The Edge of the Wild

Filmmaker Gail Mallimson's thought-provoking documentary offers a case study of the struggle to preserve critical habitat for endangered species when there are powerful business interests dead set against the effort. Not far from San Francisco, near the city of Brisbane, lies what is left of San Bruno Mountain, once a haven for the dwindling Mission blue butterfly and other species that were drawn to lupine and other native plants. At the center of this film is longtime activist Michele Salmon, who has lived all her life in Brisbane and whose father helped (as a member of the city council) to protect San Bruno from development back in the 1960s. When Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law, Salmon and others believed it was a permanent solution that would block construction projects on the mountain, especially since the Mission blue butterfly was on the list of endangered species. But in 1982, Ronald Reagan amended the act, giving developers room to build on critical habitat if they set aside some land for the original ecosystem to thrive. Unfortunately, the giant loophole here is that no standard for such a set-aside exists, and there is no official follow-up or enforcement of the requirement. The impact on San Bruno has been severe, as development arrived in two waves while Salmon and her fellow activists were unable to stop the process. San Bruno is now a wreck, environmentally speaking, with a set-aside tract of land that is full of non-native plants but no longer supports the Mission blue butterfly, or much else. Even though there is some hope at the end, The Edge of the Wild is a disturbing cautionary tale about how deep-pocketed developers are able to bulldoze nature with impunity. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)