Category Archives: UCSF

Clear-cuts in Sutro Forest

Posted on April 30, 2019 by

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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The Destruction Has Started in Sutro Forest

Posted on January 24, 2019 by

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

Posted on May 2, 2018 by

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 →

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

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

Posted on November 11, 2017 by

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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Monarch Butterfly at Twin Peaks – Oct 2017

Posted on October 9, 2017 by

A few days ago, a viewer watching the planes rehearse for Fleet Week spotted a different kind of aerial phenomenon: Monarch butterflies, fluttering around over Twin Peaks. “I was driving by Twin Peaks,” they wrote, “and paused to watch the … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, UCSF | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Disturbing Sutro Forest Would Release a Lot of Green House Gases

Posted on September 24, 2017 by

We’ve pointed out before that Sutro Forest is an excellent carbon sink: The trees are tall, fast growing and have dense wood. In some parts of the forest, the mid-story of blackwood acacia boosts this carbon storage as well. The … Continue reading →

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Sutro Forest Plan: Heavy Machinery in Unstable Areas

Posted on September 8, 2017 by

Recently, we wrote that the  Sutro Forest 2017 Plan Imposes a Landslide Risk. A University of Washington study shows that mudslides are most like 5-10 years after trees have been cut down on slopes. The picture below shows the South … Continue reading →

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Sutro Forest 2017 Plan Imposes a Landslide Risk

Posted on August 28, 2017 by

We’re reading the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the 2017 Sutro Forest Plan, and got to the section on landslide risk. This has been one of our concerns, especially since the tragedy at Oso, Washington, where the felling of … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Mt Sutro landslide risk, UCSF, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Public Comments due Sept 22, 2017 on Sutro Forest DEIR

Posted on August 5, 2017 by

UCSF has released a humongous 1087-page Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Plan to cut down thousands of trees in Sutro Forest. The deadline for public comment has been extended in response to a San Francisco Forest Alliance request, to … Continue reading →

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Here it Comes: UCSF announces the Draft EIR for Sutro Forest

Posted on July 21, 2017 by

UCSF sent out a notification recently, saying that the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the 2017 Plan for Sutro Forest will be released on July 24th, 2017. The public will have until September 8th, 2017 to make their comments. … Continue reading →

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How Many Trees in Sutro Forest? And What Will be Left?

Posted on February 23, 2017 by

Mount Sutro is a very difficult site. Its soils are shallow, its rocks unstable. It’s very windy. Few trees survive those conditions. Nevertheless, the eucalyptus forest has naturalized there for over a century – nearly 125 years now – and … Continue reading →

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Mt Sutro: UCSF’s Initial Study for the EIR Highlights Appalling New 2017 Plan

Posted on February 21, 2017 by

UCSF has published its initial study for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the new 2017 Plan for Sutro Forest.  This “Notice of Preparation and Initial Study” outlines the areas the EIR will cover. Comments on the Initial Study can be sent … Continue reading →

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Why “Thinning” Damages a Forest

Posted on February 1, 2017 by

This article is republished with permission (and minor format changes) from Death of a Million Trees, a blog dedicated to fighting unnecessary tree-felling in the San Francisco Bay Area. It beautifully reflects the interlinked reality of Sutro Forest, which has … Continue reading →

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4th Sutro Forest TAC Meeting: Nativist Coup

Posted on January 24, 2017 by

When UCSF surprisingly announced there would be a 4th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting after the original three, we suspected adverse changes to the Draft Plan.  That meeting was held this evening, and we were right to be concerned. Significant changes … Continue reading →

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Another TAC Meeting – Jan 23, 2017

Posted on December 24, 2016 by

UCSF has surprisingly announced it will have another TAC meeting with modifications to their earlier announced Draft Plan. Here’s what they wrote: “In August, UCSF published a draft management plan for the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. The plan was … Continue reading →

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UCSF Meeting about 2016 Sutro Forest Draft Plan – Oct 27, 2016 – Report

Posted on October 28, 2016 by

We attended the UCSF community meeting about the new draft plan for Sutro Forest. On this rainy evening, only about 6-8 people came, outnumbered by the UCSFers present. Unlike previous meetings, there were no presentations, just stations that were set … Continue reading →

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UCSF’s New Draft Plan for Sutro Forest – Aug 2016

Posted on August 19, 2016 by

UCSF presented its new Draft Plan for Sutro Forest at the Third Technical Advisory Committee meeting on Aug 18, 2016. This plan will be implemented in three phases: Year 1-5, Year 6-10, and Year 11-20. However, it is heavily front-loaded, … Continue reading →

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Sutro Forest – UCSF to Hold Final TAC Meeting (and some old pictures)

Posted on August 6, 2016 by

UCSF is planning to hold its final Technical Advisory Committee meeting on August 18th, 2016. These are a series of meetings in which two consultants, who have been retained by UCSF to write a plan for Sutro Cloud Forest (or, … Continue reading →

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Report: UCSF Second Sutro Forest TAC Meeting

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

UCSF held its second Planning Meeting for Sutro Forest on 28 April 2016. The two hired arborists, Jim Clark of Hort Science and Matt Greene, presented the direction they were taking the Plan, and their evaluation of the forest. The … Continue reading →

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UCSF’s 2016 Sutro Forest Plan: Who’s Who

Posted on May 14, 2016 by

This post is to take a look at all the people who will be involved in the new Sutro Forest plan for 2016. We may edit it to update it with more information as we get it. THE CONSULTANTS Jim … Continue reading →

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UCSF’s Second Sutro Forest Meeting – April 28, 2016

Posted on April 18, 2016 by

UCSF has announced its second meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee: “On Thursday, April 28, UCSF will convene the second meeting of the Mount Sutro Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  The TAC is comprised of volunteer experts in forestry, fire hazard … Continue reading →

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Coming to Sutro Forest: Three New Trails and a Fancy Trail Head

Posted on March 19, 2016 by

This article is slightly modified and republished from a post on forestknolls.info UCSF is going ahead with plans to add three new trails to Sutro Forest. While we don’t object to trails as such, they all cost us trees – … Continue reading →

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Mount Sutro Forest: Logging a Lovely Forest

Posted on February 17, 2016 by

“I was in the forest and it looks like a lumber company came in…” wrote one of our correspondents. UCSF has been aggressive about cutting down trees this winter. These are not evaluated as *hazardous* trees, as Jim Clark of … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Report: First UCSF TAC Meeting, 14 Jan 2016

Posted on February 10, 2016 by

As we reported earlier, UCSF held a meeting on 14th Jan 2016 at which it announced it was restarting the planning process. UCSF has hired two people to write the plan: Jim Clark, of Hort Science; and Matt Greene, a … Continue reading →

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UCSF Restarts Sutro Forest Plans in 2016

Posted on January 18, 2016 by

At the meeting on January 14th, 2016, UCSF announced it was trying again to develop a plan for Sutro Forest. UCSF hope to have a draft Plan in May 2016. They think they may be able to “start work” in … Continue reading →

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Ishi – An Article from 1911

Posted on January 6, 2016 by

This New Year, we’d like to go back over 100 years to 1911, when Sutro Forest was 15-25 years old, time enough for the trees to have grown large enough to establish it as a forest. This is the story … Continue reading →

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Sutro Forest East Ridge Trees Being Felled Now

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

This post is to let our readers know that trees are being felled right now in Sutro Forest, and also that UCSF has formed a committee to advise on managing the forest, which will meet for the first time on … Continue reading →

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UCSF Destroying Forest on Mount Sutro?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by

Recently, we wrote about the downed trees and stumps along all the trails in Sutro Forest. It turns out this is just the beginning. UCSF recently sent out an email with more details. Under the guise of “safety”, UCSF is … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

More Trees Felled in Sutro Forest

Posted on November 23, 2015 by

We’re dismayed to bring you news of more tree removal in Sutro Forest. Walking through the forest recently, we found nearly every trail had stumps and logs. Much of the character of this beautiful forest, once dense and green and … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Mt Sutro landslide risk, UCSF | Tagged | 3 Comments

Sutro Forest Attrition

Posted on August 27, 2015 by

The July message from UCSF was both innocuous and concerning. They were going to do some “hazardous tree work” immediately… and more in the Fall. UCSF must immediately remove some hazardous trees in the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve in … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , | 2 Comments