Green Foothills

Green Foothills Our mission is to protect local nature and farmland to ensure a healthy environment for everyone. We do this through advocacy, education, and grassroots action.

We do this through advocacy, education, and grassroots action focused on San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties, in California. Green Foothills is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Our mission is to protect local nature and farmland to ensure a healthy environment for everyone in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties. We are local, vocal

, and effective. We envision a resilient region where wildlife thrives, everyone has natural beauty to enjoy, and communities live in balance with nature. We advocate for baylands, coasts, rivers and streams, hillsides and grasslands, farmland, forests, and urban green spaces. More than 200,000 acres of natural land and farmland have been saved as a final outcome of our work since we were founded in 1962. We engage in land use issues, educate decision-makers and community leaders, and partner with and mobilize community members. We rely on community support. Ways to get involved:

- Subscribe to action alerts at greenfoothills.org/subscribe

- Donate at greenfoothills.org/donate

- Volunteer at greenfoothills.org/volunteer


- Follow on Facebook and Instagram.

CA Senate Bill 1250 will save lives by helping prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. To express your support and urge Gov...
08/27/2026

CA Senate Bill 1250 will save lives by helping prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. To express your support and urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 1250, go to the Governor’s Official Contact Page. Select “An Active Bill” under the request or comment options, and then select SB 1250 to log your support. Here’s the link:
https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

Governor Gavin Newsom will now have an opportunity to help save lives by helping to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions as my Senate Bill 1250 (SB 1250) reaches his desk, where it awaits his signature.

Every year, thousands of Californians are involved in crashes with wildlife, putting drivers, passengers, and our state's wildlife at risk. SB 1250 strengthens coordination between transportation agencies, wildlife experts, and local stakeholders to identify high-risk areas and support solutions that protect motorists while preserving critical wildlife corridors.

Thank you to The Nature Conservancy for sponsoring my bill and to our supportive partners at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Green Foothills, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Wildlife Conservation Network .

To express your support and urge the Governor to sign SB 1250, go to the Governor’s Official Contact Page. Select “An Active Bill” under the request or comment options, and then select SB 1250 to log your support. Here’s the link: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

The Bay Area’s Snowy Plovers just got some exciting news. These little birds have seen their populations steadily increa...
08/25/2026

The Bay Area’s Snowy Plovers just got some exciting news. These little birds have seen their populations steadily increase since 2020, according to a recent report from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. Hitting an all-time low in 2003 with only 72 birds counted around the Bay, Snowy Plovers have now increased their population to 383 birds. This is thrilling news for Snowy Plover recovery and it shows that habitat protection works!

Read more on our website: greenfoothills.org/good-news-snowy-plovers

📷: San Mateo County Bird Alliance

What happens when people have the tools, knowledge, and support to make change in their communities? Big things. 🌱For th...
08/19/2026

What happens when people have the tools, knowledge, and support to make change in their communities? Big things. 🌱

For the past 12 years, the Green Foothills Leadership Program helped people become effective advocates for their communities and the environment. We trained 300 people, with 168 going on to take leadership roles and helping achieve 74 environmental victories.

Now, we’re building on that success with Líderes Rising, an updated bilingual program created in partnership with Nuestra Casa.

Our first cohort of 15 participants recently came together for their first session, learning about local government, advocacy, and the power they already have to create change.

Over the next four months, participants will build advocacy skills, learn from community leaders and elected officials, and prepare for a year of mentorship as they put their skills into action.

We’re excited to see what these new leaders accomplish!

California’s coast needs your voice. 🌊The Trump administration is directing the federal government to review California’...
08/19/2026

California’s coast needs your voice. 🌊

The Trump administration is directing the federal government to review California’s Coastal Management Program, which gives the state a say in projects that could affect our coast, including offshore oil drilling.

The federal government reviewed the program just two years ago and found no significant issues. Another review so soon raises concerns that it could be used to weaken California’s coastal protections.

📣 Tell the Trump administration: Hands off our coast! Use our action form to tell the federal government you support California’s coastal protections and oppose offshore oil drilling.
https://www.greenfoothills.org/tell-trump-admin-hands-off-oast

📷: Steven King

Alice Kaufman, Green Foothills' Policy and Advocacy Director (center), joined Kathy Sutherland, Board Chair of the Santa...
08/17/2026

Alice Kaufman, Green Foothills' Policy and Advocacy Director (center), joined Kathy Sutherland, Board Chair of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, on a panel at San José Spotlight's PolitiBeat conference on August 7, talking legacy, community values, and how Silicon Valley can grow without losing the open space residents love.

The panel included a discussion of why Coyote Valley continues to face development proposals, even after San Jose and Santa Clara County voted to protect it in 2021. Alice highlighted a state law allowing companies to bypass local zoning and seek approval for battery storage projects directly from the California Energy Commission. She explained, “Our concern isn't about development in general. It's about choosing the right locations... Coyote Valley is a great example” of a place that should be protected.

Read more in the Open Space Authority's article about PolitiBeat:
https://www.openspaceauthority.org/whats-new/preserving-what-matters

San Jose is seeing a wave of new data center proposals, including one proposed right next to Coyote Creek. These massive...
08/17/2026

San Jose is seeing a wave of new data center proposals, including one proposed right next to Coyote Creek. These massive facilities can have significant impacts on our water, energy use, air quality, and climate.

The city is developing new standards to address these impacts, but those standards won’t be finalized until the end of 2026. We’re asking San José to pause new data center applications until the new standards are approved.

📣 Speak up: The city is holding a community listening session on Wednesday, August 19 at 6:00 p.m. at San Jose City Hall. If you can attend, please share your concerns about the impacts of data centers.

👉 You can also take action online and ask the city to pause new data center proposals until the standards are in place. Use the online form on our website:
https://www.greenfoothills.org/ask-sj-pause-data-centers

📷: Dr. Space, flickr

Ever wondered why birds sometimes fly into windows? They’re seeing reflections of sky and trees. They don’t realize it’s...
08/03/2026

Ever wondered why birds sometimes fly into windows? They’re seeing reflections of sky and trees. They don’t realize it’s glass.

Good news: San Mateo County recently took a big step to help. Leaders voted unanimously to require bird-friendly design for new buildings in some areas of the county, making glass safer for the birds we love to watch.

Simple changes like patterned glass can save countless birds’ lives.

A small design tweak. A huge win for birds. 🐦💚

Read more: https://www.greenfoothills.org/smc-supervisors-vote-protect-birds

Thousands of animals—and people—are hurt or killed on California roads every year due to wildlife collisions.It doesn’t ...
07/30/2026

Thousands of animals—and people—are hurt or killed on California roads every year due to wildlife collisions.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

SB 1250 would make wildlife crossings part of everyday highway planning, helping to save lives and reconnect habitats.

We’re working to help pass this bill.

Learn more: https://www.greenfoothills.org/bill-create-safer-roads-wildlife-people

How can we grow the Silicon Valley region while still protecting the open spaces and wildlife that make this place speci...
07/29/2026

How can we grow the Silicon Valley region while still protecting the open spaces and wildlife that make this place special?

Find out at San José Spotlight’s PolitiBeat conference, where Green Foothills’ Policy and Advocacy Director Alice Kaufman will join a panel discussion about planning for regional growth while protecting nature in Coyote Valley and South Santa Clara County.

Alice has spent years working with community members and decision-makers to protect the places we love while helping shape a more sustainable future for our region. This conversation will explore the challenges and opportunities ahead as Silicon Valley continues to grow.

📅 Friday, August 7
🕘 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
📍 Hammer Theatre Center, downtown San Jose
🗣 Alice’s panel begins at 3:40 p.m.

PolitiBeat brings together local leaders and community members for thoughtful conversations about Silicon Valley’s future. Learn more and get tickets: https://hammertheatre.vbotickets.com/eventdate/San_Jos_Spotlight_presents_PolitiBeat_2026/693561

The California Assembly Committee on Appropriations must vote   to protect communities from environmental harm. Last yea...
07/28/2026

The California Assembly Committee on Appropriations must vote to protect communities from environmental harm. Last year, rushed decisions and backroom deals led to one of the worst rollbacks of environmental protections in California’s history. takes important steps to restore some of the environmental oversight and civic engagement lost, including environmental review for advanced manufacturing projects sited in or near the state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Read more at https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/03/small-communities-polluting-manufacturers-ceqa

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3921 E Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA
94303

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