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David, Goliath, and Our Place to Make a Stand

By on August 23, 2012 in Uncategorized

The extraordinary view at Knowland Park.

We filed our Argument Against the zoo’s parcel tax measure (which has been given the title Measure A1 (!)) last week. Five organizations signed the argument: California Native Plant Society, Friends of Knowland Park, Alameda Creek Alliance, California Native Grasslands Association and Resource Renewal Institute (the parent group of our Coalition Partner, Defense of Place). If you are a member of any of these groups, please email or call them and thank them for their staunch support. The Sierra Club also authorized us to include the factual statement that they had opposed the Knowland Park expansion project—again, let them know you appreciate this.

For many groups, it takes real courage of conviction to go against the zoo’s political machine. Continue Reading →

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No Matter How Much Lipstick…

By on August 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

The view to the west of the ridgetop area, as it is now.

It’s been an incredibly busy week! Coalition partners have been meeting with numerous organizations and key individuals as we develop our campaign against the zoo parcel tax measure that is going on the ballot for November. We’ve had some amazing victories that we can’t share yet, because we’re not quite convinced that all the zoo executive board members who signed up on our supporters list are really supporters (!)(see http://tinyurl.com/9aedhy9) –but we can tell you that when people are given full information about what the Knowland Park expansion would really do to native wildlife and plant habitat, and about how the zoo got this on the ballot at the last possible moment, allowing no time for the usual process groups use to examine the language and determine their positions on ballot measures, they are quick to decide they can’t support it. Continue Reading →

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Public cost for grandiose Zoo expansion rising – Now Alameda Supervisors want to add to your parcel tax

By on July 27, 2012 in Uncategorized

It turns out the Oakland Zoo wants even more of your money to fence off your public park land.

In a move managed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the zoo is placing a parcel tax on the ballot for this fall that would, if passed, provide funds for the expansion development. See http://www.ebcitizen.com/2012/07/bos-roundup-special-tax-for-oakland-zoo.html You may recall that at meeting after meeting and hearing after hearing, zoo and city officials assured everyone that this was “a done deal,” all paid for, private funds, etc. Well, it turns out they’ve deceived us again. Continue Reading →

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ZOO FACES REGULATORY HURDLES AS IT BEGINS PERMIT PROCESS

By on July 19, 2012 in Uncategorized

Before the zoo’s expansion can be built, the zoo must apply for and receive a number of different permits from the state and federal regulatory agencies that are responsible for protecting sensitive natural resources in California.  Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing more specific details about the individual permits that must be obtained. We thought it would be useful to describe in general the role of the regulatory agencies at this stage of the development. Continue Reading →

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The Knowland Park dumps, and the Alice in Wonderland world of zoo assurances: Where is the ‘stewardship’?

By on July 9, 2012 in Oakland Politics, Personal Journals, Uncategorized

Zoo debris dumped in Knowland Park

During hearings on the zoo’s expansion development project, Friends of Knowland Park and other environmental groups repeatedly raised the issue of lack of proper stewardship of Knowland Park, and lack of city oversight of the zoo’s management of Park resources. Despite the fact that the zoo is paid by the city to be stewards over the entirety of Knowland Park, it has never really even acknowledged the Park as a Park.

In addition to raising the issue of inadequate monitoring and control of invasive plant species in the Park, the Friends submitted color photos and Google Earth images showing multiple dump sites in the Park, including manure dumping near the site identified for the proposed interpretive center building and restaurant. In its response, the zoo denied dumping manure at all and did not even address the manure dumping at the interpretive center site, focusing instead on a composting area near the veterinary hospital site. However, the manure pile at the former site was mysteriously removed sometime during the weeks immediately following this meeting. Continue Reading →

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