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Committee approves nominating expanded priority conservation areas; adds Sunset Boulevard to list
Summary
The committee voted 3-0 to send a resolution authorizing the Planning Department to apply to ABAG/MTC for new and revised Priority Conservation Area (PCA) designations, including an amendment to add Sunset Boulevard, as a committee report to the Board of Supervisors.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted unanimously to authorize the Planning Department to apply to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to confirm existing and nominate new or revised Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs), and to forward the resolution as a committee report to the Board of Supervisors.
Jeremy Shaw, Planning Department staff, described PCAs as regionally significant areas "designed to protect and improve natural habitats, farms, recreation areas, urban green spaces, and locations that can help fight against climate change." He said PCAs are nominated by local land use authorities and adopted by ABAG; PCAs do not change local land-use controls but make areas eligible for PCA grants.
Shaw outlined past San Francisco PCA grant awards and regional funding levels: San Francisco received about $1,670,000 in 2018, about $1.3 million in 2020, and $750,000 in 2024; Shaw said regional totals have ranged between roughly $8 million and $12 million depending on the year and that ABAG anticipated about $8 million for the Bay Area in the 2025 round. He noted the updated PCA eligibility emphasizes equity, biodiversity, resilience and climate adaptation and that nominations are reviewed by the ABAG/MTC partnership.
Shaw presented a map of existing PCAs (in green) and proposed expansions and new nominations (in red) that included expansions to India Basin, Bayview Hill, Twin Peaks/Twin Peaks Glen Canyon bioregion, additions around Downtown/North Beach, SoMA, Mission Creek, Golden Gate Park (re-nominated), Islais Creek up to Cesar Chavez, Yosemite Creek and portions of Sunset Boulevard as part of the Sunset Natural Resource Area.
Eileen Bogan of the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods spoke in support of adding Sunset Boulevard and thanked the offices that clarified the item is being forwarded as a committee report. After public comment, Supervisor Mirna Melgar said she intended to amend the resolution to include Sunset Boulevard and to send the item forward as a committee report so the city could meet ABAG's nomination deadlines.
Melgar moved to adopt the circulated amendment adding Sunset Boulevard to the nomination list and to forward the resolution as amended as a committee report; the committee voted Chen, aye; Mahmood, aye; Melgar, aye. The committee clerk recorded three ayes and the motion passed.
Shaw said ABAG expects nominations by June 13 for approval by local governments, with ABAG administrative committee review July 11 and ABAG executive board designation by July 17. The committee's action authorizes the Planning Department to file for PCA nominations and applies the committee's amendment to include Sunset Boulevard.
