Diablo watch issue 24 fall 1998 edition

Blackhawk & The MountainA Twentieth Century History

By Bev erly Lan e

Today th e name Blackhawk conjures up a vision of l uxury homes situated a few miles east of Danville at the foot of Mount Diablo. But Blackhawk is a development of fairly recent vintage. Its proposal in the 1970s was so controversial that the debates that raged around it were called "The Blackhawk Wars."

Blackhawk Ranch was established in 1917 when Ansel Mills Easton and his son-in-law William Q. Ward purchased 1200 acres east of the San Ramon and Sycamore Valleys. Architect Louis Muffgardt designed a large house for the two families and the ranch was named for a famous Irish race horse, called Black Hawk, which Easton's family had owned decades earlier.

In 1934 the ranch was sold to Raymond Force, owner of the Caterpillar Tractor Company. Mr. and Mrs Force initially used the Ranch as a summer home, where they planted one hundred acres of walnuts and raised Arabian horses and Hereford cattle . The size of the ranch was increased by purchasing the adjacent Wilson, Frietas, Sousa, Frick and Goold properties. The Forces moved from Piedmont to the Ranch in 1941 and Mrs . Force, an ardent gardener, planted and maintained a beautiful garden and grounds Force also used the land to test new versions of farm equipment and tractors, transporting the experimental vehicles under wraps so they could be tried out in secret.

Force donated 97 acres near Curry

Point for use by the Boy Scouts. Castle and Cook Ltd. acquired the Ranch after Force died and owned it from 1956 to 1964. In 1988 the "Boy Scout Camp" , as

Blackhawk developer Bob Carrau gave this caricature to County Planning Director Anthony Dehaesus. The Blackhawk development controversies did have their lighter moments.

it was known, was acquired by the State for addition to Mt. Diablo State Park.

One Saturday in the sixties, Howard Peterson (owner of P e te rson Tractor) learned the Blackhawk Ranch was available In the habit of going north from his ranch to get his hair cut in Danville, he recalled that one day Bill Flett, of Geldermann Realtors, saw him in the barber shop. Flett said to him "Howard, how' d you like to buy l

the Blackhawk Ranch? It's up for sale " Peterson, who had long admired Force and the Blackhawk Ranch, said he could hardly wait to get out of the barber chair He bought all 6500 acres of the Ranch in 1964, which included the Easton-Ward house, 140 acres of walnuts, 500 acres of hay, 1000 head of be ef cattle and seven acres of gardens. Peterson said he and his wife loved the ranch. They remodeled the house, grew walnuts, grazed cattle and raised quarter-horses . Like other large ranchers, they had a walnut processing plant at the ranch. One year Peterson sold 103 tons of walnuts to Diamond

When EBMUD was expanding and came to Diablo Country Club, the policy was "to bring water to peopl e's yards n e ar the main pipeline." Peterson convinced EBMUD that he simply " had a big yard" and the entire ranch went into the water district's service boundary.

At the time of his purchase in 1964, Castle and Cook was in the process of transferring 2100 acres to Mount Diablo State Park. Peterson accepted this transaction as a completed fact, since he understood it was "sell or be condemned ." These acres included part of BBQ Terrace near Wall Point, much of Curry Canyon and the Knobcone Point area, including Balancing Rock.

Howard Peterson said that he sold Blackhawk because the county reassess e d the Ranch as a potential subdivision, raising the taxes to $100,000 a

Continued on nex t page

Board of Directors

Malcolm Sproul

President

Arthur Bonwell Vice-President/Founder

Amara Koss

Secretary

Nigel Ogilvie

Treasurer

Robert Adams

Mary L. Bowerman

Founder

Paul Choisser

Donald de Fremery

Karen Hunt

Stephen Joseph

Robert Marx

Steven Mehlman

Robert Nunn

Allan Prager

Dave Sargent

Staff

Gerry Keenan

Executive Director

Seth Adams

Director of Land Programs

Lucea Keller Office Manager

Publisher

Save Mount Diablo

Masthead Panorama

Oak Flat, Mt. Diablo

Diablo Watch is published by Save Mount Diablo, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving land on Mt. Diablo and educating the public to the mountain's natural values.

Blackhawk

Continued from previous page year. He decided not to go into the land development business and chose to sell it to one buyer, keeping 300 acres which included the home and ranch headquarters.

Controversy Surrounded Blackhawk's Development in the Seventies

Discussions began with Florida developer Ken Behring in 1973 and concluded in 1975 . Behring's Blackhawk Development Company envisioned a housing development of 4800 dwelling units on 4200 acres. The 1-680 freeway had been completed in 1966 and the new Planned Unit Development zoning designation permitted developments with shared open space. The Baldwin Ranch (Danville Station) and the Meese Ranch (Greenbrook Homes) had

Save Mount Diablo led hikes on the Ranch to educate the public about what was being proposed. Charges rang out, citing "leapfrog zoning," environmental damage, urban sprawl, serious violations of the County General Plan and destruction of the Mt. Diablo foothills.

For the first time, said then County Planning Director Anthony Dehaesus, 'the matter of public costs versus private costs was raised.' "The issue of Blackhawk was not just the development of the land. The project brought up the questions of how was the land being served, what are the future impacts?"

In 1974 the Board of Supervisors, overriding county staff recommendations, approved the development of 4800 homes. The Amigos collected signatures for a referendum and a law suit was filed. The

Diablo Watch is printed on recycled paper with a soy base ink and can be recycled.

been transformed in a short time from orchards to homes. But the Blackhawk Ranch Development proposal was the largest ever proposed in Contra Costa County and was miles away from the freeway. Strong opposition came from environmentalists and Diablo residents who organized as "Amigos de Diab lo."

referendum did not make it to the ballot; it was dismissed by a judge as not on point. Blackhawk Development Corporation sued Amigos members for libel, an early SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suit. Ultimately the number of homes was reduced to 2400. More than 2000 acres of open space was

Continued on page 8

We Have a New Home! J

Our address is 1196 Boulevard Way, Suite 10, Walnut Creek, 94596. A #~ Our telephone number and fax have not changed. ,v.; 83 Telephone: (925) 946-3535. Fax: (925) 947-3603. .eel r

E-mail: mtsaver@aol.com.

Come by for a visit!

Photo by Stephen Joseph

The original Force residence below Sycamore Canyon; the cut on the hill above is now Southgate Road leading to the State Park entrance

Round Valley Regional Preserve Open To The Public

Ten years after saving the first 689 acres of Round Valley from development threats, the East Bay Regional Park District is scheduled to publicly dedicate and open its newest Preserve on August 29th. You can now visit Round Valley, taking all the time you need to look for evidence of the park's long human history, as evidenced by 1400 mortar grinding holes.

Round Valley is spectacular! Adjacent to Morgan Territory Regional Preserve on the west and the Contra Costa Water District's Los Vaqueros watershed to the south, the preserve is a pastoral landscape, surrounded by barrier ridges, and threaded by a sinuous, oak-lined creek. The valley survives as an undeveloped example of the flat oak-studded plains that were once common in Contra Costa County.

Save Mount Diablo worked in support of the Preserve' s various land purchases and has long considered the valley to be essential to efforts to provide recreational open space in East County. SMD' s Diab lo Trail, which stretches from Walnut Creek to East County, will be accessible from the new preserve.

The valley was a proposed dump site in 1988 when the Park District acquired an initial 689 acres from rancher Jim Murphy. Bob Walker, a Save Mount Diablo Director for whom the ridgeline above the valley was named, was instrumental in negotiations, as was EBRPD Director Ted Radke. Additional acreage was

acquired in 1996 and 1997, but the Preserve had been closed to the public while planning and permitting proceeded, and until access was established . 'Preserve' status limits the amount of development in the valley. Home to federally endangered San Joaquin kit foxes and California red-legged frogs, the valley also includes golden eagles and groves of majestic valley oaks.

Easily accessible from Antioch, Brentwood and Clayton, much of the new preserve's terrain is so gentle that visitors can wander with ease, thinking, perhaps, of the generations of Native Americans who preceded us.

The Round Valley Regional Preserve staging area is easily visible on Marsh Creek Road, about 12 miles east of Clayton and 1.6 mil es east of D ee r Valley Road. Because of rare species, dogs are not allowed.

Ir

II

Thank You Julia 7

Save Mount Diab/a thanks Julia, our outgoing office manager. (Like Madonna and Cher, her fame transcends two names). She was largely responsible for setting up our first office.

Welcome Lucea

We welcome Lucea Keller, our new office manager. Lucea is an active hiker and Danville resident who had

Lreviously volunteered for SMDJ Trained as a biologist, she is a wonderful addition to our team.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

April 1st of this year (yes! April Foo ls Day) was my first anniversary working for Save Mount Diab/a. Some days it seems as though I have just arrived. At other times I'm amazed at the amount of work that has been done and am deeply grateful to those individuals who have made my work easier. I am also thankful for you, our very loyal and generous supporters without your help we could not continue our work.

When I began last year, Save Mount Diab/a had just moved into its first public office space. Setting up a first time office was fun for all involved - we were making a place for SMD to "hang-its-hat." Early this year Merle T. Hall, who graciously donated the space, leased the entire building to Lawrence Livermore Labs, so we moved again. While not as much fun, we now have a wonderful home that we can afford and that meets our current space needs - plus a three year lease!

Between April 1997 and April 1998, SMD worked very hard strengthening its internal structure. We started by doing an extensive planning study. Working with an accounting firm we put a system into place that ensures the integrity of every gift. We took a hard look at our mission and our bylaws, then modified both. The mission statement was rewritten to reflect what it was we really do and the bylaws were amended slightly so that we could increase the size of the board. Five new board members were welcomed in January. The board then began the process of developing a vision statementa document that defines our area of interest and future acquisition patterns. During this same period of time we dedicated the 252 acre Blackhills parcel to Mt. Diab lo State Park, began the Mitchell Canyon restoration project and worked toward the final 500 acre Blackhawk dedication to MDSP. To add to the excitement we were (and still are) involved in negotiating for three new parcels of land.

All in all , it was a very fine year.

Round Valley looking west to Morgan Territory

Keeping Posted

For more information or to aid SMD in its response to development projects, please call our office at 925-947-3535.

Pittsburg and Tassajara Valley Projects Shelved

Credit Mother Nature, horrible traffic and Supervisor Donna Gerber: in March the 1,500 acre Pittsburg Southeast Hills Annexation proposal was withdrawn, followed in May by the withdrawal of the 4,600 acre Tassajara Valley Property Owners Association project. Save Mount Diablo actively opposed both projects. There is concern that both sets of developers are waiting until bad publicity fades and will then try again.

Save Mount Diablo led the opposition to the Pittsburg Annexation, the area between Pittsburg and Clayton and adjace nt to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. The project, which developers failed to define in order to circumvent meaningful environmental analysis, included a laundry list of problems including a bad site and bad planning. East Bay Regional Park District, worried about liability and danger to the public from unmapped coal mines, sued over the inadequacy of the environmental impact report. After winter storms exposed dozens of major landslides throughout the project area, an unmapped coal mine collapsed near the boundary of the project and Supervisor Joe Canciamilla announced his opposition, the developers withdrew their proposal.

Greenbelt Alliance coordinated opposition to the huge Tassajara (TVPOA) project east of Blackhawk. Donna Gerber, who ran her supervisorial campaign based on stopping Tassajara, was a major force in its initial defeat. The project, designed to include 5300 new homes in an area yet to feel the impact of 11,000 unbuilt units in neighboring Dougherty Valley, was a nightmare in the making. It would also have generated 59,000 new car trips a day on Camino Tassjara. Development proponents

withdrew their application as opposition to urbanizing the area's stunningly beautiful hills grew.

But stopping TVPOA is only the first step. Gerber and Danville Councilwoman Millie Greenberg have proposed that simultaneously with the withdrawal by developers, and in order to avoid a flurry of smaller proposals on each of the project area ' s many parcels, that the Board of Supervisors adopt a temporary moratorium on development in the area.

During this ' pause' in development, an attempt is being made by Gerber and Greenberg to create an ' Agricultural Preserve' including the project area. Including 19,000 private acres from Mt. Diablo, Morgan Territory and Los Vaqueros south to the County line, the preserve proposal would prohibit annexation by Danville or San Ramon, with agreement from the County. The proposal would enforce the County General Plan by preserving existing agricultural zoning (while maintaining all current property rights). Thus the land would have a chance of continuing in agriculture, as has been the case for more than ten years in the Briones Agricultural Preserve, the County's other agricultural preserve example.

Speculators and many landowners are opposed, and after several public hearings the jury is still out. The next public hearing is in September. We need your help!

Please contact the county supervisors today, asking for their support of the

Tassajara Ag Preserve:

Board of Supervisors

Contra Costa County

651 Pine Street

Martinez, CA 94553

Phone: 925-335-1900

Fax:925-335-1913

Mail or fax (925-947-3603) a copy of your letter to Save Mount Diablo. Please include your phone number. Your call, letter or fax will make a difference!

Updated County Communication Tower Policy

At Save Mount Diab/o's request, the Board of Supervisors acted to update the County's 1977 Telecommunica-

tions Policy. Although our attempts to prohibit new towers on the mountain were not made part of the policy, significant changes were included to decrease visual impacts of tower projects, and the twenty year te rm of tower permits was decreased to ten years. In order to qualify for new permits after the ten years , tower operators must adopt updated technology and reduce existing visual impacts.

EBRPD Operations & Maintenance

Parcel Tax on the November Ballot

History repeats itself: The East Bay Regional Park District was created and approved by voters during the Great Depression, and the 1988 AA Parks and Open Space Bond was approved at the beginning of the most recent recession. Citizen support in both cases speaks to development pressure in the East Bay and confidence in the District's effectiveness. The District has now placed a maintenance and operations parcel tax on the Nouember ballot, in order to fund management of the new parks and facilities developed with AA funding. The proposed measure ' s cost to the public would be less than 80 cents per family per month ($8.10 to $9.50 per year for occupied parcels).

As detailed in a 10 year 'Report Card', implementation of the AA bonds over the past ten years has b een remarkable: in addition to 100 miles of new trails, 22, 000 acres of new parklands have been added, including seven new parks (Round Valley is one). A dozen other parks have doubled in size.

$86 million in AA acquisition funding was used to attract $60 million more from other sources, at no additional cost to local taxpayers Per capita grants totaling $56 million, to every city in the East Bay, have funded more than 235 park, recreation or community center projects. The Park District's AA Standard & Poor credit rating allowed refinancing of bonds at lower interest rates which resulted in a $14 million savings to taxpayers over the life of the bonds.

Maintenance and operating costs continue to rise while revenues remain flat. Damage to District facilities from natural disasters, such as the Oakland

Hills fire, the Loma Prieta earthquake and this year's El Nino storms has been immense. There are also considerable challenges to meeting East Bay growth projections with the Bay Area ' s population expected to grow to 7.8 million by 2020, and recreational use increasing twice as fast as population.

Even if a resident never uses a regional park facility, other than to enjoy preserved scenery, the District's ongoing excellence is reflected in local property values. More importantly, it's reflected in our quality of life, our emotional health and our region's economic growth. Save Mount Diablo supports passage of this very modest parcel tax to fund park and recreational operations.

Park News

Was it forty days and forty nights?

Lots of rain during our wet season has meant increased fuel and heightened fire danger this fall. Be careful! Park personnel are still repairing storm damage, but wildlife - from oak regeneration and large quail coveys to more mosquitoes and rattlesnakesis in fine shape. Many streams were still running in August.

Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (EBRPD- 925-635-0135)

• Get a peek at the mining complex and the cool, cavernous mines that underlay the park and east county. A small portion of the Mining Museum, which has been closed for seismic reinforcement, is now open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

• There were sightings of yellowbilled magpies this summer, a rarity in the park.

• The trail system has been repaired after massive storm damage last winter

Chaparral Spring

(Save Mount Diab lo - 925-947-3535)

• A torrent of baby toads! Chaparral Spring's increasing health is very visible after the last several years of heavy rains. Oak seedlings are everywhere

• The parcel's two ponds are continuing to go through ecological succession now that one is fenced and grazing pressure has been decreased . Shoreline vegetation is becoming established. The fenced interior pond has been an amphibian 'soup'. There are so many young western toads that watching every step is necessary.

• The Contra Costa Water District is moving the access road to a safer entrance point further west; construction should begin in late summer.

• If you would like to visit Chaparral Spring or become involved in volunteer activities on the property, please call SMD at 925-947-3535.

Diablo Foothills Regional Park/ Castle Rock Recreational Area (EBRPD - 925-635-0135)

• Leading horses to water the equestrian bridge that washed out on the Northgate Trail won't be replaced for some time An alternate route is being developed to cross Castle Rock road and is a collaborative effort between the District and area equestrians.

• A bobcat has been hanging around the Castle Rock Recreational Area.

• You can reach Castle Rock from the staging area at the end of Castle Rock Road, beyond Northgate High School. It's a beautiful, easy walk to Castle Rock and usually includes sightings of large numbers of raptors, vultures, and the occasional peregrine falcon.

Lime Ridge Open Space (Walnut Creek and Concord925-943-5854)

• Now you will know where you're going new trail names reflect Native American and native plant names. Open Space staff have been working with an Eagle Scout to place signposts along trails in the newly opened Preserve.

• You may have noticed grading along Ygnacio Road; the City received a federal grant to reengineer slopes following several big slumps, very little of the grading is actually within Open Space boundaries.

• The Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation's Oak Restoration Project has been focusing on blue and valley oaks this year.

• Rattlesnakes are plentiful.

• Open Space Superintendent Dan Cather has been promoted to Public Services Manager within Walnut Creek's Park and Open Space Department.

• The best place to access Lime Ridge is from the newly improved staging area at Boundary Oaks, at the end of Valley Vista, off Oak Grove Road.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir Watershed (CCWD - 925-688-8175)

• Old Vasco Road now ends at water's edge Los Vaqueros reservoir was dedicated on May 2 and is filling much more rapidly than expected from watershed runoff and because heavy precipitation has allowed more pumping than expected from the Delta (pump timing relates to runoff and endangered fish species impacts and migration).

•CCWD' s Recreation Alternatives Evaluation report, including the Recommended Alternative, should be available to the public in August; there has been great concern by recreation groups becauseinitial recommendations include very few multi 0 use trails. The CCWD Board is scheduled to adopt a Preferred Alternative on Sept. 2. To comment, write CCWD Board of Directors, Contra Costa Water District, P.O. Box H20, Concord, CA 94524.

Morgan Territory Regional Park (EBRPD - 925-635-0135)

• If you're up for difficult bushwhacking, the Finley Road entrance allows access into remote and spectacular Jackass Canyon

• The new access, where there is now an information panel, is proving extremely popular, especially with equestrians and cyclists. Visitors can park along the road about a half mile from its end, then follow the road and trail up into beautiful Riggs Canyon . Please observe parking and private property signs

Mt. Diablo State Park (State Department of Parks and Recreation - 925-837-2525)

• By the sweat of their brows the Earth Day Event was one of the most continu ed on next page

Continued from previous page successful volunteer work days ever at Mt. Diablo.

• Contracts are being awarded for road repairs to include the areas where Northgate and Southgate roads have collapsed to one lane; repairs should be made at the end of summer.

• The 4th Annual Trek Through Time, the Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association's trail event highlighting the mountain's geologic history, is scheduled for Saturday, October 3. Call MDIA at 685-2175.

• The SMD bunchgrass area at Mitchell Canyon was the subject of two partially successful controlled burns in June.

• Longtime ranger John Pelonio, a past president of MDIA, has transferred to Brannan Island and will be greatly missed.

Round Valley Regional Preserve (EBRPD- 925-635-0135)

• SMD welcomes the Regional Parks District's newest park, dedicated and opened to the public on August 29th (see related article on page 3).

• The presence of a newly located golden eagle nest means that a proposed single track trail will have to be located elsewhere.

Shell Ridge Open Space (Walnut Creek - 925-943-5854)

• The City is adding a new restroom building in Hanna Grove next to Borges Ranch.

• Repairs continue on stock pond dams, which were breached in several spots this winter.

• Work continues near Hanna Lane on the trail connection for the Costanoan trail; a segment of the trail was eliminated by a new 5-site development.

• The Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation's Oak and Quail habitat projects are continuing. Native grass restoration has been meeting with limited success; experimentation is underway using mowing to discourage yellow star thistle and non-native rye grass, which are crowding out the natives.

• Bird nests have been found in Coyote bush planted last year.

0n April 25, Ch vron, Entron, PeopleSoft, Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association, the California State Parks Foundation, Mt. Diablo State Park, Save Mount Diablo and 300 wonderful volunteers joined forces to celebrate Earth Day- Save Mount Diab/a style.

Cyndy Shafer, volunteer coordinator for Save Mount Diablo, conservation ecologist for Mt. Diablo State Park and volunteer extraordinaire, was a major force in organizing a hands-on Earth Day event on the mountain. Hard work and good fun was the theme of the day. Jn addition to a barbeque, chili cook-off and good music, people, young and not-so-young, joined together to give a hand to Mother Earth

Volunteers performed trail maintenance by removing masses of non-native plants (poison hemlock and periwinkle) to allow native plants to sprout without competition for nutrients. They also planted 20 oak trees, 60 sticky monkey flowers and 200 California bunchgrasses.

Thank you,

Thank you, Thank you!

Mountain Savers

Photos by Gerry Keenan

Mountain Legacy

Many people who incl11d11

Save Mount Dia /Jlo i11 their wills do not inform us , and we learn of th eir generosity when the bequest arrives. Should you choose to let us know that you have remembered Save Mount Diablo in your will or estate plans, we will enroll you in Save Mount Diablo 's Mountain Legacy Circle.

As a member of th e Mountain Legacy Circle, you will be invited to preview parcels of land that SMD is considering purchasing or is in the process of purchasing and you will be invited to attend all SMD functions as our guest. Should you have questions about including Save Mount Diablo in your will or trust, or would like to talk about a planned gift , please contact Gerry Keenan at (925) 947-3535.

Let Mount Diablo be a part of your legacy to the future!

In Memory Of

(Gifts made fr om Janua ry 16, 1998

thr ough July 24, 19 98)

Judi Bari (Earth First)

Constance M. Diernisse

William J. Brandt

Hal Raymond Yeager

Eugene DeMar

Deidre & Paul Katz

City of Pleasant Hill, Dept. of Public Works and Building Dept.

Kenneth A Brown

Susan E. Reynolds

Lafayette Brown

Ann T. Jones

Ed Bush

Margaret Inderbitzen

Sadie Doyle

Rose McKinnon

Thomas Elsnab

Margaret Inderbitzen

Anna Louise Ferri

Patricia & Kenneth Gray

Julie & Carl Nielson

Dick Troy

Kathie Beth Dreher

Sonoma State Historic Park Assn, Inc.

Vanessa & Kenneth Walters

Judith G. Scotchmoor

Resource Management

Coffee Fund

The Diablo Dancers of

In Memory Of

Walnut Creek:

Diane L. Schneider

James E Cooley

Raymond Lepinsky

Don E. Mayou

Jeffrey D. Miller

StuartJ. Sweetser

J. Frank & Edith Valle-Riestra

Lawrence E. Ferri

Dr. Steven Muchnick

Anthony M. Picetti, Mary Ann Chisholm & Donald J. Black

Betsey & R bert <.:::!opine

Mary & Christopher Stokes

Margaret V. Jefferson

Ilene Linssen

Shirley A Mattes

Seth Adams

Peter Hirsch ;& John Caravantes

my husband, John H Finger

Dorothy Finger

Bob Frantz

Mary & Richard Bowers

Ruth McK ean Freitas

Peggy & Leonard Mahler

Steve Gerber

Marjorie Griffin

Anna Godin

Mrs . W.C. McLaren

Marcelline "Marcie " Goins

Louise & Harvey Wall

Millie & Ralph Lopez

Col. Herb Neller

Alice & Burel Treece

Gwen & Edward Palmer

Dan Green

John Finger & Terri Byrnes

Ethelyn Harmon

Zelma Ridgely

Robert E. Kaemper

Mary Ann McGill

Edward E. Leach

Paul & Betty Baxter

Carl Lindeken

Mary & Richard Bowers

Florence Ludkins-Katz

Elias Katz

George Kolokousis

Dottie Vallado

Evelyn Loring

Verna Kruse

Gladys Evelyn McDonald

Bill & Noreen Augustine

Fred Nesbitt

Muriel Nesbitt

Doug Prater

Pete r Belden

Shirley Reed

Ann & Don Jones

Harriet Roberson

Jenny Harmon

Rosie, the Cat

MimiFoord

William "Bill " Sattler

Susan Watson

Employees in Compliance Research, Internal Revenue Service

Susan D' Alcamo

Henry Segrave

Malcolm Sproul

Bob Nunn

Joanne Taylor

John V. Sudall

Lura Osgood •

Ray & Haz¢FSaWJer

Gerry Hauser

Florence Richmond

Anne Leslie

Toni Fauver

Velma Hudson & Cecile Heald

John & Theresa Garrett

Karen Lenhart

Linda Hledik & Robert Cyrus

Colleen Finnegan

Susan McDaniel

Timothy & Sandra Sheridan

Seth .Adams •

Christina Batt

Dorothy S. Harvey

Robert F. Smith

Anne Leslie

Byron Stein

Lloyd Keiser

Corinne Neiger

Patricia Teschner

Stacy & Bob Hughes

John R. Lewis

Joseph Azzolino

Jane '& Doug Hatton

David Stearns

Edward Lindsay

In Honor Of

(Gifts made from January 16, 1998 through July 24, 1998)

'At/olph Berger

• Alice Ropchan

David J. Blumen's Birthday

Joanne & John McKee

Peter Davis's 50th Birthday

Maxine M. Davis

Virginia Lamer

Aida Peterson

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Oxsen's wedding

Mrs. Margaret Inderbitzen & Family

In honor of the eighth anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Rolens

Mrs. Donna Rolens

In honor of Madeleine Trou enback

Patricia Clark

You Can Help

To help us preserve and protect our mountain

Bequests

Your gift to Save Mount Diablo by will, of money or other personal property, helps to create a legacy of open space.

Commemorative Gifts

You can remember a loved one, celebrate a special occasion, or honor someone special with a gift to Save Mo1111t Diablo.

Matching Gifts

Your employer may have a m(;ltching gifts program that multiplies your contribution to Save Mount Diab/a.

Gitts of Cash, Securities

o~ Real Property

Your gifts support the work of Save Mount Diablo and are always welcome

Family Land Planning

You can preserve your land and keep it in private ownership Save Mount Diablo can help

Mountain Heritage Program

Dedicate an oak tree, a grove of trees, or acreage at Chaparral Springs as an enduring gift to someone you cherish.

Volunteers

Office Help-A few hours of time on a regular basis, filing, organizing news clippings, copying, answering phones, and other tasks.

Heritage Tree Volunteer-for the Chaparral Spring property. You will be trained.

Creek Restoration-be a part of the Trout Project by helping with Mitchell Canyon Creek Restoration.

Wish List

Copier, floor model w / collator. Slide Projector, Kodak carousel w I auto focus.

Camera, "point and shoot," w /built-in zoom and flash. Scanner, at least 300 dpi, preferably color, and OCR. Chairs, two "nice" chairs for reception area.

For more information contact Gerry Keenan at (925) 947-3535

Blackhawk

Continued from page 2

dedicated to Mount Diablo State Park.

The first homes opened in 1979. More than 40 builders participated in the development which was essentially complete by the early 1990s. Modest access to the State Park is available to trail users who have access through the Blackhawk gates.

Watched Over and Prodded Along

The 2000+ acres dedicated to open space were added to the St.ate Park as development phases proceeded, with Save Mount Diab/a facilitating the process. 1131 acres, including Wall Point, Jackass Canyon, part of Dan Cook Canyon and part of both sides of Southgate Road below the State Park entrance, were added in 1980. 410 acres along Blackhawk Ridge were dedicated in 1987. At present Save Mount Diablo is working on

JC "' U) i 0 E ,6" 0 i

LItem from the original Blackhawk Ranch brochure.

_ _

the final dedication of 500 acres, below Oyster Point. 8

Save Mount Diablo's mission is to secure through acquisition, protection and preservation, the open space nece ssary to support the full range of biological diversity and to insure the integrity of Mt. Diablo's natural beauty.

In support of our mission, Save Mount Diablo:

•Creates dedicated open space from land acquired through gifts, purchases and cooperative efforts with public and private entities;

• Educates the public about threats to the mountain;

• Works with landowners to preserve their property while realizing economic benefits;

• Works in partnership with Mt. Diab lo State Park, East Bay Regional Parks

Peterson's remaining 300 acres of the Ranch, accessible only through the Blackhawk gates, passed through several more hands before being proposed for development in 1989. Developers and Save Mount Diablo negotiated a compromise whereby 24 acres were developed and 252 acres, below Devil's Slide and including the lower reaches of Sycamore Canyon, were dedicated to the State Park last year.

Blackhawk left its mark on the greater San Ramon Valley and Contra Costa County. The ranch was prominent and unusual. From 1973 to 1976 no development received more public meeting attention and newspaper headlines, or created more precedent for the dedication of open space as a condition of development.

Editor 's Note : Beverly Lane is a member of th e Board of Directors of the East Bay Regional Park District , a former mayor of Danville, and a staun ch supporter of open space preservation

District, and other organizations to increase open space;

•Monitors land-use planning;

• Aids in the restoration of habitat and the preservation of rare species;

•Offer s technical advice to agencies and neighborhood groups with regard to securing open space;

• Works diligently to raise the funds necessary to support Sav e Mount Diab/o 's mission.

Founded in 1971, Save Mount Diablo has been instrumental in increasing open space on and around the mountain from 6,788 acres to more than 53,000 acres.

For more information, please write or call: Save Mount Diablo P.O Box 5376 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 947-3535

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