Why Environmental Groups Refuse to Support Measure W
East Bay environmental groups are not supporting Measure W. The Sierra Club, Save San Francisco Bay, East Bay League of Conservation Voters, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Citizens for Oakland's Open Space, Alameda County Green Party, Dunsmuir Ridge Alliance, San Leandro Coalition for Responsible Planning, Friends of Claremont Canyon, Friends of Wildcat Canyon, Contra Costa Shoreline Parks and the Regional Parks Association have refused to endorse Measure W.
In addition to this rapidly growing list, you can include the John George Democratic Club, Berkeley Citizens Action, El Cerrito Democratic Club, and the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club.
Why?
The Park District has operated with contempt for the public process whenever it conflicts with management's own agenda, often an agenda without public input. For example, the East Bay Hills firebreak, clearcutting of eucalyptus trees and renewal of cattle grazing leases all occur without EIR analysis -- over the protests of environmental groups.
Some of the issues:
1) The District's scheme for firebreaks includes the destruction of native vegetation which in turn leads to encroachment of more flammable, non-native plants that actually increases the risk of fire. They have an extremely poor firebreak creation and maintenance track record.
2) Just this month, environmental groups sued to stop the District from renewing cattle grazing leases without preparing an EIR.
3) As a fiscal note: EIR-less clearcutting at Anthony Chabot Regional Park allowed a private contractor to make up to $3 million dollars by reselling the timber. Our public resources are being given away to private interests while the District claims it needs more money for operating expenses.
4) The District offers a program to developers whereby the destruction of endangered species habitat on private land is "mitigated" through "enhancements" to our public lands (Resource Enhancement Procedures, EBRPD, January 1998). For example, the District sent a letter to Army Corps of Engineers advising that District lands might be "enhanced" in order to mitigate the destruction of red legged frog habitat at Gateway Valley.
5) District staff, in response to political/developer pressure, has used the EIR process to make unsupportable claims that impacts of subdivisions on our wilderness parks are not significant.
6) Mismanagement of personnel has resulted in low employee morale. The District should not have come forward with a ballot measure at a time when management's conflicts with its employees were about to make headlines and when many of the District's strongest supporters had been alienated -- but District leadership was not listening -- they still aren't listening.
7) The District sends top managers and elected Directors on expensive junkets around the country and the world, but has proposed to charge school children fees to learn from District naturalists. One of the board members recently traveled to Australia, yet the District claims they are short of funds for operation and maintenance.
Measure W is flawed:
1) The tax is unfairly structured. Businesses and developers pay nothing.
2) There is no sunset clause. If the District seems disinterested in public input now, imagine how it will be if Measure W passes -- what incentive would they have to encourage public participation when the funding is forever -- with no need for voter renewal in the future?
3) The tax dollars can be used for any purpose -- it is not restricted to any specific wish list or category of expense -- for example, it could be used to defend against costly lawsuits brought by environmental groups determined to implement CEQA.
Measure W is part of the District's two-part strategy toward "Measure AA Renewal". This should have been an opportunity to reach out to traditional supporters and bring folks into the process -- to find out what local "hooks" will generate public interest in District funding plans. Unfortunately, the District blew it. They moved forward with Measure W quietly, but rapidly -- which only worsened tensions.
Many traditional park supporters have deeply felt objections to the District's agenda; objections that will not go away regardless of what happens in November. If District leadership does not change direction now, we believe the public debate could spill over and adversely effect the prospects for future District funding; including Measure AA Renewal.
Please help us send a wake up call to the Park District by rejecting Measure W. We should not be giving the Park District more money to continue this mismanagement of our parks.
Paul Merrick
Alameda County Co-Chair
Friends of Parks