultural and environmental impacts of this project. San Benito Ag Center Could Harm Wildlife and Indigenous Cultural Resources San Benito County is a relatively new area of focus for Green Foothills that is a natural outgrowth of our work to protect wildlife corridors and stop sprawl in southern Santa Clara County. As land for development...

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