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Save Pittsburg Hills: Contact Pittsburg City Council
Faria project in red, covering more than 600 acres of the hills above Pittsburg Image courtesy Coalition to Save Pittsburg’s Hills
A Seeno project to develop 1,500 houses on the beautiful hills next to the Concord Naval Weapons Station threatens the new regional park there. The project, called the Faria/Southwest Hills Annexation, would annex more than 600 acres of hills into the City of Pittsburg and allow houses to be built directly on the ridgeline overlooking the regional park. These houses would be highly visible and a huge eyesore. They would also be located far from services such as transit and shopping, which would increase traffic in the area. Wildlife species likely impacted by this Project include Golden Eagle, White-tailed Kite, Ferruginous Hawk, Western Burrowing Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, Grasshopper Sparrow, Tri-colored Blackbird, California Tiger Salamander and California Red-legged Frog.
Please tell the Pittsburg City Council that you oppose this project by emailing them at citycouncil@ci.pittsburg.ca.us.
Save Tesla Park From Becoming an Off-Highway Vehicle Wasteland
Tesla is a fragile, biologically diverse ecosystem southeast of Livermore that is home to seven threatened and endangered species and habitats, and more than 50 rare ones, including mammals, rodents, birds, amphibians, plants and wildflowers, but is presently planned to be added to Carnegie SVRA. Tesla is part of an Audubon Important Bird Area, and includes a Critical Linkage Wildlife/Habitat Corridor; Golden Eagles nest and forage within its boundaries.
Legislation sponsored by our local State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and State Senator Stephen Glazer would have allowed the Tesla property to be sold to a local conservation organization, with the proceeds to be returned to the Off-highway Vehicle Fund. Unfortunately the bill was recently vetoed by Governor Newsom. According to the governor’s veto message, “There is no evidence that the Department (of Parks and Recreation) has failed to conduct sufficient study of the property or is mismanaging this state resource. The park was purchased for the benefit of all Californians and should remain a state park.” A site visit to the existing Carnegie SVRA area might have enlightened him.
The fight for permanent preservation of Tesla Park will now shift to the courts. A coalition of public agencies, public officials and community organizations such as the Sierra Club, Save Mount Diablo, the California Native Plant Society and Mt. Diablo Audubon remain opposed to the Off-highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission’s plan to expand OHV use into Tesla. To support this effort, please visit teslapark.org to make a donation.
