In 1892, John Muir and others founded the Sierra Club in San Francisco, and we've had an address here ever since. But in May, the Sierra Club and The Sierra Club Foundation will be moving across the bay to Oakland.

The decision to leave "the City" (as everyone in the Bay Area calls it) wasn't easy for the board of directors and the organization's leadership. The staff and volunteers will depart with mixed emotions and many fond memories of historic meetings, fun nightlife, and working in one of the world's great urban environments. But as the Bay Area economy continues to boom and rents skyrocket, low-income residents and nonprofits are being displaced, and now the Sierra Club has found itself among them. The rent on our headquarters was scheduled to increase by about $1.5 million per year. While we looked for space in other locations in San Francisco, the financial picture was the same.

Fortunately, nine miles to the east is another exciting and diverse city: Oakland. While Oakland's rents aren't cheap, they fall within our budget. The Club's new offices are in the thriving Uptown district, near a BART station and close to parks, restaurants, and theaters. Oakland is also home to a growing number of nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmental justice, social equity, community support, and environmental protection, and we plan to work closely with our new neighbors on common goals.

The new Sierra Club headquarters will be a more energy- and space-efficient, collaborative, and attractive office environment. We have designed workstations to be compact and lit largely with natural light, with great views in all directions.

The building we are moving in to is LEED certified, and we are investing in high-efficiency LED lighting, motion detectors to turn off lights and equipment in unoccupied rooms, and Energy Star-rated appliances. As much as possible, we will reuse and recycle furnishings from our San Francisco office.

Departing San Francisco after more than a century may be tough, and for a while we may feel that we have left our hearts there. But we are excited about starting our next phase.