Supporters may recall that in January 2014, we published a request for signatures for a new petition from San Francisco Forest Alliance, asking Mayor Lee to rein in the Natural Areas Program (NAP) of the SF Recreation and Parks Department. That petition is closed – with over 1700 signatures! SF Forest Alliance now seek signatures for their ongoing petition, which had been dormant as they focused on the new one.

Here’s the report from the SFForest website, republished with permission.

(The Natural Areas Program controls about a quarter of Sutro Forest, and has recently used pesticide there. Meanwhile, UCSF has said they will not use pesticide in the area they control.)

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OVER 1700 SIGNATURES TO MAYOR LEE

Our supporters will recall that last year, we ran an online signature campaign specifically addressed to Mayor Lee, asking him to:

Stop NAP from destroying trees and thickets, spraying dangerous herbicides, disrupting healthy ecosystems that support hundreds of species, and restricting access to our city parks.

Stalker and Garlon on Twin Peaks – Jan 2015

NAP is the Natural Areas Program under San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. It is essentially a “native plant program.” It prioritizes native plant introduction (using the dog-whistle term “biodiversity”) over other values, whether environmental, ecosystem services, or recreational.

We had learned the Mayor’s office would respond to petitions directed to him via Change.org. That petition got over 1700 signatures, and is now closed.

However, our ongoing petition continues, and if you have not signed it, please do? (It currently has 1500 signatures as people shifted their focus to the newer petition.)

We need to keep sending the message that people want public parks preserved for the public, with trees, trails and no toxins.