The Oakland Zoo has long served as a popular conservation site in one of the most urbanized cities in the country. Unfortunately, it is now on the brink of an expansion that could hinder so much of what makes it great.

The under-fire plan, called the California Project, will fence off 56 acres of park land to construct a multi-story ridgetop restaurant, a vet facility, a visitor center and an aerial gondola ride.

The project will not only diminish the natural beauty of the area, but will also fence off native animals in one of the few areas left in Oakland where they can still thrive. This will impact migratory patterns, and could eventually threaten the very survival of wildlife.

Most troublingly, this will all be done without a standard environmental assessment required by the California Environmental Quality Act.