Marking 90 years of preserving open space: ‘The park district provides residents in the East Bay access to nature close to home.’

The East Bay Regional Park District began during the height of the Great Depression with a ballot measure asking voters to institute a property tax for the purpose of creating a park system. Despite the hard economic times, voters overwhelmingly agreed to tax themselves so they could have more parks. Ninety years later, about 25 million people a year enjoy what has become the largest park district of its kind in the nation, a network essential to the active, outdoor East Bay lifestyle. 

On Wednesday, a group came together at Wildcat Canyon Preserve to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Park District’s founding. It included state Sen. Nancy Skinner, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and members of the Park District board. On a small wood patio overlooking the expansive botanical garden in Tilden Park, board President Elizabeth Echols praised the state officials for their efforts in securing state funding for the district, allowing for continued park improvements, environmental restoration, and wildfire protection.

“For the past 90 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved and protected open space and provided safe and welcoming parks for recreation and enjoying nature,” Echols said. “The park district provides residents in the East Bay access to nature close to home.”

Echols said Skinner’s support in Sacramento was instrumental in securing $10 million to address tree mortality for wildfire prevention, which the district sees as a public safety emergency. Skinner also helped secure $36 million for the district to acquire and clean up the 80-acre Point Molate property in Richmond. That project was aided by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “30X30” executive order to preserve 30% of California lands and 30% of its coastal waters by 2030, as a way to accelerate conservation, restore biodiversity and build environmental reliance as the climate changes. 

The East Bay Regional Park District includes 73 parks, 126,809 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. 

On June 4, 1936, the newly formed Park District purchased land from East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks — Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden) in Berkeley, Temescal in Oakland, and Roundtop (Sibley) in Oakland and Orinda. 

Skinner, an avid hiker, said she often uses the parks, with Point Pinole being one of her favorites. 

“And now as a grandmother, I take my granddaughter to Tilden quite a lot,” Skinner said. “I take her to the Little Farm, the steam train and, of course, the merry-go-round at Christmas.”

Sabrina Landredth, Park District general manager, said she is excited to see what’s to come in the next 90 years, and how the park will rise to the challenges of climate change. 

“As the largest property owner in the East Bay along the shoreline and along these hillsides, we are at the frontline in dealing with the change,” she said. “We’re going to continue all the positive momentum we already have right now to be the leader in just about every public policy issue that local government faces today.”

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