Protect Open Space and Halt Sprawl in Novato—Vote Yes on Measure D!
To see what’s at risk, just walk or ride your bike along the green expanse of Bowman Canyon on the edge of the city of Novato’s urban growth boundary (UGB). Heading west on Novato Boulevard, houses end and the oak woodlands and rolling hills begin. Keep going and soon you reach Stafford Lake and farmland stretching for miles toward the coast. The UGB is doing its job. To maintain this open space and… Read More
Senate Bill 365 Signed: Next Step, Creating a Park and Open Space District in Solano County
We’re celebrating a big milestone toward a Countywide Park and Open Space District in Solano County. Senate Bill 365 (Dodd) was signed by Governor Brown, giving the go-ahead for the county Board of Supervisors to pursue creating the district. Add your voice of support for the next step.
Press Release: Governor Jerry Brown Signs Legislation to Move Forward Solano Countywide Park District
Fairfield, CA — Today, Greenbelt Alliance and our partners are celebrating a big milestone in the creation of a Countywide Park and Open Space District in Solano County. Last Friday, SB365 (Dodd) was signed by Governor Brown, giving the go-ahead for the county Board of Supervisors to pursue creating the district. The Board of Supervisors now have the opportunity to authorize a countywide ballot initiative that will put the question of creating… Read More
Defend Sonoma County’s Community Separators
Last year Sonoma County voted by 81% to protect community separators, the green spaces between our towns and cities. Now, a luxury resort with hundreds of events is proposed by an out-of-town developer in the community separator between Santa Rosa and Windsor. This oversized hideout for the 1% will put the community separators we voted to protect to the test! Defend the Windsor-Larkfield-Santa Rosa Community Separator from this oversized development by signing… Read More
Plan Bay Area 2040 Adopted
Late last night, the boards of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and Metropolitan Transportation Committee (MTC) voted to adopt Plan Bay Area 2040, a smart regional strategy to foster thriving neighborhoods across our nine-county region. We’re excited that the new plan affirms the groundbreaking vision of the original Plan Bay Area, adopted in 2013—guiding growth within our existing cities and towns to creating walkable communities for all close to jobs… Read More
Novato Backs Strong Growth Boundary
On a unanimous 5 – 0 vote, the Novato City Council recently finalized the ballot measure to renew the city’s existing urban growth boundary for 25 years on the November 7, 2017 ballot. Greenbelt Alliance, Marin Conservation League, and Sierra Club deliberated with Mayor Athas, councilmembers, and city staff late into the evening at the July 11 public hearing to fine-tune the ballot measure through a productive and positive exchange. The evening… Read More
Introducing the Bay Area Greenprint: A Blueprint for Conservation
With so much innovative technology and trailblazing research, the Bay Area is drowning in data. But a dataset is only as good as its interpretation. Greenbelt Alliance has worked collectively with The Nature Conservancy, Bay Area Open Space Council, American Farmland Trust, and GreenInfo Network to harness data to help practitioners make better land-use decisions that incorporate natural and agricultural values. After over two years of collaboration and endless iteration with experts… Read More
Two Big Victories for Coyote Valley
Coyote Valley, south of San Jose, has experienced many environmental victories and some defeats in the decades-long battle between dooming it to sprawl versus restoring its natural and working landscape. Advocates defended this 7,400-acre valley of farmland, wildlife, and crucial water resources from the sprawl that hit the South Bay in the 1960s, but it could still be lost to unnecessary development radiating from San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy today. Greenbelt… Read More
Creating a Park and Open Space District in Solano County
If you have stepped foot on a trail in the region, it is likely that you were on lands purchased or maintained by an open space district. Solano County is the only county in the Bay Area that does not yet have a district. We’re working with the County, seven Solano cities, and residents of Solano County to make the district a reality.
Park Profile: Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve
“Because the Mare Island Preserve is a ready-made combination of cultural history, wild lands, and incredible scenic vistas, it’s a magnet for users from local and regional communities and beyond. The potential to be considered as a part of a regional park system is appealing. What we’ll want to focus on here is continuing to protect the fragile and unique resources that make it so magical for park users.” – Myrna Hayes, Mare… Read More