Candlestick Point Stewardship Project, Phase 1 and 2
$100,000 Grant for Phase 1, $200,000 for Phase 2
Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, City and County of San Francisco, Measure AA Region: West Bay
Implementation
Safe, Clean Water and Pollution Prevention Program; Vital Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program; Shoreline Public Access Program.
2023 UPDATE: In May 2023, the Restoration Authority authorized a Community Grant of $200,000 to fund Phase 2 of this project. This follows an initial Community Grant of $100,000 for Phase 1 of this project in October 2021. The project team successfully planted 6,500 native plants at Sunrise Point, removed invasive plants, provided paid job training to 12 young adults through their Eco-Apprentice program, and engage about 300 community members in the stewardship of the project area. They have successfully reached 75% restoration of Sunrise Point and will begin the next phase which will complete the restoration
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In Phase 1, Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) used a Community Grant from the Restoration Authority to plant 6,500 native plants at Sunrise Point, clean up trash throughout the project area, provide paid job training to 12 transitional-aged youth (18-25 years old) through their Eco-Apprentice program, and engage more than 300 community members in the stewardship of the project area. The first Community Grant period ends in May of 2023 and the restoration of Sunrise Point will be 75% complete. Also, during this period, the city set up a triage center for encampments, State Parks hired a security firm to monitor the project area, and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy worked with the community (including LEJ) to host park revitalization activities. There has since been a decrease in destructive or dangerous activities and trash.
Phase 2 will focus on completing the restoration at Sunrise Point by removing invasive plants and outplanting an additional 13,000 native plants. These plantings will go to the ~ 2.8 acres of coastal sage scrub habitat in the northern area and ~ 1.4 acres of coastal perennial grasslands in the southern area of Sunrise Point. In addition, this project will plant up to 70 native oak and toyon trees appropriate to the local climate to supplement the diseased and/or dying trees throughout Sunrise Point. The project will provide workforce development opportunities via the Eco-Apprentice Program for 12 transitional-aged youth from the adjacent communities and engage up to 750 local youth and community members in the stewardship of Sunrise Point.
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area is located on the highly urbanized southeastern shoreline of San Francisco and is owned by the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks). The restoration site within the project area is Sunrise Point, and makes up the southeastern end of the project area. The initial phases of restoration at Sunrise Point occurred from 2012-2015, during which time LEJ restored 2.5 acres of habitat at Sunrise Point planting native trees, shrubs, perennial grasses and forbs with an emphasis on salt and flood resilient species near the bayshore and the lower-lying western isthmus of Sunrise Point.
Although LEJ has worked to restore Sunrise Point for several years, the restoration was about 50% complete when the Restoration Authority made its grant for Phase 1 in 2021.
The project includes workforce development training, trash clean-up, monitoring and reporting of destructive activities for a two year period, native plant propagation, and community engagement within the entire project area.
LEJ is a non-profit that serves communities in southeastern San Francisco by promoting ecological health, environmental stewardship and community development. LEJ focuses on educating residents on ecological health, propagating and planting native plants, offering recreation activities, and providing workforce development opportunities that directly benefit community members.
