We are publishing the following email message from the San Francisco Forest Alliance. They are thanking their supporters for their help at the public hearing about the Natural Areas Program and its Environmental Impact Report. They are announcing their intention to appeal that decision to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. And they inform their supporters of an opportunity to ask the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program to prohibit the use of the most toxic types of herbicide in the city’s so-called “natural areas.” That hearing will take place on Monday, December 19, 2016. Please help them if you can.

San Francisco SFFA supporters / concerned residents:

Thank you for sending in your letters and braving the rain to sit through the hours long joint meeting of the Planning Commission and SF Recreation and Parks Commission.

Yes, we lost last Thursday and now, with a heavy heart, but with a sense of pride and integrity, please rest assured that we did everything we could to convince the two commissions to see our side.

Thank you for your efforts and for working together, in solidarity and with gratitude from the SFFA leadership. We will appeal the decision to approve the EIR and will go before the Board of Supervisors next year with an emotional plea that they do the right thing. The City cannot implement the SNRAMP while the EIR is under appeal.

In the meantime, and because the SNRAMP cannot operate without the use of herbicides in city parks, there is something we can now do:

Attend an important hearing on Monday Dec 19th in City Hall at 5 PM.

San Francisco’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program is hearing public input on the guidelines for Tier 1 herbicides and on the approved pesticide list for 2017.

This hearing on the Integrated Pest Management program will be at City Hall on Monday, Dec. 19th at 5 pm, room 408.

We hope you can come because this is our main chance to influence any policy decisions about herbicides for the coming year.

If you plan to attend and make public comment please use our email box sfforestnews@gmail.com and leave us your name and phone number so we can coordinate our public input – it is not too late !

Important Reading Materials: For those who are planning to speak – those of us who are concerned about pesticide use in our city, please read Attachments B and C(click to access the documents)

B. Draft 2017 San Francisco Reduced Risk Pesticide List, including Draft Restrictions on “most hazardous” (Tier I) herbicides

C. Summary of issues raised regarding pest management for City properties, with agency responses

Note: It is important that you read these documents prior to making any public comments!

Public opinion does make a difference!

San Francisco Forest Alliance