The Nature of Politics

Dog owners, compliant pols viciously distort a reasonable attempt to preserve our environmental legacy

A A A Comments By Matt Smith Wednesday, Jul 24 2002

...continued from page 3

There are an estimated 150,000 trees on Recreation and Park Department lands. The vast majority, perhaps as much as 99 percent, reside in developed parks or other places not considered natural areas. But a few of these nonnative trees are in the city's remnant natural areas. Those trees threaten to wipe out hundreds of native plant species, just as they are doing right now on Mount Davidson.

The idea that a group of pet owners wishing to abolish the city's leash laws might attempt to paint native plant preservationists as zealots is unfortunate. That the pet owners would launch a campaign to obstruct and politicize the Natural Areas Program in pursuit of this end is lamentable, but understandable: San Francisco's political tradition has long provided a place for individuals wishing to sacrifice the public good for political gain.

Fred Harper

More About

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

What I don't understand is how politicians such as Gavin Newsom and Leland Yee expect to profit from this scapegoating campaign without the public, eventually, seeing the forest -- despite the trees.

Check out this week's featured ad for News