weeding exercise

visiting tilden park is something we love to do
our dog can be off leash, there are rock outcrops and big oak trees.
we went up to the quarry trail and i spent a few minutes pulling out weeds before we went on our hike. According to the law this is an illegal act. We have collectively entrusted the management of our public lands to government agencies who protect us from ourselves by outlawing resource tampering. Tilden is overgrown, muddy, choked by eucalyptus and blackberry. The forest could use some maintenance, but the law would seem to limit the power of the individual to make a difference.

FROM East Bay Regional Park ORDINANCE 38, Chapter 8 "Park Features Protection" (M/I ) SECTION 804 "Damage to Plants"
No person shall damage, injure, collect or remove any plant or tree or portion thereof, whether living or dead, including but not limited to flowers, mushrooms, bushes, vines, grass, turf, cones and dead wood located on District parklands. In addition, any person who willfully or negligently cuts, destroys or mutilates vegetation shall be arrested or issued a citation pursuant to Penal Code Section 384a.

SECTION 807 "Special Permission" however, says...
Special permission (Section 103) may be granted to remove, treat, disturb, or otherwise affect plants or animals or geological, historical, archaeological, or paleontological materials for research, interpretive, educational, or park operational purposes.

weeding in tilden from Nathan Hodges on Vimeo.