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Home March 2005 |
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Photo of the Month April 6th: Help Save California's Environmental Protections The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a powerful law that protects people, communities, and natural habitat from potentially harmful development and ensures that growth happens in a balanced and healthy way. Californians use the Environmental Impact Reports (EIR's) required by CEQA to make sure development does not harm the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land plants and animals depend on. Right now, state agencies are proposing bills to reduce the power of CEQA. These dangerous proposals would limit people's power to influence how growth happens in their communities. On April 6, state agency representatives will hold a regional meeting to discuss these proposed changes and to hear what local organizations, elected officials and activists think about CEQA. You can help by attending this meeting and sending a clear message to the state: CEQA protects us. Don't reduce the power of CEQA. WHEN: Wednesday, April 6, 1:30pm Call Kate O'Hara at 415-543-6771 for more information or if you can attend.
April 5th: Support Affordable Housing in Sonoma County Sonoma County now has a chance to help working people live in the communities they serve. This will translate into a better quality of life for all residents by reducing traffic and pressure to build on open space. On April 5th the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will consider a jobs-housing
linkage fee and an inclusionary housing policy. What are these policies?
We now have a chance to address Sonoma County's housing crisis and safeguard the County's economy, quality of life, and environment. You can help! Take action:
April 5th: Support a Better Alternative for Coyote Valley The City of San Jose is planning to develop Coyote Valley, an agricultural valley south of the existing city, into an entirely new community containing 50,000 jobs and 25,000 homes. Unfortunately, the proposed Specific Plan for Coyote Valley is no model of smart growth. Jobs and homes are distant from one another, and the transit system is untested. The plan includes costly elements, like an artificial lake, that leave no room in the budget for real needs like open space protection and affordable housing. The proposed Specific Plan is now about to enter the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process. Fortunately, this means that the city can study other alternatives to determine which is the most environmentally responsible. Greenbelt Alliance is pushing the city to consider an alternative that is based on our vision for Coyote Valley, Getting It Right. Our plan makes it easy to get around by foot, bike or transit. It also suggests a more natural way to deal with flood control, which leaves more money for affordable housing and greenbelt protection. Come to the next Coyote Valley progress report to tell San Jose's City Council to study Greenbelt Alliance's alternative! WHEN: Tuesday, April 5th at 7:00pm
April 10th: Edible Plant Foray Join us for a moveable feast on foot! We'll go on a one-mile foray through Tilden Park, finding (and tasting!) the Bay Area's wild edible plants with local expert Margit Roos-Collins. The outing will be Sunday, April 10th, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Not only will you gain knowledge of local edible plants and where to find them, you'll also get your own copy of Roos-Collins' book, The Flavors of Home: A Guide to Wild Edible Plants of the San Francisco Bay Area. With that, you can add flavor to future hikes too! The $30 non-refundable registration fee benefits Greenbelt Alliance's work to protect open space (and the edible plants that live there). The fee goes up to $35 after April 3rd. We're keeping this treat of an outing small, so call today (415-543-6771) to reserve your spot!
Transportation Summit April 9th: Got Sustainability? Greenbelt Alliance is a member of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC), which works for a sustainable and socially just Bay Area. TALC is having its 8th annual summit, called "Got Sustainability? Charting a New Course Towards Walkable Communities and World Class Transit"—and you're invited! The event is Saturday, April 9th, 8:30-2:30, in Oakland. It costs only $10, which includes breakfast, lunch, materials, and free valet bike parking. TALC's summit is a great place to learn about key issues, hone your advocacy skills, and take part in the movement for a sustainable region. For more information, or to register online, visit www.transcoalition.org/cal/summit05/summit.html.
Sat Apr 2: Palisades Pleasures Become a Member or Renew Your Membership Support our work to protect the Bay Area's open space and make our cities better places to live. Click here to join or renew, or click here to join our Greenbelt Guardian monthly donor club. Questions? Contact Melissa Wright at 415-543-6771 or mwright@greenbelt.org.
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