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Biodiversity briefing sparks broad public debate over invasive species management and herbicide use
Summary
A Department of the Environment briefing on local biodiversity prompted extended public comment. Scientists and city staff described San Francisco’s biodiversity, while many community speakers split over the use of herbicides in natural areas — some urging targeted control of invasive species, others calling for bans on Tier 1/Tier 2 herbicides and invoking the precautionary principle.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Department of the Environment presented a citywide biodiversity briefing March 22 that highlighted San Francisco’s unique flora and fauna, the city’s stewardship history and partnerships, and restoration projects across parks and natural areas.
Peter Brasdow, the department’s biodiversity coordinator, outlined program goals: conserve and restore local nature, connect residents to neighborhood natural spaces and support volunteer stewardship programs. "What we're really trying to do is evolve a healthier culture of local nature stewardship," Brasdow said during his introduction.
Dr. John Haffernick (San Francisco State University) framed the Bay Area as part of an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot and reviewed extinction drivers including habitat loss, introduced species and climate change. "We are part of one of those biodiversity hotspots," he said, urging coordinated conservation approaches and noting that remnant native species can be vulnerable.
Following the presentations, commissioners and a packed public comment period debated how best to manage invasives in the city’s parks and the role of herbicides in restoration. Speakers with restoration experience argued that targeted, surgical herbicide application combined with manual and mechanical approaches is sometimes necessary to protect remnant native populations and to prevent invasive monocultures. Several land managers explained operational constraints and the need for a toolbox of IPM measures.
Opponents, including representatives of the San Francisco Forest Alliance, parents and physicians who had appeared at the policy committee, argued for stronger restrictions or bans on higher‑risk products such as glyphosate and Garlon. Medical and community speakers urged the commission to invoke the precautionary principle and to accelerate phase‑outs of Tier 1/Tier 2 herbicides in parks.
The session underscored the technical complexity and the split between ecological managers and community groups. Commissioners asked staff to frame how restoration priorities should be set under changing climates, and to clarify definitions (native vs. non‑native vs. invasive). The Commission did not take formal action on the biodiversity briefing itself, but the topic informed the later pesticide‑list debate and the commission’s request for analysis on phasing out Tier 1 herbicides in parks.
What to watch: The biodiversity briefing, public testimony and subsequent pesticide discussion show that city restoration policy and herbicide regulation will remain central local issues; the Commission’s request for an analysis of Tier 1 reductions was explicitly framed to address many public health and stewardship concerns raised during this item.
