Concord's chance for a great park

Nearly 140 years ago community leaders in San Francisco came together to create Golden Gate Park, one of the world's great parks, home to over a million trees and 120 bird species - in what has become one of the densest cities in the nation. With the conversion of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) to civilian use, Concord has a similar opportunity (see May-June Yodeler, page 16; and July-August 2006, page 6).

Despite the tremendous development pressures in Central Contra Costa, decades of military reservation have spared these eight square miles of land, over 5,000 acres. There will probably never again be such a large intact parcel available nearby. Conservation, neighborhood, and other community groups are proposing the vision of a world-class regional park, accessible by BART from all over the Bay Area.

Mount Diablo Audubon has had access to the CNWS for our annual Christmas Bird Count for over 40 years. This magical sanctuary for wildlife seldom sees human activity and is fairly undisturbed. East of Mount Diablo Creek are rolling hills with native grasses, unusual habitats and a long list of rare plant and animal species. Parts of the creek are surrounded by woodlands. Our annual bird count generally finds 50 - 60 species, almost always including one or two not found elsewhere in our count circle that day. Last year we had a long-eared owl. CNWS is usually the only place we see prairie falcons. Many raptors use the open lands to hunt for prey.

Through the center of CNWS runs Mount Diablo Creek, a key wildlife corridor for many species. It is one of the longest and least-developed urban creeks in Northern California, its headwaters beginning high on Mount Diablo and in Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve and flowing to Suisun Bay. With some restoration, a 300-foot-wide buffer around the creek will protect the riparian zone and a large portion of the site's wildlife. Picture a creek restored with salmon and trout and supporting diverse species around it.

In addition, the lands east of the creek to the ridgeline of the Los Medanos hills can form the extent of the park. This is enough space for tule elk to be returned to the land they roamed until recent decades.

No new roads should be added here, and traffic should be limited to serve the park. Trails should be added for hikers, equestrians, and cyclists. The East Bay Regional Park District is interested in overseeing these lands; Concord, the largest city in Contra Costa, is also the only major city in the East Bay without a regional park.

The California Native Plant Society has begun some monitoring of plant species and would like to see restoration of native-plant communities.

Along the base's western boundary, stretching from the North Concord BART station, we're proposing a major urban park to serve the entire area, to unify the project with Concord and buffer existing neighborhoods, and as a location for a variety of more intensive park uses from museums to sports fields.

These wonderful places should be protected and available to the public. The old saying "Swords to Plowshares" seems appropriate: from a weapons-storage facility to a beautiful integrated park system.

The parks would help balance the impacts of development centered around the North Concord BART station and in "bunker city" west of Mount Diablo Creek. These 1,000 acres - an area greater than the entire city of Emeryville (800 acres) or San Francisco's Mission Bay (330 acres) - have plenty of room for smart, transit-oriented development with green buildings, close to transportation, and near existing commercial development. The mix can include income-producing property, affordable housing, and art and cultural centers.

The conversion of the CNWS is a unique opportunity for the residents of Concord and the region to shape development to improve our quality of life, and to create great parks.

WhatYouCanDo

To work with the Sierra Club to protect the CNWS, contact Chapter conservation manager or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 307

Jimm Edgar, president, Mount Diablo Audubon Society