Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.27
Liaison Caitlin Steele
Submission Date Feb. 15, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

San Francisco State University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Linda Morton
Gardening Specialist
University Property Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
The campus is located near Lake Merced which is a major water, recreational, and natural resource for the City and County of San Francisco and its surrounding area. It is also an important stop for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. More than half of the park is managed by the Recreation and Parks Department's Natural Areas Program, which works to restore and protect habitat for birds and other wildlife, as well as to maintain and improve trails. http://sustain.sfsu.edu/ The campus is located near Ocean Beach, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is habitat for the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus)-a threatened species. In California, there has been a significant decline in breeding locations as a result of various forms of human disturbance. The species is being strictly monitored and protected by the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/oceanbeach.htm

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Table 2-1 of the Environmental Impact Report for the 2007 Campus Master Plan, which is presented at the end of Chapter 2, provides a complete list of all impacts and mitigation measures. For each impact, Table 2-1 reports the significance of the impact before mitigation, applicable mitigation measures, and the level of significance of the impact after the implementation of the mitigation measures.

A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
BIO-1: Construction of the proposed bridge underpass, creek inlet, and path connection, and the discharge of storm water into Lake Merced could potentially affect wetlands and other sensitive habitats, as well as special-status plant and wildlife species in the adjacent Lake Merced.

A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
BIO-1A: The new path connection and the new seasonal creek inlet in the East Lake area shall be located in consultation with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The new path connection shall be sited to minimize loss of wetland and other sensitive habitats (including bulrush marsh and willow scrub areas along the lake edge) to the extent feasible, and the path will also be sited to avoid bringing people into sensitive bird habitat.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The campus has a number of Environmental Impact Reports that detail protection of habitat near campus.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.