SAS Conservation News

Feral Cat Colonies

(There are several in our county.)

Feral Cat Feeding Station
Photo taken by Sue Cossins, Decembet 2012 at
Bedwell Bayfront Park, a city park in Menlo Park.

Feral and free-ranging cats kill birds and other wildlife relentlessly, according to a range of studies.

But they pose other threats as well — cats are also the primary host of a protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Cat feces release the parasites into the air where they can be ingested by other mammals - a threat to pregnant women.

The exceptional amount of fecal deposition found by researchers has been linked in part to a sharp increase in the feral cat population. That in turn has been blamed on cat owners who dump unwanted pets, and ineffective efforts to control the feral cat population by instituting "trap, neuter, and release" programs.

Excerpted from Steve Holmer, Senior Policy Advisor, American Bird Conservancy, sholmer@abcbirds.org

Cargill Saltworks, Redwood City

Stop Cargill from paving up to 1,436 acres of the San Francisco Bay!

Currently pending is a decision on federal jurisdiction.

For more information on this issue go to:

Redwood City Neighbors United http://rcnu.org/ or Save The Bay http://www.savesfbay.org/

Sharp Park Golf Course, Pacifica

Protections Sought for Endangered Frogs, Snakes at Pacifica's Sharp Park

Wild Equity has been actively working through the courts to secure essential protections for endangered frogs and snakes that live at Pacifica's Sharp Park. For current updates go to: http://wildequity.org/

Plastic Bag Ban is Catching On

Plastic bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) food ware are two of the most common pollutants plaguing the San Francisco Bay. Over one million plastic bags end up in the Bay each year, degrading our wetlands and threatening wildlife.

The good news is that more and more cities and counties are taking a stand against plastic pollution in the Bay. As of today:

• 50% of Bay Area residents live in cities or counties that have passed or already implemented a single-use plastic bag ban, and
• Almost 30% of all Bay Area jurisdictions have adopted a Styrofoam ban.

Despite this progress, there is still much work to be done. Want to know how you can help?

Bring Your Own Bag, don't use Styrofoam and go to: http://www.savesfbay.org/bay-vs-bag