{"id":382879,"date":"2026-07-02T00:42:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T00:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/382879\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T00:42:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T00:42:07","slug":"mountain-view-adopts-biodiversity-urban-forest-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/382879\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountain View adopts biodiversity, urban forest plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

A plan to improve Mountain View\u2019s\u00a0biodiversity and urban tree canopy<\/a>\u00a0got the greenlight last week, marking a major environmental milestone for the city.<\/p>\n

In a unanimous vote, the City Council adopted a new\u00a0Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan<\/a>\u00a0that will serve as a roadmap for the city\u2019s efforts to protect and manage wildlife, trees and sensitive habitats. The plan comes on the heels of the\u00a0Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan<\/a>, which the council\u00a0signed off<\/a> on last month.<\/p>\n

At nearly 250 pages, the biodiversity plan puts forth Mountain View\u2019s vision, goals and objectives for creating a healthier and more climate-resilient city. It includes more than two dozen action items related to tree management and other habitat improvements, like restoring and enhancing local creeks.<\/p>\n

Council members praised the plan\u2019s breadth and depth at the June 23 meeting. However, that did not stop them from modifying the document\u2019s language before voting to approve it.<\/p>\n

Community members had objected to the phrase \u201cnear-native\u201d plants in previous drafts of the plan, arguing that the term was misleading and could include any plants, as opposed to those that naturally grow locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiodiversity means supporting our native wildlife, birds, butterflies and all forms of life that call California home,\u201d said Ronit Bryant, a Mountain View resident who serves on the\u00a0Parks and Recreation Commission<\/a>. \u201cNot planting a wide range of plants from across the entire globe.\u201d<\/p>\n

City staff had updated the plan before last week\u2019s meeting to clarify terminology and emphasize the importance of using native and regionally appropriate species. But community members still identified some trouble spots in the document.<\/p>\n

Council member Pat Showalter urged city staff to strike the term \u201cnative\u201d when referring to plants that provide similar functions, but are not actually local. She said that it was appropriate to include other kinds of trees that could thrive in certain contexts but that calling them native was incorrect.<\/p>\n

City staff incorporated the suggestion from the dais to better distinguish native and \u201cfunctional\u201d species. They also highlighted other updates to the biodiversity plan, including tools to strengthen its implementation, expanding annual reporting requirements and using adaptive management strategies.<\/p>\n

Council members commended staff\u2019s responsiveness as well as the community\u2019s involvement, describing it as a highly collaborative effort.<\/p>\n

Council member Lucas Ramirez expressed particular appreciation for residents\u2019 push to ensure that biodiversity will be incorporated more systematically in new developments, not just on public land but also on privately-owned properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is remarkable work that would not have been possible without the persistent advocacy from our very well-informed community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the Mountain View Voice<\/a>. Emily Margaretten joined the Mountain View Voice in 2023 as a reporter covering City Hall.<\/p>\n

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