Taxpayers Foot Over $200k Bill to Move ‘Wild’ Bush to Secret Location in San Fran
- Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:46am by
Becket Adams
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Workers transplant the manzanita bush. (Photo: Michael Chasse/National Park Service via CNS News)
San Francisco spent over $200k in 2010 order to move a wild bush from one part of the city to an undisclosed location, reports CNS News.
Over $200,000, really.
The bush, a wild Arctostaphylos franciscana (more commonly known as the Franciscan Manzanita), “stood in the path of a $1.045-billionhighway-renovation project that was partially funded by the economic stimulus legislation President Barack Obama signed in 2009,” Thomas Cloud of CNS News writes.
“In October 2009, an ecologist identified a plant growing in a concrete-bound median strip along Doyle Drive in the Presidio as Arctostaphylos franciscana,” the U.S. Department of Interior reported in the Aug. 10, 2010 edition of the Federal Register.
The report continues:
The plant’s location was directly in the footprint of a roadway improvement project designed to upgrade the seismic and structural integrity of the south access to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The translocation of the Arctostaphylos franciscana plant to an active native plant management area of the Presidio was accomplished, apparently successfully and according to plan, on January 23, 2010.
Oddly enough, you can actually purchase the Franciscan Manzanita in almost any garden nursery for about $16. The difference here with the specimen found along the roadside is that it’s thought to be the last wild Franciscan Manzanita in existence.
After the botanist Dr. Daniel Gluesenkamp discovered the specimen, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game developed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for saving it from the highway project that had uncovered it.
“The agreement of Dec. 21, 2009 – Memorandum of Agreement Regarding Planning, Development, and Implementation of the Conservation Plan for Franciscan Manzanita – explains how, why, and when the bush would be moved and which agencies would be responsible for which aspects of the move,” Cloud writes.
And here is where large amounts of taxpayer dollars come into play:
…[the MOA] did state that in addition to funding removal and transportation of the Franciscan manzanita, Caltrans agreed to transfer $79,470 to the Presidio Trust “to fund the establishment, nurturing, and monitoring of the Mother Plant in its new location for a period not to exceed ten (10) years following relocation and two (2) years for salvaged rooted layers and cuttings according to the activities outlined in the Conservation Plan.”
Furthermore, Presidio Parkway Project spokesperson Molly Graham told CNSNews.com that the “hard removal”… cost $100,000.
The MOA also stated that Caltrans agreed to “Transfer $25,605.00 to the Trust to fund the costs of reporting requirements of the initial 10-year period as outlined in the Conservation Plan,” Cloud reports.
“The $100,000 to pay for the ‘hard removal,’ the $79,470 to pay for the ‘establishment, nurturing and monitoring’ of the plant for a decade after its ‘hard removal,’ and the $25,605 to cover the ‘reporting requirements’ for the decade after the ‘hard removal,’ equaled a total cost of $205,075 for ‘translocating’ this manzanita bush,” he adds.
The Franciscan manzanita (Shelley Estelle, Presidio Trust)
But you think that’s bad? Those weren’t the only costs put on the taxpayer’s tab. According to the MOA, other costs included:
- Contract for and provide funding not to exceed $7,025.00 for initial genetic or chromosomal testing of the Mother Plant by a qualified expert to be selected at Caltrans’ sole discretion.
- Contract for and fund the input, guidance, and advice of a qualified Manzanita expert on an as-needed basis to support the tending of the Mother Plant for a period not to exceed five (5) years, provided that said expert selection, retention and replacement at any point after hiring rests in the sole discretion of Caltrans.
- Provide funding not to exceed $5,000.00 to each of 3 botanical gardens (Strybing, UC, and Tilden) to nurture salvaged rooted layers and to monitor and report findings as outlined in the Conservation Plan.
- Provide funding not to exceed $1,500.00 for the long-term seed storage of 300 seeds collected around the Mother Plant in November 2009 as outlined in the Conservation Plan.
And here’s the kicker: once they removed the wild plant from the path of the highway project, at a great cost to the taxpayer, they moved it to an undisclosed, secret location. Why? Because they’re afraid nature lovers might trample it to death.
“[A] single trampling event could result in damage or the death of the wild plant,” the Interior Department noted in the Federal Register.
Caltrans and Presidio Trust officials uproot the manzanita, January 23rd (photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle)
But hey, at least the plant is still classified as “wild.”
“The plant is still considered wild according to the 2011 Federal Register entry because it has been moved to an undeveloped area of the Presidio and ‘is not receiving the level of protection, water, and nutrients that plants in a botanical garden may receive,’” Cloud writes.
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Comments (129)
elosogrande
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:24amOkay, the bush has been saved. Great job!
As soon as we are sure this work is complete, everyone involved in the decision making should be fired without pension or healthcare. The taxpayers should then sue these fools, who pissed away $200,000.00 of the Taxpayer’s hard-earned money, and force them all to take care of this bush on their own time, for the rest of their lives. If the bush dies, they should all go to jail for a year.
Report Post »idarusskie
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:43ammeanwhile tax the rich. The rich are tacking more then their share. Tax them so the government can piss it away.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:50amWow! A wild bush was saved and look at all the pockets that were filled. Probably the secret location where the plant went was the land fill or the bosses back yard. Our local city recycle program was found taking the stuff to the landfill, but a employee used smart phone and e-mailed to local news. Several people were fired.
Report Post »rambosharley
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:55amThis is the kind of liberal nonsense that brings a country down and we’re going down.
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:59amI wonder if that “Secret location” is Nancy Pelosi’s backyard.
Any Bets?
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 12:20pmLemme get this straight… because this is thought to be the last (emphasis) WILD Franciscan Manzanita in existence, they had to spend $200k to save and move it, rather than uproot the d@mn weed and spend the same $200k to buy 12,500 Franciscan Manzanitas at $16 apiece, plant a freaking orchard, and let them grow wild?
1 plant? 12,500 plants. Hmmm… let me see…
Only in San Francisco!
Interesting postscript to my Evil Conservative idea: 12,500 weeds are “greener” than only one. Take *that* green and smoke it, Left.
Report Post »wdittgasn
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 12:23pmIt was not pissed away. The pictures have been doctored. It is actually a wild bush of the best marijuana know to the occupiers of Wall Street. At $200.000 is was a steal, fully grown is worth 10 times that!
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:10pm1000.00 dollars to move the bush
199,000 to go to the Reelect Barry Screw America Four More Years Tour.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:31pmOK, now does anyone still think that the politicians are capable of spending your money wisely? Not a chance in hell.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:56pmI‘m waiting to read JZS’s 3 paragraph defense of this.
It’ll start out something like this………
“OK, someone, somewhere spent a trivial amount of money moving a bush, I got that…..So what.
Report Post »But did you hear that Reagan was really for the “Buffet Rule”?”
right-wing-waco
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:59pmHere is a suggestion. Everyone that is “mad as hell” over this expense, copy the above story, (minus the photos), to Governor Brown and tell him what you think of this waste of your money.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 2:53pmOh geez, how do they know someone didn’t toss the seeds out the window? This is what happens when you have useless wasteful bureaucrats running your world. Insanity. Also, it is time to dissolve, DISSOLVE the GSA. Let’s not forget that one.
Report Post »Thors Hammer
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 3:25pmWe know where the “wild bush” is – in Dr. Gluesenkamp’s back yard. And we don‘t even get a ’thank you’
Report Post »BrianM
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 3:40pmEloso: sounds like a perfect solution. I can get behind your plan. I would only add that if it were possible, I’d sure like to slap the s*** out of each & every one of them.
…brian
Report Post »mauijonny
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 4:23pmIt‘s bush’s fault!!!
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 4:39pmNo…… It’s not a wild bush! Someone bought it at a Home Depot for $16 and let it go when it got too big. Just like the Pythons in Florida and Piranhas in lakes. Kill it quick before it multiplies.
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 5:20pmIt wouldn‘t surprise me if it’s going to be moved to a relative’s yard and the $79,470 nurturing cost is actually money to have honest working people pay for some rich government kid’s tuition.
Report Post »sourdoughboy
Posted on April 14, 2012 at 2:47amOK, let me get this strait. It was found in a concrete-bound median strip along side of a road. Is there any chance that this was planted in that median when the original landscaping for the median was put in. It was in a median along a road in San Francisco and I’m sure it had to be maintained and landscaped by someone. Has anyone checked to see the original plans for the median and landscaping and what they called for. What is the result of the DNA testing and how does it compare to the ones in the garden shop?
Report Post »I wonder, no it couldn’t, no no it just couldn’t be a $5.00 dollar plant from Home Depot twenty years ago.
lordjosh
Posted on April 14, 2012 at 7:25amHad been in the arborculture business for many years. I’ve done large transplants like this. 10,000 for the larges and most precious plants. This is clearly a huge hand out/pay off to somebody.
Report Post »How does a “concrete bound median strip” constitute as “wild”?
It’s like when the D.E.M in my state want to preserve the wetlands around our man-made lakes.
proudwhiteboy
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:23amVery well said.
Report Post »medic506
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 1:47pmIf the bush dies, do we get a prorated refund for the maintenance that will not be needed? If so, someone should water that weed with 10 gallons of undulted Round-up.
Report Post »NewLife56
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:23amDear BLAZE
I’ll check back with you on Mondays, your ZEDO ads are making my web browser crash..thank you and goodbye
Report Post »Tifn8r
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:29amIt’s not THEIR zedo ads. Go in and erase the cookies that are left by the Zedo malware and you’ll be running fine.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:45amtry malwarebytes it made this all go away for me
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 2:20pmGet rid of IE and use firefox with ghostery, then you can block the 20+ tracking cookies that the Blaze tries to put on your computer. It really makes the site work better. But yes, the Blaze does have an egregious amount of stupid ad crap on their sight.
Report Post »Kerstile
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:59amI use Fire Fox with “Adblock Plus” plug in. What ads?
Report Post »Tifn8r
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:19amTell you what I’m gonna do… I’ll run down to the garden center, plant about 500 of them out in the “wild” and only charge you 100,000 to do it.
Then…in a few years they’ll go “feral” and then there will be 500 “wild” plants and we can start hunting them again.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:27amBet if we planted one in front of every sex shop in San Fran. they would be moved immediately at no cost . Don‘t stand in the way of a liberal’s perversions.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 7:15pmNow the bush is out where two men can have sex behind it,then smoke it when they are done smoking each other.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:14amCome on, would people really be disappointed if a half mile wide asteroid smashed into the earth?
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:17amThat‘s what I’m cheering for, because I know we come back, and I ain’t coming back to this.
Report Post »Tifn8r
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:23amYeah, but if you believe you come back, you’ll be stuck with cleaning up the aftermath of an asteroid blast. Talk about being a glutton for punishment.
Reincarnation theology is a bummer.
- Oh, and by the way- if you believe we come back, then technically, YOU’RE to blame for the state the world is in.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:24amHow bout a football stadium sized one that hits San Fran ,would that be sufficient ?
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:14amThis is a perfect story to go with this video link explaining how these nuts are placing fences on forests and woods and installing cameras with motion detectors to catch PEOPLE. They are also aiming these cameras into peoples yards to keep an eye on them.
Report Post »These further consolidates my claims that the UN owns the US due to the Bankruptcy of 1933 and the following Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944, where the lien was transferred to the IMF that created the UN in 1945. AGENDA 21 is being carried out !!!!!
The Global Banksters own the United Nations !!!
PEOPLE WAKE UP !!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfmeUxXG4Rc
JDoke
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:13amSo they spend $200,000 to move it to an undisclosed location where nobody can even enjoy it. Makes sense to me. Just knowing that the plant is ok is worth every penny.
Report Post »silenus
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:13amDoesnt the act of modifying the wild plants natural state nullify its wild status. the act of moving it turns it into a domesticated breed in my opinion.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:47amyes no longer wild. in my opinion there are reasons why plants go extinct or are modified to become domesticated if you will. they then adapt to the new enviroment. this is the stupidest story anyone that concerned with this plant should have footed the bill to have it removed and studied. but nothing usually makes sense in government
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:10amWe can always borrow more from China…….
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:10amWonder how the homeless and hungry in San Fran feel about this? I mean that city is a cesspool of starving bums and addicts. I think maybe that $200,000 probably could have fed some people…libs love to defend that city, but go there and see for yourself, it is crawling with drug addled panhandlers.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:08amIt‘s all the BUSH’s fault.
Report Post »321481
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:08amWhat do they care, it is just TAXPAYER MONEY!!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:06amThis is old news. This was talked about over a year ago. Has it taken two or more years to get it moved? No wonder it cost $200,000. They should have contacted me, I would have moved it for about $2,000.
Report Post »My Two Cents
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:25amI would have sprayed it with brush killer.
Report Post »RugerHoyt
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 2:26pm2-4D is cheaper than that…..
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on April 14, 2012 at 6:07pmCrossbow.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:04amI say the liberals have still got“remove Bush” in their heads.
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:26pmlol. Or paradoxically – save bush?
Report Post »wewantchillywilly
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:03amit is now fenced off in a secret location, out of fear that plant enthusiasts would get SO EXCITED that they’d trample it to death.
you can’t make this stuff up.
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:03amInsane … if there was not an interest from the private sector to pay for this then the plant should have been removed by all of those nature loving people who wanted to protect it. Let them put some sweat into it. Stupid government parasitic blood sucking dopes who steal the productivity of others.
Report Post »AxelPhantom
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:02amThe average American who pays taxes, pays about $10,000 per year;
$200,000 that is the entire tax contribution for 2,000 tax paying citizens.
Wonder what those 2,000 taxpayers could have done with that same money given the chance? Maybe sent a child to college or re-roofed their home?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:22amYour math is off, but your point is not.
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:01amHave to say it: “It was Bushs’ fault” they spent .02% of the project budget on this. What’s the big deal?
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:00amStoopid.
Report Post »T-2
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:58amthis plant will cure Liberalism when smoke
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:57amCA … those people are INSANE! Anyone who stays in the state is INSANE!
Get out while you can .. save yourself!
Report Post »Fantastic Four
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:56am200,000 is cheap just TAX more to make sure it gets funded after all is San Fran-Sicko
or They should have had the Sancutary City Illegal aliens do it for 500.00
Report Post »AU Patriot
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:56amStories like this just make me so excited for govt run health care. It will be great, so efficient, and no red tape. I can’t wait!
#Sarcasm
Report Post »Boss J
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:53amAnd Californians wonder why their state is bankrupt.
Report Post »theninthplanet
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:52amWell, at least it wasn’t a hemp plant.
Report Post »amadan32
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:22pmWhen I was in the army – we tried to grow it over there since the Mp’s where not likely look to look along doyle drive , it was our sort of getting even with them .
Report Post »hi
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:50amThe insane libs care about saving a bush but have no problem snuffing out human life in the womb or outside of the womb if he/she survives a botched killing.
Report Post »randy
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:54amLooks like a weed to me.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:07amAgreed.
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