Solano’s 3rd Permaculture Design Course Starts in August

May 30, 2025

By Anne Freiwald and Lydia Neilsen of Vital Cycles

We are excited to have Anne Freiwald and Lydia Neilsen of Vital Cycles return this summer for our next Permaculture Design Certificate course in Benicia — starting Aug. 23! In this blog, Anne and Lydia reflect on past programs, talk about what will be covered in this year’s program, and we share a few videos and upcoming talks. The program will run through December and is a great opportunity for people who are interested in an internationally recognized certification on how to design in a way that works with nature. Past participants have included landscaping professionals, passionate backyard gardeners, staff from land conservation and sustainability organizations and others. The program has attracted participants from around the region. We invite you to be part of building community in this year’s cohort! Learn more about the PDC and register here!

Participants in the 2023 PDC program install a garden during their hands-on weekends

We are thrilled to be returning to Benicia for another five-month deep dive into permaculture with Sustainable Solano. We are continually impressed and inspired by the commitment of Sustainable Solano and the larger community to regenerative practices and community resilience. Over the years the level of education and the multiple amazing projects that have been manifested are truly making a difference in the community. Do you want to be a part of it? Are you ready to find out what permaculture is all about and take the first or next steps on your permaculture journey? Join us this fall for your own deep dive into permaculture practice and design!

 

From August through December, monthly classes will guide participants through the permaculture curriculum, which covers patterns in nature, patterns in culture, design, water on the landscape, soil health and vitality, trees, plant communities and their pollinators, how water soil and plants stabilize climate on earth, urban considerations, greywater, sustainable technology, design for resilience and so much more. Hands-on activities for every topic bring conceptual learning into the practical realm. Every month will connect to the previous so that all material is integrated into one relational whole, closing loops, restoring cycles, and offering a paradigm shift in how we think about sustainable human culture. The course culminates in a group design project that brings it all together. Past projects have involved ideas for re-envisioning and rewilding public and urban spaces, designing homesteads and habitats, and healing spaces. They have gone beyond the landscape to look at how these reimagined sites could serve people and communities.

Come join us and make like-minded friends, open doors of opportunity for a career shift or just transform your own yard!

Learn More & Explore

If you’re interested in learning more about permaculture, check out these two exciting talks being offered in partnership with the Benicia Public Library. SuSol staff will be on-hand to answer questions about the PDC as well.

  • 6-7 pm July 9: Summer Gardening Series: Designing Your Garden with Nature with Heath Griffith of Grow with the Flow

Natural ecosystems can be incredible models for our own home gardens and landscapes, if we know how to tap into their abundant wisdom. As a certified permaculture designer and water-harvesting practitioner, Heath will lay out principles from the natural world that can guide us in designing landscapes that create sustainable beauty and nourishment. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to get your hands dirty, this presentation is ideal for anyone interested in collaborating with nature to grow sustainably.

  • 6-7:30 pm Aug. 7: Summer Gardening Series: Song Birds, Caterpillars, and Native Plants with Lydia Neilsen

A yard full of songbirds is a joy to behold! Did you know that 95% of song birds feed their babies caterpillars, and they won’t nest where they can’t find enough? Many people see caterpillars as pests who eat our plants, but they are actually an essential part of a healthy ecosystem, and provide extremely nutritious food for birds and other creatures. These caterpillars are the larvae of our native moths and butterflies, which need native host plants on which to lay their eggs. It’s all connected! Come find out which are the best plants to provide good caterpillar populations for the wildlife we love, how to support our native songbirds in general, and create a beautiful garden adapted to our local conditions in the process!

Ready to sign up for the PDC now? Register for the PDC here

2025 Benicia & Vallejo Tour: Featured Gardens

Apr 10, 2025

Scroll through the list below to read about the Benicia and Vallejo gardens that are featured on this year’s tour, and to learn about special offerings at some of the gardens!

Register for the April 26 tour here!

Benicia Food Forest, Pollinator & Community Gardens

Avant Garden

The spring garden tour will begin at 9 am at Avant Community Garden in Benicia with a Permaculture 101 talk from Anne Freiwald. She is an experienced permaculture designer and always inspirational! Anne Freiwald and Lydia Neilsen will teach this year’s Permaculture Design Certificate course that starts in August, so this is a great opportunity to learn more about that program as well. Itinerary pick up will be from 9-11 am. Sustainable Solano Board Member Maggie Kolk, a Master Gardener, will host a Master Gardener information table. Come with your questions! Also during that time, Benicia interns will be highlighting their final project with a local food tasting, seed planting, handing out a scavenger hunt for youth and more.

Bay Vista Homeowners Association

 In June 2024, Bay Vista HOA in Benicia transformed its common area lawn into a waterwise, sustainable landscape to reduce water and beautify the space.

Michael Wedgley from Soilogical was the designer for this project. A lot of consideration went into plant selection. It was important to provide plenty of native species for habitat and food for native insects and birds, while also considering aesthetics as a critical aspect in HOA common spaces.

The plants selected and water catchment from the roof downspouts to the in-ground basins makes the landscape more resilient and builds healthy soil.

Learn more

Greyhawk Grove

Greyhawk Garden after installation

A 10-year-old established food forest with two swales that are dug out and refreshed every 2-3 years, laundry-to-landscape greywater to fruit trees, and chickens. The drip irrigation system was removed four years ago and the garden is thriving! Annual beds are hand-watered once a week during the growing season. Water elements in the form of fountains were added last year, which lured in a wild (non-venomous) snake who can sometimes be seen lounging between flagstones, and a frog who can be heard at night. Special thanks to Solano County mosquito abatement for the mosquito fish who overwintered and continue to thrive in the fountains. Greyhawk Grove is a “high-traffic-survival-of-the-fittest” garden.

***There may be lemonade and baked goods for sale by children, as well as products from the garden to give away (dried calendula, lavender, herbs, eggs, fruit, etc.).

Learn more

Living and Learning

Established front yard food forest that replaced a lawn in 2016 with two swales, a laundry-to-landscape greywater system and a diverse group of plants and fruit trees that has now expanded throughout the property. There are small spaces for relaxing and enjoying throughout the garden.

Learn more

Redwood Guild

Food forest garden and greywater system installed as part of Sustainable Solano’s 2021 Permaculture Design Certificate course, with students transforming the front lawn with rain-capturing swales and planted berms and converting the sprinkler system to drip irrigation. The side yard is watered by a laundry-to-landscape greywater system and includes edible plants and native pollinators. This home has its own redwood grove, and certain plants were selected that do well in the unique conditions created by redwoods. The food forest keepers are using that knowledge to add other plants to the garden that will thrive alongside the redwoods.

Learn more

Wild Cherry Way

Southern slope food forest focused on pollinators, shrubs and native plants. This garden also includes fruit trees, perennial and edible plants, swales and a laundry-to-landscape greywater system.

***Sustainable Solano Board Member and Permaculture Consultant Ron Kane will be on-site to offer tours and answer questions.

Learn more

Yggdrasil Garden

An evolving food forest garden and greywater system installed as part of Sustainable Solano’s 2022-23 Permaculture Design Certificate course.Students transformed the front yard with a rain-capturing swale and planted berms with native and pollinator-supporting plants. The west side yard’s passionfruit vines and fruit tree guilds are watered by a laundry-to-landscape greywater system. The monarch butterfly-hosting back gardens were designed by Soilogical, nurtured with specially prepared compost, and supported by a Water Service Irrigation design created as part of a Sustainable Solano irrigation class. The site’s current steward, Heath Griffith of Grow with the Flow, cultivates edible landscapes with flowers and medicinal herbs, with an eye towards community engagement and ecological justice. An herb spiral was created with bricks repurposed from the chimney of the circa 1850s historic home, retaining walls were built from pieces of historic on-site stables, and patios were made from slate and brick on-site. The east side yard (in development) is watered with both a rain-capturing swale and a laundry-to-landscape system. Displays feature the historic aspects of the home; its background and ongoing tradition of art, design, and healing; information about the Ohlone Sogorea Te Indigenous Land Trust and rematriation of Carquin land; and various permaculture systems and landscape elements.

***Heath Griffith will be on-site to talk about permaculture, water harvesting, sustainable water use, and more! They participated in the 2022-2023 PDC and will be supporting this year’s PDC course in the fall. The garden will also feature kid-friendly hands-on activities and live music!

Learn more

Vallejo Food Forest, Pollinator & Community Gardens

First Christian Church

The church has two separate gardens: one is a peace garden with mostly flowers, cactus and trees, and the other is the vegetable garden, called Johnson Ranch. The vegetable garden was revived through the Solano Gardens program. The food grown is donated to the local food pantries (Faith Food Fridays, Amador Hope Center, etc.).

***Solano Gardens Program Manager Parick Murphy will be on-site to share DIY Landscape Design templates for both edible and water-efficient gardens. He also will be highlighting opportunities to get involved with local community gardens and available to discuss interest in future community gardens within the county.

Learn more

Loma Vista Farm

Loma Vista Farm is a program of the Vallejo City Unified School District. Students come to the Farm every week to participate in hands-on plant and animal science lessons.

The Farm is partnered with the Friends of Loma Vista Farm, a community-based nonprofit organization, which fundraises to provide all the expenses for the day-to-day operation of the farm, including all the animal and garden expenses, as well as major ongoing capital improvements.

This has been a treasured part of the community since it began in 1974. Families and individuals are welcome to visit on a drop-in basis during open hours and enjoy seeing the many animals and gardens. The farm is also a field trip site for schools and groups on a reservation basis from all over the Bay Area.

The Food Forest Garden provides a beautiful demonstration to the public on how they can plant their own yard in a variety of fruit trees, perennial vegetables, herbs, native plants and pollinator rich plants.

***This year’s tour is on the same day as Loma Vista Farm’s annual Spring Open House, making it an extra special day to visit. Plants that the students have grown will be available in the greenhouse for sale, animal feeding will be available, as well as entertainment such as a puppet show. For more information check out Lomavistafarm.org.

Learn more

Morningside Botanical Bounty

Morningside Botanical Bounty food forest was created as part of the Resilient Neighborhoods Program. This backyard garden has a laundry-to-landscape greywater system, fruit trees (pruned to keep them short and easy to harvest), swales, drip irrigation, bee-friendly plants, native plants and shade trees.

It’s now the sixth year after the install and many of the plants are still thriving. The greywater system irrigates the bougainvillea and butterfly bushes, which are popular with bees and hummingbirds. The drainage from the gutters to the swale and hugel mound prevent the yard from flooding during the rainy season. The water is stored in the earth and is available to the trees, artichoke, and roses. The peach tree, selected to be a variety resistant to leaf curl, has provided fruit even in years when most other peaches in Vallejo fail. Once a week watering of the trees on site allowed them to grow deep root systems, and they haven’t needed irrigation the last two years.

Learn more

Pollinator Pathway (Vallejo People’s Garden)

Pollinator food forest garden filled with a variety of California native plants that support the habitat of butterflies, bees, moths, wasps, hummingbirds and so much more. This garden was installed in February 2023 as a collaboration with a variety of organizations including Vallejo People’s Garden, Vallejo Project, Solano Resource Conservation District and Monarch Milkweed Project. Alana Mirror wrote three songs inspired by the installation, featured in her Pollinator Pathway Lawn Transformation Mini Series!

**Solano Resource Conservation District and Vallejo People’s Garden will be on-site promoting the Bay Area Butterfly Festival on June 1 with information on how to support pollinators! Solano RCD will have six-packs of Milkweed plants for sale for $10.

***Suzanne Briley from Vallejo People’s Garden will be giving talks on Creating Spaces for People and Wildlife, looking at ways to have garden spaces for ourselves while supporting wildlife. Talks and tours will be from 1-2 pm and 2:30-3:30 pm.

Learn more

Vallejo Unity Garden (Vallejo Project)

Vallejo Project’s Unity Garden initiative restored an abandoned lot that was once filled with sand and garbage and turned it into a multi-level food forest with internationally influenced farming techniques, a mealworm farm and chickens. This garden is focused on urban agriculture.

Vallejo Project imagines a Vallejo strengthened by new generations of youth and young adults who are inspired to give back to their community as role models, advocates, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and who are able to articulate and implement solutions to challenges in the community based on their learned experience and knowledge gained through youth development programs.

***Free annual veggie and companion plants to take home while supplies last

Learn more

Partner Garden: 4th Second’s Cherry Community Garden

 

Since February 2024, 4th Second’s Cherry Community Garden has been a space rooted in well-being, hands-on learning, and nature-based experiences. The garden is home to organically cultivated produce and serves as a hub for addressing food security, advocating for environmental justice, and expanding opportunities via mentorship.

All community members are invited to actively engage by leading different garden projects that can intersect with practical life skills to further the 4th Second Youth Program’s overall mission of developing positive coping skills toward a life of self-determination. Garden guests will learn about the youth’s hands-on efforts in the garden and youth-designed projects.

***There will be multiple youth coordinators that are fluent in Spanish, and one of them is a former Rising Sun extern that is fluent in Tagalog.

Learn more

Inspired Garden (Sure-Would Forest)

The homeowners had a nearly blank slate when they purchased this property in 2021, and soon started working on enriching the soil, retaining rainwater, and laying the groundwork for a food forest. This garden was inspired by Sustainable Solano gardens and a love of fresh fruit. In just over two years, the site has gone from food desert to food forest with the ability to eat from the garden year round. The homeowners attended a design class taught by Joshua Burman Thayer with Native Sun Gardens in 2023 through Sustainable Solano’s backyard program. In June 2023 they hired Joshua to update the design and add drip irrigation.

Inspired by rainwater harvesting systems seen on the 2023 demonstration food forest tour, the homeowners bought and installed four IBC totes to collect water from their downspouts. The irrigation system for Sure-Would Forest is designed to feed from either city water or rainwater storage tanks, allowing over 1,000 gallons of rainwater to be used to irrigate the garden.

**At 2 pm, the homeowner will talk about how he converted IBC totes to capture water and irrigate his garden.

 

We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our funders. Magic Cabinet is supporting this year’s tour through its sponsorship.

The first seven food forest gardens were made possible through funding from the Benicia Sustainability Commission; the Solano County Water Agency supported the Sustainable Backyard Program throughout the county  from 2017 through 2024. Occasionally we combine funding from other programs to make larger projects possible.

Public Art Makes Spaces More Walkable and Welcoming

Mar 27, 2025

By Taylor Collins, Development & Communications Coordinator

Public art has a way of transforming everyday spaces into places where people want to slow down, gather, and enjoy their surroundings. Too often, we move through our cities at a rushed and urgent pace, focused on getting from one place to the next. But sometimes, we need reminders that public space should be made for us to enjoy, linger in, and connect with one another.

That’s exactly what the Fairfield in Full Bloom mural set out to do. This vibrant piece of art captures the diverse and friendly spirit of Fairfield, bringing color, creativity, and warmth to the area. At the community mural event on March 22, we invited community members to make their mark — literally — by adding their handprints to the mural. We are grateful to the community members and city leaders who came out to the event, and to the City of Fairfield, Select Furniture property owner, and artist Sheree Rayford for working with us to make this mural a reality.

Despite the light sprinkling rain and cloudy skies, the event was bright and uplifting. We engaged the community in air quality education, and one lucky participant even took home a DIY air purifier! Attendees could review the community-driven air quality action plan that was created through engagement with Fairfield residents. Copies of the plan are now with city staff and at the local libraries. We also got creative by painting kindness rocks, and decorating them with inspiring messages to spread joy long after the event. And in a collective act of optimism and renewal, we planted flowers and dispersed seeds, adding new life and beauty to the area.  

Public art is more than just decoration — it invites us to stop and spend time outside. By making our streets more walkable, welcoming, and meaningful, it fosters a deeper connection between people and the places they call home. Fairfield in Full Bloom is now part of the landscape, a reminder that our city is meant to be enjoyed, one step at a time.

Artist Sheree Rayford

As part of our work in Fairfield around air quality, community members have asked about ways to create more walkable spaces. Some of this work has to be done through large changes, such as the ideas envisioned by our Youth Air Protectors in their street redesign projects. But other changes can be done on a smaller scale, such as planting trees in front yards that will shade sidewalks and improve the air, as was done through two Fairfield garden installations through this program. Then there is what can be done on a community scale. We hope this mural will invite residents to use, enjoy and care for the trail more often.

This mural project and Sustainable Solano’s Fairfield air quality work is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

EcoFarm Insight: Reflection, Observation & Irrigation

Feb 26, 2025

By Patrick Murphy, Program Manager

I had the opportunity to attend EcoFarm’s 45th Anniversary conference this year and had a wonderful time. My colleagues and I attended a variety of presentations and participated in a number of wonderful discussions with people from around California who work on similar projects related to urban agriculture, local food, and creating connections in their community.

There were a number of wonderful presentations that affirmed going back to basics like water retention, soil health, building up organic matter and biological activity, as well as taking your time to plan each project.

Again and again I heard from folks working in agriculture, education, farms and gardens that they had the most success when they took their time to reflect and observe before acting. Taking deliberate and well-paced steps to mulch, to build up organic matter in the soil, to increase water infiltration, and to develop rich and biologically active soil were the most impactful things they did. They stressed the importance of avoiding jumping into an idea that sounds good but is untested — the sheer force of nature is too powerful to work against.

Some key recommendations:

  • Take your time when you’re planning, and revisit a site multiple times before beginning work, with and without your plans.
  • Install a flow gauge and Schrader valves (similar to bicycle tire valves) in your irrigation system, and use a pressure gauge to check your system for leaks and issues.
  • Heat stress can make plants more prone to pest issues.

Here is a breakdown of some of the presentations:

Regenerative Landscaper Erik Ohlsen gave a talk about the importance of getting to know a site. He said that to truly understand a location, you should be visiting it in the rain, at night and early morning, and you should always check and recheck your plans with the reality of what is on the ground. Ohlsen also stressed the number of career opportunities which exist in landscape design.

Cameron McDonald from Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District spoke about the importance of monitoring water systems using flow gauges and pressure gauges. McDonald spoke about how farmers (and homeowners) can balance design, operations and maintenance, and irrigation scheduling to maximize yield, conserve resources, minimize nutrient loss, ensure uniform crops, and reduce fuel costs.

The mantra was “You can’t know what you don’t measure” — measuring flow rates is essential, and tools like flow meters for home gardeners, or telemetry systems, data loggers, and remote data collection for large-scale operations provide an enormous amount of information. SRCD has a number of common recommendations they offer to improve efficiency on farms, (1) use pressure regulators (these $13 units have saved Sustainable Solano hours of work), (2) fix leaks, (3) add spaghetti lines to direct the flow of water and (4) opt for oval-shaped hoses to reduce accidental kinks.

McDonald reiterated the standard recommended pressures are 0-30 PSI for drip irrigation and 100 PSI for sprinklers. Proper pressure management is critical for uniform water application; use a hand pressure gauge and Schrader valves to check your systems pressure, use one hand gauge to check the whole system to ensure consistent calibration. Elevation changes also impact pressure — every 2.3 feet elevation changes PSI by 1 PSI (increasing PSI when descending down, decreasing PSI when going uphill). Be mindful of the water hammer effect, a rapid change of pressure caused by quickly turning on/off valves, and look for unexplained pressure loss. Everyone should be flushing their irrigation system more often (once per year at least) and install or use soil moisture sensors for better field or lawn management. By implementing these strategies, farmers and homeowners can optimize irrigation systems for efficiency, cost savings, and irrigation uniformity.

Bill Snyder gave a presentation on a study he and his graduate students conducted on whitefly infestations attacking squash crops. In a 2016-2017 drought, potato whitefly infestation exploded. They had a theory regarding bidirectional stress on cotton plants, where the larva of the whiteflies were born and developed. Cotton plants under extreme heat stress are unable to fight off white fly infections, while populations of bugs and animals which traditionally consume these insects are also decimated by heat stress and overuse of broad spectrum pesticides. Snyder and his team found correlation between these extreme droughts and high volumes of insecticide use (per acre). In a natural experiment using center-irrigated fields and increased mulching practices, the Georgia team feels confident that the combinations of heat stress on plants and insects were a driving cause in the rise of whitefly populations. Learn more about his research here.

Sustainable Solano would like to thank the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Solano County Public Health and CHIP (the Child Health and Improvement Plan) for their support to attend the 45th EcoFarm Conference. Their support allowed us to learn so much about the state of urban agriculture, local food, and what other folks in our state, community and nation are working on. Thank you to the presenters and all the friends we made along the way.

Internship Addresses Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Solutions

Aug 2, 2024

By Alan Candelario, Suisun City Nature-Based Solutions intern

Our Nature-Based Solutions internship in Suisun City focused on the risks posed by sea level rise and possibilities with nature-based solutions to flooding. Interns learned about these approaches and brought their insight to community gatherings to get resident insight about risks, how they use the waterfront, and what types of solutions they prioritize. Here, Alan shares about his experience in the internship.

Interns offer feedback on a map of downtown Suisun City during a community workshop

I’ve learned many things regarding climate change and what to expect for Suisun if nothing is done to combat rising sea levels. If we do nothing, Suisun could be practically submerged in 50 years time. I also learned ways to combat flooding – for example putting seawalls or a levee or nature-based solutions like marsh restoration, which restores the wetlands so animals can have a better habitat and the area around can be better. This could mean people being able to walk to it and just relax, and also for wildlife to have an area to call home.

I also made new friends here at the internship. Everyone at the internship was nice and explained things to us clearly. Some of my favorite events were the flood walk, which helped paint a picture of what parts of Suisun would be flooded if action isn’t taken. A flood walk is a great event to attend if you want to learn more about what the city is already doing to prevent flooding and what they could do in select areas to combat flooding.

Outside of Raley’s we helped hand out flyers to people in hopes that they would attend a workshop and get information about flooding and sea level rise in Suisun. The workshop was an event people could attend and learn about sea rise levels, ask questions if they had any concerns and share their perspectives. I also attended a garden walk where people went to get information on how to make a good garden for the environment which uses rain and rainwater. It also helps prevent floods if enough people do it.

At the end of the day my experience with the internship was amazing. I met cool people, I learned valuable things about climate change, and I had fun. If I were asked if I would do this again, I would say yes 10/10 would recommend. I also joined this internship since I wanted to see what the city was doing to combat climate change so people could have a better future here in Suisun.

This internship opened my eyes more to the world of environmental science. I was already interested in it since I had taken a class my junior year, but the internship helped me see the bigger picture like flood prevention. So I plan to hopefully study environmental science later in life and help prevent things like sea level rise.

Sustainable Solano’s Position on California Forever

May 29, 2024

By Sustainable Solano

Sustainable Solano has remained publicly silent until now about California Forever, both as a proposal and a ballot item. But we have spent that time in active discussions as a team and board to weigh the California Forever proposal and the process taken to get it to this point and test it for alignment with Sustainable Solano’s mission and objective to nurture initiatives for the good of the whole. We work to help bring our communities together in a way that connects people with each other, the Earth and something larger than themselves, and we must base our responses upon those values.

We have determined the motives behind California Forever do not align with our values as an organization, even if some parts of the proposed community do reflect measures we would like to see for Solano County’s existing cities.

Sustainable Solano’s work around community resilience, sustainable landscapes and local food all starts at a singular nexus — the interest in giving a voice to the community and building community trust toward the good of the whole. We can say without a doubt that the approach taken to acquire property and establish California Forever does not align with that core value for our organization. Solano County residents are frustrated due to the lack of transparency and absence of trust around the intentions of those behind California Forever. As an organization that is exploring what it means for us to democratically govern ourselves in an open manner, we ask no less of those who are seeking to change the county where we ground our work.

Even in the structure of its proposed community, California Forever does not align with our values. The decision for this community to remain unincorporated will result in residents being denied a locally elected municipal government. The new city will not have a mayor or city council, with many governmental functions relegated to nonprofits established by California Forever, or to the County Board of Supervisors. Consequently, the voices of residents may go unheard, and their ability to participate meaningfully in shaping the future of their community can be hindered. Without a local government, residents are often deprived of the essential mechanisms for representation, decision-making, and resource allocation that are fundamental to democratic governance. Issues such as environmental protection, infrastructure development, and public services become challenging to address without a locally elected centralized authority to coordinate efforts and advocate for community needs.

In the absence of a community-elected municipal government, this unincorporated city may face significant obstacles in achieving the democratic ideals of equitable representation and collective decision-making.

There are other areas where California Forever does not properly align with Sustainable Solano’s mission and values. We promote sustainable land use and the protection of ag land, which this proposal would directly affect as well as removing range land and endangering critically important habitat. We work with communities to lift up residents’ voices around environmental degradation and injustice, and see where creation of a large new city in the county would increase the negative effects on surrounding communities commensurate with increased traffic and strains on water supplies.

California Forever paints a picture of a community that would be built for walkability with good jobs and affordable housing. We appreciate and understand the vital importance of these features of a sustainable city, and would like to see more in our existing cities — cities where people could easily walk, bike or take local transit to jobs that pay a livable wage, have access to grocery stores with healthy seasonal food, can gather in public spaces with urban greening, and use renewable, local energy. We would like to encourage building this vision within our existing cities, and invite you to think about how such changes could be brought to where you live. These strategies would strengthen Solano County and our local communities, but for California Forever they remain only ideas at this point, and there are far too many conflicts with our values for us to support the California Forever proposal as a whole.