Press Release: ECOS launches campaign to save wildlife habitat and farmland in Natomas

September 11, 2023

“We think the annual Farm to Fork month, with so many people celebrating the locally grown food in the region, is a perfect time to highlight how important farms are to people and wildlife.” stated Heather Fargo, former Mayor of Sacramento and lead of the Natomas Campaign for the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS).

ECOS is calling on the public to protect Natomas open space and embarking on a major campaign to educate the community about how important the Natomas farmlands and open space are to wildlife in our region and beyond. Natomas is a special place; it is a vital part of the Pacific Flyway and home to 22 protected species, in addition to providing food for our region and the world.

The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan was established in 1997 to ensure the basin’s natural resources are not lost with the growth of the Natomas community. Unfortunately, loss of these resources is likely to happen because of proposed residential and industrial development projects covering more than 8,200 acres of land intended to remain in agriculture.

The first of those projects is the Airport South Industrial Project, a 450-acre warehouse district proposed for land south of I-5 and adjacent to the West Lake neighborhood in North Natomas. If approved, it would put over 6 million square feet of warehouses on foraging habitat for the endangered Swainson’s Hawk.

“ECOS wants Sacramento to remember the value of open space and farmland as a way to support wildlife and combat climate change. We Sacramentans have a role in protecting one of the Earth’s biodiversity hotspots,” said Fargo.

A new message is on display on a digital billboard along I-5 in downtown Sacramento. It has a simple message – save Sacramento’s wildlife habitat and farmland.

Targeted to those who enjoy the local dining experience offered in the city, it simply says, ““There’s no Farm to Fork without farms” and “Natomas farmlands feed people and wildlife”.

The billboard is timed to coincide with the annual Farm to Fork Festival that includes the Tower Bridge dinner and the street festival on Capital Mall on Sept 22-23.

The billboard kicks off a major new campaign by ECOS, continuing its 50 years of efforts to protect the environment.

“The establishment of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan was important for regional sustainability thirty years ago. Now with climate change, it is essential that we stop sprawl and protect biodiversity in this area. The NBHCP provided for development on 17, 500 acres, and the proposed projects are outside of that,” said Susan Herre AIA AICP, President of the ECOS Board of Directors.
ECOS is partnering with Sierra Club, Habitat 2020, Audubon Society, Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk and California Native Plant Society.

Map of the Natomas Basin The proposed projects are in red and are labelled.

More information is available on the ECOS website – https://www.ecosacramento.net/

Contacts: Heather Fargo, former Mayor of Sacramento, ECOS Natomas Team Lead: h-fargo[at]comcast[dot]net, (916) 600-6615; and Susan Herre, President of ECOS Board, susanherre[at]gmail[dot]com

The ECOS Mission: Our mission is to achieve regional sustainability, livable communities, environmental justice, and a healthy environment and economy for existing and future residents. ECOS strives to bring positive change to the Sacramento region by proactively working with the individual and organizational members of ECOS, neighborhood groups, and local and regional governments.

Click here for a PDF of this Press Release.

Blueprint Then and Now

February 23, 2022

SACOG Honors Blueprint Legacy in the 2024 Long-Range Transportation Plan

How the Blueprint transformed transportation and land-use planning for good

The creation of the Sacramento Region Blueprint was a revolutionary undertaking and compelled a critical assessment of the relationship between transportation and land use in the region. The strategy, completed almost 20 years ago, set the precedent for how metropolitan planning organizations engage in regional design. SACOG has chosen to carry on the innovative strategy’s legacy through the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS).

ECOS was key to original Blueprint, as mentioned in this article.

Local environmental groups filed a lawsuit and demanded more from SACOG and its members.

Keep reading at https://www.sacog.org/news/sacog-honors-blueprint-legacy-2024-long-range-transportation-plan.

Sacramento Mayor proposes new funding for affordable housing, infrastructure

February 22, 2022

While speaking at the State of Downtown, Mayor Steinberg announced the possibility of creating a downtown-wide Enhanced Infrastructure Finance District (EIFD). An EIFD is an economic incentive that encourages businesses to invest in our City, allowing Sacramento to invest a percentage of the increased property value back into the central city. This tool is one way to fund our infrastructure, climate, and housing needs.

For a slightly abridged version of the mayor’s speech and a recording of the speech as it was given, please visit: https://engagesac.org/blog-civic-engagement/2022/2/22/mayor-proposes-new-funding-for-affordable-housing-infrastructure-in-state-of-the-downtown-speech.

Linking local land use and transportation – Join Us 2/10

Please join ECOS’ Climate Change Committee on Thursday, Feb. 10, 6 PM!

Clint Holtzen, SACOG Planning Manager, will inform us of plans for the 2024 Blueprint (MTP/SCS or Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy).

Background: On Thursday, Feb. 3, SACOG’s Transportation Committee adopted the Policy Framework for the 2024 Blueprint. The growth projections go out to 2050. See SACOG’s website for a process overview and background on the Blueprint: https://www.sacog.org/2024-blueprint-mtpscs.

We will also discuss:

We will also discuss tasks that you might want to volunteer for!

Click here to view the agenda.

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

Council of Infill Builders’ David Mogavero’s Infill Presentation

On July 12, 2021, at a Special Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) meeting (Joint Session: Land Use & Transportation, Air Quality and Climate Change Committees) architect David Mogavero spoke to ECOS.

How can we encourage infill development and discourage green-field development?

David Mogavero is a Board Member of the Council of Infill Builders, and a past president of ECOS.

David Mogavero addressed these questions:

  • How do we calculate infill capacity?
    • How many market-rate and affordable dwelling units will we need in our region?
    • How much infill housing development capacity do we have?
    • Would still we need more greenfield development?
    • What density criteria are used to determine needed infill development capacity?
  • What are potential problems with larger high-density infill developments?
    • Nearby residents often resist higher density, affordable housing near transit hubs.
  • Small, high-density infill development problems:
    • Do we need accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and multiplex housing?
    • How can we make small projects easier to finance and build?

Missed it?

Click here for David Mogavero’s slideshow.

More Info

Learn more about ECOS committees here: https://www.ecosacramento.net/about-us/committees.

To learn more about the Council of Infill Developers, visit their website at http://www.councilofinfillbuilders.org/.

Sac County’s General Plan Annual Report

March 23, 2021

Today the Environmental Council of Sacramento and 350 Sacramento submitted a joint comment letter regarding the County’s General Plan Annual Report, which is on the Board of Supervisors’ March 24 Meeting Agenda as Item No 6.

Click here to read the letter.


Photo by Emily Hopper from Pexels