Coastsiders win sustainability awards

This year, five of the eight Sustainable San Mateo County award recipients were on the Coastside. The annual Sustainable San Mateo County awards honor individuals and organizations demonstrating sustainability in action. The local winners were:

• Jacobs Ranch/Del Cabo, Inc.
• Pietro Parravano, Harbor Commissioner
• Surfrider Foundation San Mateo County
• Elkus Youth Ranch: Honorable Mention
• Hogg Residence, Half Moon Bay, Green Building Awards: Honorable Mention

From the Sustainable San Mateo press release:

Jacob’s Ranch/Del Cabo, Inc. began as organic herb farms in Pescadero. It has expanded into one of the largest organic herb farms in the country and was the inspiration for a venture into Mexico that has turned into an even bigger business. CEO Larry Jacobs and his wife Sandra Belin partnered with Mexican farmers, forming a coop of more than 200 small family farmers growing organically and selling worldwide.

Pietro Parravano, San Mateo County Harbor District Commissioner, has shown leadership at the local up to the international level working for permanent systemic change in the area of sustainable ocean resource use and protection. His work has included education, mobilization of stakeholders, policy change, and coordination and leadership on sustainable practices and programs.

Surfrider Foundation San Mateo County embodies the principles of sustainability in several ways: improving and sustaining environmental quality by recognizing that the diversity and ecological integrity of the coasts are necessary to the well being of the whole earth; promoting equal, free, and open access to County beaches for all people; educating the community about water quality, pollution, coastal ecology and biodiversity; and supporting businesses that embody sustainable practices in accordance with the CERES (formerly Valdez) Principles.

The Cargill South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project was hailed by environmentalists as the "holy grail." Senator Dianne Feinstein said, "Cargill is clearly doing a major public good and deserves deep appreciation." The project frees up 16,100 acres for use by local, state and federal wildlife agencies, increases Bay tidal wetlands by nearly 50 percent, and preserves 25 square miles of open space. It also improves water quality, flood control and provides crucial habitat for endangered species. At the same time Cargill’s investment in technology and productivity shrinks their industrial footprint by over 60% but preserves nearly 400 permanent, living wage jobs.

"Getting Green at Central" is a grass roots effort at Central Elementary School in Belmont that has inspired the whole school to recycle everything from aluminum to tennis shoes-and in the process saved enough money to build a new play structure. They have received worldwide recognition for their efforts, including the President’s Environmental Youth award, and they have inspired many other schools to follow their example.

Receiving honorable mention, Elkus Youth Ranch in Half Moon Bay for nearly a quarter century has been offering opportunities for students and teachers to experience environmental science, California history, animal care and agriculture programs. The ranch hosts about 9000 visitors annually-with a special welcome for urban, disabled and inner city youth.

The 2005 Green Building Award winner, d’Souza/de la Torre Residence in Belmont (Architects: David Arkin & Anni Tilt, Arkin-Tilt Architects; Builder: Ebcon Development, Inc.; Owners: Gladwin d’Souza & Martina de la Torre) is being honored for the holistic approach to sustainable design. The project incorporated recycled materials, sustainable site selection and uses, innovative heating and cooling systems (both passive and active) and included multi-functional use of space to reduce the overall building size.

Receiving Honorable Mention is the Hogg Residence in Half Moon Bay (Architect: John Hermannsson, Architect A.I.A.; Builder: Spectrum Development; Owners: Alec & Michelle Hogg). Commendable was the complete re-use of the existing structure and the owner’s and architect’s commitment to look at all options, carefully consider material selections, and maintain sensitivity to the community and surroundings.

Click "read more" to see Surfrider’s press release on its award.

The San Mateo County Chapter of Surfrider Foundation was recognized for its Water Quality Program by Sustainable San Mateo County on February 24, 2005.  The annual sustainability awards acknowledge the remarkable accomplishments of individuals or groups who demonstrate a dedication to the long-term health and well being of the County through key elements of action in sustainability: a healthy ecosystem, social well being and economic vitality.  "We’re pleased Sustainable San Mateo County has recognized Surfrider for our work to protect and sustain the environmental quality of our coast.  This award will help us to continue and expand these efforts," said Chapter Chair Edmundo Larenas. 

At the core of the Surfrider San Mateo’s Water Quality Program is its Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), a cadre of volunteers who spearheaded a collaborative partnership in 1998 to work with San Mateo County’s Department of Environmental Health department and local landowners.  Their goal has been to address the lingering problem of fecal contamination from both animals and humans by identifying the potential point sources of water pollution plaguing local coastal streams, a condition which has frequently resulted in potentially unhealthy water quality conditions for swimmers and surfers and the periodic closing of beaches.

The weekly collection of water sampling by the BWTF resulted in a significant achievement to improve the water quality of the San Vicente Creek Watershed and recreational waters surrounding Montara State Beach. By working with the County’s testing lab and a local horse stable operator, the effort reduced high levels of fecal coliform entering the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. The stable operation has relocated and now stores its manure away from San Vicente Creek’s stream bank.

Four years later, the partnership has continued with the County’s Environmental Health Department through a $175,000 grant to expand weekly water sampling and testing to other watersheds and recreational waters from Pacifica to Gazos Creek.  The effort now includes the addition of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau, San Mateo County Public Health Lab, Pilarcitos Creek Advisory Council, San Mateo County Resource Conservation District, Coastside Horse Council, Sewer Authority Midcoastside (SAM) and the City of Half Moon Bay.  We’d have a difficult time collecting the necessary water samples without Surfrider volunteers.  They are an essential part of complying with our state-mandated water testing program," said Dean Peterson, director for the San Mateo County Department of Environmental Health.

In summer of 2004, the Surfrider San Mateo County Chapter established its own water testing lab in Princeton Harbor in a small building donated by the SAM. Surfrider volunteers provided hundreds of hours to renovate and install water sampling equipment which will be used to test water samples and compare the results with the County’s sampling data. "The addition of our lab as a tool for sampling and testing will allow for greater flexibility and shorten the response time for public notification of potential pollution problems," said Larenas.

In addition to the Water Quality Program, the Chapter hosts lectures each year covering a wide variety of topics, such as ocean swell prediction, surfboard design and the surfing history in San Francisco to coastal geological processes and land use practices.  They host four beach clean-ups each summer.  Last year volunteers gathered more than 1,000 pounds of trash from San Gregorio State Beach on Coastal Clean Up Day. The San Mateo Chapter was also the first Chapter in the nation to call for a complete ban of jet skis, except for public agency safety and rescue operations, in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and has continued to work towards achieving this goal.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.  For the past 5 years, the local San Mateo County chapter has been actively promoting the Surfrider Foundation’s mission to preserve our oceans, waves and beaches with the establishment of their local water quality testing lab on the coast, the Blue Water Task Force and community partnerships with the San Mateo County Department of Environmental Health and the Sewer Authority Midcoastside to improve water quality in our coastal streams.  For more information, log onto www.surfridersanmateoco.org

Sustainable San Mateo County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and highlight the long-term improvement of San Mateo County’s environment, economic vitality and social equity through the promotion of sustainability for future generations can live in a vital and healthy community. For more information, log onto www.sustainablesanmateo.org