Inside this issue: an extraordinary year for growth, learning about forest health, kicking off fire resiliency programs and more.
Midpen Surpasses Interim Goal for Curbing Carbon Emissions
Our most recent greenhouse gas inventory shows Midpen is making great progress toward our greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
Midpen’s Climate Action Plan, finalized in 2018, outlines efforts for meeting our goals to reduce operational emissions 20% by 2022, 40% by 2030, and 80% by 2050, as compared to our 2016 emissions. To track progress and maintain transparency about what actions we are taking to combat carbon emissions, every two years staff conduct a greenhouse gas inventory.
Our latest inventory shows that emissions in 2020 were 24% below the baseline, surpassing our goal of 20% reductions by 2022. The inventory measures emissions from vehicles, equipment and business travel (26% reduction), employee commutes (38% reduction), facilities (35% reduction) and tenant residences (31% reduction).
These reductions were achieved by replacing patrol vehicles with renewable diesel or more fuel efficient models, increasing the use of electric motorcycles for patrol and electric power equipment for resource management work, and reducing employee commutes.
Expanding Access for All
Midpen recently completed the first two years of our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) barrier removal plan, part of a long-term, 15-year effort to support accessible programs, activities and services. At our Ravenswood Preserve, the existing easy-access trail was resurfaced and a beautiful new 0.6-mile trail and boardwalk were carefully constructed across the sensitive salt-marsh habitat.
Additionally, we installed three new ADA-compliant restrooms alongside ADA-accessible parking stalls at our Windy Hill, Monte Bello and Russian Ridge preserves, and updated over 90 percent of our preserve entrance stiles to accommodate wheelchairs.
Work on our next set of projects will take place over the next few years and focus on regrading and resurfacing several easy-access trails: Alpine Pond Loop and Horseshoe Loop trails at Skyline Ridge Preserve, and Cordilleras Trail at Pulgas Ridge Preserve.
Learn more about our efforts to create a more inclusive open space experience
Ravenswood Preserve Bay Trail Project Wins Award
The new Ravenswood Bay Trail connection, which closed a critical gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail, has been awarded the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s 2021 Bike Summit Project of the Year. The award celebrates projects that promote biking and make biking safer. There was a strong field of nominated projects and Midpen is proud to share the award with Redwood City Slow Streets Pilot Program.
Find out about the new trail and plan a visit to the preserve.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NONETTE HANKO!
Warm wishes to Midpen founding member and environmental leader Nonette Hanko, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Nonette was a driving force at Midpen, representing Ward 5 as an elected board member since Midpen was founded in 1972 until her retirement in December 2018. Her daughter, Alice Rush, offered this fitting tribute: “I remember her telling me at the age of eight that something had to be done otherwise all of our beautiful foothills were going to be developed...and we would be left with no more nature, no more natural beauty. I believe these conversations were the beginning of the seeds in her mind to commit herself to the formation of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. My mom showed me that anything is possible. You just need to partner with the right people to make things happen.”
