Protect San Francisco Trees!
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
It's one thing to streamline permits. It's another thing to harm the minimal green infrastructure SF has. Mayor Lurie wants to allow developers to choose between planting trees, or paying an inadequate fee to the City to do it instead. This means not only do we lose trees, but developers can permanently design over spaces that might have accommodated trees in the future.
Additionally, Mayor Lurie seeks to remove the public's right to appeal when a City department initiates a tree removal. This isn't about housing or development. This would include, for example, when SFMTA sought to remove every tree on Van Ness (~200) for the new bus lane. Or when SFPW sought to remove every tree on 24th Street (~77) between Mission and Potrero. Or when Better Market Streets sought to remove every tree on Market Street for its new sidewalks (~700). If the public didn't have the right to appeal, these trees would be gone. Because of the appeals process, trees were saved, plans were revised, and City-community partnerships were formed.
Removing the public's right to appeal has nothing to do with streamlining, and everything to do with the fact that SFRPD broke the law, illegally removed trees, and got caught red-handed by the Board of Appeals. What's worse, if City-initiated tree removals aren't appealable, this incentivizes private developers to get the City to do its tree removals for them, on the taxpayer dime.
Tell Mayor Lurie that we can - and must - do better. For our trees, for the planet, and for our future.
Petition by
To:
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
From:
[Your Name]
Mayor Lurie and Supervisor Wong's proposals for San Francisco's street trees are disastrous. We already have the smallest urban canopy of any major city in the U.S., and our failure to invest in our City trees has allowed even this small tree canopy to decline. We ask you to not allow Developers to have the choice of planting trees or paying an inadequate fee. This will lead to even fewer trees on City streets.
And we ask you not to eliminate the public's right to appeal City-initiated tree removals. These appeals, for City projects, have nothing to do with expediting development. Additionally, these appeals have lead to innovative results, such as Mission Verde - one of the most innovative City/Community partnerships that resulted in 3x more trees being planted along the Mission District's cultural corridor. Eliminating this right to appeal will result in City projects removing trees en masse without oversight, and will incentivize private developers to persuade the City to remove trees on the taxpayer dime.
Please, reject File #251211 amending San Francisco's Public Works Code Article 16.