Newsletter & Links

	Regional Parks Association *Newsletters &* *Links to Environmental Info*
*march 2008* *(click here to view)*	Topics in march 2008 Issue: RPA Annual Meeting Topic, April 13: Wind Turbines Kill Thousands of Birds at Altamont Events calendar EBRPD bond issue upcoming RPA Directors ramble the parks A fish story
*November 2007* *(click here to view)*	Topics in November 2007 Issue: Concord Naval Weapons Station plans include possibility of 80% open space Current grasslands study for EBRPD presented at RPA board meeting A look at EBMUD's grazing policies Keeley to speak on fire hazard reduction at CCC Annual Meeting Amelia Wilson wins Elsie Roemer Conservation Award
*March 2007* *(click here to view)*	Topics in March 2007 Issue: Why is RPA so interested in grazing issues?
*November 2006* *(click here to view)*	Topics in November 2006 Issue: New report on cattle grazing New Briones grazing plan RPA cooperates with the California Native Plant Society An invitation to RPA Board meetings
*August 2006* *(click here to view)*	Topics in August 2006 Issue: Two new parks planned in Oakland and Concord Report on Annual Meeting Vargas Plateau plan
*February 2006* *(click here to view)*	Topics in February 2006 Issue: EBRPD votes to remove campground proposal from Sibley Volcanic LUP EBRPD Board member Jean Siri passes away RPA Annual Meeting announcement
*November 2005* *(click here to view)*	Topics in November 2005 Issue: Hulet Hornbeck Trail dedicated in Martinez on his 86th Birthday Park District response to Sibley LUP comments is deeply disappointing RPA Board appoints Carroll Williams
*May 2005* *(click here to view)*	Topics in May 2005 Issue: Annual Meeting Presentation by Douglas Bell, EBRPD Wildlife Program Manager, on Prairie Falcon conservation RPA By-Laws Amended Value of RPA Membership by Hulet Hornbeck New Trails Considered for Opening to Bicycle Ridership Treasure Trove of Memories Recorded for Posterity
*March 2005* *(click here to view)*	Topics in March 2005 Issue: New EBRPD Wildlife Program Manager to Address RPA Busy Times for RPA Board Several Guests Attend RPA Monthly Board Meetings EBRPD Land Use Plans are Flawed Links to Related Information: Letter to EBRPD regarding proposed Coyote Hills LUP Amended by-laws
*December 2004* *(click here to view)*	Topics in December 2004 Issue: New Research Takes Hard Look at Old Fire and Vegetation Management Practices Long-Time General Manager Richard Trudeau died November 22 Happy Birthday East Bay Parks! More Good News on Gateway Property Important LUP'S on Deck (See below) Who was Aurelia Reinhardt? Hairy Weevil not Doing its Job Volunteer with RPA Board Get Out There and Enjoy Links to Related Information: Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve Land Use Plan (comment deadline January 31) Letter to EBRPD regarding proposed LUP Explanatory note for RPA members
*January 2004* *(click here to view)*	Topics in January 2004 Issue: Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness LUP Severely Criticized Concerns About Park District Fire Suppression Measures Controversial Dam Measure on CC County Ballot Gateway Project Bans Cattle Grazing CC County Creeks & Watersheds Symposium RPA Hike to Coyote Hills & Upcoming Events Links to Related Information: EBRPD Sunol-Ohlone Land Use Plan Draft LUP (Sept 2003) Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (Sept 2003) Alternative W - Wilderness Alternative (July 2003) EBRPD Response to Alternative W (Sept 2003) RPA Comment Letter Regional Water Quality Control Board Comment Letter Creeks & Watershed Symposium Contra Costa Watershed Forum Contra Costa County Watershed Atlas
*July 2003* *(click here to view)*	Topics in July 2003 Issue: Commercial Cattle Grazing Continues on EBRPD Land Coyote Hills Planning to Contend With Major Issues RPA Archival Treasures Environmentalists' Concerns About Los Vaqueros
*March 2003* *(click here to view)*	Topics in March 2003 Issue: 2003 Annual membership meeting & guest speaker New website online Cattle grazing in EBRPD under increasing scrutiny RPA presents Welfare Ranching Book to EBRPD Board Members Membership survey to guide RPA priorities for 2003 RPA members mourn recent death of Dr. Dan Lutens EBRPD events calendar and news Links to Related Information: Annual Meeting Guest Speaker Richard Rayburn Chief, Natural Resources Division California State Parks "Natural Landscape Preservation and the Role of Livestock Grazing in Park Preservation" Notes on Mr. Rayburn's Presentation
*Links to Other* *Information*	Other Bay Area conservation groups: California Native Plant Society (East Bay Chapter) Center for Biological Diversity Preserve Lamorinda Open Space (Moraga/Orinda) Regional Parks Association Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society Save Gateway Valley (Orinda) Save Mount Diablo Statewide/National conservation groups: California Native Plant Society California Oak Foundation Center for Biological Diversity Western Watersheds Project RangeNet Regulatory Agencies: California Department of Fish and Game U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Water Quality Control Board Public Safety Dangers from Free-Roaming Cattle (PDF documents): The following complaint was filed with the CA State Attorney General's office in May 2003. Despite the extensive data filed with this complaint that clearly shows free-roaming cattle in areas of public access are lethal, the Attorney General chose to ignore it. Public Complaint filed with CA State Attorney General [Note: Large file - 17.1MB] Correspondence relating to Public Complaint filed with CA State Attorney General The following are some additional examples that have occurred since the complaint was filed: Hiker Recounts Horrifying Experience of Being Attacked by a Cow in the EBRPD Public Records Request Uncovers Attacks by Bulls on EBRPD Park Users EBMUD Manager Tells of Cow Attack on Hiker Researcher Contacts EBRPD Board about Aggressive Cows in EBRPD LA Times: Hikers being attacked by EBRPD cows Ecologist-Hiker Conveys Frustration Caused by Aggressive Cows in EBRPD Equestrian attacked by cattle Free-roaming Swiss cows in the wild are danger to hikers Woman in coma after cow attack Hikers warned after cow attack 2000 lb Cow attacks woman Cattle Grazing Impacts on the Landscape: The following is a presentation made to the Redwood-Sequoia Congress on October 26, 2003 on the impacts of cattle grazing. The presentation dispels some of the myths about cattle grazing and provides numerous photographs showing the progressive damage that occurs. Presentation to Redwood-Sequoia Congress 26Oct03 (.ppt) [Note: Power Point file - 7.3MB] Presentation to Redwood-Sequoia Congress 26Oct03 (.pdf) [Note: Adobe Acrobat file - 4.7MB] Documentation on Cattle Grazing Impacts at Sycamore Valley Open Space: The following links are to reports written on the ongoing cattle grazing damage at the East Bay Regional Park District's Sycamore Valley Open Space in Danville. An Assault on Biodiversity in Name of Wildlands & Habitat Preservation The Truth About the EBRPD Grazing Task Force Review & Impacts of Grazing in the EBRPD http://rangenet.org/directory/schneiderg/2002report/ The following is a testimonial about this report from a retired Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Range Conservationist. California's East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) contains about 80,000 acres of open space. While EBRPD is charged with preserving and protecting these parks on behalf of the public, they license the use of about 60,000 acres for grazing by domestic livestock. In this report, Greg Schneider looks at the impacts of this grazing program from the viewpoint of a frequent park user, and he includes hundreds of photographs to illustrate the excellent points that he makes. -- *Larry Walker, Range Conservationist (retired)* EBRPD Grazing Policy Violations Report Overgrazing & Hydrologic Erosion at Sycamore Valley Open Space - North http://rangenet.org/directory/schneiderg/violationsjan03/index.html
	RPA Members: If you have news to announce or something you would like to contribute to the newsletter please send an e-mail to the Editor of the newsletter at: newsletter@RegionalParksAssociation.org