HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/13/2022 Item 7a, Pinard
From:Peg Pinard <
PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Stephanie Finucane; Peter Johnson; Dave Congalton; news@ksby.com; santa Lucia
Sierra Club
Subject:Public Hearing Item 7.A (Climate Action Plan Work Program)
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Public Comment for Agenda Item 7.A (Climate Action Plan Work Program)
Dear City Council Members:
I offer the following two comments on the proposed “Climate Action Plan Work Program”:
I.
1
The “Elephant in the Room” (or rather “the Elephant in the Car”) in this proposed climate action work program is the
amount of green house gasses generated by Tourism.
Tourists choosing to “Visit SLO” often do so in response to the city’s very extensive, successful tourism efforts - including
two standing tourism committees, a tourism manager, and a large tourism budget.
Tourists coming to SLO leave their distant cities, counties or other states and often travel hundreds of miles or more,
mostly in fossil-fueled vehicles, in getting to our city. They then travel a relatively small amount in the city, and finally
make the return trip to their distant homes.
In the few times that tourism is referenced in this proposed climate action work program (CAPWP), it seems to refer
ONLY to the relatively small number of vehicle miles traveled” by tourists in the city— and not the very large number of
miles tourists must travel to get to and from the city.
The proposed CAPWP acknowledges the importance of this factor, stating; “Transportation is the single largest source of
green house gas emissions in San Luis Obispo, primarily due to the single-occupancy, fossil-fueled vehicles.” (Executive
Summary, p.3)
This is not a condemnation of tourism as an economic factor for our community, but rather a call to be honest in
acknowledging the real numbers and their impacts in this CAPWP. This reality must begin by honestly identifying the real
numbers of vehicle miles traveled attributable to tourism.
2.
2
These are photographs of some of the recent, city-permitted destruction of many mature trees in our city.
The tragic fact is that the city continues to approve the cutting down of hundreds of mature trees, as seen in the above
photos. More mature trees are literally “on the chopping block”, such as the proposed destruction of an additional 50+
mature trees on north Monterey. These existing trees have survived multiple drought cycles. They are far more
important for not only wild life habitat but also for carbon sequestration (now and for decades to come) than the newly-
planted, small, young trees that will take many decades to mature.
3
While the CAPWP touts the “diverse, thriving tree canopy that improves the quality of life for all in SLO, now and
decades in the future”,
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
While it is is important to have new tree planting programs, THESE NEW TREE PLANTINGS SHOULD BE IN ADDiTION TO
THE REAL PROTECTION OF MATURE TREES IN OUR CITY’S URBAN FOREST.
The CAPWP does not require this nor offer any programs that will result in actions to stop the ongoing destruction of
mature trees, (such as those on upper Monterey and in other areas of the city). Please include these protections.
Sincerely,
Peg Pinard
Former, Mayor, City of San Luis Obispo
Chairperson, San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
*Note: Tourists arriving by plane also generate green house gasses.
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