1999 Diablo Watch - Summer Edition, Issue 26

Discover the Silva Ranch

Discovering the hidden treasures of a new acquisition is among Save Mount Diab/o's most exciting tasks; one where we feel like the first explorers. And so it was with wonder and a sense of adventure that the board and staff of Save Mount Diablo walked the entire 3.5 mile fence line of the Silva Ranch parcel. We traversed along broad gentle slopes, across steep wooded canyons and upward towards plateaus crowned with six species of oak. We walked the northernmost branch of Tassajara Creek with its mature riparian forest of oak, bay and madrone trees and

abundant evidence

view, and looking farther eastward, the snowcapped Sierra Range can be seen. Adjacent to existing public land, the property boasts a series of beautiful canyons that will provide single track trails and loop connections to both

Mount Diablo State Park and Morgan Territory Regional Park.

Although there are huge rock outcroppings and cliffs in Riggs Canyon, they are almost absent on Silva. However, we found a single boulder which was as big as a two story house, hidden in the trees along the northern boundary. This magnificent property includes many water sources which provide habitat for a wide range of plants and animals, including the federally listed California redlegged frog. Mature riparian woodland

is home to nesting sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, (both special status of wild pigs. We sampled many of the hiking trails previously laid out by tenant cattle and we walked the open forest in the canyon that drains down toward Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory Road.

Scenic vistas with their inherent beauty and solitude abound. From the ridgeline near Windy and Cave Points, the Silva Ranch offers panoramic views into the Tassajara hills and into the Ohlone Wilderness. Throughout the northern parts of the ranch the peaks of Mt. Diablo are in

11Tk idta ef.

- Edward Abbey

species), barn owls, great horned owls, peregrine falcons and the western rattlesnake. Although mountain lions have not been sighted, they almost certainly utilize the area as their presence has been confirmed within public lands on both sides of the property. (At the start of the first public hike last spring, a jogger emerged from the canyon below Silva having just seen a mountain lion.) Majestic stands of oak, bay, sycamore, madrone, big leaf maple and buckeye fill the exquisite canyons, with gray

Continued on page 8

The Silva Ranch in upper Riggs Canyon, rising to Windy Point

Hike the Silva Ranch

Board of Directors

Malcolm Sproul

President

Arthur Bonwell Vice-President/Founder

Amara Koss Secretary

Nigel Ogilvie Treasurer

Mary L. Bowerman Founder

Marty Breen

Paul Choisser

Donald de Fremery

Karen Hunt

Stephen Joseph

Robert Marx

Steven Mehlman

Robert Nunn

Allen 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

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

Members of Save Mount Diablo's Board of Directors will lead a series of Silva Ranch hikes this fall. The hikes will start a half mile from the end of Finley Road, east of Blackhawk. These are 5-6 mile hikes with approximately 1000 feet of elevation gain, mostly on fire roads.

For more information call (925) 947-3535.

Date

October 10

October 17

October 30

November6

November 13

November 20

Time 10am 9am 9am 9am 9am 10am

Leader

Dave Sargent

Malcolm Sproul

Allan Prager

Bob Marx

Amara Koss

Karen Hunt/ Lucea Keller

.c C. .fl C ID .c

The Athenian School Dedication

On August 28, 1999 fifteen acres of rolling foothills were dedicated to Mt. Diablo State Park in the memory of Dan and Barbara Reid.

The event crowned more than ten years of effort beginning in 1988 when the private Athenian School, located in Diablo near the Park's southgate en-

trance, proposed a forty five home development on forty five acres. The Reids worked tirelessly to insure that a portion of the property remain as open space.

A thank you goes to Greystone Homes, which has worked positively to fulfill promises made to the community, for sponsoring the dedication event.

Photo by Stephen Joseph

Bob's Pond at the Silva Ranch

Grassy oak knoll and stream canyon of the Athenian School dedication site with Dan Cook Canyon and Fossil Ridge above

Chaparral Spring Symphony

In 1995, LS A As iates, an env ironmental con s ulting firm , surv e y e d the ponds on Chaparral Spring looking for species found on neighboring

shows incr easing good health. In cooperation with the long time grazing tenant Jerry Galvin, grazing pressure has been decreased and the number of properties including California red-legged frogs, California House Wren plant species on the property has shown a corresponding tiger salamanders and western pond turtles and found none. Several wet winters later, there was a chance that they might have migrated onto the parcel. LSA once again donated their services and confirmed that one of the ponds in Chaparral Spring is now home to the tiger salamander, a candidate species for the federal endan-

increase with new wildflowers appearing each spring. The property also currently provides habitat for ten rare or listed plant and animal species A nesting pair of Lawrence's Goldfinch, an unusual sighting, was also observed there in May of this year. In an allegorical sense, plants and animals are 'notes' in a grand gered species list. It is notable that Chaparral Spring supports symphony of biological Lawrence's Goldfinch diversity; losing a note here a healthy ground squirrel population. Ground squirrel poisoning in recent decades has impacted a variety of rare species, including the salamander, which depends on the squirrels' burrows for protection during the dry season.

Heavily grazed for many years, Save Mount Diab/o 's 333-acre Chaparral Spring

and there may seem unimportant but eventually the music is reduced simply to noise and then to silence . The presence this year of the salamanders, a variety of new wildflowers and the sighting of a bobcat at Chaparral Spring restores a variety of notes to Chaparral Spring's symphony and is reason for applause.

(Photo g raph er: Scott Hein)

Come Join Us for a Celebration of Mount Diablo

On September 18, 1999 Save Mount Diablo will hold its first annual Celebration of Mount Diablo. The event will be held at Summit ',p' Ranch in Alamo from 7:00 PM until midnight. Festivities will include a light dinner, dancing, a silent auction featuring a sculpture from the Dean & Margaret Lesher estate and a slide presentation by renowned photographer, Stephen Joseph. Tickets are $50 and all proceeds benefit the work of Save Mount Diablo. Call 947-3535 for more information.

Thank You to Our Legislators ' • '~

During the spring legislative budget session, Senator ..: f ~{" ) :: Richard Rainey and Assemblywoman Lynne Leach submit- ,,II> • ted member requests for $250,000 to help purchase the Silva ..._ Property and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, supported by a letter r from Senator Rainey, submitted a $250,000 request to assist in the Phase II purchase of Clayton Ranch. Last year Assemblywoman Leach's and Assemblyman Torlakson's funding requests for Turtle Rock Ranch and Phase I of Clayton Ranch, respectively, were successful...so we had high hopes for this year Unfortunately the requests did not escape the Governor's blue pencil. However, Senator Rainey ' s and Assemblywoman Leach's hard work on our behalf did result in the reappropriation of $750,000 in funding toward the purchase of Turtle Rock Ranch.

Save Mount Diablo has lost a friend, Robert Gemmell Adams. Bob, to all who knew him, died July 24th. He was 74 years old.

Bob was one of those quiet men who went about the business of life on his own terms. He loved to take the road less traveled, he loved therenity and 1925 - 1999 beauty of hi s rose garden and he loved his long-time companion, Jeanne Thomas. In his own quiet unassuming way, Bob supported those things he cherished. The list is long and among others included Family Services, Legal Aid Society, the San Francisco Opera, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Oakland Museum and Save Mount Diablo.

Bob joined our board in January 1998 and was a member of the finance committee. His knowledge of the law combined with his understanding of nonprofit finance helped Save Mount Diablo draft a comprehensive investment policy that was recently adopted. His was the gift that launched our Silva Ranch campaign.

In his honor Save Mount Diablo has christened the largest pond on the Silva Ranch property as Bob's Pond . It is a place where "the green mantle of the standing pool" (William Shakespeare) will be a permanent tribute to his kindness and generosity of spirit.

It was our privilege at Save Mount Diablo to have known this very dear man.

Rob ert G,m1111ell Ad11111 s

Park News

The good news for wildlife is that the oaks are loaded with acorns. On the other hand, because of early rains and late freezes, this year's wildflower season was disappointing. Monarch butterflies have been scarce, probably for the same reason, and the creeks have dried earlier.

Fall is on its way-the beginning of a new cycle. It is still hot and the summer fog pushes east to fight the inland heat. We know the season is shifting because the golden grass turns gray, tarantulas migrate in search of mates, and buckeyes drop their leaves to save water. It is also a time when quail coveys dwindle to single birds, when young coyotes start to howl on their own, when wildflowers have gone to seed. This is the time before green halos appear under the oaks, when the air is hazy and the days shorter. At night, as it cools, the clouds begin practicing their rain dances and we are witness to a million rain drops that still the chorus of green katydids.

Fall is the time when, tired of dust and the dry season sun, the first rains stir your soul with promises of crystal clear air, verdant slopes, and land that has quenched its thirst, allowing streams and waterfalls to once again flow.

Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (EBRPD-510 635-0135)

• The Mining Museum is now open causing summer park attendance to double. The Great House Underground Visitor Center, open 9-3:30 on weekends with no reservations required, stays a cool 58 degrees in temperature and offers respite from the searing summer heat. The Center features displays, information and videos about the Park. Reservations (925 676-0192) are recommended for Mine tours, which are given on weekends on the hour from 10-3.

• The first recorded raven nest in the park included four young this year.

Brushy Peak Regional Park (LARPD, 925 373-5700, EBRPD-925 846-4899)

• The newest Diablo area park welcomes you. Drive out 1-580 through Livermore or north on Vasco Road and oak-covered Brushy Peak stands as a lone sentinel. The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District owns 507 acres, including wind caves and the 1702 foot peak, adjacent to the Los Vaqueros watershed. An additional 1100 acres stretching south are being acquired by the East Bay Regional Park District over the next three years. The park is not yet open to the public, but the LARPD schedules guided tours; call them for more info. A thank you goes to both agencies for their farsighted work.

Chaparral Spring

(Save Mount Diablo-925 947-3535)

• See related article.

• If you would like to visit Chaparral Spring, please call SMD at 947-3535.

Contra Loma Regional Park (EBRPD-510 635-0135)

• 776 acre Contra Loma (which means "against a hillside") Regional Park in Antioch is East County's version of Lafayette Reservoir and includes a jewel of a lake surrounded by high hills with wonderful views. Owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, its recreational facilities-for swimming, boating, wind-surfing and fishing-are managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. You can walk around the lake, or hike from the park into adjoining Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.

• There is an ongoing controversy between the Park District and the Contra Costa Water District, which would like to segment off a small swimming lagoon to limit body contact with the reservoir which would decrease water-related recreational activities. 4

Diablo Foothills Regional Park/ Castle Rock Recreational Area (EBRPD-510 635-0135)

• Park staff are still working to replace an equestrian bridge; meanwhile, the Stage Road hiking trail that passes through Castle Rock is being re-signed to make it easier for hikers to find the trail, and to help keep equestrians and cyclists on the bypass through the recreational area.

• As in other parks, bobcats have been much in evidence, especially during evening hours.

• Roses Day, a free picnic for Breast Cancer Awareness, is on October 10 at Castle Rock, call 925 934-4570 for more info.

Lime Ridge Open Space (Cities of Walnut Creek/ Concord925 943-5854)

• The best place to access Lime Ridge is from the staging area at Boundary Oaks, at the end of Valley Vista, off Oak Grove Rd., or on Treat Boulevard.

• A new Lime Ridge park sign is being placed along Ygnacio above the golf course, highlighting a small staging area there.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir Watershed (CCWD-925 688-8175, or -8028)

• The groundbreaking for the recreation program took place on July 24th. CCWD is beginning construction of trails and staging areas; there should be public trail access throughout the reservoir sometime this Fall.

• For the first time, the reservoir is nearly full, just a foot below the spillway at the 471 foot elevation, and is being prepared for fishing with plantings of Florida strain largemouth black bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, red ear sunfish and Sacramento perch, one of the only native warm water species in the state. There are already Sacramento blackfish, roach, and Sacramento sucker in the reservoir.

• Conservation easements over 1,031 acres of habitat, supporting a variety of endangered wildlife, are being conveyed to the Dept. of Fish & Game and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Of those, 169 acres are within the 721 acre Vasco Caves area, and protect cultural resources, fairy shrimp and kit fox habitat.

• Rare Alameda whipsnakes are sighted regularly; the District is working with state and federal agencies on a whipsnake recovery plan, including habitat management in the chaparral such as controlled burns and other fuel reduction.

• Bird watching should be great. Swainson's hawks and black-crowned night herons are being sighted and burrowing owls are relatively common. Two pairs of golden eagles fledged two chicks each this past season. The chicks were radio-tagged as part of a study on the impact of wind turbines on eagle populations

• There have been sightings of American badgers on both sides of the reservoir and two recent sightings near the watershed of federally endangered kit foxes.

• Bob Nuzum has been hired as the new Water-shed Resources Manager. For the past twenty-six years he has been with EBMUD as the head of the Natural Resources Dept.; at CCWD he is in charge of meeting federal and state biological regulations.

Morgan Territory Regional Park (EBRPD-510 635-0135)

• The revised, expanded Morgan Territory map is now available at the Morgan Territory Rd. staging area.

• A restroom and water should be available at the old Cardoza homesite by the end of the year, which will allow primitive backpack camping along the Diablo Trail.

• Bobcats have been seen in abundance.

• Condor Trail has been improved to eliminate drainage problems.

• The new Finley Road access is extremely popular. Visitors can park along the road, then proceed up into beautiful Riggs Canyon Please observe parking and private property signs.

Mt. Diablo State Park (State Dept. of Parks and Recreation925 837-2525)

• Governor Gray Davis increased park funding this year, helping with long deferred roadwork and other projects; staff is hopeful that Rock City facilities can be rehabilitated in addition to bathroom and campground rehabilitation elsewhere. New roofs cover the summit Visitor Center and several park buildings.

• The Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association has scheduled dedication of the Mitchell Canyon Interpretive Center for September 25th.

• EPA funding has allowed an old dumpsite near the Diablo Ranch to be cleaned up.

• Construction bids on the Mt. Diablo Observatory came in higher than anticipated causing the project to be delayed while fundraising continues.

• Mt. Diablo bird's-beak, a rare plant species, was identified near the Deer Flat road causing work on the trail to be postponed.

• The coyote population is booming and pups are being sighted regularly in the mornings.

• There was a small controlled burn near Curry Point.

• Campers must now register at the Southgate entrance above Danville.

• Jack Cameron was hired as the new Park Maintenance Chief in March; the park is attempting to fill its last vacant ranger position.

• The park is also looking for a year round volunteer park host to live and work at the Macedo Ranch staging

area. Hosts provide their own motor home; call the number above if you are interested .

Round Valley Regional Preserve (EBRPD-510 635-0135)

• Equestrian use at Round Valley is increasing as people discover an excellent riding park with easy staging access. Drinking water and a horse trough at the staging area should be installed this Fall.

• Trail connections to Morgan Territory should allow longer rides and hikes this year after the long-awaited opening this Fall of the connection across the Los Vaqueros watershed.

• The Hardy Canyon single track trail is under construction, to be completed next spring, connecting the staging area through to the park's interior. The new trail will create a strenuous loop hike with spectacular vistas of Morgan Territory, Round Valley and Los Vaqueros .

• Round Valley was the site of a controlled burn intended to eventually eliminate yellow star thistle; the idea is to limit thistle seed production in the burned area. Burns will be repeated over a several year period.

Shell Ridge Open Space

(City of Walnut Creek-925 943-5854)

• The Howe Homestead Harvest Festival is slated for October 17th, and will include open gardens, interpretive story-telling, scarecrow making and pumpkin carving for the kids.

• Portions of the Shell Ridge to Lime Ridge connector trail are being rehabilitated along Hanna Lane and near the detention basin.

• Volunteers from the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation are continuing to mow parts of the open space to discourage yellow star thistle and to aid oak restoration.

A Very Good Day

In the early 1970s Contra Costa County set a conservation precedent by agreeing to terms for the largest open space dedication ever offered by a private developer to the State of California. Working together, the Blackhawk Development Company and Save Mount Diablo arranged for five tracts of land totaling 2,052 acres to be aqded to Mt. Diablo State Park.

On May 15, 1999 several hundred people gathered together to celebrate the dedication of the final 511 acre parcel and to acknowledge the very hard work of the many people who made the preservation of this beautiful wildlife habitat possible. The keynote speaker was the Honorable Gray Davis, Governor of the State of California. Among others in attendance were Representative George Miller; Attorney General Bill Lockyer; Senator Richard Rainey; Assemblyman Tom Torlakson; Assemblywoman Lynne Leach; Supervisors Donna Gerber, Joe Canciamilla and Mark Oe Saulnier; Johan Klehs, Chairman of the State Board of Equilization; and Rusty Areias, Director of California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Save Mount Diablo is indebted to all who made this wonderful event possible, and in particular to: Sandy Skaggs, who, as master of ceremonies, kept the program flowing; the Contra Costa Sheriff's Posse for the Presentation of Colors, Blackhawk Country Club and the Blackhawk Homeowners Association for all the detail work that makes a good party, and to the Behring-Hoffman Educational Institute and the Blackhawk Corporation for underwriting the festivities.

Save Mount Diablo is to be commended for its vision and the Blackhawk Corporation for preserving this 2,052 acre legacy of wild open space.

Left to right: Mary Wright, Chief Deputy Director, California Department of Parks and Recreation; Rusty Areias, Director, California Department of Parks and Recreation; Malcolm Sproul, President, Save Mount Diab/a; Governor Gray Davis; Gerry Keenan, Executive Director, Save Mount Diab/a; Mary Bowerman, Founder, Save Mount Diab/a; Congressman George Miller

Left: Rusty Areias, Director, California Department of Parks and Recreation; Larry Ferri , Superintendant, Mount Diablo State Park

Left to right: Ken Behring, Chairman, Blackhawk Corporation; Governor Gray Davis; Mary Bowerman, Founder, Save Mount Diab/a •

In Memory Of

Robert Adams

William Adams

Paul & Joan Armstrong

Joan & Larry Cassou

Ann W. Eliaser

Judy Ellis

Philip and Patricia Jelley

Donald and Ann Jones

Gerry Keenan

Woodruff & Mary Ogden

Warren Reid

Edgar, Jean & George

Sanderson

Mary S. Solomon

Jeanne Thomas

Richard & Martha Waitkus

Wednesday Walkers

Judith Welles

Robert and Mary Vanderwall

David J. Blumen

Joanne & John McKee

Warren Breed

Richard & Mary Bowers

Vi Brown

Mr. & Mrs. R.C. Bowers

Debbie Chapin

Linda Brockway

Bert & Pauline Conlin

Patricia Willy

Randy Coppock

"Approached life's unknowns with confidence & faith"

Nikki Gage

Ralph H. Cross

Toni and George Finger

Emma D.

Genevieve & Gayle Servin

Russell Denner

Charles and Marjorie Evans

Jake Duke

Frances Shelton

John Falcone

Lucia & Robert Falcone

In loving memon; of John H. Finger

Dorothy Finger

Robert Franks

Bill & Barbara Sickenberger

Marianne Gravier

W.A & Mary Albright

James & Tre Frane

Gladys & Don Laston

Glen & Marcia Mellinger

Marilyn Peterson

Dr. Patrick M. Pralle

Janet Sadoff

Clyde Halvestat

Alice Ropchan

Marga Haultain

Patricia Willy

Thorne W Holmes

Virginia M. Holmes

Marcia Dubow Howard

Philip & Henrietta Dubow

In loving memory of our daughter

Gerrianne & Larry Church

Robert, Elizabeth, Stephen & Neal De Chene

Jerry & Kathleen Freeman

John Gallagher, DVM

Amdocs

Yona Ovadia

David Klein

Alan & Joan Linn

"May her spirit & energy live forever in the foothills of Mt. Diablo"

Judy Johnson & Stacia

Lumley

Lyn Meehan

Craig Nakamura

Michael & Linda Prieto

Jeff & Jodi Riley

SNET

Ted Pardo

Suzanne Niedzielska

Rob Kramar

Jane D' Albis

Bob Blake

Sandra Wilson

Theresa Bachicha

C.N. & Marcia Bower

Laurie Anne Carlson

George & Joan Cutler

Gartner Group

George & Susan Jackson

Patrick & Jane Joyce

Richard Kilian

Alan & Sandra Lakin

Alexander & Rebecca Leontiev

Suzanne Lowe

Idelpha Loyola

Ron Matteson & Susan Tam

Miriam Mellen

Ray Ostrander

Dolores & Joseph Robinson

Leah & David Rosen

D.D. & Abha Sharma

Virgil & Annabelle Toothaker

Doreen Yates

Lori Zaret

Hershial & Zella Weinstein

John & Diane Kompara

Leonard & Arline Dubow

Stephen Wolfe

David & Charlotte Westal

Fred & Kerry Schafer

Stephen & Lauren Mason

Gary & Kathryn Medeiros

Norman & Leslie Gaydos

Dawn Mueller-Dubow

Michael & Lynn Dubow

William Blumenthal

Andrew & Lynne Marshall

StorageTek SBC Communications Account Team members: Jack Davis

Paul Slack

Chris Freeman

Rob Creighton

Terry Cady

Gail Greenspan

Tony Shafer

Bev Berman

David Bueno

Gregory Castillo

Christopher & Christiann

Calandra

In loving memory: Jim Hupp

"Orinda's first conservationist and organic gardner"

Susan Watson

Dr. Bruce Johnson

Phillip & Jean Langley

Muriel "Mick" Korba

Susanne Jackson-Lucas

Adored father, Vincent Paul

Lawton

Kathleen Lawton

Clara J. Lindsay

Edward M. Lindsay

Ms. Morag Mc Donald

Elaine Booth

John McFarland

Susan Watson

Bill Nero

JoAnnHanna

Morton Palugar

Frede Hammes

Josephine and Edwin Pillsbury

Mrs. Kenneth Nagel

Earnest Pofahl

John, Susan and Ian Tullis

Loretta Potstada

Bruce, Connie, Sandy, Krystina & Suzie

Sy & Jeanette Rosenfeld

Leslie Rosenfeld

Stephen Morris

William "Bill" Sattler

Gretal Hauck

Glenn T. Seaborg

Jeannie S. Harmon

Susan Watson

Joseph Schneider

Ethel Schneider

Dorothy "Dee" Seifert

Susan Watson

Virginia and Elmer Novotny

Karen Tischer

David Valladao

Dottie, Karen, Rich & Sue Valladao

Roy Wagnor

Eleanor D. Wagnor

Annabelle Whitnell

Paul & Elizabeth Baxter

Mr. Lynn Wolfe

Barbara Bonnickson

Mrs. Alberta Wright

Devcon Construction, Inc.

In Honor Of

Bob Bennett, "who appreciates

Mt. Diab/o's magnificence every day from his window"

Kenneth & JoAnne Hughes

Mary Bowerman

Robert Ornduff

Richard Eakin

Dottie Eakin

Marjory Lee

Lafayette Garden Club

Linda and Steve Mehlman

Tom & Kym Leserman

Our 45th wedding anniversary

Donna & Gordon Monroe

The 50th wedding anniversary of Sallie & Joe States

Marcheta Bowdle

The 70th Birthday of Kathryn Smith

Marjorie Goetz

Alice & Richard Kunstman

Nancy Longacre

Arlene Ludwig

Mountain Heritage

In loving memory of Kenneth Shelton

Frances Shelton and family

In memory of Neil Snortum

Elizabeth Snortum

Lisa & Tyler Snortum-Phelps

In memory of Linda Jacklin Hein

Eggers

Scott & Claudia Hein

Kristen & Phil Kibler

Mountain Legacy

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 the 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 Diab/a be a part of your legacy to the future!

New Mountain Legacy Circle Members

* Bob Adams

* Anonymous

* Charles Gresham

* Nicola Place

All gifts made from January 16, 1999 through July 31, 1999

The Silva Ranch

Continued from page 1

pines anchoring the northwest corner of this lavish property.

In order to expedite the purchase of the Silva ranch, the Packard Foundation has loaned Save Mount Diablo $625,000 of the $750,000 purchase price Should you wish to know more about this parcel, or make a gift in support of its purchase, please call Gerry Keenan at (925) 947-3535.

Business Lends a Hand

Save Mount Diablo has invited members of the business community to join with us in helping to protect Mount Diablo and her foothills. Underlying our re<:J.uest is the profound convfotion t11at safeguardin the natural beauty of the community in which w rajs our families, in which we play and in which we do business makes good economic sense, and is essential for a civilized quality of life.

The giving levels are:

Investor: $5,000 to $10,000, Sustaining: $1,000 to $2,500

Contributing: $500

Save Mount Diablo wishes to thank the following businesses that have generously donated to the "Business Lends a Hand" program:

Braddock and Logan Mills Associates

Ron Nunn Farms De Silva Group, Inc. LSA Associates Marx and Associates 8

Save Mount Diablo's mission is to secure through acquisition, protection and preservation, the open space necessary to support the full range of biological diversity and to insure the integrity of Mt. Diablo's nah1ral 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

You Can Help

There are countless ways you can help. We need your time, your talent and donations of equipment in good working order.

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.

Wish List:

Copier, floor model with collator.

Slide Projector, Kodak carousel with auto focus Camera, "point and shoot," with built-in zoom and flash.

District, and other organizations to increase open space;

•Monitors land-use planning;

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

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

•Works diligently to raise the funds necessary to support Save Mount Diablo 's mission.

Founded in 1971, Save Mount Diab/a has been instrumental in increasing open space on and around the mountain from 6,788 acres to more than 56,000 acres.

For more information, please write or call:

Save Mount Diab/a

P.O. Box 5376

Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 947-3535

Park Greeters