Author Archives: webmaster

A Pesticides Road Map

Calfornia is in the process of developing a road map for pesticide use. They have published the draft document for public comment. You have one more day in which to comment on this plan if you wish. The deadline is … Continue reading

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Season’s Greetings!

SutroForest.com started operations in June 2009, and has been fighting for trees in general and this forest in particular for 13 years.  Every year, every tree has been a battle. We haven’t always been successful, but we have always cared. … Continue reading

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Tree-Thoughts at 125 Years

Someone sent us this charming, incisive, bitter-sweet graphic about a eucalyptus tree. This tree, such an important part of the ecosystem – a shelter for birds, a splendid carbon sink, a catcher of fog – ponders its purpose in life. … Continue reading

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Sutro Forest Destruction – March 2022

As readers of this site will know, a lot of trees are being felled in the portion of the forest closest to the hospital. One forest-lover wrote to us about it. That part is HERE. A few days later, they … Continue reading

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More Trees Being Felled in Sutro Forest

“Can you tell me what’s happening on the north side of the forest? I’ve been watching them cut down a swath from a lunchroom at UCSF the last few days,” said an email to us a day ago. Yes. It’s … Continue reading

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Why Urban Forests Can’t be “Native”

This article is republished with permission and minor edits from Conservation Sense and Nonsense, an environmental blog that considers current ecological topics including “native plant restorations.” We are publishing it here because we think the opposition to eucalyptus by nativist … Continue reading

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A Candle for the New Year

It’s been a difficult year for the world and for Sutro Forest. We hope things will be better in 2022. Here’s our candle for the New Year! To all our readers and supporters, Season’s Greetings! And may the resilience of … Continue reading

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Don’t Feed Coyotes

Coyotes are sometimes seen in Sutro Forest and surrounding areas, and occasionally there have been reports of dens in the area. However interesting and cute they are, please don’t be tempted to feed them! Here is a public service message … Continue reading

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Wildcare’s Request: Respect the Nest

Recently, Wildcare – a wild animal rehab organization – published a warning. It’s nesting season and they ask everyone to RESPECT the NEST. It’s republished here with permission. Respect the Nest by Michael Schwab With the help of nationally-acclaimed artist … Continue reading

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Dr Morley Singer, RIP

We are sad to inform our supporters of the passing of Dr Morley Singer. He was a major force in our battle to save this forest, and  Joint President of the SaveSutro organization. His incisive intelligence and strong leadership helped … Continue reading

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Destruction of Sutro Forest Likely to Accelerate

With the new revised plan for UCSF’s Parnassus Campus having been approved by the UCSF Regents – despite San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors asking for a delay so the Plan could be studied further – we expect the destruction of … Continue reading

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Season’s Greetings – 2020

If ever there was a year that needed a candle of hope, it’s 2020. While the pandemic rages, “tree work” – which mostly means cutting down trees – has continued in Sutro Forest. A lot of its trees are gone … Continue reading

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UCSF Parnassus: December 2020 Meeting Report

In December 2020, UCSF had a public virtual meeting about its further plans, which modify the earlier ones for which it produced an extensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Dr Ariane Eroy attended, and sent us these notes. They are published … Continue reading

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UCSF Plans More Damage to Sutro Forest

The main destruction of Sutro Forest – from the so-called “Vegetation Management Plan” of 2018 – is already underway. But a recent Draft Environmental Impact Report (Read it here: UCSF-CPHP-Draft-EIR (1) ) developed because UCSF is making significant changes to … Continue reading

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Trees on Clarendon Avenue Felled

Sutro Forest extended along Christopher to Clarendon Avenue. The section at Christopher and Clarendon was decimated for the rebuilding of the pump station in 2009, possibly poisoned in 2013… and in 2019, it’s been clear-cut. It’s gone. THE FOREST BEFORE … Continue reading

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Season’s Greetings, and Good Wishes for 2020

When we started this website back in 2009, we had no idea that we would still be running it in 2020! But so it seems, and the battle continues though it is an uphill one. The forest has already been … Continue reading

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Clear-cuts in Sutro Forest

At the end of March, we went into Mount Sutro Forest. We found a lot of trees had been cut down, and it’s practically a clear-cut on the East side – contiguous with the Aldea Student Housing, where housing density … Continue reading

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Dead trees: the life of the forest

UCSF is undertaking an assault on Sutro Forest, starting with trees it classifies as “dead or dying.” We question whether the so-called “dying” trees are actually dying, or merely in a defensive mode against four dry years, from which they … Continue reading

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The Destruction Has Started in Sutro Forest

A short time ago, UCSF sent out a circular saying it was going to start the tree-felling in Sutro Forest. We were surprised, because they’re supposed to avoid doing this in the winter when the ground is unstable with rain, … Continue reading

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Season’s Greetings!

We’d like to bring you one of our favorite photographs of Sutro Forest, together with our best wishes to all our readers. Season’s Greetings to our forest lovers!

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Blackberry Provides Valuable Habitat

From time to time, over the years, we have written about the value of blackberry as habitat, and as part of this wonderful forest.  (See: Sutro Forest Ecosystem and Wildlife Habitat.) Recently, wildlife photographer and observer Janet Kessler published this … Continue reading

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The Very Long Life of Eucalyptus Trees

From the time we established this website in 2009, we have battled a series of myths used to attack eucalyptus trees. One of the most pernicious is that the trees are short-lived, and so are dying of old age. We … Continue reading

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UCSF to Start Cutting Trees in Fall 2018 – “Final EIR” Published

UCSF has issued its proposed Final Environmental Impact Report. (You can read it here as a PDF. It’s more than 2000 pages. Mount Sutro Vegetation Management Plan 2018 Final EIR_Full Document They expect to have it certified by the Board of … Continue reading

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Two Nativist Myths: Eucalyptus Kills Other Plants; Mutually Exclusive Relationships are Common in Nature

We re-publish with permission (and added emphasis) an article from  MillionTrees.me, a website that fights the unnecessary felling of trees in the Bay Area. The article, a report from someone who attended the February 2018 meeting of the California Native … Continue reading

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Bad News from Sutro Forest – Clearcuts in Interior Green Belt

A forest lover alerted us to some serious tree destruction on the Cole Valley side of Sutro Forest – the Interior Green Belt. This is the city-owned side of the forest. We knew that some tree-cutting was planned. Some months … Continue reading

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Season’s Greetings!

It’s the holiday season again, and we’d like to wish all our readers and supporters all the best, for this season and for the year ahead. We’d like to celebrate with this quiet painting by artist Brian Stewart, showing bees … Continue reading

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Lest We Forget (2): Sutro Forest 2007

This website was set up only in 2009, and except for a few pictures of San Francisco in the old days, most of our photographs come from June 2009 or later. Hiker Tony Holiday (who blogs at Stairways are Heaven) … Continue reading

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Lest We Forget: Sutro Forest – 2004, 2005, 2006

This website was set up only in 2009, and except for a few pictures of San Francisco in the old days, most of our photographs come from June 2009 or later.  Hiker Tony Holiday (who blogs at Stairways are Heaven) … Continue reading

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Furious Letter from a Forest Lover

We received this letter from a long-time hiker in Sutro Forest, who is aghast at the destruction there. We publish it unedited. —————————— “Dear fellow environmentalists and friends of Mount Sutro Forest … I am lately shocked and horrified even … Continue reading

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“Hazardous Tree Work” – Cutting Down Trees on Mount Sutro This Winter

Well, the nesting season is over – and the cutting is starting. On Nov 9, 2017  we received a notice from UCSF that they are starting “hazardous tree work” on Monday November 13. 2017.  They plan on cutting down 50 … Continue reading

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