Artificial Turf and Lighting
The San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department is proposing converting Golden Gate Park’s four Beach Chalet grass soccer fields to artificial turf and installing 60′ lights that will remain on until 10:00pm. No environmental impact report has been conducted for this project to determine the impacts.
Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach are important parts of the Pacific Flyway- a migratory route extending from Alaska and Canada to South America which birds take each spring and fall. Night lighting can cause birds to become confused and disoriented because birds that migrate at night navigate using the moon and stars. Night lighting will negatively impact birds that roost and nest in this part of the park.
Golden Gate Park supports resident and migrating birds and other wildlife that depend on this habitat. In 1930 the California Academy of Sciences published “A Handbook of the Birds of Golden Gate Park” which identified 111 species. Flycatchers, thrushes, corvids, sparrows, warblers, hawks, owls, swallows and other birds depend on the habitat within the park. Wildlife including mammals and butterflies also use the grass play fields.
Golden Gate Audubon participated in the Synthetic Turf Task Force which made recommendations to SF Recreation & Parks Department. On August 7, 2009 Golden Gate Audubon met with General Manager to discuss our concerns. Golden Gate Audubon supported Supervisor Mirkarimi’s resolution to halt artificial turf playfield conversions until additional information becomes available. On December 9, 2009 Golden Gate Audubon contacted the San Francisco Planning and Recreation and Parks Department regarding the applicability of the California Environmental Quality Act to Artificial Turf Playfield Conversions in San Francisco. On January 12, 2010 Golden Gate Audubon filed a CEQA appeal with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors regarding the Beach Chalet playfields project in Golden Gate Park. This CEQA appeal was determined to be premature. The project is now being reviewed at the San Francisco Planning Department.
Please contact your supervisor and Mayor Newsom and Mr. Don Lewis at the SF Planning Department asking for an EIR on this project. Please copy us on your letters.
There will be more public meetings on this proposed project. We will post details as they become available.
A flyer with contact information for your letters on artificial turf and lights at the Beach Chalet is available here.