Park District's Prepare & Protect Wildfire Protection Newsletter Offers Tips on Fire Safety

The East Bay Regional Park District plays a major role in fire prevention and protection of park visitors, staff, and natural and cultural resources. While our efforts to reduce the risk of severe wildfires and prepare for wildfires are extensive, it is the collective efforts of homeowners and neighbors that can have the greatest impact. To inform and educate members of the public, the Park District has issued its annual wildfire protection newsletter, Prepare & Protect . The newsletter includes tips to reduce the impacts of wildfire, updates from around the District, and helpful wildfire protection resources. The Park District reminds everyone to be alert to fire dangers and to pay attention and follow fire advisories, warnings, and signs.

Park District Board Votes to Ban Glyphosate Use in Developed Park Areas by End of 2020

On Tuesday, July 16, the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors unanimously approved Resolution 2019-07-187 calling for an immediate ban on glyphosate use in picnic areas and full elimination in developed park areas by the end of 2020. Glyphosate is currently used as part of the Park District’s pest integration management program for fire ignition prevention and vegetation maintenance around park structures, fences, walkways, parking areas, and in public right-of-way areas including roads, bike paths, and trails. Over the past two years, the Park District reduced glyphosate use by 66% for park maintenance. More info .

Two FREE 85th Anniversary Concerts Slated for August – Join the Celebration!

Enjoy two free concerts this month to celebrate the Park District’s 85 ^th Anniversary! The first concert is Friday, August 9 at 5:30 pm at Crown Beach (Crab Cove) in Alameda and will feature Jazz Mafia , bringing concert-goers a mix of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, and electronica. The second is Friday, August 23 at 6:00 pm at Contra Loma in Antioch and will feature the David Perez Band, delivering an energetic mix of Latin pop/rock, Cumbia, Tex Mex, and Salsa. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Other upcoming free concerts include:

A formal signing ceremony took place Saturday, July 13 at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station to celebrate the transfer of 2,216 acres to the East Bay Regional Park District for a future Regional Park. The transfer was the culmination of more than 20 years of community support and advocacy. An additional 327 acres are set to transfer to the Park District at a later date.

“This is a great day for the Park District and all East Bay residents,” said East Bay Regional Park District General Manager Robert Doyle. “It’s not every day the public gets a new park the size of Tilden R egional Park that is protected forever.”

Opening the park is expected to take several years and require significant financial resources. Public access is expected to come first to the southern portions of the park between Bailey Road and Kirker Pass Road. More info .

Interactive Story Map Highlights Park District History – 85 Years of East Bay Regional Parks

The founding and history of the East Bay Regional Park District is an inspirational story, starting in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of pristine watershed land suddenly became available for purchase. Farsighted civic leaders had a vision: to protect the land forever from development and balance wilderness preservation with public enjoyment. To tell the Park District’s story in a new way, we turned to the power of modern-day maps and multimedia, using Esri Story Maps to combine interactive maps with narrative text, images, and audio/video content. Visit our Park District Story Map to gain a historical perspective on the largest regional park agency in the nation.

Water Safety Update:

FREE Loaner Lifejackets available at all Regional Park Swim Facilities 

Water safety is a top priority for the Park District. To help keep visitors safe at our swim facilities, the Park District offers free loaner life jackets for non-swimmers and anyone interested, adults and children alike. The District also encourages visitors to swim in designated swim areas with a lifeguard on duty, obey all rules and posted signs, and sign up for swim lessons . More info . 

The East Bay Regional Park District, in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Contra Costa County, Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and the City of Brentwood, is working to identify a preferred alignment and conceptual design for a new 3-mile segment of the Marsh Creek Trail from Vineyards Parkway in Brentwood to Round Valley Regional Preserve. The public is invited to the second of three public meetings on Wednesday, August 14 at 7:00 pm to discuss project objectives, issues, and alignment options. The meeting will take place at the Brentwood Community Center, Hall B, 35 Oak St., Brentwood, CA 94513. More info .

The new Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline sign was recently installed at the park entrance, the final step of its official renaming process. In 2016, the Park District board of directors renamed the shoreline park to the Ted and Kathy Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline in honor of Ted Radke and his wife, Kathy. Ted Radke served on the Park District Board from 1978 to 2014 and was instrumental in preserving the Martinez waterfront, increasing funding for land acquisition, and working with legislators to protect the environment. Kathy Radke worked to save Mt. Wanda from development, preserve Franklin Hills as open space and, along with her husband, was a co-founder of the Contra Costa Ecology Action Education Institute. Explore this beautiful shoreline park with its nearly three miles of shoreline trails, picnic areas, and recreation areas. More info.

Opportunities abound to take beautiful nature photos throughout the East Bay Regional Park District. During the month of August, visitor centers at Big Break in Oakley and Crab Cove in Alameda will exhibit a selection of photos taken by visitors throughout the District’s 73 parks. Check the schedule below to plan a visit to the visitor centers’ photography exhibitions.

Big Break: Entries are due August 4 – there’s still time to submit a photo for consideration! The reception/photo hike is scheduled for August 16. Photography will be on display from Aug 16 through Aug 18 from 10am-4pm. More info .

Crab Cove: The entry period closed earlier in July. Photos will be displayed weekends in August from 10am-5pm. More info .

Park & Trail Closures | Rules & Regulations | Jobs

Volunteer Opportunities | Bids & RFPs