DIABLO WATCH Save Mount Diablo
Protecting the Mountain Since 1971
Three Springs to be Transferred to the State (Your donations held the property safely)
Fall/Winter 1992, #10
Land Fund Needs Your Help! New Properties Offered to Save Mt. Diablo
In the last issue of Diablo Watch, we described Save Mount Diablo's newest acquisition, the spectacular "Three Springs" property on the slopes of North Peak By using the last three years' donations, all of our Land Fund and by taking out a loan, we were able to purchase the property on May 12th for approximately half a million
dollars. SMD purchased 78 of 83 acres, leaving a 5-acre parcel with a house in private hands, allowing us to avoid the expense of the house and, with the reservation of development rights, ensuring that no further development would take place. As Mount Diablo State Park borders "Three Springs" on three sides, r:---=--:-<-=-...,,..,,-=-----,,=---------------, we purchased the property for inclusion into the State Park Even before the purchase was completed, we began negotiations with the State to transfer "Three Springs" into public ownership. As at first the State was going to purchase the land from SMD over a period of several years, SMD began a fund raising campaign, urging our members to contribute toward a goal of $147,000 in order to pay off the a: UJ loan and to partially (9 z replenish our <{ C/) depleted Land Fund. a On May 28th, SMD ~a dedicated a $5000 >:0 () award from the first ,_ ::) Helen Crocker I 0.. ' - - -- ------'-__:.!!>..ti.,""" - continued on page 2 "Three Springs" offers views to Black Diamond Mines, Suisun Bay and the Sierra Nevada .
Oak Leaves
One positive aspect of the current recession is that real estate prices are down, and Save Mount Diablo is being offered more private land than usual, two parcels in the past two months alone. Won't you please donate to the Land Fund now, so that we can attempt to preserve land on Mount Diablo? Given the competition from development interests, and without funding on hand, it's difficult to protect key parcels. SMD had to dedicate almost half a million dollars to the "Three Springs" parcel in May, for example, draining our Land Fund. In 1989 an approved subdivision plan would have meant losing the 631-acre Morgan Ranch, but for your donations to acquire a $30,000 option holding the property until funding could be developed. The Morgan Ranch connected Mount Diablo State Park with Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. In that case, your private donations were eventually matched almost 50 to 1 by State funding.