Citizens for East Shore Parks facts for kids
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| Established | 1985 |
| Founders | Dwight E. Steele, Norman La Force, Sylvia McLaughlin |
| President | Shirley Dean |
| Exec. Dir. | Robert Cheasty |
| Membership | 3,000 |
| Non-profit type | 501(c)3 |
| Focus | Open space preservation, Natural habitat restoration, Environmental justice |
| Area Served | East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) |
| Location | Albany, CA United States |
| Homepage | www.eastshorepark.org |
Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP) is an important United States environmental group. They work to save and create parks in the San Francisco Bay Area. CESP helps protect open spaces along the East Bay shoreline. They do this to save nature and create places for people to have fun.
Since starting in 1985, CESP has helped protect about 1,800 acres (730 ha) of public land. A big part of their work was creating the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) long Eastshore State Park in 2002. They use advocacy, education, and outreach to achieve their goals.
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What is CESP's Main Goal?
The main goal of Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP) is to protect and improve the natural areas of the east shore of San Francisco Bay. They also want to create more chances for recreation and learning. Their big dream is to connect all the shoreline parks from the Oakland Estuary to the Carquinez Strait, like a "necklace" of parks.
How CESP is Organized
CESP has a team of twenty-five volunteer Board of Directors. These are community leaders, environmentalists, and public officials. They have a long history of working to protect the environment in the East Bay. Some well-known members include Tom Bates, Robert Cheasty, Shirley Dean, and Sylvia McLaughlin. Many board members also work on smaller teams that focus on specific environmental issues.
Even though CESP does a lot of work, they have a very small staff. An executive director manages the daily tasks. They also get help from interns and many volunteers.
The Story of CESP: Protecting the Shoreline
CESP started in 1985 to stop a big development plan. A railroad company wanted to build a lot of things along the Berkeley and Albany waterfront. People in the East Bay had already been working to protect the San Francisco Bay. They wanted to save its shoreline from harmful building projects.
A group of environmentalists, public officials, and concerned citizens came together. They formed "Citizens for the Eastshore State Park." Their first goal was to create a state park. This park would permanently protect the shoreline for public use and recreation.
Saving Land for Parks
By 1990, people in Albany, Berkeley, and Emeryville voted to protect the open spaces along the shoreline. Because of this, the railroad company decided to sell the land instead of building on it. Citizens for the Eastshore State Park played a key role in planning the new park.
CESP helped create two successful bond measures. These measures provided money for the California Department of State Parks and the East Bay Regional Park District to buy the land. They also helped manage the park. CESP brought different groups together to agree on a shared vision for the shoreline park. They also helped connect the public with government officials.
A Park for Everyone
There was a debate about how to use North Point Isabel. This area, which used to be a waste site, was popular for park visitors. It was used as an extension of Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, where dogs could run off-leash. CESP and another group, the Sierra Club, suggested rules that would have limited recreation there. They wanted dogs to be on-leash, which would reduce the off-leash area.
Park users strongly disagreed. They gathered 20,000 signatures to show state park planners their support for off-leash areas. In 2002, the planners presented their idea for the park. Both Point Isabel and North Point Isabel remained open for off-leash recreation.
In December 2002, the California Department of State Parks approved the Eastshore State Park plan. The park officially opened in 2006. This was almost 40 years after the idea for a shoreline park first began! The park is 8.5-mile (13.7 km) long. It covers the waterfronts of Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, Albany, and Richmond. It protects over 2,000 acres (810 ha) of land and water. This area is home to sixteen rare, threatened, or endangered animal species.
In 2004, CESP changed its name. It went from "Citizens for the Eastshore State Park" to "Citizens for East Shore Parks." This new name showed their wider goal of protecting open spaces across the entire East Bay.
Protecting More Land
In 2006, CESP successfully fought to protect the Albany shoreline. A company wanted to build a large shopping mall there. This mall would have split the Eastshore State Park in two. CESP's efforts stopped this from happening.
Leading up to 2008, CESP worked with local groups in Richmond. They created a plan to protect the Richmond shoreline. This plan focused on open space, public access, habitat protection, and recreation. CESP pushed for the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) to buy Breuner Marsh. This area is important for nature. After a court case, the EBRPD was able to buy the land in 2008. This helped save and restore over 200 acres (80 ha) of the North Richmond Shoreline.
CESP also played a big part in creating the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex. It opened in 2008. CESP worked with groups like the Sierra Club and Golden Gate Audubon. They convinced the EBRPD to buy a 16-acre (6.5 ha) lot from Golden Gate Fields. This land was in the middle of the Eastshore State Park. CESP helped bring together five cities along the park and the EBRPD. Many sports groups also helped. Their hard work led to the complex opening in 2008. It was named after Tom Bates, who was CESP Vice President and Mayor of Berkeley. This honored his many years of work to create the Eastshore State Park.
What CESP is Working on Now
CESP is currently focusing its efforts on two main areas: Eastshore State Park and Richmond.
Improving Eastshore State Park
CESP continues to support the Eastshore State Park. This includes restoring natural habitats and adding public facilities. One current project is building a visitor's center and park entrance at the Brickyard site in Berkeley. CESP is working with park agencies to help plan this project.
CESP is also involved in many habitat restoration projects. The Eastshore State Park plan aims to improve different ecosystems in the park. For example, the Berkeley Meadow is being restored. This project will bring back wetlands and create native grasslands. The City of Albany and East Bay Regional Park District are doing a similar project at the Albany Plateau. These projects will help threatened animals like the northern harrier, white-tailed kite, and western burrowing owl.
CESP is also watching the Albany Waterfront Visioning Process. The Albany City Council is thinking about what to do with the Golden Gate Fields racetrack if it closes. CESP is working with local residents. They want a plan that restores the environment and adds the site to Eastshore State Park. They also want to make sure any new development is responsible.
Protecting Richmond's Shoreline
The City of Richmond is updating its General Plan. This plan will decide how land is used for the next 30 years. CESP is working to convince Richmond to create a plan that protects and improves public access to its 32 miles (51 km) of shoreline. CESP also teaches Richmond residents about the benefits of public parks.
CESP has a three-part vision for the Richmond shoreline. The first part is about the North Richmond Shoreline. This area goes from Point Pinole to Wildcat Creek Marsh. It has rich nature and shoreline marshes. CESP wants this area to be parkland and open space, with no more building.
Another important area is Point San Pablo Peninsula, which includes Point Molate. A developer wants to build a large Indian casino and resort here. This could have big impacts. CESP supports creating parkland along this shoreline instead of a casino.
On the South Richmond Shoreline, CESP is concerned about the Zeneca/Cherokee site and University of California's Richmond Field Station. The Zeneca site is one of the most polluted sites in California. CESP wants a full clean-up and restoration of this area. They also oppose housing development plans for this site. CESP wants to add the shoreline to the Eastshore State Park after it is cleaned up.
Working Together: CESP's Partners
CESP works with many local environmental groups and foundations. They all share similar goals.
Groups CESP Works With
- Golden Gate Audubon Society
- Sierra Club
- Save The Bay
- NRSOSA (North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance)
- Oakland Waterfront Coalition
- Berkeley Partners for Parks
- California Native Plant Society
- Environmental Defense
- Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge
- Friends of Aquatics Park
- Oceanic Society
- Regional Parks Association
- Urban Creeks Council
- Contra Costa Hills Club
- California State Parks Foundation
- Citizens for the Albany Shoreline
- Ecology Center
Images for kids
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Some CESP Board Members, staff and friends at an open house.
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The Eastshore State Park stretches from Richmond to Oakland.
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Breuner Marsh, in Richmond, recently acquired by East Bay Regional Park District.
