Action Alert! Oppose proposed legislation that would create 125 unplanned loopholes in California’s environmental law!

(The Action Alert below was sent out to CGF members and supporters.  We will also put it up on the Action Alert section of the CGF website, but I’m reproducing it here so people can see it early.  -Brian) Dear Four identical bills in California‘s Assembly and Senate have the goal of exempting 125 public agency and private projects from the legal scrutiny required under California‘s premier environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Please fax or call your Assembly Member and State Senator and ask them to oppose the bills for 125 loopholes in California‘s environmental law. What’s Happening Using the...

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Letter to California legislature opposing bills that would drive 125 holes through CEQA

(CGF is sending the following letter to members of the California Assembly and State Senate.  -Brian) February 23, 2010 The Honorable Lou Correa                                            The Honorable Dave Cogdill State Legislature                                                             State Legislature California State Capitol, Room 5052                                CaliforniaState Capitol, Room 5097 Sacramento, CA95814                                                   Sacramento, CA95814 The Honorable Charles Calderon                                                The Honorable Brian Nestande State Legislature                                                             State Legislature California State Capitol, Room 2117                                CaliforniaState Capitol, Room 4153 Sacramento, CA95814                                                   Sacramento, CA95814 Re:  ABX8 37 (Calderon & Nestande), AB 1805 (Calderon & Nestande), SBX8 42 (Correa & Cogdill), and SB 1010 (Correa & Cogdill) – OPPOSE Dear Senators Correa and Cogdill and Assembly...

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Sad legal result on Stanford Trails litigation, but the fight continues in San Mateo County

The California Supreme Court has ruled against CGF over a technical issue regarding the right time to file our lawsuit about Stanford’s proposal to expand the Alpine Road sidewalk on top of San Francisquito Creek.  Unfortunately, we don’t have a chance to even discuss in court the merits of our argument.  Fortunately, though, San Mateo County has listened both to us and to Stanford and concluded in February 2008 that the proposal was environmentally harmful and dangerous.  Stanford will doubtless try to wave construction money at them to change their minds, but we’ll be there still to fight that extremely...

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Press Release: Supreme Court To Issue Opinion Tomorrow in Litigation Over Stanford Sidewalk Expansion

(CGF sent out this press release today.  -Brian) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 2010                                PRESS CONTACTS: Brian Schmidt, Legislative Advocate, 650.968.7243w, 415.994.7403c, [email protected] Supreme Court To Issue Opinion Tomorrow in Litigation Over Stanford Sidewalk Expansion California Supreme Court to announce whether it will dismiss lawsuit on technical issue or allow trial to proceed PALO ALTO, CA  —  The California Supreme Court announced today that it will issue its opinion tomorrow over a technical issue involving deadlines for a lawsuit regarding a controversial Stanford University proposal to expand an existing sidewalk in San Mateo County to fulfill Stanford’s promise of a...

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birds sitting on water

Are the Cargill saltwater ponds part of San Francisco Bay? Take a look for yourself!

Developers from Arizona have been running ads on television suggesting that the Redwood City saltwater ponds operated by Cargill to produce salt aren’t really part of San Francisco Bay, despite their history of being integrated with the Bay, including all the years of salt production. CGF produced the following two videos as response. Other Committee for Green Foothills YouTube videos are here.

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birds sitting on water

This sure looks like San Francisco Bay to us

Arizona developers would like to build a mini-city on half of 1,433 acres of San Francisco Bay in Redwood City that have been used for salt ponds for years, and they claim that the area is an “industrial site” and not part of the Bay.  Take a look for yourself at these pictures.  The salt didn’t fall from the sky – it’s an area of the Bay that has been manipulated to harvest the salt that the Bay waters brought it.  In rainy season (and whenever Bay water was allowed in), the salt ponds look like the rest of the...

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Letter to San Jose Envision 2040 Task Force on jobs:housing balance

(Below is a letter we sent to the San Jose General Plan Task Force.  -Brian) January 15, 2010 Envision San Jose Task Force Re:  Economic Strategy discussion reinforces need to choose an appropriate jobs-to-employed-residents ratio Dear Envision San Jose Task Force members; I appreciate the opportunity I had yesterday to talk with Kim Walesh at the City to understand the difference between jobs capacity and actual jobs under the various land use scenarios.  As I understand it, the City anticipates based on past history that all housing that it plans for under any land use scenario it adopts, will in...

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Comments on San Jose General Plan Task Force, Jan. 11 2010

This discussion today emphasizes the importance of choosing a jobs to employed residents ratio that San Jose actually wants to achieve. There’s no question that from an environmental perspective, a 1:1 ratio is the best one. Any higher ratio requires unplanned housing to be built elsewhere and for those workers to commute into the city, most likely from sprawling bedroom communities in Central Valley. Last year when I raised this issue in several one-on-one discussions, the reply was that the City would be most likely to underachieve on job development, so it’s better to set a higher jobs ratio than...

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Lennie wins the Cox Conserves Hero’s Award!

(Below is a wonderful email we got to send out last week to folks signed up on our Action Alert list. -Brian) Dear Friends! We are so very delighted to announce CGF Advocate Lennie Roberts was awarded the Cox Conserves Hero’s Award today!!! CGF is honored to have Lennie’s support, dedication, perseverance and generosity working on behalf of the open space, farmlands and natural resources of San MateoCounty. All of us and the Bay Area itself would be a poorer place without her. Without your support Lennie would not have been given this award. Thank you for your vote and...

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