The Natural Areas Program designates all 29.3 acres of Twin Peaks park area as a natural area.  This is unfortunate, as NAP admits this area has a high volume of recreational use and contains a segment of the highly utilized “Bay Trail”.   

The one factor that supports some of Twin Peaks being designated as a natural area is the presence of the Federally listed endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.  The habitat for this butterfly is 5.9 acres.  There are no other plant, bird or animal species in the Twin Peak park property that are listed as endangered or threatened by the State or Federal government.  However, NAP intends to justify the entire acreage of Twin Peaks as being designated a natural area by claiming they must protect a number of “sensitive” plant and bird species.  This designation of “sensitive” was made by a few local California Native Plant Society and Golden Gate Audubon Society members.  NAP plans to augment the “sensitive” plant species, as well as reintroduce “sensitive” plant species so as to further justify their declaration of the entire park area as a natural area. 

Once again NAP is violating the underlying premise for NAP.  As stated by NAP Director Lisa Wayne, “preserve what is left of the original habitat and protect it from further degradation…enhance these little remnants that are degraded”.  The habitat of concern at Twin Peaks is the 5.9 acres which provide habitat for the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.  NAP activities, by definition, should be restricted to that area.

Instead, NAP plans to do the following:

·         Eliminate many of the social trails commonly utilized by people and dogs.

·         Visitors to the park will be restricted to the trails NAP has designated, by fencing if NAP deems it necessary.

·         3 pine trees will be removed.  Additionally, destruction of non-native saplings and seedlings (these are by common definition trees) in areas designated by NAP shall be in total.  NAP officials do not believe they need to be accountable to the public for the number of seedlings or saplings they remove.  Please see Wayne’s World Item #4 for further explanation.

·         Destruction of non-native plants and shrubs at NAP discretion.

·         Reduction in “predation pressure”.  This would refer to the killing of feral cats and any other wildlife NAP deems unacceptable.

·         Prohibit motorcycle and mountain bike use and utilize barriers to block access at the entrances to the park if the restriction is not respected.

·         Implement erosion control as required.

·         Dogs will be required to be on-leash and on-trail only.

It would never make sense to create a nature preserve in a high-use recreational area.  The NAP proposal as written intends to do just that at Twin Peaks and at many other SF park locations.