Golden Gate Audubon Society

The Bay Area has a rich diversity of wildlife. Millions of birds rest, feed, or overwinter here along their migratory route. Among them are the raptors that fly over the Golden Gate, songbirds that rely upon our wildlands, parks, and backyards, and shorebirds and waterfowl that depend on the San Francisco Bay’s shorelines and tidal wetlands. Countless other birds and wildlife species rely year-round on our native habitats.

Increasing human activity and development pressures put our wildlife and their natural territories ever more at risk. Golden Gate Audubon plays a critical role in preserving key habitats in the Bay Area. Working with our volunteer Conservation Committees, we restore habitats, advocate to conserve wildlife areas, and encourage Bay Area residents to get involved in protecting our local birds and wildlife.

• Make the City Safe for Wildlife

• Wetlands and Wildlands

• Birds at Risk

• Inviting Wildlife into Your Backyard (PDF of brochure)

Want a closer and more personal view of California Least Terns than most people in the world will ever have? Want to help protect this at-risk species? Become a Tern Watch volunteer!

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is offering four trainings in May and early June for people who want to help monitor the 2013 Least Tern nesting season at the old Alameda naval base.

Trainings will take place on Wednesday evenings May 1 and 29, and on Saturday mornings May 4 and June 1. (You only have to attend one session.)

Volunteers are required to attend a training session and put in three Tern Watch shifts of three hours each. You’ll be close enough to see courtship, aerial displays, mating, nesting, raising chicks to fledglings, feeding chicks and mates, and so much more.  Each volunteer is asked to record predator and Least Tern activities on US FWS forms.  It’s fun, easy, and you’ll learn a great deal about the Least Terns and predator species.

For more information, see the Tern Watch volunteer poster.

On December 19, 2011 San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee vetoed proposed legislation to restore Sharp Park.

This legislation which was sponsored by Supervisor Avalos was supported by 36 community and environmental groups and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Read Bay Citizen coverage of this veto : Lee Sides with Golfers

Golden Gate Audubon supports legislation to restore the wetlands and Sharp Park and to transfer the long term management of the Park to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.   This is the best solution in terms of the endangered species protection while meeting the current recreational needs of San Franciscans. 

1) Today send an email or call each of the supervisors on the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee:

Supervisor John Avalos email John.Avalos@sfgov (415) 554-6975
Supervisor Eric Mar email Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org (415) 554-7410
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd email Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org (415) 554-6516
 
2) Attend the hearing on Monday, December 5, 2011 starts at 10:00 a.m.
SF City Hall, City Operations & Neighborhood Services Committee – Legislative Chamber Room 250
 

Why restore the Sharp Park wetlands and create a new public park in San Francisco?
·    To protect, recover, and ensure the long term survival of two federally-listed endangered species, the San Francisco garter and the California red-legged frog in the area.
·     Since 2004 Sharp Park has lost an average of $162,000 each year on a park that continues to inflict harm on wildlife.
·     Closing the course will save additional millions of dollars by eliminating the obligation for costly infrastructure projects needed to protect the park against sea level rise, costs from failing to comply with federal environmental laws.
·      The money saved would allow San Francisco to improve currently underfunded neighborhood parks, community centers, education programs, local jobs, and/or social services within the community. 
·       Resources for more popular recreational activities, such as hiking and biking, would benefit more people, rather than investing additional money to improve this golf course.  Sharp Park Golf Course has received failing reviews in nearly every category the National Golf Foundation measures.
 
What will the Sharp Park legislation do?
·      The legislation directs the Recreation & Park Department to partner and create a long-term management agreement with the National Park Service including a financial roadmap, and address urgent environmental and infrastructure needs. ·        Sharp Park would be transformed from golf to a new public park emphasizing trail-based recreation and would be managed by the National Park Service.
·      Protection of the endangered wildlife would be ensured by the National Park Service.  The Recreation and Park Department does not have the expertise or the financial resources to provide the required protections.

For more information contact Mike Lynes, Conservation Director mlynes@goldengateaudubon.org

The SF Recreation and Parks Dept. is proposing to replace 9 acres of open, naturally-growing grass in Golden Gate Park with synthetic turf and to install several 60-foot tall lights that will illuminate the western end of Golden Gate Park for the first time.  This project will remove important wildlife habitat, increase disturbances to neighbors and wildlife, and violate the Golden Gate Park Master Plan.

What can you do?

1) Attend the Draft Environmental Impact Report Hearing at the Planning Commission:

 Thursday, December 1, 2011 starts at 5:00pm Location: San Francisco Planning Commission, Room 400 San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

2) Submit comments by December 12 at 5:00pm on this project to

Mr. Bill Wycko, Environmental Review Officer

San FranciscoPlanning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco,CA94103

email  bill.wycko@sfgov.org

What are the concerns with this project?

• Removal of 9 acres of natural grass which provides habitat to birds, butterflies and other wildlife and there is no mitigation proposed
• Installation of 10-60’ towers with stadium lighting that will remain on until 10:00pm every night.  Artificial lighting has been shown to draw birds off course during migration.  This site is within the Pacific Flyway, inGolden GateParkand 1000 feet fromOceanBeach. 
• The lighting will negatively impact nesting birds and other species that depend on the area surrounding the soccer fields as habitat.
• There is no recycling of the artificial turf plastic and tire crumb rubber, in 8-10 years 400 tons of debris will go to the landfill.
• It is much less expensive and more environmentally sustainable for the City to restore the natural grass fields.
• This is a onetime gift to the City.  When the artificial turf fields need to be replaced in 8-10 years where will the millions of dollars come from?

Contact: Mike Lynes, Conservation Director

In the news:

San Francisco Bay Guardian article “Whose Park?” November 30, 2011

Our Birding the Bay Trail Docents will be back on the trail in December. 

You can learn from the docents about the birds on these dates:

• Thursday, December 8th from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Hoffman Marsh in Richmond, CA.
• Saturday, December 10th from 2:00pm -4:00pm at Vincent Park in Richmond, CA

Celebrate Urban Birds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites organizations and educators to apply for mini-grants to help fund neighborhood event in communities everywhere.  To apply for a mini-grants, please visit their website.  For more information, please contact Celebrate Urban Birds:  urbanbirds@cornell.edu

The State of the Birds Report for San Francisco Bay, 2011 was just released by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and San Francisco Bay Joint Venture.  Click here to read more.

“TogetherGreen,” a nationwide corporate/community partnership program, taps volunteers to restore San Francisco wetland habitat on former dumping grounds at Pier 94.  Click here to learn more!