Fish & Game scientist sees little wildlife threat in 22-acre park plan

David Johnston, environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Game walked the 22-acre Nurserymens’ Exchange site and the Oak Avenue park site at the request of the city. He described 22-acre site as "the most developable site the city’s going to find."  He also said that a park on Oak Avenue would be a "huge bonus" for the site.

His net assessment was that a park on the Nurserymens’ Exchange site would be better for the wildlife than what is there now. "Not only has it been disturbed," he said, "it has been covered up."

According to Johnston, the site doesn’t have a lot of natural function right now, so there isn’t a lot to be preserved.  His principal concerns would be that snakes and frogs would be able to make their way from the creek to the lands across Highway 92, and that the pond might be a frog breeding area. The city might have to make sure that there are corridors in any parking areas so that reptiles and amphibians could cross. The holding pond is far from a ideal frog breeding area. But, if frogs were laying eggs there, this could be dealt with by carefully monitoring how much and when water is drawn from the pond for irrigation.

"We don’t see any significant opposition to the plan," he said. And while he can’t speak for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, he doesn’t anticipate any major problems with them either.  "I suspect they’ll want to add more to the design than we would."

"If you look at this site," said Johnston, "and say that you can’t develop it, you’re shutting down all development between San Francisco and Santa Cruz."