Open Space Happenings: 07.25.12

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The big news this week is the revelation of a $54 million surplus for the CA State Parks. We rounded up the news stories from the weekend which you can read here. Here are two additional stories:

• What's Next for the $54 Million California State Parks Surplus? (KQED)
• State parks fund stash eyed for closures (SF Chronicle)

And in other news:

• East Palo Alto celebrates a new park along the bay. A decades-long effort involving numerous federal, state and local government agencies, and countless activists culminated with the official opening of the Cooley Landing Park. (Mercury News)
• Los Angeles as Bicycling Paradise. For us Northern Californians, a perspective that might be surprising. (Bipediality)
• Ducks Unlimited to help restore wetland.California's Wildlife Conservation Board awarded the nonprofit group $8 million to improve public access and help restore portions of Eden Landing's 5,000-acre reserve.  (SF Chronicle)
• Co-founder of Save Mount Diablo dies.What started out as an effort to draw attention to the 4,000-foot peak and preserve the then 6,788-acre Mount Diablo State Park, evolved in to a movement that has helped save 110,000 acres as open space and more than 40 parks in the East Bay. (Contra Costa Times)
• $200,000 donation to save Mount Umunhum radar tower. Saying that the former Air Force radar tower atop Mount Umunhum south of San Jose is a historic building that should not be torn down, former Oakland A's owner and Santa Clara developer Steve Schott announced Friday that he will donate $200,000 to help save the structure. (Mercury News)
• California Coastal Trail connects Midcoast community. Within two years, the old stretch of Highway One at Devil's Slide will be converted for the use of fair-footed travelers as part of the Devil’s Slide California Coastal Trail that winds from Montara to Pacifica. A management plan for the trail was finalized Friday. (Half Moon Bay Review)
• Bay Area Landscape Likely to Come Up Short on Water. We hear a lot about how climate change will affect rainfall in California, but climate scientists are increasingly looking at a new indicator: water deficit. (KQED Blog) Note: The Conservation Lands Network is involved in this work!

 

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This is your weekly helping of land conservation news for the Bay Area. Scroll through past Happenings by clicking here.