DIABLO WATCH Save Mount Diablo
Protecting the Mountain since 1971
Morgan Territory Regional Preserve Greatly Expanded Consistently outrunning threats, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved much of Morgan Territory's incredible landscape and responded to great public concern. The District began acquiring land in the mid-1970's. In the last three years the Park District's Board of Directors has more than doubled the size of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve to 4,056 acres. "It's imperative that these lands be acquired now while prices are still affordable and before development pressure makes them unobtainable," said Kay Petersen, Director, Ward 6which includes the preserve. In 1969 Hulet Hornbeck, Chief -
Land Management, first evaluated Morgan Territory for the District. He wrote General Manager Trudeau, "This several thousand acre valley ... comprises the headwaters and watershed of Marsh Creek." Southeast of Marsh Creek road and east of Diablo's summit, it includes a ridge higher than Mt. Tamalpais. Hornbeck continued, "You climb perhaps 800 or 900 feet through grazing land, woodland and chaparral. The trees are predominantly oak though we saw maple, some very fine specimens of madrone and quite a bit of bay. "We descended the southern part Continued on page 2
Beautiful Riggs Canyon. EBRPD 's Perry acquisition in 1988 is in the foreground, SMD's Morgan acquisition is in the center. A proposed sou thern en!rrmce to both parks, the Musco property, is on the left. Photo by Bob Walker
Riggs Canyon Entrance in Jeopardy Diablo lovers were dealt a blow in May when the 560 acre Musco property, a proposed entrance from Finley Road to the state park and Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, was purchased by its neighbors. One of them, Mark Mariani, began grading next door without permits in early August, and has announced plans to eventually divide his adjacent parcel for estates. "He's grading on the inside of a hill, that's sort of the plug for the canyon. You'll be looking straight, like a gun barrel, at this house. I respect his desire to live in privacy and splendor, but it's taking too much from the public for one person to have that at our expense," said SMD board member Bob Walker. Envisioned as a small entrance to the two parks and an equestrian and hiking trailhead, funding for the beautiful Riggs Canyon site was secured by Save Mount Diablo's participation in the 1988 CalPaW Bond. Riggs Canyon is the most pristine area east of Diablo's summit, and the only possible staging area for a seven mile stretch along the south side of the mountain. The proposed staging area would likely be much like Mitchell Cyn.'s on Diablo's north side or Green Valley on the west. It would afford easier access to Livermore and Danville residents, and to horse owners who have difficulty driving up Southgate rd. SMD's Morgan property, and Continued on page. 3
Crystyl Ranch Vote Nov. 7th, State Park General Plan Hearing Nov. 9th 1