Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Press Release from SF Stupidvisor John Avalos regarding Sharp Park

Here is the press release from San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos introducing legislation to close Sharp Park golf course, manage the park as open space and restore endangered species habitat in partnership with the National Park Service. For more information about the campaign to restore Sharp Park, see http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/restoring_sharp_park_california/index.html



For Immediate Release May 17, 2011
Contact:
Raquel Redondiez, 415-554-7896
Supervisor John Avalos, 415-359-8367

Supervisor John Avalos Calls for New Partnership with National Park Service
To Save Endangered Species and Improve Public Recreation at Sharp Park

Legislation will protect the California red-legged frog and San Francisco garter snake

San Francisco – Today Supervisor John Avalos called for legislation to protect two endangered species—the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake— safeguard essential city services, and provide recreational opportunities everyone can enjoy at Sharp Park, a City-owned golf course in Pacifica, California. The legislation calls for the City to work in partnership with the National Park Service to repurpose Sharp Park from a golf course to a new open space managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This will provide highly sought-after recreation opportunities while allowing San Francisco to redirect scarce recreation dollars to neighborhood parks and community centers threatened by the City’s ongoing budget deficits.

“The status quo is not sustainable at Sharp Park,” said Supervisor John Avalos. “Time is running out for these endangered species: San Francisco must act promptly to give future generations the opportunity to see these species in their natural habitats at Sharp Park. A partnership with the National Park Service will make Sharp Park more accessible while simultaneously allowing the City to reinvest resources into its neighborhood golf courses, parks, and recreation centers.”
For many years, San Francisco has been draining wetlands at Sharp Park to operate a golf course on the property, but the practice has led to severe cost over-runs and ongoing harm to two endangered species. These environmental problems have subjected San Francisco to enforcement actions by regulatory agencies and litigation from several environmental organizations, including the Wild Equity Institute, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Sequoia Audubon Society.
“We owe it to future generations to provide sustainable recreation that everyone, from San Mateo to San Francisco and beyond, has an opportunity to enjoy,” said Supervisor Avalos. “Working together, San Francisco and the National Park Service can create a new model that will serve Bay Area residents for generations to come.”
In addition to the environmental constraints, Sharp Park has struggled with ongoing budget deficits caused by a structural imbalance in the golf market. A 2008 San Francisco-commissioned study found that the Bay Area supplies six-million more rounds of golf annually than Bay Area golfers actually demand. Because of this, public courses in Oakland, San Jose, Livermore, and Marin County have been proposed for closure or sale for private development.
At the same time, San Francisco residents have stated repeatedly that their primary recreation demand is for more hiking and biking trails, while golf has fallen to 16th out of 19 recreational opportunities offered by the City.
“My legislation will allow San Francisco to strategically realign its golf courses to meet the challenge of today’s market, while increasing access to affordable golf throughout San Francisco,” said Supervisor Avalos. “At the same time we can match current demand of our parks by repurposing existing recreational lands and providing a more secure future for wildlife on the brink of extinction.”

***************************************


Jeff Miller
Conservation Advocate
Center for Biological Diversity
351 California Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 436-9682 x303
Fax: (415) 436-9683

At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild plants and animals.  Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. We do so through science, law, and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters, and climate that species need to survive.  We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive.

Submitted by Lionel Emde

8 comments:

Alister said...

I heard the supervisor used to work at a golf course. Yep, he retrieved the golf balls at the driving range.................by hand! He's hated golf ever since.

Anonymous said...

Dig around Avalos past and what you will find is that he is a communist.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, the "name calling" comment is your. Its up to you to do the digging.

Thomas Clifford said...

I'll keep this brief Mr. Avalos needs to read all the data before he comes to conclusions. I personally believe that the plan put forward by the S.F. PB&R commission is the way to go. I think it would be foolish for San Francisco to give away more then four hundred acres of prime real estate and destroy a world class golf coarse when you can have both a habitat and recreation.

Anonymous Please stop calling everyone you don't agree with a Communist as someone who fought against real communist in Vietnam & North Korea I find it offensive.

mw said...

Oh for Pete's sake. If this is not political suicide for Avalos, I may have to move out of SF. I just cannot believe that anyone is taking this guy seriously.

Can you imagine anywhere else in the world where a politician would seriously run for mayor of a city on a platform of giving away 400 acres of incredibly valuable and beautiful coastal park land that contributes millions in revenue to the city and belongs to the people of that city?

I am going to repeat this mantra as long as it takes.

Sharp Park is a unique gem that belongs to the people of San Francisco. We choose to share it with the entire Bay Area and the world. The golf course was designed and built by Alister MacKenzie, the game's most important architect. The park was landscaped by John McLaren, the godfather of San Francisco parks. The park was a gift to the City in 1917 and represents a historic legacy entrusted to the people of San Francisco. The park and golf course are important historic landmarks by any standard.

This civic jewel of a park is a treasure that is our common San Francisco heritage and is a legacy for future generations of San Franciscans.

Unless, of course, some brain-dead politician like John Avalos manages to piss it away.

Anonymous said...

What's his position on circumcision? Anything is possible in SF. That flushing sound is him and his ilk pissing away SPGC.

Steve Sinai said...

He did have the support of that massive group of 40 at the Destroy Sharp Park rally in SF the other day.

Sharon said...

@ Jeff Miller "At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature"...
So destroying the beautiful ecosystem that has grown up around the course and depriving the many humans who enjoy the course for it's beauty and challenging fairways is how you improve the welfare of humans?