While celebrating one milestone in its history, the East Bay Regional Park District just achieved another. This year is the 75th anniversary of the park district’s establishment in 1934. And in action on Tuesday (Oct. 20), the park district board of directors voted to authorize a land acquisition that takes the district over the 100,000-acre mark.

On October 20, Board members voted to purchase 1,156 acres of the Tyler Ranch, located adjacent to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park near the town of Sunol.

The property extends for almost 3 ½ miles along Sunol Ridge, rising nearly 2,000 feet from Niles Canyon below. It consists of steep, heavily vegetated slopes, with open grasslands and rock outcrops on the ridge tops. The diversity of habitat makes for abundant wildlife, including raptors such as golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and prairie falcons. Views from the ridge tops are spectacular.

“Reaching the 100,000-acre milestone is especially appropriate on the park district’s 75th anniversary,” said park district general manager Pat O’Brien. “It carries forward the vision of the district’s founders, whose goal was to preserve as much as possible of the East Bay’s beautiful wildlands for future generations.”

East Bay Regional Park District: Board Material for October 20, 2009 Meeting (PDF) 

East Bay Regional Park District: Official Press Release

Contra Costa Times [10/17/2009]: East Bay Parks to Reach 100,000-acre Mark

Bay Nature Video: Hiking the Tyler Ranch with EBRPD's Bob Doyle


Video Copyright @ 2010 | Courtesy of Bay Nature Institute 

---

East Bay Regional Park District - 100K Acre Milestone

Video Copyright @ 2009 | Ccourtesy of KTVU, Oakland, CA 

>||<