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 Developers have withdrawn many of their most harmful proposals, and the county is developing new policies that have the potential to help wildlife and protect farmland.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 development that would threaten open space, so we are continuing our advocacy work to ensure a healthy environment for people and wildlife. Weighing In on Local Decisions Green Foothills continues to monitor all decisions coming before the County Supervisors, Planning Commission, City Councils, and other...
Karen Madsen: Working to Reduce Plastic Pollution
Many people sign up for the Green Foothills Leadership Program to gain career skills, but it’s also a great way to forge a new path and develop new interests during retirement. Karen Madsen is a retired lawyer who volunteers for marine and land conservation causes. In 2022 she enrolled in the Leadership Program to learn advocacy skills to help advance a cause she’s passionate about: reducing single-use plastics. Karen loves the ocean and open spaces, and upon retiring she began volunteering extensively for state and county parks, and for nonprofits such as the Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Marine...
Enter Our 2025 Photo Contest!
Grab your cameras, head outside with friends and family, and explore all the beauty our area has to...
Green Foothills Remembers: Mary Moffat and Sue LaTourrette
Green Foothills was saddened to learn of the recent passing of former board members Mary Moffat (1927-2025) and Sue LaTourrette (1936-2025). Mary was a founding member of Green Foothills and our first Executive Director, starting in 1962 when we were an all-volunteer organization. In addition to being a long-time Green Foothills supporter, she later worked several years for The Nature Conservancy’s Northern California Chapter, editing the chapter newsletter and organizing field trips for TNC members to visit local nature preserves. In retirement, she turned her attention increasingly to managing her family’s historic farm in Southwest Wisconsin, ultimately moving back to...
Iliana Nicholas: Infrastructure, Climate Resilience, and Community
In 2020, Iliana Nicholas was finishing her master’s degree in city planning and working for Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) when her supervisor suggested she sign up for the Green Foothills Leadership Program. Iliana was well versed in topics such as housing and land use planning, and the Leadership Program offered an opportunity for her to add to her skill set by learning about environmental advocacy, which would be helpful in her role at an environmental justice organization like CRC. Her supervisor had completed the Leadership Program several years earlier and found it worthwhile, and Iliana says the program lived up...
Community Ambassadors Shine During Earth Month
In March we launched our new Community Ambassador Program by recruiting volunteers to represent Green Foothills at community events. Through the program, these volunteers spread awareness about Green Foothills’ work on pressing environmental issues that impact San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties. So far, six dedicated volunteers have stepped up for the opportunity and were trained just in time for Earth Month in April. Welcome and thank you to Paulina Acosta, Lizbeth Amador, Kimberly Meade, Nicole Moutoux, Jim Petkiewicz, and Zana Vartinian, our first Community Ambassadors! They each bring their own story and energy to this role, but...
Coastal Commission Approves Pacifica LCLUP and Special Shoreline Resiliency Areas
Thanks to everyone who took the time to email the California Coastal Commission regarding the approval of Pacifica’s Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) update. Unfortunately, on May 9th, the Coastal Commissioners voted 8-1 to approve Pacifica’s LCLUP that includes the new, controversial “Special Shoreline Resiliency Areas.” These areas allow for neighborhood-scale seawalls in Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park. While this was not the outcome we had hoped for, Green Foothills will continue advocating for the preservation of our shoreline and beaches, and we will keep you informed about how you can help. California Coastal Commission Approves Pacifica LCLUP...
Protect California’s Beaches – Please Email the Coastal Commission
Next week, the Coastal Commission will vote on a decision that could affect the entire California coast. The city of Pacifica has asked the Coastal Commission to approve a coastal land use plan that would allow neighborhood-scale seawalls, which are known to cause beaches to shrink and ultimately disappear. Please email the Coastal Commission by 5:00 p.m. on Friday May 2, and ask them to reject Pacifica’s coastal land use plan as currently drafted! What’s Happening Pacifica, like all coastal cities and counties, must have a Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) approved by the Coastal Commission. The plan describes...
“Builder’s Remedy” Fuels Sprawl, Threatens People and Nature
Rural areas across Santa Clara County are under threat from a flood of harmful “builder’s remedy” development proposals that would hurt people and wildlife. Almost all of these projects are located on prime farmland or hillside habitat, in floodplains or wildfire hazard areas, and lack water and sewer access. If approved, these projects would result in an unprecedented loss of farmland and open space throughout unincorporated Santa Clara County. Please tell the County Supervisors that you support the County’s longstanding policies protecting farmland and open space! What Is the “Builder’s Remedy” and How Does It Affect Santa Clara County? California’s...