SAVE MOUNT DIABLO

LAND ACQUISITION & LAND USE: SAVE MOUNT DIABLO CONTINUES LONG-TERM NEGOTIATIONS TO PROTECT IMPORTANT PROPERTIES.- CLOSED ESCROW AND ACQUIRED THE 98-ACRE GINOCHIO SCHWENDEL PROPERTY FOR $1,370,000 PLUS CLOSING COSTS IN MARCH 2025. IT IS ADJACENT TO SMD'S MARSH CREEK 5 PROPERTY. IT INCLUDES AN UNDERCROSSING OF MARSH CREEK ROAD FOR WILDLIFE AND A SEGMENT OF MARSH CREEK, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY'S SECOND LONGEST AND MOST UNDISTURBED CREEK. IT IS A STRATEGIC PIECE OF THE MARSH CREEK WATERSHED CONTAINING RARE VOLCANIC HABITAT WITH VERY HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE.- LAND USE: SAVE MOUNT DIABLO REGULARLY MONITORS THE AGENDAS OF 70 DIFFERENT PLANNING COMMITTEES AND PUBLIC AGENCIES. THIS WORK CAN TAKE TIME AS WE RESEARCH, WRITE LETTERS, TESTIFY, AND COLLABORATE ON SOLUTIONS. WE RESPONDED TO MORE THAN A DOZEN LAND USE PROJECTS IN THE 2024 - 2025 FISCAL YEAR.- FURTHERED OUR DIABLO RANGE EXPANSION WORK DEVELOPING NEW PARTNERS AND ADVANCING ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO PROTECT IMPORTANT LANDS LIKE TESLA AND DEL PUERTO CANYON.- PREPARED FOR THE FIRST EVER DIABLO RANGE CONVENING TO BE HELD IN JUNE 2025. WE ANTICIPATE OVER 150 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING OVER 60 GROUPS DISCUSSING CONSERVATION THROUGHOUT THE DIABLO RANGE. - WE SUPPORTED OR LED THREE BALLOT MEASURE CAMPAIGNS: STATEWIDE PROP 4 CLIMATE BOND, A SAN BENITO COUNTY GROWTH CONTROL MEASURE A, AND NO ON MEASURE II IN DUBLIN TO DEFEND A TEN-YEAR-OLD URBAN LIMIT LINE WE HELPED CREATE THERE.

STEWARDSHIP: SAVE MOUNT DIABLO CURRENTLY OWNS AND/OR MANAGES 21 PROPERTIES TOTALING 2190-ACRES. SAVE MOUNT DIABLO ALSO HOLDS PERPETUAL CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON 3 PROPERTIES, TOTALING 176-ACRES.- SUCCESSFULLY STEWARDED THE THOUSANDS OF ACRES UNDER OUR CARE (PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES, REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES, REGULAR PROPERTY MONITORING, ETC.).- MORE THAN 685 VOLUNTEERS COMPLETED OVER 5,996 HOURS OF SERVICE IN THE 2024 - 2025 FISCAL YEAR. THEY HAVE SUPPORTED ALL OUR ACTIVITIES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. RECURRENT STEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEERS INCLUDE 28 PROPERTY MONITORS AND 34 VOLUNTEER STEWARDS.- VOLUNTEERS: OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEROES AND HEROINES OF LAND PRESERVATION. THEY HELP MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE, WHETHER IT BE BY HELPING RESTORE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, BECOMING A HIKE LEADER, ASSISTING WITH EVENT REGISTRATION, STAFFING AID STATIONS, TAKING PHOTOS, OR SETTING UP EQUIPMENT. THEIR HARD WORK AND GENEROSITY ARE WHAT HELP MAKE THIS ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS SO SUCCESSFUL.- STEWARDS ALSO CONTINUED MONTHLY PROPERTY OUTINGS, AND ORGANIZED SMALL WORKDAYS FOR RESTORATION PLANTINGS, WEEDING, MULCHING, WATERING NATIVE PLANTINGS AND CLEAN UP OF OUR PROPERTIES.- STAFF CONTINUED MONITORING IMPACTS TO VEGETATION IN THE JACKASS CANYON AREA, WITH CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS AND CAL FIRE, WORKING TOGETHER TO THIN, CHIP AND MANAGE HAZARDOUS FUEL LOAD IN THE AREA.- WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE, WE CONTINUED TO RELEASE REHABILITATED AMERICAN KESTRELS INTO THE MOUNT DIABLO FOOTHILLS, STRENGTHENING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS.- ADVANCED OUR 10,000 TREES AND NATIVE PLANTS PROJECT, PLANTING AND CARING FOR MORE THAN 3,000 PLANTS AT OUR RESTORATION SITES, MANY OF THOSE PLANTS BEING CALIFORNIA MILKWEED AND OTHER POLLINATOR PLANTS FOR MONARCH FORAGING, BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE.- WE MONITOR AND REMEDIATE STORM DAMAGE ON ALL OUR PROPERTIES. WE INSTALLED A SOLAR WELL AND A WILDLIFE TROUGH AT MC7 TO MAINTAIN AND STRENGTHEN WILDLIFE HABITAT AND WATER QUALITY IN MARSH CREEK. - STAFF WORKED WITH STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS TO CREATE A POLLINATOR GARDEN AT MC7, AND FENCED IT WITH CEDAR SPLIT-RAIL FENCING, TO PROTECT THE AREA FROM CATTLE THAT GRAZE FOR FIRE ABATEMENT. THIS IS ALL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A GRANT FROM CDFW TO STRENGTHEN WILDLIFE HABITAT FOR LISTED SPECIES AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN MARSH CREEK.- STAFF LED THE 4TH ANNUAL PINE CANYON CLEAN-UP WITH THE MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB, AND THE BAY AREA CLIMBERS COALITION, WHERE WE REMOVED INVASIVE SPECIES, GRAFFITI, AND TRASH FROM THE PINE CANYON AREA, AS WELL AS HAZARDOUS FUEL LOAD FROM THE ASPARA DRIVE AREA WITH A CHIPPER.- WE HOSTED MAJOR CLEAN-UP WORKDAYS, INCLUDING A COASTAL CLEAN-UP WORKDAY IN KIRKER CREEK, WITH THE HELP OF A SMALL GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO REMOVE 10 GARBAGE BAGS OF TRASH. - ON OUR COASTAL CLEANUP DAY, WE REMOVED 3,000 LBS OF DEBRIS.- IN 2025, SAVE MOUNT DIABLO FINISHED CREATING AND OPENING MORE PUBLIC TRAILS AT OUR CURRY CANYON RANCH PRESERVE WHICH MEANS OUR ORGANIZATION HAS NOW CREATED AND OPENED OVER 7 MILES OF NEW PUBLIC TRAILS, AT OUR CURRY CANYON RANCH AND MANGINI RANCH EDUCATIONAL PRESERVE, IN JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS.- STEWARDSHIP STAFF LED 4 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DAYS AT CURRY CANYON RANCH FOR MDUSD STUDENTS IN THE BACR CARES PROGRAM, EFFECTIVELY CREATING AN INSPIRING WORKDAY IN THE HILLS.