The Conservation Committee recommends conservation policy for the Chapter, identifies conservation priorities, and directs grassroots conservation activities. It is comprised of issue committees that work on specific issues. Members can create committees for new issues as they arise.
Meeting: 4th Monday of each month at 7 pm at the Peninsula Conservation Center.
Chair: Mike Ferreira, 650/563.4030, ferreiramike@ymail.com
Conservation Issue Committees
Coastal Issues
Current issues: Habitat restoration and preservation at Sharp Park golf course in Pacifica; Half Moon Bay proposed residential and commercial development; Beach Clean-ups; all conservation issues involving unincorporated coastside San Mateo County. For information, contact: Merrill Bobele, mlbobele@comcast.net
Food
Current issues: Urban agriculture, food literacy. The Food Committee will work with cities in the chapter to enable urban agriculture as an approved land use in city general plans and provide opportunities to improve our food literacy through movies, discussions, and cooking events. For information, contact: Gladwyn D'Souza, godsouza@mac.com, or Sue Chow sue2042@gmail.com.
Forest Protection
Mission: To preserve, protect, and restore the ecological integrity and native biodiversity of the forests of California, with efforts extending to include the forests of the United States and other regions of the world as appropriate, through education, advocacy, and political action.
Meeting: 3rd Monday of each month at 7 pm, at the Peninsula Conservation Center.
For information about this committee's current activities, contact: Karen Maki, 650/366-0577, karenmaki@earthlink.net
Geographic Information Systems
Mission: The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Committee provides mapping and other GIS services to Chapter entities. Committee members are volunteers who use various software to develop conservation-related maps. For information about the committee's current activities, contact: Shawn Britton, 408/551-0722, Shawn.Britton@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org.
Global Warming and Energy
The Global Warming and Energy Committee (GWEC) is made-up of volunteers who are working to protect the earth's global climate and atmosphere through an active and comprehensive program of local action to reduce global warming emissions from the Silicon Valley Region. The GWEC volunteers meet to discuss and work on global warming issues. Anyone interested in these areas is welcome to attend our monthly meetings. Learn more about the Chapter's Global Warming Program
Meeting: GWEC generally meets on the first Sunday of every month. Check the Chapter's calendar or the GWEC website for the latest information on time and location.
Pesticides
Mission:
• To learn about, and help others learn about optimum, least toxic methods of pest control and the laws which regulate pesticide use. This requires a basic understanding of how biological systems interact, of Integrated Pest Management, and of pesticides and how they work.
• To influence lawmakers and other decision-makers to recognize the essential nature of such methods.
• To encourage research to discover even better methods and help convey the results of such research to the public.
Current Campaign: Educating the public about the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) threat and methods of eradication or control.
For information about this committee's activities, contact: Janet Hoffman, janet@hoffman.net, or Ruth Troetschler, 650/948-4142 rebugging@att.net
Sustainable Land Use (SLU)
Mission: To promote creating great, walkable neighborhoods which group new homes, jobs, and shops near transit stations and corridors. Our committee believes new development in our region should reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the natural environment, increase transit use, balance the job/housing ratio, meet the unmet demand for compact, walkable neighborhoods, support cleaner mobility choices for local residents and businesses, and expand the range of choices and the variety of services available for all. Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month.
Current issues: Menlo Park's downtown plan, Brisbane development, San Jose Diridon Station Area Plan, California Avenue project in Palo Alto, Daly City General Plan, Millbrae Station Area Plan implementation, San Carlos Transit Village, Wheeler Plaza in San Carlos, and the Grand Boulevard Initiative. For more information about this committee's current activities, contact: Bonnie McClure, 650/591-5057, bonniemcclure@comcast.net
Mission: To promote the most cost-effective, equitable, least polluting, and least sprawl-inducing transportation system possible. Special attention needs to be given to rectifying the imbalance between the resources devoted to automotive transport, and other modes, specifically, bicycle, pedestrian and mass transit.
Current issues: High Speed Rail, HOT lanes on 101, Bus Rapid Transit
For more information about this committee's current activities, contact: Gladwyn D'Souza, 650/508-8755, godsouza@yahoo.com
Water
Mission:
- To promote sustainable water supplies and sustainable water systems that are resilient to potential climate change impacts.
- To support programs to change water conservation behavior and programs to incentivize the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures and water infrastructure.
- To advocate for sensible laws, plans and programs that equitably balance water supply needs of cities, agriculture, and the environment.
- To respond to local issues related to these objectives.
Current issues: Urban Water Management Plans, water efficiency, water recycling, grey water, water supply and desalination
For more information about this committee's activities, contact: Katja Irvin katja.irvin@sbcglobal.net
Zero Waste/Recycling Committee
Advocates for policies to minimize waste that is not safely recycled back into the environment or the marketplace. This includes participation in the Zero Waste Task Force of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Current issues: Composting in Palo Alto; plastic bag bans; recycling and zero waste issues generally. For information, contact: Ann Schneider, 650/697-6249, ZeroWaste.Recycling@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org
