Spring 2003 Muir Heritage Land Trust Newsletter

8/3/2019 Spring 2003 Muir Heritage Land Trust Newsletter

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Spring 2003 MUIR HERITAGE LAND TRUST

(Continued on page 2

GUSTIN DRIVE SUCCESSFUL— IT’SALL OURS

StephenJoseph

Watch for an invitation in the mail for thededication ceremony for the Gustin

property. The event will be held on Saturday,May 3, from 9 am to 12 pm. Gary Bogue will

be our honored guest. Refreshments will beserved and a shuttle will be available forthose who can not hike to the property.Everyone is welcome to help celebrate!

Gustin DedicationTo Be Held May 3

O

n the eve of its 15 th anniversary, theMuir Heritage Land Trust is

celebrating another milestone. Withyour generous support and the immeasurablehelp of Contra Costa Times columnist Gary

Bogue, we have paid off the loan on the 80-acre Gustin property.

The outpouring of community interest hasbeen deeply gratifying. More than 1,600

individuals contributed $116,000, allowingus to pay off the loan in January of this year.

The Land Trust initially purchased theproperty in 2000 with a loan from the

California Coastal Conservancy. The loanallowed us to move quickly on the sale, thenwe began raising funds from a variety of

private and public sources. Public moniesincluded $100,000 from the Coastal

Conservancy, $35,000 from the State of California’s Department of Fish and Game,and $250,000 from the State of California

Environmental Enhancement and MitigationProgram. We were nearing our goal, but westill needed to raise about $143,000 to pay

back the interest-fee loan from the stateConservancy and cover our expenses in

acquiring the land.

Community groups that pitched in and helpedcomplete the purchase include the MartinezHorsemen’s Association, which raised

$11,000, and Bay Area Barns & Trails, whichraised $9,000. The J.M. Long Foundation’sdonation of $25,000 was an important gift

from the private sector. Land Trust appealsraised another $16,000 from private

individuals. At that point, Gary Bogue

“Our open spaces and natural areas areimportant to us...they restore us and

provide a sense of tranquility

when we need it the most.”—Mac and Mary Foreman, Martinez



2

GUSTIN (Continued from page 1)

MUIR HERITAGE LAND TRUST

P. O. Box 2452

MARTINEZ, CA 94553

(925) 228-5460 FAX (925) 372-5460

Email: info@muirher itagelandtrust.org

www.muirheritagelandtrust.org

STAFF

Tina Batt, Executive Director Marilyn Rigdon, Executive Associate

Beth Pardieck,Stewardship Associate

BOARD O F D IRECTORS

Peter Langley Chair

Nancy Schaefer,Vice Cha ir

Mary Ann Gaebe, Secretary

Don Manning, Treasurer

Dick Awen ius

Joseph ByrnePeter Colby

Roger Dolan

Ken Fischer

Sheila GrilliSte ve Pardieck Marj Ross

Bill Weiner

Mark Wilson

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Hulet Hornbeck

Hal Olson

Jack Telfer

Everett Turner

HONORARY BOARD MEMBER

Jim Cutler

EDITOR

Sherida Bush

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS

Tina Batt, Beth Pardieck, Marilyn Rigdon,

Jim Townsend

PHOTO CREDITS: Todd Kiker, Dr. Mark

Jennings, Step hen Joseph , Bob Sibilia

stepped in to close the gap. The Contra Costa Times columnist ran items in his popularcolumn last fall, and his readers from all over Contra Costa County—and beyond—respondedgenerously with $80,000 in contributions along with their inspiring words. From Janice

Costella in Walnut Creek: “Thanks to dedicated people like you and Gary Bogue, there will

be a tomorrow for our beautiful open land.” Carole Jobe in Hercules said, “When open space

is lost, it’s gone forever. Thank you for caring enough to head this campaign.” The Land TrusBoard and staff thank all of you for caring enough to sendin your hard-earned dollars.

The 80 acres of land now protected is a key link in the

Franklin Ridge trails and open spaces. The once-

threatened Contra Costa Feeder Trail #1 will remain anhistoric trail—one that joins the 400-mile Bay Area

Ridge Trail. The landscapes, views and vital habitat willnow remain as it has for the past 100 years. The grass-

covered hills and thickly wooded ravines will continue toprovide a home for native animals and plants. Thecommanding view from the top of the ridge will now be

available for all to see.

Come celebrate the preservation of all this on May 3,when we hold a dedication for the land. Gary Bogue willbe our honored guest. The dedication will be held on the

property from 9 am to 12 pm, and a shuttle for thedisabled will be available. More information will be in

your invitation, which you will receive closer to the date.

Throughout this issue of the

newsletter, we have printedsome of the comments

from people whoresponded to GaryBogue’s column.

Their words are areminder of what we

can accomplishtogether—and what itmeans for people, wildlife

and our natural surroundings.

“Thank you forfighting the goodfight for all creatures

great and small.”—Dee Assael,

Pleasant Hill

“This is the best gift I can give the grandkids.”

— Patricia Derickson, Martinez



3

LANDTRUST HELPSACQUIREKEY RIDGELINEPROPERTY

Perched high atop a prominent hill aboveMartinez sits a house and horse ranch

property surrounded by open space andbisected by a popular trail. The 70-acre

Schumann-Perry property is in the FranklinHills, offering panoramic views of Mt. Diablo,the Delta, the Central Valley, the Carquinez

Strait, Solano County and—on a clear day—

the Sierra Nevada mountains. Hikers in thearea are familiar with this property, becausethe California State Riding and Hiking trailruns through the middle of it.

The East Bay Regional Park District

(EBRPD) now holds an option to purchase theproperty and will probably complete the

transaction in March. The Muir Heritage LandTrust is contributing $80,000 toward the

purchase of the property by using part of ourCoastal Impact Grant funds secured for us byCongressman George Miller. The decision to

allocate a part of the Land Trust’s federalCoastal Impact Funds to this project was a joint decision of Contra Costa County,

EBRPD and the Land Trust. Use of the fundsis restricted to projects associated with the

Carquinez Strait and its shorelines.

Acquisition of this property will at last

preserve the scenic ridgeline, help completethe existing open space, provide a buffer for

trails, and protect an important wildlifecorridor. The habitat consists of grasslandsdipping to swales flanked with oaks and bay

trees. The grasslands provide foraging habitatfor golden eagles and other raptors.

A white-tailed kite, a California protectedspecies, is nesting in the immediate area. It is

also good habitat for deer, bobcat, gray foxand songbirds. The threatened Alameda

whipsnake and the California red-legged frog

are known to live in several locations in thearea and may also be present.

Public monies from Measure AA andProposition 12 will pay for the remainder of

the purchase and acquisition costs, totalingapproximately $1,300,000. The property is a

key location that will complete the FranklinRidge section of the EBRPD’s Carquinez

Strait Regional Shoreline park (see map).The acquisition will preserve a vital wildlifecorridor and maintain the scenic integrity of a

major state trail. It also demonstrates howpartnerships among public and privateagencies can help complete projects that

would be difficult for one organization alone.

Map courtesty of the East Bay Regional Park District

The red-legged frog is federally listed as an endangered

species. Habitat protection will

be vital to its survival.

Dr.MarkJennings



4

ALHAMBRA CREEK PROJECT GAINS MOMENTUM

Amuch-anticipatedrestoration andenvironmental

education program forAlhambra Creek in Martinez

has at last received thefunding needed to launch theproject. The section of creek

to be restored is adjacent tothe Vicente Martinez High

School campus, and creek management will be theresponsibility of the students

at the alternative high school.

The Muir Heritage LandTrust has secured a $197,400grant from the California

Department of WaterResources for the project.

The ideas, enthusiasm andsupport generated by severalagencies has been vital,

including the Martinez Adult

School, Friends of AlhambraCreek, the Urban CreeksCouncil and the City of Martinez. These groups have

been working together on theproject for three years.

Educational workshops willbe held during the design

process to incorporate inputfrom the community.

Restoration will be conductedunder the guidance of theUrban Creeks Council. The

restoration plans include: 1)planning and design, 2)

removing failed gabions(rock-filled wire) and non-native plants, 3) constructing

a new creek channel, 4)installing native plants and

irrigation. The nativevegetation will be plantedwith the help of student

volunteers. Construction isscheduled for 2004.

Once restoration is complete,students will collect data and

monitor the creek inconjunction with the Urban

Creeks Council. The goal isa creek with minimal erosionand reduced flooding.

Students will also conduct

maintenance tasks as needed.

The Martinez City Councilhas committed an additional

$10,000 toward the program,and City Engineer Tim

Tucker is on the committeedeveloping the project. Othercommittee members include

Marshall Burgamy, Directorof Alternative and

Continuing Education for theMartinez Unified SchoolDistrict, Igor Skaredoff of

Friends of Alhambra Creek,Steve Donnelly of the Urban

Creeks Council and BethPardieck, StewardshipAssociate of the Muir

Heritage Land Trust.

The Land Trust will hire anEducation Coordinator to

plan a curriculum and beginteaching this fall. The part-

time position is funded foronly one year, and thecommittee is hoping to secure

long-term funding.

“We hope this is the first stepin developing a compre-hensive environmental

education program with theschool district,” said Tina

Batt, Land Trust ExecutiveDirector. “Environmentaleducation is an important part

of our mission.” The LandTrust is able to lend its

expertise to projects such asthis through member support.

Beth Pardieck will overseedistribution of the funds and

development of theenvironmental program. “It’sa wonderful project,” said

Pardieck. “Students arealready getting involved.”

Annual creek cleanups sponsoredby the Friends of Alhambra Creek

and the Muir Heritage Land Trust

bring helpers of all ages (photosabove and below).



5

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR’S REPORT

By Tina Batt

Iwant to extend a special thank you andwelcome to all our new members who joined us last fall. The Muir Heritage

Land Trust is as strong and successful as thepeople who support us. Our community of

donors has grown tremendously over the past15 years. Not only are our members living allover the Bay Area and beyond, our Board of

Directors now represents a number of communities within our region. Please take

a moment to read the Board biographies(page 6) and you will recognize the strengthof our leadership.

The Land Trust Board and staff met recently

to plan next year’s acquisitions and programs.While we have a long list of projects, ourhope is that negotiations on a new acquisition

will be finalized in March.

We also plan to conclude negotiations on adonation of a private property in Orinda, as

among them a Department of WaterResources $197,000 grant towards restoring a

section of Alhambra Creek in partnership

with other agencies (see article on page 4).High school students will be activelyinvolved in the restoration and managementof the project area.

It has become clear to our Board of Directors

that we need to serve a number of commun-ities in our region, including Lamorinda,Martinez and the Franklin Ridge, and West

County. The diversity of acquisition,stewardship, and environmental education

projects that have been identified within thisbroader region provides a challenge to ourorganizational capacity. We anticipated

meeting this challenge when we started theMuir Heritage Land Preservation Campaign.

The Campaign will end this summer and welook forward to achieving our goals, both in

terms of funds raised and—most important—in terms of the acres of land and miles of

trails preserved. We are developing andfunding our stewardship and environmentaleducation programs to ensure the future of

these acquisitions. The Alhambra Creek Project is a beginning. When community

members and our supporters of all agesrecognize the need to take care of these lands,managing them responsibly will be easier.

The Muir Heritage Land Preservation

Campaign is a first step in building an

organization that will allow us to save thelands that must be saved. We must meet the

challenges of preserving a healthyenvironment in a rapidly developing urban

area. We must protect and retain the naturalresources and landscapes that balance ourbusy lives. We invite all of you to share in

our accomplishments and to help us achieveour goals for the coming year.

“Sorry that I will be unable to h ike with youbecause I am now disabled but maybe this

will help make it possible for future

generations to make that same hike.”

— Bruce Granicher, Walnut Creek

well as acquisition of conservation easementsin Moraga next to Las Trampas Regional

Preserve. Our Franklin Ridge acquisitionsnow extend into Hercules and the RodeoCreek watershed. Though partnerships, we

have stretched the Federal Coastal Impactfunding secured for us by CongressmanGeorge Miller to include a number of

projects. Among these are the Point SanPablo open space preservation feasibility

study, the Carquinez Strait Heritage Corridor,the Schumann-Perry acquisition (see articleon page 3), and the Pacheco Marsh

acquisition and restoration.

The recent State Park Bonds will help financea number of our current and future projects,



6

MEET THEBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board members and staff,clockwise from top left: Mary

Ann Gaebe, Peter Langley,Marj Ross, Tina Batt (Executive

Director), Don Manning , BillWeiner, Mark Wilson, DickAwenius, Sheila Grilli, Ken

Fischer, Joe Byrne, MarilynRigdon (Executive Associate),Peter Colby, Roger Dolan,Beth Pardieck (StewardshipAssociate) and Steve Pardieck.

Nancy Schaefer is absent.

The 14 members of the Board of Directors

of the Muir Heritage Land Trust provideleadership, vision and keep our

organization on track for meeting our goals. Our

Board members are from diverse backgroundsand bring a wealth of experience and knowledgeto the Land Trust. Some of these dedicatedvolunteers have been involved with the LandTrust since it began in 1988. These introductions

offer only a glimpse of who they are—we hopeyou will have the opportunity to meet them inperson at one of our functions this year.

This issue introduces half of our Board members;

the rest will be featured in the fall newsletter.

Dick AweniusDick has lived in Martinez for 29 years and his family

owns a cattle ranch west of the city that has been in the

family for 150 years. He has worked for Contra Costa

County for nearly 13 years, currently in the Public

Works Department-Real Property Division. He has a

B.S. in Business Administration and is currently

enrolled in Cal State Hayward’s Public Administration

graduate program.

Joseph ByrneJoseph is a resident of Lafayette and has been a

commercial real estate developer for the last 29 years.

He owns and manages properties in Utah, Arizona and

California. He is an avid fly fisherman, backpacker

and outdoorsman. Joseph’s thoughts about why he is

on the Board: “We in Contra Costa County have a

unique environment, blending both open space and

developed areas. As a real estate developer, I feel a

special responsibility to help preserve this unique

balance. My particular hope is to provide youth with

the opportunity to get to know and enjoy theenvironment around them.”

Peter ColbyPeter has 20 years of experience as an attorney

working in the areas of environmental law, real estate

and commercial litigation. He has served in the

Department of Justice, Environment Division, where

he defended the Environmental Protection Agency, the

Department of Energy and other government agencies

in significant litigation involving environmental issues.

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of

Virginia and received his Juris Doctor degree fromBoalt Hall School of Law, UC Berkeley. Peter’s

thoughts about serving on the Board: “I have

immigrated to California from the East Coast twice.

My second migration brought me to the hills of Contra

Costa, and I quickly fell in love with the landscape.

Since I have long been involved in environmental law

and environmental protection, naturally I was

motivated to help preserve the beauty of my new

home. Shortly after arriving I learned that The

Packard Foundation, which had been a client of mine,

had made a grant to the Land Trust. I called the Land

Trust to learn more and to lend my support. I became

a donor, then a volunteer on the Land AcquisitionCommittee, and finally a member of the Board. It has

been one of the best things I have done.”

To find out how charitable giving to theMuir Heritage Land Trust can fit into your

financial planning, call the office at(925) 228-5460.

ToddKiker



7

MEET THEBOARD (Continued)

Roger DolanRoger is a consulting Environmental Engineer who

recently retired as General Manager and Chief

Engineer of the Central Contra Costa County Sanitary

District. He has 35 years of experience in design,construction and operation of public works that protect

the water environment. He enjoys hiking and ocean

kayaking. Roger explains his Board involvement: “I

am on the Board to help support the community, and

to preserve the natural environment and quality of life

in Contra Costa County. In the coming year I would

like to see us complete the transactions on parcels we

are looking at now. These lands are excellent wildlife

habitat and would provide trail access and corridors to

the larger open space areas for both wildlife and

people. I’d also like to see the Land Trust participate

in supporting research and education about Contra

Costa wildlife.”

Ken FischerKen is a State Farm agent in Concord and has a BA in

History from UC Santa Barbara. He lives in Moraga

with his wife Martha. He serves on the Finance Com-

mittee of the Land Trust and the Risk Management

Committee of Shelter, Inc. He became a Board

member because: “I believe Contra Costa County has

a unique beauty of its own that deserves to be

preserved both for the benefit of people and wildlife.

Running, hiking and observing nature are activities I

enjoy in our open spaces, along with many other

Contra Costans. I hope to see more opportunities for

these activities in the future. I would like to see more

of the Land Trust’s potential realized during this year,

along with the purchase of sensitive properties.”

Mary Ann GaebeMary Ann is the Board Secretary and a founding

member of the Land Trust Board. She is the Business

We’re Benched!

Enjoy the view from the top of theworld in style. Eagle Scout Jason

Cho installed a bench at the top ofthe Land Trust ’s Sky Ranch for his

scout project last November. Thebench awaits visitors, who will betreated to a sweeping vista of the

Carquinez Strait. Thanks, Jason!(He’s third from the left.)

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The 8th AnnualFresh Aire Affaire will be held

on August 9 this year.Mark your calendars!

Savethe

Date

Save

S a v e t h e D a t e S a v e t h e D a t e S a v e t h e D a t e S a v e

SavetheD

ate

Save

Save the Date Save the Date Save the Date Save

Manager at Hope Center and is a Bay Area native. She

has lived in Martinez for the past 27 years with

husband Jim and has two grown sons. She is active in

numerous community organizations and serves on the

Park Advisory Committee for the East Bay Regional

Park District. Her reasons for serving on the Board: “I

worked on a Specific Plan Committee for Alhambra

Valley with Tina Batt and others for five years. Tina[now the Land Trust’s Executive Director] convinced

me that the only way we were going to preserve open

space in the Franklin and Alhambra Hills was to form a

land trust. Only a land trust could assure permanent

preservation. Here I am 14 years later, still committed

to seeing agricultural lands and wildlife habitat

protected for future generations and for the enjoyment

of this generation. I look forward to continuing the

process of identifying and acquiring critical open space

in the next few years.”

Sheila GrilliSheila is a bookstore owner and an elected Trustee of

the Contra Costa Community College District. She

holds a liberal arts degree from UC Berkeley and has

extensive experience in finance and portfolio manage-

ment. She is active in environmental organizations

such as the Sierra Club and Community Recyclers.



N o n p r o f i t O r g a n i z a t i o n

U . S . P O S T A G E

P A I D

M a r t i n e z , C A

P e r m i t N o . 1 8 9

M u i r H e r i t a g e L a n d T r u s t P . O . B o x 2 4 5 2

M a r t i n e z , C A 9 4 5 5 3

WATERCOLORNOTECARDSCAPTURELOCAL BEAUTY

A D D R E S S S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

Anew collection of beautiful notecards is

available for your specialcorrespondence. The paintings reproduced

for the notecards were exhibited at the MuirHeritage Land Trust’s Watercolor Art Showheld last June at the Pacific Wildlife Gallery

in Lafayette. The event was co-sponsoredwith the California Watercolor Association.

The wonderful paintings feature the openlands and wildlife of Contra Costa County.

Shown here is a painting entitled “What’sGood for the Goose” by Anne Fallin.

Boxed notecards are $16.00, tax included.Visit our website to view the seven different

designs. To purchase the cards, call the officeat 925-228-5460. They can also be purchasedat Bookseller bookstore in Martinez. Our

website: www.muirheritagelandtrust.org

Documents

Spring 2003 Muir Heritage Land Trust Newsletter