History

In the summer of 1998 communities surrounding San Diego neighborhood canyons were informed about plans to build permanent sewer line maintenance roads in the floors of the canyons.  The residents surrounding North Park’s Switzer Canyon came to the Sierra Club saying, “Our canyons are precious to us. They provide an escape to nature from an otherwise completely paved and urbanized environment. We don’t want to see access roads paved through our neighborhood wild-lands.”

In response, on a rainy Saturday morning in October 1998, the Sierra Club conducted a free, informative, guided tour of Switzer Canyon for about 60 residents- organizing a new canyon ‘Friends Group’ and launching the San Diego Canyons Campaign. The Sierra Club, recognizing that San Diegans love their neighborhood canyons, continued to develop Friends Groups for dozens of canyons throughout the city and county.

With the championship of City Council representative Christine Kehoe ( now State Senator) and the pressure of several organized canyon groups united as a city-wide Canyons Coalition, the City Council passed a temporary moratorium on road building in canyons.  They established a Task Force to research alternatives to the obtrusive access roads and develop policies for accessing the sewer system while minimizing impacts to canyon habitats. In January 2002, the City Council adopted the recommendations of the Task Force limiting the access to 8-foot wide, unpaved and vegetated roads.

Steady grant funding from The San Diego Foundation, combined with other local grant makers enabled the campaign to grow from one part-time grassroots organizer to three full-time employees. Dozens of new canyon groups are now actively cleaning and restoring canyon habitats, and providing hands-on environmental education opportunities to local schools and youth groups.