The Yodeler

Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos calls this “the most beautiful spot on the waterfront”. Should this land be used for the Warriors’ sports arena or for better public access to the shoreline? Photo courtesy San Francisco Waterfront Alliance.

Is SF getting ahead of itself on Warriors’ proposal?

San Francisco has been barreling ahead on the Golden Gate Warriors' proposal for an event center and multi-use development at Piers 30 - 32 (see April-May Yodeler, page 7). In October the city issued "Findings of Fiscal Responsibility and Feasibility" prepared by Economic and Planning Systems. This report was accepted by the Board of Supervisors. At the request of the city, Assemblymember Phil Ting has introduced AB 1273 which would declare a multi-use development to conform to the Public Trust, even though his district does not include the proposed project. On May 1, AB 1273 passed out of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on a 7 - … [Read More]

$A fracking facility. Photo by Shane Davis, Rocky Mountain Chapter, Sierra Club.$

New federal-lands fracking rules completely inadequate

On May 16 the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced its latest fracking rules for shale drilling on federal lands, which were last revised in 1988. These draft rules completely fail to honor President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address, where he pledged to do more to combat climate change for the sake of our children and our future. In response, Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement. “The Sierra Club is alarmed and disappointed by the fundamental inadequacy of the Bureau of Land Management’s new proposed fracking regulations. After reviewing the … [Read More]

Parks and Open Space

Club supports East Bay plan for fire management and native restoration

Since the 1991 Oakland Hills fire, public agencies with large open-space areas (about 20,000 acres) along the Richmond-Berkeley-Oakland hills have been studying how to prevent future fires. In 1995 the East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, University of California, … [Read More]

Aerial view of McLaughlin Eastshore Regional Park. The Brickyard is in the inland section of the peninsula at center bottom.

Changing the Albany Bulb–creating a bright spot on the East Bay shoreline

On May 6 the Albany City Council voted unanimously to begin a program to remove campers from the Albany Bulb, the peninsula of former landfill jutting into the Bay from the city's shoreline. This will be an important step towards completing the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park In 1985 the Bulb … [Read More]

Beach Chalet proposed 60-foot light towers.

Coastal Commission OKs Beach Chalet project

On May 9 the California Coastal Commission voted 11 - 0 to reject the appeal by the Sierra Club and over 200 other groups and individuals, challenging San Francisco's approval of the Beach Chalet project. The plan is to install seven acres of artificial turf and bright sports lighting at the west … [Read More]

Preserving the Tesla Park land is important because of its unique place in the regional ecosystem and its associated biodiversity. Tesla Park contains numerous threatened, endangered, and protected species, varied terrain, and rare plant communities, aside from its cultural riches and scenic beauty. Photo by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds.

Your chance to help save Tesla Park–Monday, June 10

Monday, June 10--workshop on alternatives--6 - 8:30 pm (drop in any time), Tracy High School cafeteria, 315 East 11th Street, Tracy. Should the Tesla property become a real park--or be added to the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area for off-highway vehicles (OHV) to roar through (see … [Read More]

Bay, Water, and Watersheds

Is SF getting ahead of itself on Warriors’ proposal?

The Warriors Project and the Public Trust

California's Public Trust doctrine has long been a key tool for protecting San Francisco's shoreline. The doctrine reserves the shoreline for maritime uses, water-related activities, public access, and environmental protections (see "The best things in life deserve legal protection: the shoreline … [Read More]