After an era of quiet compared to the so-called timber wars of the 1980s and ’90s, conflict over logging in Northern California forests has returned.

Residents, elected officials and environmental activists are painting a doomsday scenario of what an accident involving the proposed Phillips 66 oil trains would look like in downtown San Jose.

In my last column about San Jose Parks Foundation, I stressed the economic importance of parks, as well as the overwhelming evidence of the correlation between health and the presence of accessible parks and trails—both for individuals and a community’s wellbeing. There is another layer of health benefits that is even more critical: the essential role that parks and trails play for the environment.