Goal ES-1

Goal ES-1:

The City supports nature in South San Francisco to encourage healthy ecosystems, improve air and water quality, improve public health, and adapt to a changing climate.

Intent:

To foster urban ecology in South San Francisco including open space and connectivity, habitat diversity, urban forestry, planting and vegetation, and land and vegetation management. 

Policy ES-1.1: Develop a connected open space network.

Continue to develop a system of well-connected parks and open spaces to support biodiversity, enable the movement of wildlife, and increase climate resilience.

Policy ES-1.2: Strive for habitat diversity across the city.

Strive for habitat diversity ranging from coastal wetlands and marshes to upland habitats.

Policy ES-1.3: Create a connected network of wildlife corridors.

Transform Colma Creek, implement the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan, and manage the Bay Trail and Centennial Way to create a connected network of wildlife corridors.

Policy ES-1.4: Plant for biodiversity.

Discourage the use of invasive non-native plantings in landscape areas across the city, working with regional agencies and local nurseries to educate residents and employers in removing non-native plant species and instead using native species. 

  • Action ES-1.4.1: Manage vegetation at parks and open space for biodiversity.

    Manage vegetation at parks and open spaces in South San Francisco to support biodiversity by reducing pesticide use, reducing light pollution, reducing non-native species, and planting native species that provide valuable resources for native wildlife and to increase resilience. 

Policy ES-1.5: Conduct equity assessments for conservation efforts.

Assess conservation efforts for distributions of benefits and burdens to diverse and marginalized communities (both geographically bounded and identity-based), including implications for environmental and public health. Engage communities in decision-making about programs and priorities.

For related policies and implementation actions related to urban forestry, landscape design, and recreational programming about ecology and environmental stewardship, see Goals ES-4, ES-5, and PR-9.