Restore Sharp Park

Our Vision

  • Restore parkland at the site of a failing municipal golf course to provide a healthy home for unique local wildlife such as the California Red-legged Frog and the San Francisco Garter Snake. These species are currently at risk of extinction, and restoring Sharp Park will help them survive for future generations.
  • Protect the natural wetlands that exist in the park to help the City of Pacifica adapt to sea level rise. The alternative of armoring a seawall will cost taxpayers millions.
  • Bring jobs and tourist dollars to the area, as well as recreation that is accessible to everyone.
  • Close Sharp Park Golf Course to save the City of San Francisco millions. in new infrastructure, improvements, maintenance, legal fees, and mitigation measures.

Tell the Mayor to Restore Sharp Park!

Sharp Park in Pacifica, San Mateo County, was once home to a rare and beautiful lagoon and wetlands. Now it is at a crossroads: it can be restored to wetlands as a National Park or continue as a failing golf course, ignoring the growing challenges of climate change and sea level rise. Our Restore Sharp Park campaign unites concerned citizens and Wild Equity’s conservation and social justice partners to transform San Francisco’s budget-busting Sharp Park Golf Course into a thriving National Park.

Create a National Park to provide improved economic, recreational, and educational opportunities.
Restore the wetlands to help endangered wildlife thrive.
Adapt land use to protect communities from flooding and storms caused by climate change and sea level rise.

Sharp Park National Park

Establishing a new National Park isn’t easy — National Parks have a history of facing initial opposition. We believe, however, that a good thing is worth fighting for. Bay Area legends like Amy Meyer and Ed Wayburn, and Congress members like Clem Miller and Phillip Burton worked hard to create the National Park system we have today.

We’re continuing their fight to create National Parks that are accessible to everyone.

The site of our restoration vision is Sharp Park Golf Course, located in Pacifica, CA, but owned and operated by the City of San Francisco. The golf course routinely suffers heavy financial losses that have drained the San Francisco and Pacifica communities for too long. Creating a National Park at Sharp Park will level the playing field and allow communities — human and wild — to benefit from Sharp Park’s wetlands. We cannot allow short sighted opposition to the National Park to stand in the way of helping our coastal community prepare for the future.

Sharp Park National Park will provide Bay Area residents with improved recreation and educational opportunities in rare coastal wetland ecosystem that are home to endangered wildlife. As a National Park, Sharp Park will become a resource that everyone can enjoy. The creation of a National Park at Sharp Park is also a proactive response to the changing future of California’s coast. It is an opportunity to return balance to the human and natural communities, while creating a park that benefits wildlife, surrounding communities, and the local economy. Join Wild Equity in urging the City of San Francisco to transform Sharp Park into Sharp Park National Park.

For Wildlife

The restored wetlands will provide a healthy home for unique local wildlife such as the California Red-legged Frog and the San Francisco Garter Snake. These species are currently at risk of extinction. Restoring Sharp Park will help them survive for future generations.

At present, the day-to-day operations of Sharp Park Golf Course threaten the safety of the animals in the park. Lawnmowers can and have killed highly imperiled San Francisco Garter Snakes, and the regular draining of the Sharp Park wetland is known to destroy the egg masses of the California Red-legged Frog.

For Communities

San Francisco

The New National Park will meet San Francisco residents’ most pressing recreational needs. A recent survey by the Neighborhood Parks Council shows that San Franciscans rank hiking and biking trails as their #1 recreational priority.

Affordable golf, neighborhood parks, and social services will improve. San Francisco can reinvest the funds it loses at Sharp Park Golf Course within the city limits. Other city-owned golf courses, parks, and recreation programs will benefit.

Pacifica and San Mateo County

Restoring coastal wetlands helps adapt to sea level rise. At Sharp Park, allowing the beach to naturally retreat inland while helping native wetlands thrive will provide a natural buffer between Pacifica neighborhoods and floods and ocean storms. The alternative of armoring sea walls is not only costly, it can cause beaches to disappear. Maintaining the Golf Course as sea level rises will require millions of dollars to armor the coast with sea walls – expensive projects that only exacerbate problems in the long run.

A new National Park will bring jobs and tourist dollars to the city. Pacifica’s economy is struggling, and after decades of trying, the Golf Course has failed to create jobs or bring in revenue. National Parks, on the other hand, are tried and tested drivers of economic benefits wherever they are located.

Children will enjoy vital environmental education. Sharp Park National Park will provide Pacifica and San Mateo County residents with recreation that everyone can enjoy.

For the Economy

Sharp Park Golf Course has lost over $1 million of San Francisco city funds over the past 8 fiscal years.

Pacifica sees no proven economic benefit from the Golf Course.

Take Action Today!

  1. Contact the Mayor Today! The Board of Supervisors passed legislation to begin restoration planning at Sharp Park, but Mayor Ed Lee sided with lobbyists for golf purists and coastal developers and vetoed the bill! Call Mayor Ed Lee now at 415-554-6141 and tell him to reverse the veto: because restoring Sharp Park is good government and common sense.
  2. Volunteer with the Wild Equity Institute! You can help us pass this legislation by encouraging your neighbors to contact their Supervisors to support a new National Park at Sharp Park. Join us at fun events to help pass out our Sharp Park Factsheet and our Save Sharp Park Beach Flyer, and show support by attending critical public hearings with the Wild Equity team! Sign-up by calling ‪(415) 494-7524‬ or sending a message to info@wildequity.org.
  3. Donate to the Wild Equity Institute! Become a member of the Wild Equity Institute, or better yet, become a monthly donor and provide sustained support for our work!
  4. Endorse the campaign! Join our growing list of campaign partners. Click here to read a sample letter of support, then e-mail us at info@wildequity.org or call ‪(415) 494-7524‬ to let us know that your organization wants to endorse the legislation to restore Sharp Park!
  5. Click here to download the Sharp Park restoration booklet and learn more about the restoration vision.
  6. Keep Up-to-date with Wild Equity. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and Join our Cause on Facebook!

Need more info? Click for FAQs or Contact Us.

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