2025–2026
Protecting and Defending Mount Diablo and the Diablo Range
Dear Save Mount Diablo Supporters,
We live in challenging times, so we are especially grateful for our successful April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 fiscal year described in this impact report—and for our team, which includes you, who made it possible. Together, we delivered a successful fiscal year financially, programmatically, and organizationally, thereby substantially advancing our land conservation mission for Mount Diablo and its Diablo Range.
Being part of a special team doing good work to protect nature, the ultimate foundation for our wellbeing and survival, and living mindfully with our natural world
are good resiliency strategies for challenging times.
The April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 fiscal year’s success was extra meaningful because we succeeded despite facing major challenges and changes. For example, Save Mount Diablo’s long-serving Land Conservation Director, Seth Adams, transitioned out of the organization. We are grateful for his significant contributions to our conservation efforts over many years. During this past fiscal year, we also faced unique challenges like the current federal administration’s proposal to sell off public lands, including over 200,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands in the Diablo Range, and the administration’s proposal to pursue executing oil
and gas leases within the Diablo Range, including in public parks like Mount Diablo State Park, Pinnacles National Park, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, and Henry W. Coe State Park. We faced those challenges and more, while our talented team continued to successfully move forward, advancing our land conservation mission. A strong and experienced team with clear strategic direction can achieve success even when faced with challenging times. Thankfully, Save Mount Diablo has such a team, and we proved it this past fiscal year. Many people on our staff and Board of Directors have individually served Save Mount Diablo for more than a decade, developing deep
Thank you for being part of, and investing in, our exceptional team so that we can continue to rise above and protect our natural world.
commitment and experience. Our Board and staff have also created a rolling three-year Strategic Plan—which is annually updated, implemented, and monitored—to help guide us.
Not only are you a part of our special team, but also, your support helps our dynamic and experienced team successfully advance the protection of Diablo natural areas—and nature is the ultimate foundation to support and sustain us physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. The mindfulness practice
I do in nature multiple times every week has nourished and sustained me for years.
Thank you for being part of, and investing in, our exceptional team so that we can continue to rise above and protect our natural world that we are part of, and depend upon, for our well-being and survival.
With Gratitude,
Edward Sortwell Clement, Jr. Executive Director
On February 26, the California Wildlife Conservation Board approved $2.15 million in grant funds to further protect 315 acres of Curry Canyon Ranch. The project is a first step in adding parts of the ranch to Mount Diablo State Park.
Collaboration with partners is advancing ambitious conservation goals at Save Mount Diablo. The organization has built robust communities who consistently deliver extraordinary victories for the wild lands of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Range.
Land Acquisition
Curry Canyon Ranch. A 160-acre portion of Curry Canyon Ranch is on the verge of being transferred in ownership to the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy in addition to a perpetual conservation easement being placed on the adjacent 155 acres. In exchange, Save Mount Diablo received a $2.15 million state and federal grant award, approved in February, to further our Diablo Range work.
The 101-Acre CEMEX Addition. Thanks to a new law, this long-awaited transfer will likely be the first addition to Mount Diablo State Park in almost 20 years. Together with our partners, we helped pass Senate Bill 630, which now allows California State Parks to add lands valued up to $1 million to existing state parks without multi-agency approval. With your support, we broke the logjam!
Balcerzak Inholding. We paid off the mortgage early for one of Mount Diablo State Park’s last remaining inholdings so that Save Mount Diablo now owns it free and clear, ensuring its long-term protection.
Nunn-Paulsen Inholding. Thanks to a generous donation from Bob Nunn in honor of his father, Ron Nunn, one of Mount Diablo State Park’s last missing pieces is now protected. This steep 5-acre biodiversity gem is home to a plethora of native plants, wildlife, and seasonal waterfalls.
Save Mount Diablo has received a
$2.15 million
state and federal grant award
DEFEND
We rallied people to speak out against proposed oil and gas drilling in Mount Diablo State Park, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Pinnacles National Park, and up and down the Diablo Range.
Our ongoing advocacy for wise land-use decisions helps buffer communities from climate-related disasters by defending open spaces. This work also protects irreplaceable wildlife habitat and essential wildlife habitat corridors from development. Smart land use benefits both people and nature.
Land use advocacy gives us the ability to keep precious landscapes safe for the long term; meanwhile, we work to permanently protect more land in parks.
Land Advocacy
Pacheco Reservoir Expansion. Together with the Stop Pacheco Dam Coalition, we stopped a disaster in the making. The proposed dam and reservoir expansion would have flooded more than 150 protected acres, blocked a designated critical wildlife linkage, and destroyed precious habitat.
The Last Open Space between Dublin and Livermore. We fought hard and won our lawsuit against the City of Dublin’s Measure II, which threatened to turn the last open space between Dublin and Livermore into commercial warehouses—without any environmental review.
Public Lands: We effectively rallied the conservation community against a dangerous proposal to sell off our public lands, including more than 200,000 acres in the Diablo Range. With our allies and thousands of concerned citizens, we helped defeat the proposal, but a similar threat quickly re-emerged.
Because of federal subsurface mineral rights, public gems like Mount Diablo State Park and Pinnacles National Park were soon on the chopping block. We sounded the alarm, collaborating with news networks, and more than 60,000 letters were sent through our Action Network page opposing the exploitation of California’s public lands for oil and gas drilling.
60K+ letters sent opposing the exploitation of California’s public lands for oil and gas drilling
Carondelet High School students working on restoring some of our Marsh Creek pollinator gardens.
The health of our wild ecosystems sustains long-term biodiversity, so we use science-guided stewardship practices to monitor, restore, and protect these natural spaces. The support of passionate volunteers makes a huge impact in ensuring local flora and fauna thrive.
10,000
Trees and Plants
in 10 Years
Project. Hundreds of students and volunteers have helped us plant and protect native trees and plants this year, including milkweeds, oak acorns and saplings, and a variety of native plants in our pollinator gardens. This year we also reached a milestone: we’ve now planted and protected more than 5,000 native trees and plants!
Bird Boxes. Thanks to the help of dedicated volunteers, grant support, and a working partnership with The Kestrel Campaign, this year we added six American kestrel nest boxes and nine nest boxes for other bird species to help restore bird populations.
Knobcone Point. Climate change has been taking a toll on Knobcone Point manzanitas and other natives. This fiscal year, our stewardship team coordinated two eight-day workweek “spikes” with the California Conservation Corps. This team effort provided more than 1,000 hours of donated labor to reduce fire fuel load in the area.
735 (this year)
5,146 (over five years)
Native trees and plants planted and protected
8,180 pounds Trash collected
159 Stewardship volunteers
45 cubic yards Metal collected for recycling
2,17 1 Stewardship volunteer hours
EDUCATE
A lifelong connection with nature begins in childhood. That’s why we bring students outdoors for new adventures through educational programs at our Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve and Curry Canyon Ranch field station.
Learning Outside. More than 500 kids explored nature with us through our Young Diablo Explorers, Diablo Conservation Experience, and CARES programs. These kids light up when learning outside.
New Fall Camp. We’ve expanded our field trips! We’re now bringing kids outside in both summer and fall. This program lets students participate in hands-on restoration projects, try fun activities like birdwatching or plein air painting, and explore our protected land to gain a better appreciation for nature.
New Scientific Insights. At our 2025 Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquium, scientists shared the incredible things they learned with our grant funding. These insights compound into meaningful change for landscapes and wildlife. If you want to learn about tule elk migration or shocking discoveries about ground squirrels, find us on YouTube!
551 students
participated in our field trips
21 schools received educational programs from us
414 volunteers gave 6,204 hours of time to support our conservation work
$30.8K was awarded for ecological research in the Diablo Range via our Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research program
This fiscal year:
Connecting people to nature is an essential part of land conservation.
Responsible recreation, educational experiences, and volunteering are impactful ways we can make these connections and build a durable conservation community that will last generations.
40 outings 7+ miles of new trails $544K+ raised
Discover Diablo. This fiscal year, we offered 40 Discover Diablo outings catering to a variety of interests, like plein air painting, birding, rock climbing, photography hiking, and more. More than 400 people attended this year, and for many, this was their first introduction to Save Mount Diablo.
Improving Trail Access. From windswept hilltops to cool forested creeks, exploring the land is what helps people fall in love with it. That’s why over the past several years, we’ve opened over seven miles of new trails to the public, and we’re working on adding two miles of new trails at Magee Preserve in Danville.
Moonlight on the Mountain. This stunning event held at Mount Diablo’s China Wall drew over 500 people for a night of fine dining, auctions, and music. The $544,203 raised supports our conservation mission in the wild lands of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Range.
DIABLO RANGE
Our staff are now evaluating numerous land acquisition projects and monitoring potential threats to wild lands up and down the Diablo Range.
Mount Diablo is just the beginning of the impressive more-than-200-mile-long Diablo Range. Packed with biodiversity, including many threatened and endangered species, only about 27 percent of these largely untouched wild lands are actually protected. That’s why we are forming a strong Diablo Range community that reflects the interconnectedness of the precious ecosystems we aim to protect.
Diablo Range Resolution: With the help of Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, we sponsored a Diablo Range Resolution that recognizes the entire Diablo Range as an official California conservation priority critical to meeting the state’s 30x30 goals. Our resolution passed the California State Assembly unanimously and heads later this year to the California Senate, where we expect broad support.
Diablo Range Convening. In 2025, the first-ever Diablo Range Convening brought together 150 representatives of more than 60 organizations including tribes, nonprofits, government agencies, and landowners. This annual convening will continue to foster a diverse community with the shared goal of protecting the Diablo Range.
Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizards. In 2024, we funded a custom weather station for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to help restore endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizards to their natural habitat on the Panoche plateau. This year, the weather station is providing scientists with exciting new insights into the lives of their recently released lizards. Data like this is foundational to restoring species across the Diablo Range.
Protecting the Range. Save Mount Diablo has expanded its work to consider land acquisition opportunities, including conservation easements, throughout all 12 counties of the Diablo Range.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robert Phelps, President
Maga Kisriev, Treasurer
Giselle Jurkanin, VP & Secretary
Keith Alley
Steve Balling
Katie Connolly Jim Felton
John Gallagher Claudia Hein Scott Hein
Jerome Holland
Langlois Dawn Lezak
Doug Matthew Amara Morrison
Phil O’Loane
Robert Phelps
Malcolm Sproul
Achilleus Tiu
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Stewart Beatty
Joseph Belli
Tom Dowd
Robert E. Doyle
Peter Frazier
Stephen Joseph
John Kiefer
Beverly Lane
Jeff Stone
Jeanne Thomas
STAFF
Ted Clement, Executive Director
Sean Burke, Land Programs Director
Monica Oei, Finance & Administration Director
Shauna Whidden, Development Director
Steven dePaschalis, Land Use Advocate
Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, Senior Land Use Manager
Tabitha Gonzalez, Assistant Development Director
Shannon Grover, Sr. Development Associate & Event Manager
Dana Halpin, Senior Administrative Assistant
Frenchy Hendryx, Caretaker
Brit Hutchinson, Event & Communications Coordinator
Roxana Lucero Keshmiry, Land Stewardship Manager
Morvarid Keymanesh, Staff Accountant
Laura Kindsvater, Senior Communications Manager
Queenie Li, Database Coordinator
Katie Lopez, Accounting Executive Assistant
Christina McLain, Land Stewardship Associate
Linda Muders, Accounting & Administrative Associate
Mary Nagle, Communications Associate
Kendra Smith, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Jenny Staelin, Institutional Giving Manager
Haley Sutton, Land Stewardship Associate
Cecilia Zefeldt, Executive Assistant
These
wins are yours, because our work is only possible thanks to the incredible partners, donors, and volunteers who turn dreams into accomplishments.
Save Mount Diablo’s work is, above all, made real by communities of people driven to protect our natural world.
Our communities have done awe-inspiring things for local habitats; you can see the difference we have made on the ground. Together, we create resilience in nature, protect Diablo Range wildlife, and uplift our neighbors.
Save Mount Diablo is deeply grateful to everyone who has shared our mission. As a team, we make real change.
Thank you!
This fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026), Save Mount Diablo successfully raised more operating revenue than operating funds expended, thereby achieving a surplus with its general operating budget.
We have received a $2.15 million grant award from the California Wildlife Conservation Board through the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, a generous property donation from the Nunn family for an inholding property surrounded by Mount Diablo State Park, and donated hours from the California Conservation Corps work on fuel reduction.
Save Mount Diablo’s total revenue for this fiscal year was just over $6.8 million. Fifty-six percent of our funding came from donors like you!
Operating and nonoperating expenditures for this fiscal year totaled approximately $4.45 million (including the 10th option payment of $100,000 for North Peak Ranch and final mortgage payment for the Balcerzak inholding property). Program expenses other than land acquisition include stewardship projects on 24 properties and conservation easements we own, education and outreach programs, and advocacy to counter land conservation threats.
Numbers are based on unaudited financials for April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Please go to savemountdiablo.org/about/financials/ to see our most recent 990 tax returns.
201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 190
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
T: 925-947-3535
www.savemountdiablo.org
THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS:
Editor: Laura Kindsvater
Contributing Writers: Ted Clement, Monica Oei, Emily Sherwood
Photographers: Sean Burke, Jim Gain, Scott Hein, Stephen Joseph, Jaymee Marty, Kendall Oei, Emily Sherwood, Haley Sutton
Designer: Tina Taylor
Above: The Diablo Range is home to many rare and imperiled species, like this endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard. Save Mount Diablo awarded funds to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to purchase a weather station that is helping to guide a recovery strategy for the lizard in the southern Diablo Range.
