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FOREVER WILD: The Campaign for Diablo's Wild Lands
SAVE MOUNT DIABLO!
It is the rallying cry that inspired our founding in 1971 and it’s still the reason we exist today. Contrary to what many think, Mount Diablo is not saved, its lands not fully protected, and there is still much more we need to do to save these wild lands in our own backyard.
W hile nearly two-thirds of the mountain is protected as parks, watershed lands, and preserves, about 70,000 acres are still at risk for development. Once the land is lost, it is gone forever. So we launched Forever Wild, our $15 million capital campaign which will provide Save Mount Diablo the financial resources to respond to strategic land acquisition opportunities as they arise while also ensuring our organization has adequate funds to steward and defend our conserved lands in perpetuity.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Imagine a Mount Diablo that was once 180,000 acres of wild lands: more than 280 square miles of canyons, cliffs, woodlands, meadows, streams, microclimates and unique habitats sheltering 900 species of plants and animals, 14 only found on the mountain, dozens rare or endangered.
Over time, these wild lands have been carved into pieces, creating a checkerboard of developed and natural lands, some publicly and some privately owned. These fragmented lands hinder wildlife survival, increase pollutants in our creeks and streams, and severely limit public enjoyment.
With community help, Save Mount Diablo can stem the rapidly accelerating pace of development and sprawl that threaten the last remaining open lands at risk—land that could be developed over the next ten years. We can preserve the remaining acres of unprotected land through strategic land acquisitions and stewardship that will counter the threat of habitat loss, restore connections between existing natural areas, and provide the possibility of new trails and recreation areas.
Protecting the remaining Diablo wild lands is an extraordinary undertaking that will serve as a testament to our long term vision. It’s our mission to continue the legacy of conservation started by generations of residents of the Mount Diablo area who had a fierce love of the mountain. Now, together, we can further protect and restore one of the most important natural areas in California.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT
The economic recession reduced public funds for land acquisition and maintenance but it also slowed the pace of development—temporarily. Now, development is surging back while our park agencies begin the slow process of recovering from depleted budgets. Our business model of assisting agencies to acquire land and transferring lands we own to them can no longer be our only tool for land preservation. In order to keep pace with increasing threats, we must raise our own funding for acquisition and long-term management, both of which require substantial capital resources.
Meanwhile, the threats to these lands continue to add up at alarming speed. With 2 million more people predicted to move into the Bay Area by 2045 and the sizzling real estate market, the value of undeveloped and unconserved land on and around Mount Diablo will soon climb to a rarified premium.
According to At Risk: The Bay Area Greenbelt, the 2017 study released from the Greenbelt Alliance,
Our window for saving this land is still open, but it is closing fast.
THE WILD LANDS NEXT DOOR
Individuals, families, businesses and government agencies of the East Bay have developed a model partnership to protect Mount Diablo, beginning in 1921 when Mount Diablo State Park was founded. Totaling 6,788 acres, it was the only protected land on the mountain when Save Mount Diablo was founded in 1971. Today, as a result of Save Mount Diablo and our dedicated partners and supporters, there are more than 40 parks and preserves around the mountain and its foothills totaling over 110,000 conserved acres.
Protecting Diablo’s remaining open space will create benefits for all. Wildlife will have the opportunity to thrive as large, protected swaths of land are pieced together creating natural wildlife corridors. Recreational trails, parks, and preserves will offer the entire Bay Area exceptional outdoor experiences. Moreover, an intact, protected network of wild lands includes watershed lands that ensure local water reserves are safeguarded, providing healthy and safe drinking water.
$9.7 MILLION RAISED
Save Mount Diablo launched Forever Wild in 2012 with a campaign target of $15 million. With that momentum, we were able to acquire the extraordinary 1,080-acre Curry Canyon Ranch in 2013, and by the end of 2015, our generous donors had contributed $6.6 million to the Forever Wild campaign.
Curry Canyon Ranch, with its spectacular views and critical wildlife corridors, had topped Save Mount Diablo’s acquisition priority list since its founding in 1971. Now, thanks to Forever Wild, supporters and grants from the Coastal Conservancy and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, one of the most important and spectacular properties remaining in Contra Costa County has been protected forever.
Campaign donors made it possible to purchase additional properties as well, including Big Bend, Hanson Hills, and North Peak Ranch in the Marsh Creek area—key links in the ring of protected land on the mountain. In addition, we expanded our critical stewardship program with muchneeded staff and equipment. This investment by our early and generous donors allowed Save Mount Diablo to preserve key, strategic properties, and to strengthen and grow the capacity of our stewardship program, thereby positioning the organization for further growth.
Now, our goal is to raise the remaining $5 million of the $15 million required to meet our objectives by 2019. With community support, we will permanently conserve, defend and steward key vulnerable portions of the Diablo wild lands, transfer these properties to the public trust where appropriate, and stand ready to protect the threatened land that remains.
To protect prioritized properties, Save Mount Diablo needs readily available funds to compete successfully against developers and others vying for the Mount Diablo region’s last remaining unprotected open space. Many conservation opportunities move rapidly, and without sufficient funds to secure a property via purchase or option agreement, the land can be lost to development pressures, resulting in habitat loss, and a diminished quality of life for all who call this area home.
LAND AQUISITION IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP
Forever Wild's $2+ Million Land Acquisition Opportunity Fund will position Save Mount Diablo as a highly competitive bidder in strategic land acquisition opportunities. It will serve as the organization’s acquisition reserve for time-sensitive option payments, real estate due diligence, and smaller purchases. In some cases, it will allow us to quickly secure a property until we can raise all the funds needed for the full purchase.
The Stewardship Endowment Fund will support Save Mount Diablo’s ongoing care of the land it preserves. It will pay for woodland and stream restoration, property cleanup, volunteer engagement, fire abatement and the many other activities that keep the land healthy and safe. The bulk of stewardship funds raised by Forever Wild will be used to create the $3 million Stewardship Endowment Fund to ensure we have a sustainable source of funding to properly manage our conserved lands for perpetuity, especially Curry Canyon Ranch. Contributions to this fund will enable our donors to leave a lasting green legacy for the Mount Diablo area, and certain irrevocable planned gifts can be accepted as part of Forever Wild.
Legal Defense Funds will ensure that Save Mount Diablo has the financial resources, when necessary, to legally defend its conservation easements and fee simple owned lands.
This campaign, to be completed by 2019, will give Save Mount Diablo the wherewithal to respond to strategic land acquisition opportunities as they arise while also ensuring the organization has adequate resources to steward and defend its conserved lands in perpetuity.
To honor leadership gifts, Save Mount Diablo is offering significant naming opportunities that will allow donors to link their support directly to the critical funds that will transform the organization, as well as on-site donor recognition.
If you have any questions or need more information about Forever Wild, please contact Ted Clement, Executive Director, at tclement@SaveMountDiablo.org or (925) 947-3535.
