Habitat Conservation Projects In State Parks Backed With $2M Grant – East Bay Regional Park Gets $300K

Twelve state parks across California are set to share a $2.8 million state grant award to better protect, restore and enhance wildlife habitats, state park officials announced this week.

In Alameda County, the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District’s Foothill Trail will receive $720,000 to construct a new foot trail, bridge and signage.

In Contra Costa County, the East Bay Regional Park District will use $300,000 in grant funds to acquire 767 acres of the Finley Road Ranch in unincorporated Tassajara.

San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department is also a grant recipient, and the department plans to use their $350,000 in awards to construct a switchback trail in Twin Peaks.

The funds come from the California Conservation Fund grant program, which uses funds from the state Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 to promote biodiversity.

“These exciting projects serve as a great example of how we can conserve and protect our natural resources, combat climate change and provide better outdoor access to all Californians,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “These improvements, championed by innovative local partners, will help ensure that natural areas will thrive for generations to come. I’m proud to see that state funding will be used for such an important purpose.”

Park officials selected projects that closely aligned with California’s goal of preserving 30 percent of its lands and coastal waters by 2030, also known as 30X30. The goal stems from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2020 executive order that makes habitat conservation and biodiversity promotion an administrative priority.

“About 40 percent of the estimated 5,500 plant species found in California are found nowhere else on Earth,” said State Parks director Armando Quintero. “With funding from the California Habitat Conservation Fund, local, state and nonprofit organizations can work toward California’s 30X30 initiative that seeks to protect and restore biodiversity, expand public access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change.”