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March 2013 Save Mount Diablo: Focus on the Future
Serving Alamo and Diablo
By Jody Morgan Viewing Mount Diablo from the surrounding valleys generates a false sense that everything in sight has been preserved. When Save Mount Diablo (SMD) was founded in 1971, the State Park contained 6,788 acres. Today, thanks to the efforts of SMD and partner agencies such as East Bay Regional Park District, 110,000 acres in more than forty parks comprise a network of public open space including the now 20,000-acre State Park. Yet huge tracts of land in the midst of the Diablo Wilderness remain at risk of being utilized in ways detrimental to the quality of life of area residents. You don’t have to be enthused by environmental issues to recognize the value added to valley real estate by the Mount Diablo vista and the remarkable recreational possibilities the Diablo Wilderness offers. “The mountain forms a visual framework for the entire Bay Area,” remarks Malcolm Sproul, SMD Board President for fourteen years. If enjoying more than the visual impact of a pristine peak is on your agenda, take a hike. “In the midst of a very developed area there is a large area of public open space – so large you can walk for four days crossing only two little-traveled roads,” notes Scott Hein, current SMD Board President. Four Days Diablo showcases the SMD mission. Photo by Scott Hein. Hein’s serious involvement with SMD began when his mother died. He and his sister wanted to honor her memory by donating a Heritage Tree. “Staff member, Seth Adams, joined us for a hike on the property, and by the time we were done, we hadn’t chosen a tree – he had convinced each of us to adopt an entire grove.” Always interested in photography, Scott welcomed Seth’s encouragement. Hein’s photographs bring the mountain to everyone. If you are free April 24th-27th for an exceptional experience of pampered camping, Four Days Diablo (FDD) will take you on a 30-mile adventure from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. Local restaurants provide gourmet meals. Because wine and beer are offered at the close of the day, participants must be at least 21 years old. SMD volunteers transport and set up all gear, even inflating luxury-size air mattresses. Experts on hand each day guide hikers. You may see peregrine falcons, tadpoles of the endangered red-legged frog, or even a golden eagle. What about wildflowers? “Mount Diablo has 10% of California’s flora both native and non-native. That includes seven mountain-specific or regional endemic species,” notes Heath Bartosh, SMD Board member and Rare Plant Program Chair for the California Native Plant Society. Bartosh See SMD continued on page 23
Contra Costa Public Works Department staff held a meeting to update the community on the Alamo Area of Benefit (AOB) Program. The review of the Alamo AOB is slated to take 6-7 months and include a series of four community meetings. The first meeting was held Tuesday, February 26th at the Swain House at Hap Magee Park. An overflow crowd of approximately 135 attendees came to hear about the Alamo AOB update process and what the community can expect. Six tasks were outlined including community involvement, evaluation of current AOB program, AOB development potential, AOB needs analysis, project cost estimates, and the Nexus study. After this initial meeting, Public Works will assemble baseline data on existing travel patterns and system performances, prepare forecasts of future conditions, and identify existing and future deficiencies. The second meeting to be held Tuesday, April 23rd from 6-8pm at Alamo Elementary School located at 100 Wilson Rd in Alamo will cover communication of the results of the baseline data on existing travel patterns and system performances, forecasts of future conditions, and identification of deficiencies followed by a discussion of what these Volume XIII - Number 3 results mean to the Alamo community. Staff members from Supervisor Candace Anderson’s office in 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, attendance stated Supervisor Anderson has no intention of approving any plans to widen Danville Alamo, CA 94507 Blvd. through Alamo. See page 22 for information about the AOB provided by the Alamo Improvement Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 Association. For more information, visit www.cccpublicworks.org or contact Supervisor Anderson’s Fax (925) 406-0547 office at 925-957-8860 or email Dist2@bos.cccounty.us.
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Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com Sharon Burke ~ Writer sburke@yourmonthlypaper.com The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.