When Greg Sarris of Santa Rosa, an adopted child, learned that his paternal grandmother was a Coast Miwok, it opened the door to a whole alternative culture. He would soon begin to explore that heritage, absorb it, and work to … Read more
Tag: development
Winter Issue 2007
Dredging the Port of Sonoma
At first glance, the wide-open stretch of Highway 37 along San Pablo Bay between Vallejo and Novato may look like a sleepy rural backwater, but the range of wetland habitat protection projects here, combined with open farmland, give this corridor … Read more
Fall Issue 2006
Ballot Initiatives for Open Space
Not so very long ago, two counties on opposite corners of the Bay competed to grow the best stone fruits in the West. With fertile soils and favorable climates, Santa Clara and Solano counties have rich agricultural heritages stretching back … Read more
Summer Issue 2005
Proposed Development Near Livermore
The city of Livermore might be most famous for its national laboratory, but native plant enthusiasts and biodiversity advocates will tell you that the area should be just as well known for its many “botanical hot spots.” On the north … Read more
Winter Issue 2006
Breuner Marsh Stewardship
Some people inherit china, but Whitney Dotson has inherited a marsh. He doesn’t actually own Breuner Marsh, the 238-acre tidal marsh adjacent to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in northern Richmond, but he has taken on its stewardship. “We are the … Read more
Winter Issue 2006
New Golf Course in Menlo Park
After hearing testimony from 89 speakers, bleary-eyed Menlo Park city council members voted 3 to 2 on November 1 to move forward with plans for a public golf course in the heart of Menlo Park’s only open space. Converted from … Read more
Stewardship
Update: Franklin Canyon
“Ascending Franklin Ridge: A Greenbelt Grows above Martinez” Back in 2004, a fight was brewing over ballot Measure M a proposal limiting development in Hercules’ Franklin Canyon to one home every 40 acres. Voters passed Measure M despite opposition from … Read more
Winter Issue 2006
Livermore Valley
Along Tesla Avenue at the south edge of Livermore, rows of grapevines angle from the roadside, showing a trace of fall color on their taut wires. Almost within earshot of the bustle of town, it’s the kind of place you’d … Read more
Winter Issue 2006
Private Land, Public Good
How do you preserve significant parcels of open space in an era of rising land prices and shrinking public budgets? In the 1990s, more Bay Area land was protected using conservation easements, where the owner can stay on the land but gives up development rights, than by outright purchase. Though not without their critics, easements are reshaping the way we go about saving our local landscapes.
Winter Issue 2006
San Mateo Coast
South of San Francisco, the Peninsula displays a kind of natural zoning-by-topography. On the east side, along the Bay, is where most people live. To the west is a chain of lofty, forested hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains; farther west … Read more
