Could you imagine multi-story apartment buildings and shopping centers bustling with up to 40,000 people on top of San Bruno Mountain? Or the mountain ridge cut down and flattened, with 350 million cubic yards of its rocks dumped into SF Bay for fill?
Those were some of the plans 50 years ago which brought together a grassroots community to save San Bruno Mountain. The battles over the mountain were hard-fought and resulted in preserved parkland now under the stewardship of our State and County Park systems and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The founding members of San Bruno Mountain Watch were involved in the original Committee to Save San Bruno Mountain, formed in 1971.
Through conservation advocacy, our organization continues to seek protection for land on and around San Bruno Mountain, for public open space purposes.
We work with local landowners, donors, and government officials to ensure the protection of areas of natural and cultural significance.
AREAS IN NEED OF PROTECTION AS OPEN SPACE
The San Bruno Mountain Dunes
In 2015, San Bruno Mountain Watch was instrumental in arranging the donation and conservation of 3.25 acres of an inland sand dune on San Bruno Mountain's western slope. This land was added to the San Mateo County Park on the mountain and is now preserved. However, some of the remaining land on the sand dune is privately owned and eligible for development, despite the presence of the federally endangered Lessingia plant (Lessingia germanorum). San Bruno Mountain Watch has been working with local officials and landowners to save this crucial habitat. We have also already begun native habitat restoration on the sand dunes.
The Upper Brisbane Acres is approximately 110 acres of undeveloped open space above the City of Brisbane with several parcels being privately owned. These parcels are rich with native grasses and wildflowers, provide opportunities for hiking, and are a vital habitat for two of the three federally listed endangered butterflies. Most importantly, they encompass a fully functioning habitat with high biodiversity.
Brisbane Quarry is 140 acres of aggregate quarry. It’s home to the endangered San Bruno Elfin Butterfly (Callophrys mossii bayensis) and it's host plant the pacific stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) that has colonized the upper benches of the quarry. To the periphery of the quarry is prime habitat for the Mission Blue and Callippe Silverspot butterflies. The lower portion of this property is frog and wetland habitat. Our goal is to exclude this property from development and restore its biodiversity.
Sign Hill is 44.7 acres of undeveloped open space in South San Francisco. Over 70 native plants have been documented on the Sign Hill site, as well as the endangered mission blue butterfly. Sign Hill is a treasured San Mateo County landmark and nationally registered historic site. One of three privately owned parcels on Sign Hill was purchased in 2018 through the efforts of the City of South San Francisco, the County of San Mateo, and the willing property owner, encouraged by many years of advocacy by Friends of Sign Hill, San Bruno Mountain Watch, and local residents. Two other parcels on the north side of Sign Hill remain to be protected.
Callippe Hill and surrounding areas are to the east of San Bruno Mountain and are surrounded by housing developments that have encroached on critical butterfly habitat. We include in this 75 acres all undeveloped areas in and around the Northeast Ridge Development, Peking Handicraft property, Levinson property, PG&E marsh area and lands bordering Guadalupe Canyon Parkway and east of Carter Street. All of the open areas surrounding this area are critical habitat and flight corridors that keep vital butterfly habitat from being fragmented. The area is within walking distance of San Francisco public transportation and is a key connector between the mountain and the Brisbane Baylands. Mountain Watch is working to protect all undeveloped land in this area.
Icehouse Hill and Upper Brisbane Baylands include over 400 acres of grasslands and wetlands as well as the sites of the Machinery & Equipment business, Mission Blue Nursery, and the drainage channel to the Bay. Icehouse Hill is Callippe Silverspot habitat. Our Mission Blue Nursery is toward the southern end of this area.