A major concern of S.A.D. is the over-development activity in Ernie Smith Park on Arnold Drive in El Verano, California. The so-called "Wetland Construction" was actually creation of a permanent park lake which destroyed existing native vernal pools and eliminated over three acres of prime natural vernal pool and wildflower areas. Ornamental trees are being planted which will impact native valley oak tree growth, some of which were planted as a mitigation to the Arnold Drive Reconstruction Project and have been neglected in violation of the agreement with the Federal Highway Administration.

The more recent addition of a dog park literally paved over a critical vernal pool site with several endangered species of wildflowers including giant lupin, bread and butter, morning glory and others with fertilized lawn, the toxic runoff from which endangers riparian animal and other life in the natural vernal pool drainage area.

Yearly, hundreds of native Valley Oak seedlings are mowed down in Ernie Smith Park as part of the Sonoma County Parks 'Weed Abatement' Program. The creek along the walk from Ernie Smith Park to Elizabeth Park was trenched lower several years ago which has severely impacted water supply to several large Valley Oak Trees along the creek. The Sonoma County Parks Department has been a poor steward of Ernie Smith Park. The park is now overdeveloped, vernal pool sites have been lost and important wildflower areas have been paved over.

Before the Arnold Drive Reconstruction Project many different wildflowers such as lupin including giant lupin, bread and butter, morning glory and others overflowed in the park each spring. Now only a few isolated patches remain.

During the Arnold Drive Reconstruction Project in the early 90s the Sonoma County Park Department allowed the Road Contractors to build a storage area directly on an important wildflower area which is now paved over with asphalt for the most part. In addition the road contractors were allowed to dump hundreds of tons of fill and old paving material and road waste on the western edge of the park which is now a mound bordering Arnold Drive.

Plans are underway to file complaints with the Federal Highway Administration and others with regard to non-compliance with Arnold Drive Environmental Mitigation Measures including actual loss of wetlands(not creation as claimed by Sonoma County Government), insufficient planting and neglect of planted replacement valley oaks, destruction of native endangered wild flower habitat in Ernie Smith Park and destruction of native vernal pools in Ernie Smith Park and related problems.

Recent construction in November 2006 of a 'dog park' at Ernie Smith Park was done directly on top of and with complete disregard for the last remaining vernal pool and wildflower site at the park. What was a beautiful native flower site that could have been protected for our children in later generations has literally gone to the dogs..

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