Tag Archives: drying out the forest

UCSF Plans More Damage to Sutro Forest

Posted on September 11, 2020 by webmaster

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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Clear-cuts in Sutro Forest

Posted on April 30, 2019 by webmaster

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

Posted on May 2, 2018 by webmaster

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

Bad News from Sutro Forest – Clearcuts in Interior Green Belt

Posted on December 28, 2017 by webmaster

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 →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Natural areas Program | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Furious Letter from a Forest Lover

Posted on November 28, 2017 by webmaster

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

Posted on November 11, 2017 by webmaster

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

Posted on February 21, 2017 by webmaster

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 webmaster

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

Posted on October 28, 2016 by webmaster

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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Report: First UCSF TAC Meeting, 14 Jan 2016

Posted on February 10, 2016 by webmaster

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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Sutro Forest East Ridge Trees Being Felled Now

Posted on December 21, 2015 by webmaster

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 webmaster

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

SF Fire Department Busts Some Myths – And More “Work” in Sutro Forest?

Posted on September 20, 2015 by webmaster

This post is republished with permission and minor edits from the website of the San Francisco Forest Alliance. We think it is of particular interest not only because of the myth-busting, but because we were told for the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sutro Forest Attrition

Posted on August 27, 2015 by webmaster

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 →

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Law Suit to Stop FEMA from Funding East Bay Deforestation

Posted on March 13, 2015 by webmaster

Recently, we had written about the hugely destructive plan to cut down hundreds of thousands of trees in the East Bay. The new Plan, written in response to 13,000 comments, was as bad as the previous one. (Read that here: … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Winter Walk in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest

Posted on February 23, 2015 by webmaster

It was the perfect afternoon for a walk in the company of a friend’s friend who wanted to see Sutro forest. It rained the previous day, but now the weather offered no more than an occasional sprinkle. The tops of … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

UCSF Meeting: Sutro Forest Notes (3 Sept 2014)

Posted on September 5, 2014 by webmaster

UCSF’s quarterly Community Advisory Group (CAG) quarterly meeting was held on September 3rd, 2014. The CAG consists of selected people from the community, many of whom have been on it for years or decades. Though our point of view is … Continue reading →

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Walking in Sutro Forest – June, July 2014

Posted on July 18, 2014 by webmaster

It’s a while since we posted about Sutro Forest conditions, so we’d like to record pictures and observations from the last few weeks. Much of the forest is still very beautiful, especially in the fog. But around 1200 trees have … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Hiking, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

What Vegetation Burns?

Posted on November 8, 2013 by webmaster

Recently, there was a small fire on the slope above Laguna Honda reservoir in San Francisco. UCSF sent around a photograph, and emphasized that it was near Mount Sutro Forest. It was. But it was on the area that is … Continue reading →

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UCSF, Sutro Forest, and – “Emergency”?

Posted on September 16, 2013 by webmaster

We’ve had questions ever since UCSF sent out statements that it was initiating “urgent fire safety” work in response to an “independent assessment” of “extra-hazardous fire conditions” by San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) – and that the California Environmental Quality … Continue reading →

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

Sutro Forest – Protesting the Tree-cutting

Posted on September 1, 2013 by webmaster

The peaceful demonstration last Thursday drew a number of supporters, both those who have already been active and newcomers. A few people approached us to find out what was happening, then offered to carry signs or distribute materials themselves. We … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Sutro Forest Tree-felling Notices Posted

Posted on August 22, 2013 by webmaster

The tree-felling and vegetation removal in and around Sutro Forest that we wrote about HERE is imminent. Notices have been posted on trees in the Forest Knolls neighborhood. We have a number of concerns about this action, which is being … Continue reading →

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

Jake Sigg and Transparency and CalFire

Posted on July 22, 2013 by webmaster

Of late, your webmaster has been carrying on an interesting and detailed debate on the neighborhood site Nextdoor about fire hazard. The other person involved opposes our position, and has been willing to discuss it. We appreciate that; we believe … Continue reading →

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Sutro Cloud Forest is Foggy while Fires Burn Elsewhere

Posted on July 14, 2013 by webmaster

The summer fog has rolled into San Francisco, and we’d been watching the forest hopefully while Life delayed our visit. We finally made it on the kind of evening that makes you fall in love with Sutro Cloud Forest all … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Westside Observer “Cannot Comprehend the Logic” of UCSF’s Sutro Plan

Posted on July 6, 2013 by webmaster

The West of Twin Peaks Central Council is one of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood organizations. It’s actually a “club of clubs” – an umbrella organization comprising twenty west-side neighborhood groups. It meets every month to consider issues that concern its … Continue reading →

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

Sutro Forest June 2013: Trails and Flammability

Posted on June 29, 2013 by webmaster

The summer evening was golden and lovely, and though it was getting late, the forest beckoned. We met a few others in the forest – a dog-walker, three joggers, and as we were leaving, three bicycle-riders, all out enjoying the … Continue reading →

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May 2013: Mount Sutro Forest Hike in a Dry Spell

Posted on May 6, 2013 by webmaster

We’ve had an unusually dry winter here in California, and even San Francisco’s had a hot spell recently. So what’s happening in Mount Sutro Forest, usually so damp and green? In brief: It’s not damp, but it is green. The … Continue reading →

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

Sutro Forest “Fire Hazard” – Lesson from the Oakland Hills

Posted on April 27, 2013 by webmaster

We are publishing, with permission and minor edits, this statement from a Board Member of the Hills Conservation Network.  This East Bay organization includes among its Board people who were directly impacted by the Oakland fire, and are dedicated to … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

March End, 2013 – Mount Sutro Forest Hike

Posted on April 1, 2013 by webmaster

By the time we went up to the forest, the day’s rain had stopped. The world of Mount Sutro forest was fresh and green. The world of homes and automobiles fell away at the trailhead. It’s a wonderful time in … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Mt Sutro landslide risk | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sutro Forest Statement by Dr Joseph Mascaro

Posted on March 14, 2013 by webmaster

This is the statement of Dr Joseph Mascaro at the February 25th 2013 hearing UCSF held about the Draft Environmental Impact Report regarding Sutro Forest. It is published here with permission and added emphasis. ——————————- My name is Dr. Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Meetings, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments