News Subscribe to Our Newsletter Sign up for Email Updates CGF In the News Press Inquiries Past Articles Calendar			The Palo Alto Weekly March 14, 2003   Green group hires new advocate By Don Kazak The Committee for Green Foothills has hired an attorney,  Brian Schmidt, to be its new Santa Clara County legislative advocate.  He replaces Denice Dade, who held that position for five years.  While  the job involves a wide range of environmental issues, a significant part  of it is overseeing Stanford land use issues. Several Stanford-related  land use issues are still pending before Santa Clara County, including  the placement of two hiking trails and establishing zoning for the Stanford  hills. The latter will be discussed by the county Planning Commission  April 3.  Schmidt will join the Committee for Green Foothills in April.  He is current staff attorney for the nonprofit public interest law firm  Earthjustice, formerly known as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.  "We  are thrilled to have Brian joining our team," said Zoe Kerstteen-Tucker,  the group's executive director. "His experience with land use law will  be invaluable to the committee's work throughout Santa Clara County."  The Committee for Green Foothills was formed in 1962 in response to then-development  pressure in the Palo Alto foothills, ands the group has since become a  watchdog over anything that effects the hills, with the focus in recent  years on the Stanford hills. Page last updated March 19, 2003 .