After having conversations with some of the stakeholders involved with the OB Coastal Adaptation Project, we decided it necessary to write a letter to the SFPUC Commission expressing the importance of this project. The City's budget is expected to run at a large deficit due to the COVID-19 economic fallout, but Climate Change isn't going away. With the inevitable re-prioritization of projects we wanted to let them know that the project at Sloat should remain a priority. Check out the letter we sent in mid - May.
We continue to push for a parking replacement close to Sloat and the Great Highway. There are active negotiations between the project committee and the SF Zoo on some form of use at their lot close to the intersection. We are hoping some of these details will be unveiled soon so we can weigh in.
We do have a few asks for you at this time. There is a Bill that was introduced in the State Senate (SB-1090) that will make it easier for home owners to defend their properties with sea walls. Surfrider is against sea walls as a means of protection as it accelerates erosion of the beach, a shared resource for all Californians. Thankfully, we don't have the level of development on bluffs overlooking the beach, as Southern California, but this would have statewide impacts. Surfrider has an active petition here. Please sign it! If you are looking at reading the Bill, you can find the text here.
We also just received our first batch of Restore Sloat t-shirts and they look great! We will be having a letter writing contest in the next month with shirts up for a reward, so stay tuned.
Lastly and most importantly, we wanted to acknowledge the protests to end racial discrimination in the US. As a program, chapter, and organization, we believe in equality and stand in solidarity with the black community across our country. You can read the organizational response to the current events here.