w a t c h
D IA B L O Save Mount Diablo
Protecting the Mountain Since 1971
Fall 2008 No. 46
November 4th, 2008 YES on Measure WW – Water, Parks & Wildlife
Marsh Creek-II & III 17 Acres and 35 Acres Protected
Extending the East Bay Regional Park District’s Measure AA Save Mount Diablo has just protected two parcels on the eastern ridge of East Bay Regional Park District’s 1,030 acre Clayton Ranch land bank, at the mouth of Dark Canyon. 17 acre Marsh Creek-II was purchased at the end of May, and 35 acres of the 38-acre Marsh Creek-III property was protected with an easement in July with the help of Contra Costa County Supervisor Susan Bonilla.
http://www.yesforparks.org/ Voting Yes on Measure WW is the single most important thing you can do this November to benefit Mt. Diablo and our local environment. Save Mount Diablo is helping to lead the campaign for the proposed extension of East Bay Regional Park District’s 1988 Measure AA, which expires soon.
Last Fall we announced a project called Marsh Creek-I, a nine-acre property crossed by Marsh Creek. Parcels along Marsh Creek are a priority because the creek is a unifying geographic feature east of Mt. Diablo, the longest, least developed creek in the county, passing through a region we’ve almost completely surrounded with preserved land. We’re piecing together parks, ridges and creeks in this “doughnut hole.”
Over the past twenty years AA helped to acquire over 34,000 acres and a hundred miles of trail, and funded hundreds of capital park and recreation projects, including funding for every city in the East Bay. The extension requires a two-thirds vote, will not increase taxes (they would continue at the same level as under Measure AA) and would raise $500 million for new park acquisitions and projects.
Marsh Creek is also an important wildlife corridor, beginning in Morgan Territory Regional Why is Measure WW Preserve and Mt. Diablo important? It would proState Park and flowing SMD’s new Marsh Creek-II property and the view of Mt. Diablo (Scott Hein) tect another 30-35,000 to Round Valley Regional acres. It’s no secret that Alameda and Contra Costa Counties have Preserve and Los Meganos (Cowell Ranch) State Park on its way to experienced intense development pressure since World War II – in the Delta. Our hope in naming Marsh Creek-I was that we would fact, except for tiny San Francisco County, the two East Bay counprotect and/or acquire additional parcels along the creek. Sometime ties are in last place in the Bay Area in percentages of protected open in the future we’re looking forward to seeing steelhead runs re-estabspace vs. developed areas, and also per capita (acres of open space lished up the creek. vs. numbers of residents). Marin County has a much larger percentage of open space (53% vs. East Bay counties’ 22% and 24%, and 7Dark Canyon 10 times as much per person). Even Santa Clara has twice as many From the Town of Clayton, Marsh Creek Road skirts Mt. Diablo’s protected acres as Alameda or Contra Costa. northern flank, rising over the “Divide” from the Mt. Diablo creek watershed on the west and to its namesake creek on the east. The two creeks were probably once connected but as Mt. Diablo was forced higher by earthquakes and tectonic forces, they were divided and Marsh Creek doubled back on itself to drain east.
Measure WW is the key to balancing projected growth and in protecting our last, best open spaces. More than $65 million is specifically allocated for parks around Mt. Diablo. In addition city park and recreation project funding (based on population) would include
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