You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘State Parks’ category.
4 CNPS botanists exploring Cowell Ranch in 2007
In order to start off 2011 on a positive note, I’d like to post our most recent letter to the California State Parks. This letter “closes the loop” on a field which occurred in 2007, wherein CNPS botanists were invited to view the new acquisition and provide feedback on future planning efforts at Cowell.
EBCNPS is committed to helping protect native plant resources this comment letter exemplifies the work of a few volunteers (staff helped combine comments) working towards that goal. In the below letter on the General Plan for Cowell Ranch, EBCNPS has asked State Parks to consider relocating impacts (facilities) away from significant native plant resources. We do not believe that the plans for campgrounds and recreation areas should be located close to rare alkaline vegetation and populations of rare native plants that localized to this unique botanical area.
Additionally, we offer some additional text on policies, invasive plants, locally rare plants, and wetlands, among other topics. We hope that our comments will help create a General Plan that will help provide valuable habitat for our flora and fauna, as well as meet the recreation needs of the public.
Here are EBCNPS comments on the Cowell Ranch General Plan and DEIR
Chris Thayer posing next to a "trellised" iodine bush found at Cowell Ranch
Briones Valley, Cowell Ranch
California State Parks has finished their preliminary draft of the general plan and EIR for the Cowell Ranch/John Marsh State Historic Park. This new 4,000 acre park is set in eastern Contra Costa County, notably at the edge of the Great Valley ecoregion and the SF Bay Area ecoregion. Although this park lies within the Eastern Contra Costa HCP boundary, its conservation was made independent of that process back in 2007. The Park is still not open to the public, but this planning process, once completed, will be a large step forward to that end.
EBCNPS has found many current and historic records of rare and unusual plants including: alkaline denizens like Atriplex ssp. and iodine bush, big tarplant, California macrophylla, and others. The rolling hills and salty bottomlands give this place a bucolic feel.
EBCNPS is working to provide comments on the general plan. We would happily include flora-specific comments from anyone who is interested in the area. The planning documents can be found here.
Iodine Bush leafing out
Comments need to be delivered by December 9th to:
Steve Bachman, Acting District Superintendent
Diablo Vista District
845 Casa Grande Road
Petaluma, CA 94954
sbachman@parks.ca.gov
