Poisons are being used in San Francisco public parks to get rid of plants. And plants are being yanked up along paths leaving large areas of bare ground which then becomes prone to erosion. The photos above make sections look like a war zone. Whatever happened to sustainability and being environmentally friendly? What about including those of us who use the parks in their planning?
The Natural Areas Program is a “politically correct” program run by small organized groups. It is a misnomer: there is nothing “natural” about the program. They use whatever methods they want to reach their ends. They are actually decreasing biodiversity and polluting the ground in the name of a program that few people really want. We all wanted native plants, but never did anyone agree to ripping everything else out, and never did we agree for poisons to be used. The poisons are being washed into the water systems of the parks. The poisons are affecting the food chain from the bottom up. They are toxic — all poisons are.
Who uses these methods? Our Parks and Recreation Department has ceded authority to volunteers, who, at their own discretion, are creating parks in the image they want without including those of us who actually use the parks.
The wild character of several of our parks is what makes them so special. The underbrush and overgrowth which has been removed served as protection and as habitat for all sorts of animals. Huge areas which were protected from humans and dogs because of their growth can now be walked through easily. This means animals homes were destroyed. Why?
