F I R S TP R E V326NEXTLAST

Brown Pelican, Off Limantour Spit
No other major metropolitan center in the world has such an extensive system of preserved wild areas than the San Francisco Bay. A quarter of the area's 4.5 million acres is preserved land, proving that it is possible to maintain a balance between wild land and development in an urban environment. By establishing boundary lines that prohibit growth, the Bay Area has protected open space and prevented the sprawl that has plagued many other urban areas. The benefits of such environmental sustainability and quality of life are always balanced against the high cost of housing on the limited land available for development.
[ MAP J-8 ]