Letters to the Editor

Editor:
Golden Gate Park founder and Arboretum designer John McLaren and Helene Strybing must both be rolling in their graves! McLaren, who had envisioned a vehicle- and building-free oasis, would be aghast at the high ticket prices and corporate commercialism of our museums, the ugly gashes marking the entrance to the Warren Hellman parking garages, the Segway "tours," and the very idea of Astroturfed playing fields at Ocean Beach. He would be amazed that the once-free museums, Tea Garden and Conservatory of Flowers, which faced hard times after Prop. 13, are now cash cows. Likewise, Strybing intended the Arboretum, whose creation she funded in her 1926 will, as a sanctuary which would remain free for all.

Phil Ginsburg, director of the SF Recreation and Park Department (RPD), is trying to force a $7 entry fee on Arboretum visitors, having packaged this together with a $2 Coit-Tower surcharge. Provided they can prove residency, San Franciscans will not have to pay, but we can expect this to change. Widespread community protest and outrage last year is the only reason RPD modified its previous plan to charge residents a $5 fee while soaking tourists for $7.

The gardens are to become more and more Disneyfied: Plans include turning the "demonstration gardens" into "special exhibitions" areas, installing "high-end" coffee carts and instituting corporate-sponsored "free days." It is unclear who will foot the considerable costs needed to install kiosks, change signage and promotional materials, print tickets, pay for staff and conduct audits.

Three of five entry gates will be permanently shut. The social loss will be immense and mulitgenerational.

The first San Franciscans got wind of this plan was at the Feb. 18 SF Recreation and Park Commission meeting, when the department's representative claimed charging $7 will bring RPD an astonishing $250,000 net. We're hoping to someday see the math, especially since only last year RPD was claiming that a "nonresident" levy would bring in $150,000 after expenses. Should the fee be rejected, Rec. and Park says, three gardeners from the Arboretum will be fired - a clear attempt at blackmail!

Astonishingly, the Botanical Garden Society has engaged BMWL, a lobbying firm with clients such as AT&T and Bechtel, who have lobbied members of the the SF Board of Supervisors (arriving with high-society trustees in tow) and organized "save the garden" Astroturf rallies. The Society has a budget of $3 million and considerable clout within San Francisco's ruling elites.

What can we do to counter their influence? Contact supervisors, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Ginsburg (831-2704) to demand a public meeting.

The Arboretum is a special place where tourists and locals may meet in a utopian commons - an area free of I.D. cards, gates and unreasonable restrictions. We should enshrine the principle that access to our biological heritage is a common right, one guaranteed to all, regardless of one's skin pigmentation, passport, age, sex or ability to pay. Future generations will thank us for it.

For more information, go to the Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/noarboretumfees.
Harry Pariser

Editor:
The Botanical Garden is more than an extension of the park - it's a living museum with 8,000 varieties of plants that need care or the rare plant life will not survive.

With the proposed budget cuts, San Francisco would lose the unique urban oasis that the garden provides, as much of this beautiful space could be destroyed and invaluable collections, some facing extinction in the wild, would be lost.

The fiscal crisis that our nation and City faces is hitting every agency and the Botanical Garden is looking at damaging cuts. If something isn't done to increase revenue, the City will be forced to make service cuts and a reduction in union staff.

Without sufficient support, the garden will begin to deteriorate. The Botanical Garden is built on sand dunes. With only six inches of topsoil accumulated through hard work and 140 years time, much of what is growing here could vanish without adequate staff to water the collection in the dry months.

Virtually all botanical gardens in the United States charge admission fees that are often much higher than this ($7 for non-resident visitors) and usually apply to all visitors. Even other institutions in Golden Gate Park, such as the Japanese Tea Garden, charge a fee to all visitors.

This proposal would bring in enough money to stave off job and service cuts, with the least impact on its visitors. Without it, we will certainly face severe cuts, endangering the collection and depriving community residents of a tranquil place to visit. The only proposal which will protect the garden on an ongoing basis is a $7 per person non-resident fee.

While most botanical gardens charge a general entrance fee, ours would only be for non-residents. All San Francisco residents, SFBGS members and school groups would still enter the garden free of charge everyday, all day. We are also able to institute graduated prices for out-of-town seniors, children and family groups, and provide designated free days for all attendees.

Careful assessments of the costs and revenues from such a project have been made, and even with very conservative projections there will be considerable additional income to protect the garden, its collections and jobs. About 500,000 people visit the garden each year, contributing to the economic activity of our City, and over 10,000 school children (90 percent from San Francisco) each year get the opportunity to enjoy a first-hand experience and learn about sustainability, conservation and ecology on the grounds and in the library at the Botanical Garden.

As a living museum, the SFBGS is an active participant in both the North American Plant Collections Consortium and Botanical Gardens Conservation International, with 700 member gardens in 118 countries. The garden's plant collections are a valuable repository for rare and endangered plant species, which are found only in San Francisco and prized throughout the world.

This City treasure, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, is worth saving. The proposal is the best way to do this.
Michael McKechnie
Executive Director, San Francisco Botanical Garden Society