Author Archives: webmaster

Monsanto, Blackwater, Pesticides, and Spies

Posted on September 23, 2010 by webmaster

Someone sent me a link to an interesting article about Blackwater, the well-known defense contracting firm in the Iraq war (now called Xe Services LLC). They’ve diversified into corporate Intelligence. Said The Nation article by Jeremy Scahill: “Over the past … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Unique Forest

Posted on September 20, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been convinced about the health and beauty of this amazing forest, but we’re not arborists. So we asked one to look at the forest for us. The letter below is from ISA-certified arborist, Jocelyn Cohen, who is a member … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

One More Time: Fire Hazard? (FEMA notes UCSF’s inaccuracy)

Posted on September 16, 2010 by webmaster

Recently, we received a letter obtained by a public records request from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). UCSF had applied to this organization for pre-disaster mitigation funds to chop down trees on 14 acres of the forest, claiming the forest … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tree Lovers vs Nativists: Matt Smith in the SF Weekly

Posted on September 15, 2010 by webmaster

Matt Smith’s new column in the SF Weekly clearly indicates the battle lines for Mount Sutro’s forest: The Nativists, who want to “thin” the eucalyptus to plant native plants instead; and Neighbors and friends of the forest, who want to … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Mt Sutro landslide risk, nativism, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hiking in Mount Sutro Forest – Pointers and Map

Posted on September 13, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been talking about the beauty of this forest, especially on a foggy day – and it occurred to us that hikers less familiar with it might want better information. This article has been reprinted from Mount Sutro Forest. [Edited … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Wind. Fog. Mount Sutro Forest

Posted on September 8, 2010 by webmaster

The wind was strong this afternoon, blowing over trashcans, swishing the tops of the eucalyptus like great lace fans, swirling the fog into romantic curls. The sun was AWOL. A perfect day for a walk in San Francisco’s own cloud … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A Tree House Dream

Posted on September 4, 2010 by webmaster

UCSF’s building a new community center in the Aldea Student Housing area. There’s nothing especially wrong with the building, a practical-looking structure that’s going where a student residence used to be. [ETA Aug 2011: Here’s a picture of the completed … Continue reading →

Posted in UCSF | Tagged , | 1 Comment

3 Reasons Not to Use Roundup

Posted on August 27, 2010 by webmaster

Someone sent us a link to an article about Roundup by Caroline Cox, a scientist who leads the pesticide research at Center for Environmental Health. Titled “Why You Shouldn’t Use Roundup (Or Trust Its Labels),” it’s one of the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged | Comments Off on 3 Reasons Not to Use Roundup

Coyote Careful

Posted on August 18, 2010 by webmaster

We don’t know if there are coyotes in Mount Sutro Forest, but we do know they’ve been seen in Golden Gate Park and Glen Canyon and Twin Peaks and Midtown Terrace. Since they can hunt over 4 km, it’s possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Neighborhood impact, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Ishi’s Shrine

Posted on August 14, 2010 by webmaster

There’s a story that Ishi, the last of the Yahi tribe of Yana native Americans used to wander Mount Sutro Forest in the early part of the century. His tribe was massacred, and having nowhere to go, he wandered into … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Admin stuff, and Thank You

Posted on August 11, 2010 by webmaster

It’s been over a year since this website was started up and it has a new look. The template we were using became obsolescent, and we wanted one that was easier to read and better for pictures. So here we … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Endangered Butterflies

Posted on August 10, 2010 by webmaster

A commenter on this website, ‘Jonathan’, suggested that a good reason to destroy the Mount Sutro Cloud Forest would be to bring back habitat for endangered butterflies. Besides the Mission Blue Butterfly (for which there’s an attempted reintroduction on Twin … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Mount Sutro Forest: A Walk in the Fog

Posted on August 8, 2010 by webmaster

Summertime, and San Francisco is cool and misty, and this summer even more so than usual.  It’s a wonderful time to visit the forest, which is right inside the fog belt. In foggy weather, Mount Sutro Cloud Forest may be … Continue reading →

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Native Plants, Chaparral: Conversation with ‘Charlie’

Posted on August 1, 2010 by webmaster

From time to time, people come by to comment and engage with the information on this website. We appreciate that. ‘Charlie’ commented on several posts, but this comment was long and complex enough that it deserved a separate post. ******************* … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, nativism, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 62 Comments

UCSF “Community Input”: The Opposites Game

Posted on July 28, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been concerned that the only community input UCSF has been accepting is from the Mount Sutro Stewards and their supporters. Grade school kids sometimes play an infuriating game called Opposites: They do the opposite of what you ask. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Maps, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Report: UCSF Forest Meeting, July 2010

Posted on July 27, 2010 by webmaster

UCSF’s Forest meeting this evening had a reasonably good turnout with a few new faces among the familiar ones. Janet Kessler, the Jane Goodall of San Francisco’s coyotes, was present but preferred not to speak in public. We suggested she … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tree-killers in San Francisco: Reward Offered

Posted on July 25, 2010 by webmaster

It wasn’t just on Tank Hill that tree-killers were active: Someone’s currently killing trees in Golden Gate Park. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that someone cut down 15 newly-planted saplings. There have been five or more such attacks since May … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Failed Experiment at Tank Hill

Posted on July 25, 2010 by webmaster

Someone emailed us to ask why UCSF were  bothering with demonstration projects, when there was the obvious example of Tank Hill. “Trees were cut down, natives planted and died,”  said the email. What did they achieve? So we looked into … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, nativism, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Hazardous Tree Removal, Chain Link Fence, etc

Posted on July 21, 2010 by webmaster

At the last agenda planning meeting, one of the issues raised was managing hazardous trees near homes. A Forest Knolls resident of Crestmont Drive pointed out that neither the City nor UCSF were accepting responsibility for hazardous trees (some dead, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Creating a Fire Ladder?

Posted on July 20, 2010 by webmaster

One of the elements of the plan for the Demonstration Areas is to remove vines that climb tree-trunks to a height of ten feet. The vines above that level (maybe another 100 feet or so) will of course die. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Making Wildlife Into Vermin

Posted on July 19, 2010 by webmaster

Just like weeds are plants growing in the wrong place, vermin are animals in the wrong place. Most often, in the context of a  city like San Francisco, that would be in or near our homes, interfering in some way … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Report: Agenda Planning Meeting #3

Posted on July 13, 2010 by webmaster

This agenda planning meeting discussed the four demonstration sites, herbicide usage, and more fundamental issues of process and input. It clarifies what UCSF/ Sutro Stewards want:  to remove the forest, and convert the mountain to a park with broad trails, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Herbicides, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

More Sutro Forest Birds

Posted on July 8, 2010 by webmaster

Some time ago, we’d posted a bird-list from birder Keith McAllister: Nearly 30 species seen or heard in a single morning in the Sutro Forest. From several other people, and covering several separate visits to the forest, we have yet … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The “Demonstration Projects”

Posted on July 5, 2010 by webmaster

At the June 30  meeting, Ray Moritz, the forester hired by UCSF, presented the Demonstration projects. As we mentioned in the report on that meeting, we were surprised. We’d thought the areas discussed at the Agenda Planning meeting had been … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Report: UCSF Sutro Forest meeting, June

Posted on July 1, 2010 by webmaster

This meeting, held at small Faculty center, was large and contentious. The Native Plant supporters were well-represented. There were some irate opponents, and some interested neighbors/forest-users who have not been continuously involved in the process. The most important issue discussed … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Meetings, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Our notes on UCSF’s Notes – May 25th Meeting

Posted on June 29, 2010 by webmaster

This is UCSF’s summary of the May 25th meeting, which we reported on here. We have edited it for clarity. “C” stands for comment; “Q” for question; “A” for an answer provided by UCSF or by its hired arborist, Ray … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Six Reasons Not to Destroy Sutro Forest’s Understory

Posted on June 29, 2010 by webmaster

We have been talking about the destruction of the forest’s understory in several areas. This is not an innocuous activity.  Here are six reasons why: Creating a fire hazard. We have explained at length that the Cloud Forest, in its … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Habitat Destruction in Sutro Forest

Posted on June 25, 2010 by webmaster

We posted recently about the destruction of the forest understory along the South Ridge trail, near where it meets the Nike Rd. Now we hear that this isn’t the only area where habitat has been destroyed along the trail. Areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The 1976 UC Regents’ Resolution

Posted on June 24, 2010 by webmaster

As promised, Barbara Bagot-Lopez of UCSF sent us a link to the 1976 resolution by the UC Regents. Most of it pertains to housing on Third Avenue, but it also makes the Open Space Reserve Permanent. For your convenience, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Sutro Forest Updates

Posted on June 21, 2010 by webmaster

We were up in the forest this evening for a bit. Here’s what we saw: 1. The Chain link fence on Pad#4 in the Aldea campus has been erected, complete with the three gates promised (one is big enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment