Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
VALLEY
Look inside for this Activity Guide
THE
SENTINEL always for the community
valleysentinel.com
February 2012
VOL 17, NO 2
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
SPOTLIGHT
2012 Street Smarts program reaching out to K-12 By Denise Rousset
On January 13th, the Street Smarts program kicked off its 2012 program with a presentation at the San Ramon Valley Unified school District offices in Danville. Terry Koehne, Community Relations director for the school district and member of the Program Advisory Committee introduced the spokespersons for the
See SMARTS page 4
ECRWSS
Postmaster: Dated Material
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
(From left to right) Street Smarts program presentations were made by San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson, San Ramon Valley Fire District Chief Richard Price, San Ramon Valley Unified school District President Greg Marvel, and Danville Mayor Candace Anderson.
This spectacular view is seen from part of the new acquisition of Galvin Ranch (62 acres). It was transferred with Moss Rock (20 acres) to East Bay Regional Parks District expanding the Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. The preservation of critical habitat by the parks district and Save Mt. Diablo is worth celebrating! For more information on how you can see this land and perhaps help preserve open space visit SaveMtDiablo.org. Photo by Brad Heckman
Save Mount Diablo Adds to Morgan Territory: Two Transfers to the East Bay Regional Park District Morgan Territory Regional Preserve will grow larger as two of Save Mount Diablo’s properties are transferred to the East Bay Regional Park District in the next few weeks. Both Moss Rock, 20 acres acquired in 2010, and Joseph Galvin Ranch, 62 acres acquired in 2003, will be added to the Preserve thanks to funding from the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy. Both parcels have lovely stretches of Marsh Creek, critical habitat and a wildlife corridor for both common and rare species such as California red-legged frog. The Mount Diablo globe lily and Diablo sunflower, both endemic, or limited to the Mount Diablo area, have been found on the properties as well.
Joseph Galvin Ranch, marked on Morgan Territory Road by two white bridges, is especially rich in biodiversity given its mosaic of habitats including the creek’s riparian vegetation, chaparral, grassland and blue oak woodland. M o s s Ro c k , w h i c h i s surrounded on three sides by protected land, will remove the threat of development from the area to maintain uninterrupted oak-bay woodland rising from the creek into Mount Diablo State Park. These resources make the lands a high priority for preservation. Their habitat and locations make the properties excellent recreational additions to the Park District.
“We are very pleased to be able to acquire these lands that are strategically located adjacent to existing preserved lands, allowing us to link existing and future trails and habitat corridors,” said EBRPD Board President Beverly Lane. “The Galvin Ranch parcel, about 61 acres of pristine habitat, is especially beautiful.” Save Mount Diablo secures land when opportunities arise, thanks to the support of individual donors, then restores them until a long term managing agency, like the East Bay Regional Park District, can add them to their park system often with the help of public funds, like those
Special Sections inside... Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. 390 Diablo Road, Ste. 145 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
Senior Living
Pages 7-9
Kids’ Camps
Page 11
of the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy. “The Conservancy is happy to work with Save Mount Diablo and East Bay Regional Park District to protect these valuable properties. They help achieve a fast start in implementing the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation Plan, which is designed to balance endangered species protection with future growth” said John Kopchik, Executive Director of the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, which provided much of the funding in this case. Even though the properties were bargains, both properties’ values have declined steeply See MT. DIABLO page 4