EG Advocates

EG Advocates is a group of El Granada neighbors concerned about protecting our community, our homes, as well as our beautiful natural environment. We can be fire safe and protect the natural beauty and wildlife of El Granada.

OUR MISSION:

EG Advocate’s mission is to advocate for the preservation of El Granada’s natural spaces, sensitive habitats, and vital ecosystems in balance with fire safety through home hardening and defensible space. By balancing environmental protection with fire mitigation, we aim to reduce the impacts of climate change, severe weather, and flooding while safeguarding our community.

CURRENT MISSION CAMPAIGNS:

Protecting our wildlife through ecological preservation and promoting biodiversity through additional native plantings

Eliminating the use of chemicals on the land that can harm the land, people, pets, wildlife, plants, local waterways and the ocean.

PRESERVATION PHILOSOPHY:

Stabilizing the Wildlife and Groves:

Habitat loss is the leading cause of wildlife decline. With climate change worsening, we can't afford to cut down all nonnative trees to replant only natives. Clear cutting local groves of trees would kill and force out existing animal, bird and beneficial insect species, creating unknown environmental imbalances at a time when climate change is already unpredictable.  Removing a significant number of trees also weakens the groves which can cause dangerous windfall of single or groups of trees during storms.

Stabilizing the Climate:
Trees are vital in sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Cutting trees down releases carbon through decomposition of the dead trees. In some cases, the trees have been burned or reduced into woodchips which accelerates the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.   So, by cutting down forests or large groves we reduce significant carbon capture AND create more carbon emissions -  a double whammy. There are healthier ways to steward the land.  We don’t have 100 years to grow different trees to cool our town as the climate heats up and to capture the carbon lost. Nor will scrub brush capture and cool as 100+ year old trees do.

We advocate widening the biodiversity and carbon capture through:

  1. Engagement of regular community volunteer and park service land stewardship to remove invasive seeds, saplings, and plants and replant native trees and vegetation. 

2. Limiting tree cutting to where absolutely necessary and holding off cutting until after bird nesting and bat maternity seasons. (After August) 

3. Intermixing new native plantings with existing environmental gardens, public spaces and forested areas where appropriate. 

4. Encouraging the planting of natives in neighborhood yards.

Fire Safety

Safety is paramount and can be ensured by cutting fire breaks in the WUI, hardening homes, creating defensible space, and developing escape plans. However, removing all Eucalyptus trees is not a balanced solution. Preserving trees helps cool the town, capture greenhouse gases, and mitigate climate change. Clearing large areas increases fire risk by heating and drying the land, especially if nothing is replanted. Deforestation, regardless of tree type, disrupts climate cycles, leading to severe weather, wildfires, and further deforestation.

Click her for how to harden your home (Fire Safe San Mateo County)

Click here for how to create defensible space (Fire Safe San Mateo County)

Our Median Trees

Our community’s median trees are a cherished part of our town’s history. Planted over a century ago, they were designed as a green promenade for recreation and a privacy buffer for homes. Beyond their beauty, they provide critical benefits—cooling the neighborhood by transpiring water vapor and creating a welcoming space for families, pets, and wildlife. We appreciate that they are not considered a wildfire threat, and the risk in Quarry Park is lower than initially thought (El Granada Wildfire Resiliency Scoping Project, San Mateo Resource Conservation District, June 2022).

The medians and parks (GGNRA and Quarry Park) serve as thriving habitats where century-old trees sequester megatons of carbon. While most trees are not native, growth can be managed by removing saplings and seeds, reducing ladder fuels, and planting natives where needed. Older trees can coexist with native species, maintaining biodiversity.

At a time when we are at the 11th hour for species survival, when our National Parks are going to be logged, when state guidelines are mandating massive vegetation removal statewide: preserving healthy mature trees in our town is essential due to their massive cooling effect and habitat. Coastal prairie restoration can take place in surrounding areas, ensuring we balance conservation with protecting the trees and existing wildlife that make this landscape unique.

Contact Us

Please use our Contact Form for any suggestions or inquiries.