East Bay Regional Park District

East Bay~ Regional Park District

TO: PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE

FROM: GLENN KIRBY, CHAIR

SUBJECT: PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE

March 24, 2014

Location: Peralta Oaks Court 2950 Peralta Oaks Court Oakland, CA

6:45 pm Social and Refreshments

REGULAR MEETING

7:00 p.m. 1. Approval of Minutes - February 24, 2014 2. Introductions 3. Public Comments 7:15 p.m. 4. Presentations: (I) a. Introduction of Cultural Services Coordinator - Jim O'Connor, AGM Operations (I) b. Statewide Drought Effects - Jim O'Connor, AGM Operations & Anne Scheer, Chief of Parks (I) c. Regional Parks Foundation Updates - Carol Johnson, AGM Public Affairs 8:00 p.m. 5. PAC Member Comments· 6. Report from the Vice Chair - John Mercurio 7. Board Committee Reports 8. Status of Recommendations 9. Old Business 10. New Business 11. Adjournment - Next Meeting April 28, 2014

(A) Action (I) Information (R) Recommendation

ATTACHMENTS 1. CSC Memo 2. Drought Press Release 3. Regional Parks Foundation Memo 4. Work Plan 2014 5. Status of Recommendations 6. Articles & Correspondence Unapproved Meeting Minutes PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE February 24, 2014

ATTENDING: Kirby, Madsen, Madison, Godfrey, Kern, Coffey, Vann, Mercurio, Bank, Palacios, Simmons, Beyaert, Volin, Coomber, Shalaby, Gregory NOTATTENDING: Best, Pellegrini, DeMarcus, Yee STAFF ATTENDING: Barial, Pfuehler, Scheer, Johnson GUESTS: Director John Sutter PUBLIC: None.

The meeting began at 7:05 p.m.

I. Approval of Minutes: PAC member Beyaert moved and PAC member Coomber seconded approval of the January 27, 2014 minutes with one correction. The motion passed unanimously. PAC members Madison and Madsen abstained due to absence from the meeting.

2. Introductions: PAC Chair Kirby asked PAC members, staff and the public to introduce themselves.

3. Board Member Comments: Director Sutter spoke briefly about a few parcels that have been acquired by the District; namely a 200 acre addition to Wildcat Canyon and the Castleridge Property on the west side of Pleasanton Ridge. Sutter explained the different external committees and agencies with whom the Board interfaces. As a member of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (Authority) Sutter stated the Authority is planning a nine county parcel tax, $10 per parcel to raise about $14 million to restore Bay wetlands and address the impacts of sea level rise on Bay shoreline communities. Beyaert asked if this was an annual tax. Sutter replied yes annually with a 20 year sunset. PAC member Vann asked about his service on the Gateway Park Working Group (Gateway). Sutter responded the Gateway working group is staffed by Chief of Design and Construction Diane Althoff. PAC member Kern extended appreciation to Sutter and the Board for being engaged in this type of intergovernmental relationship building. Sutter added the Mayors Conferences are helpful for networking as well and staff is also involved. PAC member Volin asked for an update on Crab Cove. Sutter updated committee about the finished sand project at the beach, as well as the addition of the endangered snowy plovers to the beach.

4. Public Comments: None.

S. Presentations: a. 80th Anniversary Plan - Carollohnson. AGM Public Affairs Carollohnson. AGM Public Affairs and Executive Director of the Regional Parks Foundation discussed the planning for the District's 80th anniversary. lohnson gave a presentation focusing on the history of the District and referred to distributed materials. lohnson noted this year is also the 45th Anniversary of the Regional Parks Foundation. lohnson highlighted a few signature programs, events and fundraising opportunities. 20th Anniversary of the Trails Challenge, Healthy Parks Healthy People (HPHP), Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner, Mayors Challenge, and Month-long Healthy Park activities to support Get Outdoors Month.

Through the District's HPHP work a relationship has developed with Oakland's Children's Hospital (The Hospital). The District is partnering with them in their retrofit of the North Oakland Clinic/Pediatrics Facility. The Hospital has agreed to endorse and fully implement Parks Prescriptions (Rx). The District is providing busses monthly for patients and doctors to visit parks. The Hospital asked the District to retrofit the interior of the clinic with images of the Regional Parks. Every patient room will be named after a Regional Park. It is hoped patients and their families will begin to feel the parks are welcoming and not so foreign.

The Anniversary Gala will be a public event and include participation by stakeholders. To be affordable, the ticket prices will be low and the location is yet to be determined. The Gala is expected to draw 350 people. Johnson continued describing a new three month concert series at Antioch's Contra Loma, which will be similar to the successful and ongoing Crab Cove Concert Series. To correspond with HPHP events that naturalists will be facilitating on first Saturdays, the District is considering offering "free park days."

The District is planning to update the design of informational panels and improve entrance kiosks. There will also be a new District flag. At select land bank areas, staff is unveiling signage to inform the public that the land is preserved forever. lohnson highlighted a few communication tools: Freshly updated website, Mobile Web App, Malcolm Margolin is writing a book called the Wonderments of the East Bay, Anniversary brochure, and Regional Parks Foundation Annual Report.

PAC member Coomber mentioned the impression some park entrances have on people - cattle grates, warnings about snakes and lions, list of things people can't do in the parks, etc. - and he is pleased to hear the District is making an effort to make them more welcoming. lohnson agreed and the District is taking a proactive approach to try to use District panels to reduce the perceptions of fear. Vann asked if the Kids Challenge is still active. Johnson said the Kids Healthy Outdoors Challenge is up and running in a number of schools for its second year. Funding has been provided by Kaiser and the Contra Costa Fish and Wildlife Committee thanks to PAC member Pellegrini. About 1,000 students are expected to participate again this year. Teachers like the program because when students return to the classroom from outside, they tend to pay better attention.

PAC member Godfrey asked how the District plans to advertise the free park days. Johnson said through the Regional In Nature (700,000 distribution), the website, direct mail pieces and some small advertising buys. The hope is to pump up the participation in events the naturalists are already doing on the first Saturdays of the month. PAC member Simmons asked about the possibility of purchasing District ranger shirts using Cafe Press. Johnson said some products are already available via Cafe Press on the District's website. Volin asked about offering free parking on a regular basis and not just as a pilot. Johnson stated the District would need to evaluate the impact of the trial first. Beyaert mentioned people who visit on a free Saturday park day may be surprised if they return and the District charges them for parking. lohnson remarked that clarity is very important in District communication. Kern mentioned the budget request from Public Affairs which referred to the 80th Anniversary. He was pleased to learn about the other activities lohnson mentioned and feels assured the funding is not just for the Anniversary Gala. lohnson agreed and explained the majority of the funds will be coming from the Public Affairs budget. The Anniversary Gala will be fund raised with the goal to have it underwritten by corporate donors.

b. 2014 Legislative Priorities - Erich Pfuehler, Government Relations & legislative Affairs Manager Erich Pfuehler. Government Relations & Legislative Affairs Manager presented a Powerpoint entitled the 2014 Legislative Priorities. Pfuehler highlighted key committee assignments for our Congressional Committee members: Senior leaders of the delegation are Senators Boxer, Feinstein and Representative Lee; as well as the soon to be retired George Miller who has been in congress for 40 years, Senators Mark DeSaulnier will probably be the next congressman for the East Bay, Senators Wolk (writing a water bond), Corbett (majority leader), and Assemblymember Skinner, former board member (Chair of the Budget Committee) and Buchanan (Chair of the Education Committee).

The District will be tracking developments on a park and/or water bond for the November ballot. Kern wondered if any of the water bond and/or drought relief prop9sals would help the District. Pfuehler thinks there is some possibility for restoration projects in either the Delta or the Bay as it relates to the drought. Another issue related to the drought is the need to be vigilant in the Districts wildfire fuels management work. With regard to the park bond, Parks Forward is an effort by people in the philanthropic community to look at how the state parks system could be run more efficiently. The Parks Forward Commission has been holding hearings throughout the state. The District is tracking Parks Forward, the Carbon Auction Fund, the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority ballot measure and a Green Sticker idea for bicycles. The latter would allow special districts, counties and cities to enact a surcharge at point of sale for bicycles which would raise revenue for maintenance of trails; it exempts children's bikes. The District will advocate for a category in the High Growth Job Training Sector within the Department of Labor which could apply to the District and other park agencies. There is going to be a high staff turnover for the District and similar agencies. These are jobs that cannot be outsourced and do not necessarily require a four year degree. The District is in contact with the Tri-Valley Mayors (San Ramon) to look at funding for overcrossing of the Iron Horse Trail in the new federal transportation bill. Vann asked again about the Kids Healthy Outdoors Challenge. Pfuehler said the program is a good vehicle for conversations with Representative Miller, State Superintendent T orlakson and others about how to incorporate outdoor academic activity into school curriculum standards. The hope is outdoor academic activity could be eligible for funding within the menu of education requirements under federal and state law. The Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) contains language which would allow the u.s. Army Corps of Engineers to transfer management responsibility of the Oakland Inner Harbor Canal to the District. Transfer of the management of this corridor would help facilitate Bay Trail work from Tidewater to under the High Street Bridge. The House version of WRDA includes a de authorization of the lower Walnut Creek Channel. This could help facilitate Iron Horse Trail work going north. All of the agencies within the Department of Interior have been directed to support more development of green energy. In an effort to support wind energy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a new rule to allow a 30-year permit. The permits allow for the "taking" of eagles and other raptors. Vann asked for a definition of "take" in this instance. Pfuehler responded this is basically the number of birds that can be killed by the wind turbines. Pfuehler believes the new permits, which allow for a review every five years, provide an opportunity for the District - particularly given how much research District staff have done on the turbines effect of raptors in the Altamont. Beyaert and Simmons asked about the status or WRDA. Pfuehler replied that it is in conference between the House and Senate. There are some concerns about NEPA requirements that are holding it up. Kern mentioned the lower thresholds on revenue ballot measures and regulatory streamlining. Pfuehler added polling has not been particularly good on lowering the voter threshold to 55% - particularly when Prop. 13 is invoked. Pressure for regulatory streamlining at the state level has diminished. PAC member Godfrey mentioned the surcharge on the cost of bicycles. He suggested this would actually be a disincentive for people to buy bikes. He is not sure this sends the right message in such an auto dependent society. Pfuehler expressed the tremendous paving needs on the trails. PAC member Mercurio added that if the trails were better maintained more people might use them.

6. PAC Member Comments - Beyeart mentioned the need to connect the Bay Bridge Trail to the Bay Trail. He also stated that Caltrans allowed bicyclists and pedestrians to use the breakdown lane on the San Rafael Bridge. Mercurio mentioned the California Trails and Greenways (CTG) Conference is in Palm Springs this April. The CTG Foundation will have a session about the possibility of a permanent trails maintenance fund for California. Beyaert mentioned it is the 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Beyaert. Kurt Schwabe (walkingthebaytrail.com) and Sam Schuchat (Coastal Conservancy Executive Director) will be speaking on what went into building the trail in Richmond. Coomber announced the Inaugural th Livermore Half Marathon on March 29 • .

Kern reported out about the Plan Bay Area ad hoc Subcommittee meeting. He stated it was a great conversation about the Plan Bay Area effort which will be reauthorized and revisited beginning in 2015. Focused areas for the Subcommittee will be advocacy, demonstration, building the case and advising staff. This is a real opportunity for PAC members to help the District playa leading role, along with other Bay Area conservation and open space interests. The Subcommittee will formalize goals and outcomes as it moves forward. PAC member Madsen added he was excited the PAC is engaging and noted the last round of Plan Bay Area was contentious. This is an opportunity for the District to be productive and make a contribution. He thanked Kern for his leadership. PAC member Gregory added the District is poised to take this leadership role and the timing is now. Gregory remarked about the talent at the table and looked forward to working on this subcommittee.

Simmons challenged all members of the PAC to participate in the Trails Challenge with the prize being a bottle of wine pressed by him. The winner will have visited the most resources and facilities in the District. The deadline is November. The prize will be awarded at the holiday dinner. Gregory went to visit the rifle range and wanted to know the status of the lease. The noise level was high. Gregory asked for status. See below.

7. Report from the Chair - Kirby announced the Marksmanship Range (Range) update is on the work plan for the March meeting. Kirby gave an update from the Operations Committee meeting that Bank and Volin also attended. AGM O'Connor reported the Range agreement will be extended another six months through June of 2015. The extension is largely due to the drought and difficulty of collecting samples to check for lead contamination. The Chair added there are existing documents 0' Connor said he would make available to the PAC. Ke'rn added the Range is behind in paying some of its fees to the District. He wondered about the continuation of their lease given their fiscal obligations. Volin expressed frustration because this committee has asked for information and has not received anything. Volin noted that Chief of Stewardship. Matt Graul did say there are records on the degree of lead leaching into the Lake since 2008. Volin added obtaining this kind of information is what should be received by the PAC. He wonders if there is more than acceptable levels for lead leaching into the Lake. To maintain acceptable levels, financially significant repairs are needed to the drainage system. Kirby added in 2007 or 2008, the county required the District to have a state permit that it never had before which brings in new regulatory requirements. Kern asked if the District prohibits lead bullets. Volin stated lead bullets were outlawed for hunting and East Bay MUD has prohibited using lead bullets at Pardee. Gregory stated Quarry Lakes has banned lead fishing weights. Kirby asked PAC members to continue to provide him additional comments. PAC member Bank added' a number of people spoke to the noise pollution; suggesting the Board should be taken on a weekend tour.

8. Board Committee Reports - Bank reported from the Operations Committee meeting. She talked about the Tilden merry-go-round concessionaire's agreement. Staff is recommending a new concessionaire and the Committee voted to support staffs recommendation.

9. Status of Recommendations - Updated.

10. Old Business - None.

I I. New Business - None.

12. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 p.m.

Summary of Actions:

I. The January 27, 2014 meeting minutes were approved. 2. The next PAC meeting is March 24, 2014.

Respectfully submitted, Yolande Barial, PAC Secretary

2950 PERALTA OAKS COURT' P.O . BOX 5381 • OAKLAND' CA· 94605-0381 T. I 888 EBPARKS F. 510 5694319 TDD. 510 6330460 WWW.EBPARKS .ORG

Date: March 19, 2014

To: Park Advisory Committee

From: Jim O'Connor, AGM Operations

Subject: Introduction of Cultural Services Coordinator (CSC) and discussion of CSC role

Appointment of New Cultural Services Coordinator

Assistant General Manager Jim O'Connor will introduce Beverly Ortiz the new Cultural Services Coordinator for the Park District. The Cultural Services Coordinator (CSC) is a new position 'for the District and the first position specializing in cultural and historical resource protection and management. Jim and Beverly will discuss the role of the CSC and Beverly's work plan for the coming year.

Board of Directors

Ayn Wleskamp Whitney Dotson Ted Radke Doug Siden Beverly Lane Carol Severin John Sutter Robert E. Doyle President Vice-President Treasurer Secretary Ward 6 Ward 3 Ward 2 General Manager Ward 5 Ward I Ward 7 Ward 4

East Bay. Regional Park District www.ebparks.org 2950 Peralta Oaks Ct Oakland, CA 94605

News Release - East Bay Regional Park District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2014

Contact: Emily Hopkins, 510-544-2217

Statewide Drought Affects East Bay Regional Parks

Despite recent rains, drought conditions prevalent throughout the state have affected operations in many of the 65 East Bay Regional Parks in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, and reservations for activities and events at Del Valle Regional Park are not being taken for dates after June 8.

"We are conserving water in our parks now, and we have plans in place if the drought continues," said Park District Operations Chief Anne Scheer. "Services at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore are the most severely affected."

The park district already is following the Governor's suggested 20 percent reduction in water use at all of our facilities, mainly through reducing turf irrigation.

"We have always implemented water saving measures, including quick repair to water line breaks and leaks and the installation of water-saving devices in our facilities (low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, etc). These measures combined with voluntary conservation on the part of the district and park visitors should help reduce the impacts of the drought on park operations," said Scheer.

District Operations staff are meeting with local water agencies and the state Department of Water Resources to explore potential strategies should the drought continue this winter, with the potential for mandatory restrictions.

"Our goal for the very popular Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore is to try and keep the park operating through Labor Day, Sept. 1, but we may not know if this is possible until May," said Scheer. "We expect Lake Del Valle to be full by mid-April, but water levels potentially will be below our water system intakes by early summer." The limitation, or in some cases complete lack of water may greatly reduce recreational access to some of the district's busiest lakes, including Del Valle, Shadow Cliffs and Quarry Lakes.

Lake Del Valle receives a lot of its water from the State Water Project, whose allotments have been severely limited by the ongoing drought. And several water agencies rely on Del' Valle as a primary source for drinking water supplies. Anticipated low lake levels may impact the park's ability to maintain drinking water and basic sanitary services for restrooms. Drought conditions will also impact fire protection and access to recreational uses at Del Valle.

As a result, East Bay Regional Park District is accepting no reservations at Del Valle beyond Sunday, June 8 for camping, picnicking, swimming or special events. Existing reservations for d·ates prior to June 8 will be honored contingent upon drought conditions, but at present the outlook for full restoration of services is doubtful. Swimming and boat launches may be impacted at Shadow Cliffs and Quarry Lakes because of water levels.

Dry conditions will also increase the threat of parkland fires as cattle grazing has been disrupted in many parks due to the reduction of grass feed availability. As always, the Park District will focus on providing safe public access to these lakes and amenities as possible and apologizes for any inconvenience should water levels affect our ability to maintain public access in some locations. .

For updates on the drought, lake levels, and recreation programs, visit the park district web site at www.ebparks.org.

###

DATE: March 19, 2014

TO: Parks Advisory Committee

FROM: Carol Johnson, AGM Public Affairs and Executive Director, RPF

SUBJECT: 2013 Regional Park Foundation accomplishments and fundraising

Regional Park Foundation Executive Director Carol Johnson will present information on the 2013 accomplishments and fundraising results for the Regional Parks Foundation.

Attachment 4 PAC 2014 WORK PLAN 3-18-14

DEC JAN 27 FEB 24 MAR 24 APR 28 MAY 19 JUN23 JULY 28 SEP22 OCT 27 NOV 24 8

Director Wieskamp Director Sutter Director _ _ Director Lane Director Director Siden Director Director Director Siden Severin Radke Dotson

PAC Ordinance 38 (R) State of the District 80th Anniversary Regional Parks -King Healthy Parks San Francisco MeasureWW Response Goals 2015 2015 Proposed Holiday (1)- Doyle Plan (I) - Koh, Foundation Healthy People Bay Implementation to Climate (R)- Kirby, Budget (R)- Dinner Johnson Projects - (I) Update and Update (1)- Restoration (1)- Change, Pfuehler Collins, Work Plan (R) - Johnson Status of Johnson Authority Rasmussen, adaptation, Rubaloff Kirby, Pfuehler Oakland Strokes Overview - (I) Collins and riparian Economic 2014 Legislative Cultural Service agreement (I) - Kids Healthy Olson, habitat for Impact Report Elections of Plan Bay Area Priorities - (I) Coordinator - (I) O'Connor Outdoors Pfuehler Interpretative wildlife (1)- (I) - Collins, PAC Officers Subcommittee Pfuehler O'Connor Challenge and Community Olson Johnson (R) - Kirby, Discussion (I) _ . ADA Update- Update (1)- Outreach - Pfuehler Kirby, Pfuehler Drought Update (I) practical Kaiser, CAFR(R)- O'Connor, Natural Environmental -O'Connor& applications and Johnson Collins, Kaiser, Resources Education Green Scheer engineering Rubaloff Carmody Update (1)- Facilities Transportation activity (1)- Castleridge Graul Upgrades (1)- - Trails Update Scheer, LUP Youth Outreach Johnson (I) - Townsend Barrington Amendment- and (R) - Bondurant Employment (I) Marksmanship -O'Connor Concessionaire Agreement Update (1)- O'Connor

Exec. Comm. Field Trip - Finance BBQ Meeting - Exec. Comm. Finance Subcommittee Oyster Bay Subcommittee Willow Park Subcommittee Subcommittee Work Plan (R) - May??? CAFR - Collins Paradise Goals 2012 2012 Budget- Pfuehler Smokehouse, (R) - Pfuehler Collins Lake Chabot ----- ATTACHMENT 5

PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2014 Status of Recommendations

The following is a record of items, which have come from the PAC during the year beginning January 1,2014.

1. The PAC recommended moving forward the 2014 PAC Workplan to the board for approval. (January 27, 2014) STATUS: The Board voted to accept the 2014 PAC Workplan (Resolution # 2014-01-019) ATTACHMENT 6

ARTICLES & CORRESPONDENCE 1

Livermore reservoir to limit reservations due to drought By Denis Cuff Contra Costa Times 03/12/2014

LIVERMORE -- Operators of Del Valle Regional Park have stopped accepting camping, picnicking and other recreation reservations beyond June 8 because of possible drought related water shortages there.

Water levels at the state-operated Lake Del Valle may be too low to operate boat ramps, drinking water systems and restrooms, the East Bay Regional Park District said Tuesday.

Lake Del Valle, a popular swimming and boating reservoir, is expected to fiU by mid-April, but water levels are likely to be low by early summer.

Swimming and boating at Shadow Cliffs Park in Pleasanton and Quarry Lakes in Fremont also may be affected this year, park officials said.

Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267 or [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter.com/dcniseuff. 1

Alameda: Petition drive to kick off for Crab Cove ballot initiative By Peter Hegarty [email protected] 03105/2014

ALAMEDA -- Residents who oppose a proposal to build homes near Crab Cove Visitor Center at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach will kick off a petition drive Saturday to place a measure on the November ballot that calls for rezoning the neighborhood as open space. The Friends of Crown Beach say they hope to collect 6,000 signatures of registered Island voters so that they can put the "Initiative for Expansion of Open Space at Crab Cove" before voters.

"Crown Beach is a recreational and environmental public asset that benefits many Bay Area residents and visitors," said the group's Karin Lucas, a former city councilmember. "It would be a shame to squander the opportunity to expand the park for the benefit of a few wealthy homeowners and one builder."

The petition drive, which 'will be launched at the Aeolian Yacht Club, follows a local chapter of the Sierra Club coming out in support of the ballot measure, which would prevent the construction of up to 48 homes on about four acres of surplus federal property along McKay Avenue near Crab Cove.

The initiative calls for rezoning the neighborhood -- now known as Neptune Pointe -- as open space through Measure WW, which Alameda and Contra Costa county voters approved in November 2008 to protect and expand open space at the park district.

Roseville-based developer Tim Lewis Communities secured the property for about $3 million in 2011 during a General Services Administration auction. The sale has not been completed.

The park district had hoped to purchase the property for $1.5 million, which initiative supporters say was the fair market value.

"The people of Alameda voted for the East Bay Regional Park District to buy this property when they approved Measure WW in 2008," said Norman La Force ofthe Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay chapte~. "This land is important for the operation of Crown Beach park. Unfortunately, the federal government is ignoring the 70 percent of voters who approved the Crown Beach open space protection by selling this parcel to a private luxury home developer."

The neighborhood was one of several where the City Council adopted zoning changes in July 2

2012 to meet the city's affordable housing and other residential needs.

The changes brought the Housing Element of the city's General Plan into compliance \vith state law, which city officials say was necessary to be eligible for grants for transportation projects.

Park district representatives, who are suing the city over the council's decision, contend the council did not provide proper notice about the zoning switch and approved the change without a completed Environmental Impact Report.

Alameda officials maintain the district's lawsuit is an attempt to reverse the auction outcome.

The meeting to launch the petition drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the yacht club at 980 Fernside Boulevard near the Bay Farm Island Bridge.

Lucas said campaign representatives will be on hand to answer questions.

If voters approve the ballot measure, the zoning for the area along McKay Area near Crab Cove would be changed from medium density residential to parks and public open space, -according to a summary of the initiative by the city attorney's office.

Reach Peter Hegarty at 510-748-1654 1

Park It: Antioch's Black Diamond Mines reopens for tours

By Ned MacKay CC Times, Columnist 03/07/201 4

After the usual winter break, the underground mining museum and visitor center at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch have reopened for the 2014 season.

Tours of the park's Hazel-Atlas silica sand mine are available by reservation at I I a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Groups of 10 to 15 people can reserve a 10 a.m. tour. First-come, first-served tours are at noon and 3 p.m. Tours last about 90 minutes, taking you through 1,000 feet of a restored silica sand mine that was active from the 1920s through I 940s. Mining equipment is on display, and guides explain the techniques by which silica was extracted for use in foundries and glassware production. Tours cost $5 per person. For safety reasons. children must be age 7 or older to participate. For information and reservations. call 888-327-2757 and select option 2. All ages are welcome free of charge at the park's underground Greathouse Visitor Center, which features artifacts and photos from the 19th century coal mining era. Visitor center hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. As long as we're at Black Diamond Mines. there are a couple of interesting programs scheduled there this coming weekend. Naturalist Bob Kanagaki will lead a walk through the site of Somersville. a now vanished 19th century mining town. Designed for ages 7 and older. Bob's program is from 10 to I I:30 a.m. Saturday. Then from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday. naturalist Eddie Willis will lead a hike to Rose Hill Cemetery, the final resting place for many of the miners and their families who lived and worked in the area. It's for ages 6 and older. Both hikes are free. and reservations aren't required. Both start at the parking lot at the upper end of Somersville Road. 5 miles south of Highway 4 in Antioch. Rain cancels both hikes. Black Diamond Mines has a parking fee of $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is attended. 2

Rain or shine, some early spring wildflowers are starting to appear at Black Diamond Mines. Among the first is Indian warrior, a maroon flower with feathery leaves that looks a bit like a bandsman's pompon. You can see it under the manzanita bushes on the Ridge Trail and Chaparral Loop Trail. Indian warrior is a "hemiparasite," which means that it can live on its own or draw nourishment from the manzanita roots.

Big Break: Delta discoveries and water testing are two ongoing programs at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. From I I a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, the staff naturalists showcase the Delta's natural history through arts and crafts activities. And you can help the naturalists test Delta water quality from 9 to 10 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Big Break is located at 69 Big Break Road off Main Street. Parking and admission are free. For information, call 888-327- 2757, ext. 3050. VASCO CAVES: This is perhaps the best time of year to visit Vasco Caves Regional Preserve south of Brentwood. Accessible only by guided tours, the preserve has spectacular rock outcrops, vernal pools with rare and endangered fairy shrimp and pictographs created centuries ago by Native Americans. The preserve also is habitat for eagles and other raptors that hunt ground squirrels in the grasslands. Tours last from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They leave from Round Valley Regional Preserve near Brentwood or Brushy Peak near Livermore aboard buses provided by the East Bay Regional Park District. As of this writing, there are openings on tours scheduled for March 30 and April 6, 13 and 19. The cost is $30 per person, $34 for nondistrict residents. For up-to-date information and reservations, call 888- 327-2757 and select option 2. Tilden: A reptile rendezvous is on the calendar for 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Tilden Nature Area in Berkeley. It's a chance to meet and greet the nature area's reptiles-in-residence, learn some reptile lore and make a craft item to take home. Your human host is interpretive student aide Tricia Radis. There's a large stand of eucalyptus trees in the nature area. In a program from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, you can learn the history behind the trees, then make and decorate your own walking stick out of a eucalyptus sapling, assisted by interpretive student aide Sam Fuller. Materials and tools will be provided. Both programs are free. Both will be at the Environmental Education Center. Because of ongoing construction, you have to access the center by parking at the 3 end of Lone Oak Road off Tilden's Central Park Drive, then follow the signs on foot to the center. For information, call 510-544-2233. CROWN BEACH: Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Beach in Alameda hosts a family nature fun hour from 2 to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in March and April. On Saturday and Sunday the activity will be a low-tide exploration, for which you'll need your mud boots. The center's large aquarium is home to all sorts of creatures from San Francisco Bay: crab, flounder, perch, pipefish and more. You can watch the center staff feed them from 3 to 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Crab Cove is located at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda's Central Avenue. Admission is free. For information call 510-544-3187. 1

Concord Naval Weapons Station development plans moving ahead

By Lisa P. White Contra Costa Times 03/05/2014

Plans are underway for the redevelopment of the shuttered Concord Naval Weapons Station, Sept. 15, 2009, aerial photograph (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group Archives)

CONCORD -- California State University has dropped plans to build a new campus at the fornier Concord Naval Weapons Station. The university withdrew because it failed to reach terms with the federal government on a list of conditions the trustees set forth in 20 I 0, according to Jeff Bliss, Cal State East Bay spokesman. For 22 years, Cal State East Bay has offered a limited selection of degree programs at its branch campus in Concord on YgnaCio Valley Road. "We remain very interested and focused on higher education in Concord," Bliss said. As a result of the trustees' decision, for the foreseeable future Contra Costa will remain the only county in the state with a population of at least I million that does not have a Cal State or University of California campus. Michael Wright, executive director of the Local Reuse Authority, made the announcement about the campus during a recent presentation before the City 2

Council. He noted that the property still could be used for a four-year university or a corporate research and development campus. In 2012, the City Council adopted the Concord Reuse Project Area Plan which calls for building housing, office buildings and commercial space near the North Concord BART station and reserving 69 percent of the property for open space and recreational use. Plans for redeveloping the property are progressing. In January, the city launched a search for a master developer for the project. A small group will be invited this summer to submit a formal proposal that includes specific ideas about how and where they would begin developing the property. In October, the council will consider proposals from two or three developers. The Secretary of the Navy will use two methods to convey the weapons station property, Wright explained. The Navy will use an economic development conveyance to transfer about 2,300 acres to Concord and a public benefit conveyance to transfer the large open space area to the East Bay Regional Park District, and property north of Highway 4 to the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office and Contra Costa Fire for a training center. Wright expects the Navy to begin transferring the property next year, but it will be a long process. "It will probably take close to 10 years beyond 20 I 5 for every acre that is out th~re to be transferred and deeds sent to city, or the park district and county fire and sheriff," he explained. The Environmental Protection Agency and state health agencies have to certify that the Navy has cleaned up the land before it can transfer the property to the city or the park district. Wright is working closely with the Navy to ensure that its funding cycle for remediation lines up with the 425 acres the city wants to develop first -- a swath of land between Willow Pass Road and the North Concord BART station plus the part of the city's golf course that sits on Navy land, and the Little League Baseball fields at Willow Pass and Olivera roads. Developers have said the ideal situation for the first phase of development is a mix of land uses and residential densities so that if one sector of the housing market is floundering, they can build another product, Wright said. 3

Reuse agency staffers also are working on agreements that will allow the city to mitigate on site for the environmental imp"acts that will result from development and consulting with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Staffers are also discussing with the park district how to manage the open space and use it for mitigation and passive recreation, pursuing funding sources to replace redevelopment and coordinating with police and other city agencies to address security and access to the property, Wright said. Lisa P. White covers Concord and Pleasant Hill. 1

Tilden Park carousel turned over to new operator

Beloved century-old merry-go-round changes management

Carolyn lones, SF Chronicle

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Meryl Przybyla and her daughter Sadye, 2 1/2, get ready for a spin on the Tilden Park merry-go round. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

In 103 years, not much has changed at Tilden Park's merry-go-round. Bejeweled horses still gallop under the lights, kids still race to grab the giant rooster, and you can still get a corn dog and soda for cheap.

But change is inevitable, even for an old merry-go-round. The family that has run the carousel for 23 years will soon pack up its popcorn machine and move on after the East Bay Regional Park District decided to hire another concessionaire to run the East Bay hills attraction.

"Sadly, after 23 years of service, the park district has selected another person to care for the carousel," Terri Oyarzun wrote on the carousel's Facebook page and posted on a banner outside the merry-go-round. "We appreciate all the support 2 and good memories and all of you who became part of our Merry Go Round Family. We will miss you."

On March 18, the park district board is expected to approve a five-year contract with Sycamore Concessions Corp. of Walnut Creek, which runs numerous historic restaurants and venues in Northern California, including several at Columbia State Historic Park in the Gold Country.

Three bidders, including the Oyarzun family, vied for the new carousel contract after the family's I O-year contract expired. District staff wouldn't say why Sycamore won the job, but safety and fiscal issues were top priorities, said Emily Hopkins, the district spokeswoman.

"The Tilden Carousel will still spin," she said. "It'll still be there for the thousands of families who've enjoyed it over the years."

Neither the Oyarzun family nor Sycamore returned calls seeking comment.

The Oyarzuns were in the news in 20 I 0 when 10 goats in the family's goat herding operation were found dead among a herd in Oakland used for vegetation management. Egon Oyarzun, Terri's husband, was arrested and charged with animal abuse and neglect. The Oyarzuns said the dead goats had been old and sick, and under the care of an inexperienced employee.

The goat incident had no bearing on the district's decision not to renew the Oyarzun family's contract, Hopkins said. Their goat-herding business, Goats R Us, is still among several the district hires to clear brush and dry grass from hillsides.

The Tilden carousel was built in 191 I by the Hershell Spillman Co. of North Tonawanda, N.Y., and is one of the oldest merry-go-rounds in the Bay Area. It moved between a few parks in Southern California before landing in Tilden in 1948.

Nestled in a eucalyptus grove near Little Farm and the steam train ride, the carousel has been a staple of East Bay childhoods for generations.

Park-goers and parents said they just want the merry-go-round to stay the same, no matter who runs it. 3

"I came here almost every weekend as a kid," said Louisa Einsweiler, a recent UC Berkeley graduate and Berkeley native. "My parents didn't take us to Disneyland. For us, this was Disneyland."

That it was family-ru~ added to its charm, she said.

"It had a personal feel," she said. "It never felt corporate."

Oriana Minshall of Albany, a mother of two young children, said her only complaint about the carousel is that it's not open enough hours. It's currently open only on weekends and a few holidays.

"Other than that, I like it the way it is," she said, noting that she was a regular visitor as a child. "It's perfect."

Ed Oswalt of Kensington has vivid memories of the merry-go-round from childhood.

"They had this mechanical musical thing that pounded on drums and cymbals," he said. "I was actually a little afraid of the merry-go-round .... But I hope they keep it the way it is. It's a window into another world." 1

Alameda: Sierra Club backs "open space" initiative

The Alameda Journal 02/28/2014 STAFF REPORTS

A local chapter of the Sierra Club has endorsed the "Initiative for Expansion of Open Space at Crab Cove," a ballot measure that Alameda residents hope to put before voters in November to help protect open space at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach.

Supporters of the measure want to prevent the construction of approximately I 00 residential units on about four acres of surplus federal property along McKay Avenue near the East Bay Regional Park District's Crab Cove Visitor Center.

The initiative calls for zoning the neighborhood as open space under Measure WW, which Alameda and Contra Costa county voters ap~roved in November 2008 to protect and expand open space at the park district. Roseville-based developer Tim Lewis Communities secured the property near Crab Cove for about $3 million in 20 II during a General Services Administration auction, and city officials later rezoned it so that it could be redeveloped. The sale has not been completed, however. "The people of Alameda voted for the East Bay Regional Park District to buy this property when they approved Measure WW in 2008," said Norman La Force, chair of the Sierra Club. San Francisco Bay Chapter East Bay Public Lands Committee. "This land is important for the operation of Crown Beach park. Unfortunately, the federal government is ignoring the 70 percent of voters who approved the Crown Beach open space protection by selling this parcel to a private lUXUry home developer." The Friends of Crown Beach, a citizen's group, plans to begin collecting the 6,000 valid voter signatures it will need too place the measure on the November ballot next week.

-- Staff reports Danville: Museum's ranching exhibit open until May 4

By Zoe Francis Correspondent 02/27/2014 CC TIMES

DANVILLE -- Horse fans got a chance to meet some of the four-legged critters on Saturday at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. Members of the East Bay Regional Park District Volunteer Safety Patrol turned out to meet and greet visitors along with their equine companions.

The event is pa~ of the museum's program of events to tie in to its current exhibit "Cowboys and Cattlemen: Ranching in the San Ramon Valley."

The exhibit is on display at the museum through May 4 with events offered weekly in the next two months.

'The purpose is to communicate about our ranching history and ranching today in the Valley," museum curator Beverly Lane said. "We have a long ranching history. For California, it started with the Spanish bringing cattle in. In our valley, people have raised cattle and sheep ever since they came after the Gold Rush." The Valley's ranches include such well-known names as Dougherty Valley, Blackhawk, Wiedemann, Elworthy and Magee.

"We are talking about what it's like to live on a ranch, raise cattle and take care of your cattle so they're healthy," Lane said. "We also have stories about some of the ranchers who lived here."

The exhibit and events are particularly helpful for fourth-graders studying California history. Every Saturday, kids can try their hand at lassoing a steer dummy or get their picture taken in a real saddle.

March programs include "Grazing and Habitat Preservation II by Nancy Schaefer, of the California Land Trust on Saturday; a history tour of Hap Magee Ranch Park, including the branding room, on March 8 and April 17; ranching history and stories by Lane and rancher Don Wood on March 15; a Blackhawk Ranch dinner and presentation by David Behring on March 20; another "Meet A Horse" event from I to 3 p.m. March 23; and today's cattle business by rancher Jim Holmes on March 29.

Visit museumsrv.org for more information. The museum, at Railroad and Prospect avenues in Danville, is open Tuesday through Sunday. 1

Dueling petitions on the Chabot Gun Club's fate

By Josh Richman February 26th, 2014

Political Blotter, Contra Costa Times

Activists are petitioning for and against an effort to shut down or significantly restrict the Chabot Gun Club, one of the East Bay's most accessible and most used public outdoor shooting ranges.

The club, located in Chabot Regional Park, is open four days a week, never before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Its lease with the East Bay Regional Parks District to operate for the marksmanship range in Chabot Regional Park expires this year, and critics' MoveOn petition to the EBRPD board reads:

Require a schedule for specific, stringent limits on noise as a condition of any operation of a gun range in Anthony Chabot Regional Park after the lease of the Chabot Gun Club expires this year. Your website says, "We acquire, manage, and preserve natural and cultural resources for all to enjoy now and into the future. Our parks are ideal for healthful recreation and environmental education. We invite you to enjoy hiking, biking, picnicking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, golfing, and nature study in our parks." Consistent with your statement, users of the parks and neighbors deserve to be able to enjoy the parks and their homes and yards without being assaulted by the sound of gunfire, which because of increased use of the gun range and the way the sounds reverberate in the canyons and hills, is incessant and intrusive sometimes for hours at a time.

But club supporters' petition reads:

We support the Chabot Gun Club marksmanship range as a safe place to shoot. This is a valuable community resource in that it promotes firearms training and safe use among local citizens.

The latter petition - which has more than twice as many signatures as of now - bears a warning that says, "MoveOn volunteers reviewed this petition and determined that it may not reflect MoveOn members' progressive values. MoveOn will not promote the petition beyond hosting it on our site. Click here if you think MoveOn should support this petition." 1

Petition sets stage for showdown over Chabot Gun Club

Chip Johnson, SF Chronicle

Updated 6:46 am, Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I called my nephew Steve and left a straightforward message: "I need a gun. Call me. "

He came through with flying colors - three pistols of escalating caliber and a rifle with a la-shot clip.

With those items stuffed into his range bag, we drove toward the only place within the East Bay Regional Park District that allows firearms: the Chabot Gun Club at Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley.

About I mile out from the range, we heard a lone rifle report, and soon, at the entrance of the range, gunfire was the only sound to be heard - accompanied by the overwhelming smell of gunpowder wafting through the air.

It was packed with some 200 people, including entire families out to spend a Sunday target shooting.

Jojo Antonio, a software engineer in Dublin, came with his wife and two boys.

"It's the nicest range in the Bay Area," said Antonio's teen son Jeremy as he lined up a shot with Mom's shiny, silver-plated .32 caliber pistol. "It's cute," he said, drawing down on his target. Boom! "It matches her purse."

Antonio's opinion of the park seems to reflect the consensus among shooting enthusiasts: Chabot is one of the nicest, safest range experiences in the Bay Area, and people from all over are drawn to it. And I must admit, I had a blast.

But, if a former employee of East Bay Regional Parks has his way, it will be booted out of its home at Chabot Regional Park.

Peter Volin, a retired 3S-year park employee, has launched a petition drive at MoveOn.org not to renew the gun club's 2S-year lease when it expires at the end of the year. He was a park ranger at Chabot for 15 years and built the Cascade 2

Trail, which has some of the most beautiful wildflowers anywhere in the Bay Area, he said.

For gun enthusiasts and opponents alike, the proposal may sound like another assault on gun owners' rights, but at its heart is a public policy matter over appropriate land use.

Not the place for range

"I'm not against gun ranges, I just think the Anthony Chabot Regional Park is the wrong place for a gun range," Volin said in a phone interview.

He believes there's support for the proposal on the regional park system's seven member Board of Directors. The park system board is considering a staff recommendation made last week to extend the club's lease until mid-20 15 to provide time to determine whether claims of environmental damage can be substantiated.

For Volin and like-minded supporters, die sound of gunfire is an affront to the primary mission of the public park system: to provide city denizens with a quick and easy retreat to a wilderness area where they can enjoy nature's beauty.

The activities at the club pose an environmental risk to the pristine surroundings and create a public nuisance for people living within earshot of the gun range, he said.

Gunfire can be heard by residents living more than a mile away, and the activity is incompatible with other park uses like boating, horseback riding or hiking the trails, Volin said. The sound is worse during the week, ·when local police departments train at the facility with higher-caliber weapons, he added.

Finally, Volin claims lead from expended bullets leaches into ground water and flows into Lake Chabot, which is used as an emergency water supply for Bay Area residents.

I have to admit, this issue's a tough one for me. I see both sides.

The club has about 1,000 dues-paying members and a 50-year history at the park. More than 40,000 people visit the range annually, said Dennis Staats, the group's president. 3

Trying to balance use

"I believe that if you look at the park's mission statement and master plan, they are trying to balance those (environmental) concerns with recreation - and the use of firearms at that venue is recreational."

The gun ~Iub has posted Volin's petition on its bulletin board at the range and on its website, right alongside a competing petition from club supporters. The proposal to close the range has also become a target of criticism on the Calguns.net website, an online forum for California gun enthusiasts.

The stage is set for a showdown.

"It's clearly going to be a big fight, and there are sincere and intelligent people on both sides of this issue and some people will end up unhappy," Volin said. "It's a tough one to compromise on."

Chip Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns run Tuesday and Friday. E-mail: [email protected]. 1

Questing around the greater East Bay

Jon Carroll, SF Chronicle

Friday, February 21, 2014

So there's a show at the Oakland Museum about the bay, our bay, the San Francisco Bay. It's impressive and informative, filled with juicy facts of interest to people who care about the bay.

There's also a section on the bridges, including a little nook about the rise of suburbia, which was partly made possible by those very bridges. The exhibit includes nostalgia items from the late '60s and early '70s, including an ancient Frisbee, an even more ancient skateboard and a copy of "The Sunset Barbecue Book," that indispensable suburban accessory.

The show also includes an amazing movie. It's a flyover covering the entire coastline of the bay. It's projected on a huge screen, and it tempts visitors to linger longer than they had intended to - it has a mesmerizing quality.

We came in just as the camera had passed over the eastern anchorage of the Bay Bridge and was proceeding north along the Emeryville-Berkeley coastline. I saw familiar landmarks, made fresh by the different viewpoint. We sat and watched and pointed things out to each other.

When we got north and east of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the landmarks ceased to be familiar. We noted what appeared to be a lot of wetlands. We saw parks we had not heard of and marinas that we did not know existed.

Tracy said, "Let's explore."

We looked on the map and discovered that the large park we had seen was the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. The next day, we went to visit it. It projects into the bay, with miles of trails and many fishing spots. Along the main trail there are picnic tables and a playground; the side trails provide bird-watching and strolling with hardly a soul in sight.

The bay was calm; the breeze was balmy. Might as well enjoy the good weather even as we suffer through it. People walked dogs; people walked children. There were bikes and trikes. Off on the side roads, there were rows of large eucalyptus, planted there to muffle the noise. 2

Before it was a regional shoreline, Point Pinole was home to the Giant Dynamite Co., and they needed the sound barriers because the test firing of the company's product was, as you might imagine, mighty loud.

There are old bunkers out on the point, all of them in states of considerable disrepair. It was a reminder that things can be reversed, and land can be recovered again and made, if not natural, at least more like it was before we decided to blow it up or fill it in.

Ah, but the wanderlust was not done. We looked out on the vista and wondered what else lay beyond. More parks? More factories? Lots of Richmond's coastline has been appropriated by Chevron. Was it more of the same farther toward the delta? Or, as the f1yover had suggested, were there more wetlands, more parks, more trails?

We went back to Pinole the next day. We would get on surface streets, go as far toward the bay as we could, note what impeded us. In one place, it was giant UPS hub. In another, it was a housing development. We looked for dead ends and trailheads, but we did not find any.

We did find tiny community parks with views of the bay. One park was clearly on the way to returning to nature; it looked as though no work had been done on it for a very long time. Someone kept the lawn mowed; other infrastructure went begging.

Finally, we struck what seemed like pay dirt. We found an abandoned school. The school itself was fenced in, but there was a lot beside it that was open. We walked across the lot and came to a stream. We walked on stones across the creek and came to a large parking area, unoccupied except for a father and son playing on motor scooters.

We walked down toward the bay. We were probably on private property, although there were no signs. The bay beckoned. We came to railroad tracks: the main Amtrak line. We could see the track for miles in both directions. It was OK to cross.

We went down the far embankment and walked out to the water. There was pickle grass everywhere. Signs of human activity were also everywhere - juice boxes, beer cans, other goodies that a person might bring down for a jolly picnic. 3

I could imagine young lovers, desperate for a place to be alone, down there by moonlight. I could see high-spirited youth tearing the place up.

But the place was indifferent, it seemed. There was abundant bird life. The tidal marshes ebbed and flowed. We dipped our shod feet into the bay water, our quest done for the day.

A lot of the bay is not public access, but ways can be found.

"I-I'm a little girl," said Alice, rather doubtfully, as she remembered the number of changes she had gone through [email protected].