HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/19/2021 Item 7a, von Schwind
Delgado, Adriana
From:Sara von Schwind <svonschwind@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, October
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:OPEN SPACE WINTER EVENING HOURS OF USE AT CERRO SAN LUIS NATURAL
RESERVE Agenda Item 7a on October 19, 2021
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Dear City Council,
First and foremost I would like to thank you for engaging in and conducting studies to
consider the Winter Evening Hours of use at the Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve. I
appreciate the steps and deliberation to bring the opportunity forward to continue the
extended winter hours as was piloted during the last three years. As I have mentioned in
previous correspondence, although there are many locations within our beautiful county to
hike and enjoy nature during the daylight hours, for a person like myself, I am not able to
leave work during the day to hike; and I am often working well past 5 PM. Carving out one
location of the many that we have for a small time frame to allow for a visit with nature is
not only imperative, it is essential for my health and well-being. During this time of
extreme pressure and difficulty, a simple connection with nature is what provides one bit
of calm to what seems like a challenging endless cycle of stress. My personal days are
filled with meeting after meeting and more screen time than I have ever had to endure in
my professional life. With this added screen time comes the challenge of finding moments
of life-balancing forces. I agree with Lady Bird Johnson, a lifelong environmentalist, who
believed that all Americans need access to nature. Surrounding yourself with nature is a
whole body sensory experience, sparks curiosity, and leads to conscious awareness of
the earth, which is likely to lead to more earth-first thinking. Considering earth-first
thinking, this project does not force constituents to travel to other areas such as the
National Forest to enjoy night hiking, which ultimately aligns with the State goals to reduce
the Vehicle Miles Traveled and greenhouse gas emissions.
As a person who cares about our natural environment and the need to balance the health
and well-being of the open space and of the constituents of the City and County of San
Luis Obispo, I was relieved to see the conclusion of the Initial Study and Environmental
Review “there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole of the record before the
agency, that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.” This allows for
the possibility to balance environmental concerns with public health concerns since there
is a significant decline of the physical and mental health of all people of all ages in the last
year and half. Our life expectancy has dropped a full year due to this pandemic, and to
add to this we are experiencing a pandemic of depression that is only going to continue to
rise according to mental health professionals. Overeating, alcohol use and substance
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abuse are on the rise. These are real and sobering thoughts. With these issues facing our
community, having a small space that can be accessed without driving a car if you live
within town, to provide the opportunity for a healthy outing, is a reasonable ask in my
opinion. I am hoping that the City Council will continue to move forward with this project to
allow the Parks and Recreation Department, who concur with the content contained
within the report, to administer the project with the Ranger Service staff.
Sincerely,
Sara von Schwind
San Luis Obispo, California
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