[00:00:03]
          OKAY. GREAT. HI, EVERYONE. I 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR OCTOBER 6, 2026. 
          THE MEETING IS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER AT 1:07 PM, AND WE WILL NOW DO ROLL CALL. 
          THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ECHOLS? PRESENT. 
          DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT? PRESENT. 
          DIRECTOR ESPANA? PRESENT. 
          DIRECTOR MERCURIO? HERE. 
          DIRECTOR WAESPI? HERE. 
          VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY? HERE. 
          PRESIDENT SANWONG? HERE. 
          ALL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, GREAT. AND DIRECTOR WAESPI WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TODAY. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, GREAT. AND DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT WILL LE- READ THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 
          AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, WE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL OF THE LANDS WITHIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF EAST BAY OHLONE, BAY MIWOK, AND THE NORTHERN VALLEY YAAKUT, WHO ARE POLITICALLY ORGANIZED AND REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OF TRIBES TODAY. WE MAKE THIS RECOGNITION AS A WAY TO RESPECT AND HONOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO FIRST CULTIVATED AND INHABITED THIS LAND. THE PARK DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING WAYS TO WORK WITH AND CONSULT WITH EAST BAY TRIBES AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR LAND AND CULTURE. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT SO WE'RE NOW LOOKING 
          [MODIFICATION OF AGENDA]
FOR ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT WERE MADE PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, BUT IN CASE THERE'S ANY RIGHT NOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE. WE WILL BE RETURNING TO CLOSED SESSION AFTER THIS OPEN SESSION MEETING, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A MODIFICATION TO THE AGENDA. I DON'T SEE ANY, SO THEN WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO SPECIAL, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SCHEDULED UNDER THIS AGENDA ITEM. AND SO 
          [PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]
WITH THAT, WE NOW MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM D, AND THIS IS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA. 
          THANK YOU. WE WILL START IN PERSON, AND THEN WE HAVE SEVERAL HANDS UP ONLINE. 
          AMELIA MARSHALL, SPEAKING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND FOR STAFF HOUSING. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR A STAGING AREA ON THE GUERIN TO GUERIN TO PLEASANTON RIDGE TRAIL. THIS PLAN INCLUDES DEMOLITION OF THE CHOUINARD WINERY, WHICH IS VALUABLE NOT JUST FOR HISTORIC REASONS, BUT AS A POTENTIAL SECURITY RESIDENCE FOR PARK STAFF. BACK IN THE 1960S AND 70S, THE DISTRICT USED TO BURN DOWN UNWANTED BUILDINGS LATE AT NIGHT WHEN NO ONE WAS WATCHING. 
          THEN THAT'S HOW THE KENNETH B- KENNETH BEMIS CABINS IN WISHING WELL, ALSO DR. OHANESIAN'S HORSE RANCH WERE TORCHED IN LEONA CANYON. 
          GOT A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED IN THE 1990S AND 2000S WHEN THE DISTRICT WOULD SIMPLY POST AN OBSCURE CEQA NOTICE AND TEAR DOWN BUILDINGS ON THE SLY. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDWOOD INN AND THE AWIKA, MUELLER, AND GRUNFELD RESIDENCES IN THE REDWOOD ROAD HISTORIC AREA. 
          NOW WE HAVE PERFECTLY GOOD RANCH HOUSES IN DEER VALLEY THAT WOULD MAKE FANTASTIC STAFF HOUSING, AND WE HAVE THE CHOUINARD WINERY, ALL SLATED FOR DEMOLITION. RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE FINAL WEEKS BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS. YOU WON'T FIND A CANDIDATE WHO IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CRISIS OF CALIFORNIA HOUSING. SO WHAT'S UP WITH THE DISTRICT DEMOLISHING THE HOUSING STOCK THAT YOU'VE PURCHASED RENEGOTIATE THE HCP RULES AROUND DEER VALLEY. ASSUMING THAT THE PLAN FOR EGEREN TO PLEASANTON RIDGE TRAIL WITHSTANDS CONCERNS AROUND GOLDEN EAGLES AND MOUNTAIN LION BREEDING HABITAT ON THE OWENS PROPERTY, THERE IS NO GOOD REASON TO DEMOLISH THE CHOUINARD WINERY. AT MINIMUM, IT COULD BE A DESIRABLE REFRESHMENT STAND. 
          THERE ARE PLENTY OF SITUATIONS WHERE A HISTORIC BUILDING IS INTEGRATED WELL IN A STAGING AREA. CONSIDER THE ALVISO ADOBE ON OLD FOOTHILL ROAD BY THE CASTLEWOOD STAGING 
          [00:05:01]
AREA TO PLEASANTON RIDGE. AND LET'S DISCUSS TRANSPARENCY. 
          THE THREAT TO THE CHOUINARD WINERY HAS BEEN IN THE WIND FOR YEARS NOW, BUT I FOUND ABOUT THIS INTENT TO ADOPT AN MND ENTIRELY BY ACCIDENT. PRESUMABLY, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH HAS BEEN SILOED TO THE FAR PRECINCTS OF PALOMARES CANYON, LEGENDARY FOR ITS PORTUGUESE BOOTLEGGERS DURING THE PROHIBITION ERA. 
          THIS YEAR HAS SEEN A WELCOME CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT FOR THE DISTRICT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVED PROGRESS ON LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT PLANS ARE AFOOT SO THAT WE CAN STOP DEMOLISHING GOOD BUILDINGS ON THE DOWN LOW. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. ELLEN THOMPSON. 
          MY NAME IS ELLEN THOMPSON. I OWN REDWOOD VALLEY RAILWAY COMPANY, THE STEAM TRAIN IN TILDEN. WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 75 YEARS. WE GET NO MONEY FROM THE DISTRICT, NO GRANTS, NO DONATIONS. EVERYTHING THERE IS BUILT AND MAINTAINED WITH PRIVATE FUNDS, BUT NOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RENEW OUR CONTRACT WITH THE DISTRICT FOR 8 YEARS. 
          DURING THAT TIME, THE DISTRICT STAFF PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH HAVE CHANGED 15 TIMES. 
          EVERY DAY, OUR FAITHFUL PUBLIC PATRONS ASK ME, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WELL, NOW I'LL TELL YOU WHY. WAY BACK IN 1949, THE DISTRICT PEOPLE SAID, WE'RE A NEW DISTRICT AND WE WANT LOTS OF ATTRACTIONS, BUT WE HAVE NO MONEY. THANK YOU FOR COMMITTING YOUR LIFE AND YOUR PRIVATE FUNDS TO PROVIDING SUCH A GREAT THING. THEN SEVERAL YEARS LATER, NO, THERE SHOULD BE NO PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE PARKS. WE'RE GOING TO GET RID OF ALL THAT STUFF. 
          THEN LATER, WE LOVE THE TRAIN SO MUCH THAT WE WANT YOU TO EXPAND IT, AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE, OF COURSE, AND WE WANT IT SO MUCH THAT WE'LL COMMIT IN A WRITTEN DOCUMENT TO PROVIDE A PARKING LOT, FIX THE FENCES, AND PUT IN A PUBLIC RESTROOM FOR THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT THE SOUTH END OF TILDEN. AND A FEW YEARS LATER, NO, THERE SHOULD BE NOT ANY ATTRACTIONS IN THE PARK AT ALL. TREES, GRASS, ROCKS, DIRT, AND MAYBE A LITTLE WATER, AND THAT'S IT. WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          THEN 30 YEARS LATER, YOU NEED A RESTROOM? NO, WE NEVER SAID THAT. A WRITTEN CONTRACT? WELL, IT'S NOT VALID. 
          BUT THEN WE LOVE THE TRAIN SO MUCH THAT WE'LL MAKE A NEW CONTRACT WITH MORE FAVORABLE TERMS. THEN SEVERAL YEARS LATER, NO, WE'RE RENEGING ON THOSE TERMS, AND WE WANT YOU TO SIGN PART OF AN AGREEMENT, AND THEN WE'LL ADD SOME STUFF LATER THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN. THEN LATER, YES, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE FAVORABLE TERMS, BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO REVIVE SOME ISSUES THAT WERE SETTLED YEARS AGO, INCLUDING FINDING SOME WAY TO TAKE YOUR TRAIN AND YOUR BUSINESS, WHETHER YOU WANT US TO OR NOT. THIS IS EMBLEMATIC OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE FACED IN TRYING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE DISTRICT ON ANY MATTERS THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE LAST 75 YEARS. THE DISTRICT IS A SPECTACULARLY UNRELIABLE ORGANIZATION FOR ANYONE TRYING TO DO BUSINESS WITH IT IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. 
          THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE HIGH POINTS. DISTRICT BEHAVIOR TOWARD CONCESSIONAIRES HAS SOMETIMES BEEN ILLEGAL. IS THIS MORE OF THAT? SOME DISTRICT STAFF MEMBERS HAVE BEEN FOND OF SAYING THAT THE DISTRICT, AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, DOES NOT HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW. THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY, BUT ONLY THE ABILITY TO KEEP SERVING THE PUBLIC. 
          WITH NO LEGAL PROTECTION, WE WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP EVERYTHING AND LEAVE. WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR FREE, WHY WOULD YOU THROW IT AWAY? THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. NORMAN LAFORCE JUST SPEAKING FOR MY LITTLE OLD ME TODAY. 
          YOU'RE GONNA HEAR, AND YOU'VE RECEIVED LETTERS, AND I THINK SPEAKERS ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE KIND OF CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOR THAT'S BEEN ENGAGED IN BY THE MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE OF THE FLOW TRAIL, AND THAT'S INCLUDED AT THE SOLANO STROLL CHILDREN, KIDS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WITH ADULTS PRESENT, BLOCKING OUR TABLE INTERRUPTING AND DISRUPTING PEOPLE SPEAKING AND TALKING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTED TO GET INFORMATION, AND BEING LITERALLY IN THE FACE OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, HAVE ADVOCATED AGAINST THE FLOW TRAIL. THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR HAS NO PLACE IN THIS DEBATE. AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ENGAGED IN. AND I DON'T BLAME THE KIDS, I BLAME THE ADULTS STANDING THERE. I BLAME THE ADULTS WHO'VE BEEN BEHIND A LOT OF THIS. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO NEED TO GO AND GET SOME EDUCATION ON HOW YOU HAVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE. 
          AND LIKEWISE ON NEXTDOOR, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'VE RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED ON 
          [00:10:01]
NEXTDOOR, WHERE WOMEN WHO ARE ON THIS ADVOCATING AGAINST THE TRAIL, UH, WHO ARE SENIORS, ARE DEPICTED AS WITCHES. 
          THERE'S A PICTURE OF THREE WITCHES, AND NEXT TO IT IS CHILDLESS AND HEARTLESS. 
          NOW, THAT KIND OF DISCOURSE, THAT KIND OF PUBLIC ARGUMENT HAS NO PLACE ON THIS DEBATE ABOUT THIS SLOW TRAIL, AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS MATTER. AND WHILE THIS BOARD CAN'T POLICE WHAT PEOPLE DO OR SAY IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE, THE FACT THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS WHOLE ESCAPADE IN 2021, EVERYTHING WAS DONE WITH THE MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THE STAFF. WE HAD LAID THAT ALL OUT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUESTS AND DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PRODUCED, WHERE EVEN SEAN DUGAN SAYS, YOU KNOW, I TO CORDIS COOPER YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRAIL. I CAN'T, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ABOUT IT, OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE PUBLIC. AND THERE'S MORE TO THAT. SO WHAT'S HAPPENED, I THINK, IS AN AIR OF ENTITLEMENT BY THE MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY ON THIS ISSUE, THAT THIS IS THEIR TRAIL, AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT. 
          WELL, THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS ARE DECIDED IN PUBLIC, NOR IS IT DECIDED BY A PAY TO PLAY, WHERE A PROMISE IS MADE FOR A MILLION DOLLAR DONATION, BUT ONLY IF THIS TRAIL IS BUILT, ONLY IF YOU AS DIRECTORS CERTIFY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. THAT'S PAY TO PLAY, AND THAT HAS NO PLACE IN THE PARK DISTRICT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FULL DISCLOSURE OF THE, OF THE CONDITIONS AND TERMS OF THAT PROMISE IN PUBLIC, AT A PUBLIC MEETING WHERE PEOPLE CAN OUTLET, WHERE EVERY DOCUMENT AND EVERYTHING IS SET FORTH, SO WE KNOW WHAT REALLY THE CONDITIONS ARE. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. KEN GONZALEZ. 
          HI EVERYONE, I'M KEN GONZALEZ. 
          I LIVE IN ALAMEDA, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE. THIS IS GREAT. I LOVE THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE HERE TODAY, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S CHARITY. 
          SO, BUT YOU'RE ELECTED, SO YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE HOT SEAT ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES HERE TODAY. SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BATHROOM RESTROOM FACILITY THAT'S GOING IN IN SHORELINE AND GRAND IN ALAMEDA. IT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. YOU GUYS PUT UP A NICE SIGN WHEN IT WENT UP ON THE, ON THE CHAIN LINK FENCE, SAID TO BE COMPLETED SPRING OF 25. 
          IT'S FALL OF 26. IT'S A PILE OF RUBBLE, REBAR, CONCRETE, CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE SIGN HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN TAKEN DOWN. 
          OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN WORKERS COME AND GO, CONCRETE POURED, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS PUT THERE. SOMEBODY IS SPENDING MONEY ON PUTTING, PUTTING AND REMOVING AND SERVICING PORTABLE LATRINES THAT ARE THERE, THAT ARE BEHIND THE CHAIN LINK FENCE FOR THE WORKERS WHO AREN'T THERE. 
          SOMEONE IS DEPRECIATING, CAPITAL EQUIPMENT LIKE BACKHOES. IF WE OWN THOSE, OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE GETTING DEPRECIATED THERE. IF WE'RE PAYING A THIRD PARTY TO DO IT, WE'RE WASTING MONEY. AND SO, 3 QUESTIONS, RIGHT? ONE, AND THIS IS ABOUT GIVING ME CONFIDENCE, WHAT'S THE PLAN TO GET THAT THING FIXED, TO GET IT BUILT, AND WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? THAT'S QUESTION 1. QUESTION 02, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT DISTRICT WORKS, BUT WHO IS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FAILURE OF MEETING THE TIMELINE OF THIS PROJECT AND FOR WASTING OUR TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS IN GETTING THAT THING DONE? AND THIRD IS, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN HOLDING WHOEVER IS ACCOUNTABLE, ACCOUNTABLE TO US CITIZENS WHO PAY TAXES AND WANT, AND WHEN THINGS GET BUILT, GET THEM BUILT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET? AND I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS A Q&A FORUM, IF YOU GUYS CAN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. 
          NO, IT'S NOT. HOW DO I GET ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS? CHRIS WYCKOFF BACK THERE, HE CAN TALK TO YOU OFFLINE. 
          EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON NO CHARITY. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. JANET FLINT. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS JANET FLINT. 
          I LIVE IN RICHMOND. I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE FRIENDS OF WILDCAT CANYON PARK. I SENT THIS PRESENTATION IN AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD AND TO THE GENERAL MANAGER. THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE FLOW TRAIL AND THE DRAFT EIR IS LOW, SO LOW THAT IT MIGHT SEEM PLANNED. DO YOU WANT THIS PROJECT TO RIDE UNDER THE RADAR UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE FOR REAL FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC? IF YOU WANT TO AVOID THAT CRITICISM, PLEASE TAKE SERIOUS STEPS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC. FRIENDS OF WILDCAT CANYON PARK HAVE BEEN AT TRAILHEADS AND FESTIVALS. 
          WITH OVER 600 CONVERSATIONS, A GLARING STATISTIC IS OVER 85%, AN ASTONISHING MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WE MEET, HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT THE FLOW TRAIL. THIS ISN'T JUST A DIRT TRAIL. THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION SHOWS A HIGH-INTENSITY BIKE 
          [00:15:03]
FACILITY LOADED WITH ROLLERS, BERMS, AND JUMPS. IT'S A MOUNTAIN BIKE THEME PARK, AND IT WILL ATTRACT A LOT OF CYCLISTS. YOUR CONSTITUENTS WILL BE SHOCKED IF THEY LEARN THAT AN EIR CAME AND WENT, AND THIS BOARD DECIDES TO GO FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT, THAT A NEW EXPENSIVE FACILITY IS GOING INTO THEIR COMMUNITY, A NATURAL AREA, AND THAT THEY WEREN'T INFORMED. 
          AT THE PUBLIC MEETING IN SAN PABLO, WE ASKED PARK STAFF, HOW COME YOU HAVEN'T DONE A MAILING TO ALL THE RESIDENTS SURROUNDING WILDCAT? YOUR DIVISION LEAD OF PLANNING, TRAILS AND GIS, THREW UP HIS HANDS AND SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACH ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT. WELL, OUR HOUSE GETS A LOT OF MAIL ADDRESSED TO CURRENT RESIDENT. THERE ARE ABOUT 150,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN CITIES SURROUNDING WILDCAT CANYON. A MAILING COULD BE DONE FOR ABOUT 39,000 DOLLARS AT LIKE PUBLIC RATES. YOU COULD BE MORE PUBLIC ABOUT IT AND INCLUDE OAKLAND, LA MERENDA, AND MARTINEZ FOR ANOTHER 50,000, 53,000. 
          THE WAY THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN HANDLING ITS OUTREACH ABOUT THE PROJECT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT UNTIL IT'S ALL DECIDED. PLEASE TAKE SERIOUS STEPS TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THE UPCOMING DRAFT EIR AND ITS EXPECTED RELEASE DATE. THEN PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SIGN UP FOR UPDATES WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AND WILL BE INFORMED ABOUT THE DRAFT EIR ON THE DAY OF ITS RELEASE. WHY WOULD YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT TO GET THIS NEWS FROM RICHMOND SIDE OR EAST BAY TIMES? PEOPLE WE TALK TO ASK US, WHY HASN'T MY PARK DISTRICT LET ME KNOW ABOUT THIS DIRECTLY? SIGNS POSTED AT THE TRAILHEAD IN SMALL FONT AREN'T GETTING THE JOB DONE, AND NEITHER ARE A HANDFUL OF PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH A HUNDRED OR SO ATTENDING. 
          PLEASE DIRECT STAFF TO SEND A MAILED ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE UPCOMING DRAFT EIR USING OCCUPANT ADDRESSING TO AND REACH EVERY HOUSEHOLD, HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS, AND EVERYONE. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. THERE'S NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON, SO WE WILL GO ONLINE, AND WE HAVE 7 HANDS UP ONLINE. 
          KELLY, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          OH, AND ALSO I'M ACTUALLY, IF YOU CAN HOLD ON, I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN. OKAY. NOW YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          KELLY? OKAY. PERFECT. 
          KELLY ABREU THANK YOU. 
          NO TECHNICAL NOTE ON THE, THE THE ZOOM AUDIO IS CRACKLING, BUT THE THE LIVE WEB FEED IS VERY GOOD AUDIO, VERY NICE QUALITY. SO THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ZOOM ON THE, ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE WANNA POINT AT THE, TO THE THE BIG, BIG CONTROVERSY WHERE EVERYONE IS SPENDING ALL THEIR TIME TALKING ABOUT UH, BIKE TRAILS IN A FEW PLACES, VERY FEW PLACES AND VERY SHORT DISTANCES, AND IT'S BEEN HEAVILY HEAVILY DEBATED FOR A LONG TIME. 
          BUT THERE ARE OTHER BIKE TRAILS IN THE, IN THE BACK, YOU KNOW, QUIETLY THIS DISTRICT AND OTHER DISTRICTS ARE BUILDING OUT A NETWORK OF TRAILS THAT THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE TAXPAYERS NEED THE, ALAMEDA, AND A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS GOING ON QUIET, SO QUIETLY THAT NOBODY KNOWS, KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON, SO I THOUGHT I'D LET, YOU KNOW, MENTION IT, THAT THERE'S SOME GOOD WORK HAPPENING. 
          FOR EXAMPLE ALAMEDA COUNTY IS ASKING THE THE, UH, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, THEY'RE ASKING THEM FOR 2 MILLION DOLLARS TO PRE- PREPARE A DES- FINAL DESIGN FOR THE NILES CANYON TRAIL FROM MISSION BOULEVARD TO PALOMARES ROAD. AND THAT'S A VE- THAT'S ALSO CONNECTED WITH THE NILES CANYON STROLL AND ROLL, WHICH WAS A TRADITIONAL EVENT HELD EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE HAPPENING. 
          SIMILARLY, THERE'S, UH, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERVISOR, DAVID HALBERT AND THE AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THEY'RE WORKING HARD ON COMING UP WITH TRAIL DESIGNS AND, UH, TRAIL PROPOSALS TO CONNECT THE TRI VALLEY, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, DUBLIN TO CONNECT THEM WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CONNECT THEM WITH SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CONNECT THEM WITH THE WEST SIDE OF THE BAY OVER HERE, FREMONT AND AND UNION CITY. SO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT THAT THE, THE DISTRICT'S BEST TRAILS, THE MOST IM- THE ONES THAT ARE MOST HEAVILY UTILIZED ARE THINGS LIKE THE IRON HORSE TRAIL AND THE UH, BAY SHORE TRA- TRAILS. AND THIS IS THE- THESE KIND OF THINGS ARE, ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED, AND WE NEED TO KEEP, KEEP WORKING ON THEM. IT'S BORING, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. 
          [00:20:02]
THANK YOU. OH, PLEASE HOLD. 
          LAUREN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          HI, GREAT, THANK YOU MY NAME IS LAUREN PURCELL. I LIVE IN NORTH BERKELEY, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU ON THE BOARD FOR LISTENING TO ME AND TO OTHERS IN SUPPORT OF THE FLOAT TRAIL AND FOR THE TIME YOU GIVE JUST GENERALLY MAKING THE PARKS A REALLY GREAT PLACE WE HIKE A LOT, AND MY, MY FAMILY MOUNTAIN BIKES, AND IT'S JUST A VERY SPECIAL PLACE MY SON IS 14, AND HE MOUNTAIN BIKES, AND MY DAUGHTER IS ALSO, SHE'S 20 NOW, AND SHE WENT TO BERKELEY HIGH FOR AND WAS ON THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM FOR 2 YEARS, AND WE REALLY SAW HOW IT BUILT HER CONFIDENCE AND REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO HER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH IN HUGE WAYS MY SON WAS ON THE WILDCAT TEAM LAST YEAR AND IS GOING TO BE RIDING FOR BERKELEY HIGH. AND I JUST WANTED TO SPEND A COUPLE MINUTES TALKING ABOUT THAT I FEEL REALLY STRONGLY THAT MOUNTAIN BIKING IS ACTUALLY AN INCREDIBLY HEALTHY WAY FOR OUR CHILDREN AND TEENS TO SPEND THEIR TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THIS ERA OF SCREENS AND SO MUCH TIME SPENT INSIDE THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE IS VERY GREAT FOR THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH I ACTUALLY WORK AS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST, AND PART OF THE POPULATION I, I TREAT ARE KIDS AND ADOLESCENTS, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS FIELD FOR 25 YEARS AND HAVE REALLY SEEN THE RISE IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN KIDS AND TEENS, AND I'VE SEEN REALLY FIRSTHAND HOW MOUNTAIN BIKING IS JUST A REALLY AMAZING THING FOR CHILDREN, AND I THINK THAT ACTUALLY THE FLOAT TRAIL WOULD, YOU KNOW, CONDENSE SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN BIKING IN A HEALTHY WAY. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU KNOW, IMPLICATIONS, AND OF COURSE I HOPE IT WOULD BE DONE, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY ENVIRONMENTALLY BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY GETS KIDS OUTSIDE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY FUN FOR KIDS, WHICH I THINK REALLY MOTIVATES THEM. 
          UM, IT GETS THEM OUT IN NATURE AND SOCIALIZING WITH PEERS, AND IT REALLY IS ENHANCING AND PROTECTIVE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY, AND OBVIOUSLY REALLY, YOU KNOW, STRENGTH BUILDING, CONFIDENCE, THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT THING. I KNOW THERE'S CONTROVERSY I DO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD KEEP OTHER TRAILS SAFER. THERE WOULD BE LESS MOUNTAIN BIKERS ON THE OTHER TRAILS WHERE HIKERS ARE AND DOGS AND I JUST THINK THAT IT CAN BE DONE IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY CAN PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT IN MY TWO CENTS FOR THE FLOW TRAIL, AND THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. LUCINDA BINGHAM, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          HI, MY NAME IS LUCINDA BINGHAM, AND I LIVE IN BERKELEY WITH THREE MOUNTAIN BIKERS TWO SONS, AGE 14 AND 12, AND MY HUSBAND. I'D LIKE TO ADVOCATE TODAY FOR THE FLOW TRAIL IN TILDEN PARK WE'VE BEEN FREQUENT USERS OF THE REGIONAL PARK SYSTEM SINCE MY SONS WERE LITTLE, FROM VISITING LITTLE FARM, THE STEAM TRAINS, AND THE CAROUSEL IN TILDEN AS TODDLERS, TO EXPLORING THE SHORELINE AND HIKING THE HILLS DURING THE PANDEMIC, TO PARTICIPATING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING MEETS. 
          FOR 5 YEARS MOUNTAIN BIKING HAS BEEN A CONSTANT, FIRST FOR MY OLDEST SON, AND THEN AS A WAY FOR HIM TO CONNECT WITH HIS DAD, AND NOW FOR ALL 3 OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS TO SHARE TIME TOGETHER OUTDOORS, OFTEN WHILE I ENJOY A LONG HIKE IN THE SAME PARK. A FLOW TRAIL IN TILDEN WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR BONDS AS A FAMILY AND OUR CONNECTION TO THE OUTDOORS. 
          HAVING DEDICATED MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE RIDERS, SUCH AS MY FAMILY MEMBERS, ONTO TRAILS THAT ARE SAFER FOR THEM, WHILE RELIEVING OVERCROWDING ON TRAILS I USE FOR HIKING AND RUNNING. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE PARKS A GREAT PLACE FOR ALL EAST BAY RESIDENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. 
          THANK YOU. SALLY TOBIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          THANK YOU SALLY TOBIN, RICHMOND RESIDENT. I AM OFFERING THIS PERSONAL RESOLUTION FOR ADOPTION BY THE PARK DISTRICT. WHEREAS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS NOW INVOLVED IN PROTECTING MIGRATION ROUTES AND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, AND IN LEAVING SENSITIVE HABITATS UNDISTURBED. 
          WHEREAS THE PROJECT THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS NAMED THE WILDCAT BIKE TRAIL IS A SOURCE OF CONTROVERSY AND CONFLICT. 
          [00:25:01]
WHEREAS PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS HAVE DOCUMENTED DIRECTIVES BY PARK DISTRICT STAFF FOR THE PROJECT TO REMAIN SECRET FOR OVER 2 YEARS WHILE THEY WORKED EXCLUSIVELY WITH MEMBERS OF THE CYCLING COMMUNITY. 
          WHEREAS WEALTHY CYCLING ADVOCATES PLEDGED A 1 MILLION DOLLAR DONATION ON THE CONDITION THAT THE TRAIL BE BUILT IN THE SOLE LOCATION THAT THE DONOR SPECIFIED. WHEREAS CYCLING ADVOCATES HAVE DISRUPTED PEACEFUL EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN EVENTS. WHEREAS THIS SITUATION HAS PUT PARK DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION RELATIVE TO THE NEED FOR VOTER APPROVAL OF A TAX MEASURE IN 2028. 
          THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT AT THE TIME THAT ANY PROPOSAL OR EXPLORATORY SUGGESTION IS MADE, WHETHER TO MANAGEMENT OR TO A BOARD MEMBER OR TO ANY MEMBER OF STAFF, FOR ADDITIONAL TRAILS, FOR REROUTING TRAILS, OR FOR MODIFICATION AND REPAIR OF EXISTING TRAILS, THE REQUEST MUST BE MADE PUBLIC ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING POLICY. EVERY TRAIL PROJECT WILL BE 1, AGENDIZED AND DISCLOSED AT A REGULAR BOARD MEETING BY THE BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THE PROJECT IS LOCATED. 2, PLACED ON A PUBLIC LISTING OF PROPOSED TRAIL MODIFICATIONS ON THE PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE. 
          THREE, STAFF WILL DO ALL TRAIL PLANNING IN PUBLIC AT ADVERTISED MEETINGS WITH ZOOM CAPABILITY AND AGENDAS. 
          FIELD VISITS WILL INVITE THE PUBLIC. FOUR, THE CURRENT PROJECT, THE WILDCAT BIKE TRAIL, WILL BE SUBJECT TO THIS POLICY, AND ITS CONSIDERATION WILL BE REINITIATED BY STAFF WHO WERE NEITHER INVOLVED IN EXCLUDING THE PUBLIC NOR HELD PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DONORS. 
          AND FIVE, THE COERCIVE DONATION WILL BE REFUSED. THIS POLICY IS MEANT TO ADMIT THAT ERRORS WERE MADE IN THE HANDLING OF THE WILDCAT BIKE TRAIL PROJECT, PROTECT THE DISTRICT FROM FUTURE PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTERS LIKE THIS ONE, EMPHASIZE THE DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION AND TO THEIR MISSION STATEMENT, AND SHOW THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS WILLING TO DEAL WITH THE CURRENT PROBLEM AND WILL TAKE STEPS TO INCLUDE BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL PROJECTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. DAVID LUND, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HELLO, THIS IS DAVID LUNN IN LIVERMORE I REALLY WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LIAISON MEETING WITH LARPD IN LIVERMORE NEXT WEEK, AND SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOME AGENDA ITEMS FOR THAT. SO I FIRST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DOOLIN CANYON. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE 800-FOOT WALK INTO DOOLIN CANYON LAST WEEK. 
          AND I WANTED, SINCE, SINCE THE BOARD HAD A, HAD A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW PARTNER AGENCIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GUIDED HIKES, COULD THE GENERAL MANAGER CONTACT THE LARPD GENERAL MANAGER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT LARPD CAN LEAD A GUIDED HIKE ON DOOLIN CANYON. 
          IF YOU COULD PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA AND MAYBE HAVE THAT CONTACT BEFORE THE MEETING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. AND THE SECOND THING IS ON THE, THE MORGAN TERRITORY TO BRUSHY PEAK TRAIL. IT'S ON THE LARPD'S MASTER PLAN NOW AS ONE OF THEIR HIGH PRIORITY TRAILS. 
          SO COULD YOU PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA WITH LARPD NEXT WEEK? AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT TRAIL FOR A LONG TIME, AND I WAS THINKING THAT CALLING IT THE, THE DE ANZA TRAIL SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME SINCE IT WAS 250 YEARS AGO. 
          BUT IF I WAS A NATIVE AMERICAN, IF I WAS A LONI, I WOULD BE OFFENDED BY HAVING IT NAMED THAT. AND MAYBE THE DISTRICT SHOULD LOOK AT MAYBE THE PROPER NAMING OF THAT, SINCE IT GOES FROM BRUSHY PEAK TO MORGAN TERRITORY. MAYBE THEY SHOULD COME UP WITH SOME NATIVE AMERICAN NAME FOR THAT SORT OF A TRAIL, OR SOME WAY TO FIND A WAY SO PEOPLE COULD WALK BETWEEN THOSE PARKS, AND THE PARKS COULD BE CONNECTED IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S CAUSING PROBLEMS, AND AND AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, I HAVE NO IDEA OF EXACTLY WHY PEOPLE CAN'T WALK ACROSS THAT. IT APPEARS TO BE A SECRET THING. ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THAT, AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT TIME IN NATURE REALLY RESTORES US, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEND TIME IN NATURE. AND I KNOW THE NATURALISTS WERE SAYING HOW PEOPLE 
          [00:30:01]
IN NATURE REALLY DAMAGE NATURE, BUT I THINK OUR SOCIETY IS DAMAGED WHEN WE DON'T PROVIDE ACCESS BY THE PUBLIC TO BE IN NATURE. ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. LESLIE GOLDSTEIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          OKAY, GREAT LESLIE GOLDSTEIN, EL CERRITO RESIDENT, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, TRANSPARENCY, AND FAIR PROCESS IN OUR REGIONAL PARKS. THIS MORNING, YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME WITH A VIDEO AND A 50-PAGE PDF. 
          THEY CONTAIN THE DISTRICT'S OWN EMAILS ABOUT THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL RELEASED UNDER THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT IN DATE ORDER. EVERY QUOTE IS VERBATIM, AND EVERY EMAIL IS REPRODUCED IN THE APPENDIX. I'VE PRODUCED THIS VIDEO FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS AS WELL. PUBLIC RECORDS RELEASED BY THE DISTRICT REVEAL THAT BETWEEN DECEMBER 2020 AND APRIL 2023, DISTRICT STAFF ENGAGED IN 2 YEARS OF EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE COORDINATION WITH A SINGLE USER GROUP TO DEVELOP A MOUNTAIN BIKE FLOW TRAIL IN WILDCAT CANYON. WHAT MAKES THIS PATTERN SO TROUBLING IS THE STARK CONTRAST IN HOW DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS WERE TREATED. FIRST, PUBLIC EXCLUSION. THE DISTRICT CONVENED THE TRAIL USERS WORKING GROUP ON AUGUST 20TH, 2020 TO BRING ALL TRAIL USER GROUPS TO ONE TABLE. THAT GROUP MET FOR 18 MONTHS AND WAS DISSOLVED IN FEBRUARY 2022 WITHOUT EVER KNOWING OF THE TRAIL PROPOSAL OR BEING ASKED FOR INPUT. SECOND, FINANCIAL LEVERAGE OVER STAFF. IN MAY 2021, PRIVATE DONORS OFFERING A 1 MILLION DOLLAR CONDITIONAL PLEDGE WARNED STAFF THAT THEY WERE GETTING IMPATIENT. 2 MONTHS LATER, STAFF ASKED ADVOCATES FOR USAGE DATA TO USE AS THEIR INTRO TO MY SALES PITCH WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER. AND BY NOVEMBER 2021, STAFF PERSONALLY DRAFTED THE FLOW TRAIL PROPOSAL FOR THE DONOR UNDER THE SUBJECT LINE TRAIL ADVOCACY. THIRD, SELECTIVE DISCLOSURE. IN APRIL 2022, STAFF SHARED RARE PLANT SURVEY FINDINGS WITH DONORS, ASKING THEM TO KEEP IT BETWEEN YOU AND I. IN DECEMBER 2022, STAFF FORWARDED THE SIERRA CLUB'S OPPOSITION LETTER, UNPROMPTED, TO ADVOCATES SO THEY COULD PREPARE COUNTERPOINTS. FINALLY, SHAPING THE PUBLIC MEETING. IN SPRING 2023, SENIOR PLANNER SUZANNE WILSON SCHEDULED THE APRIL 25TH, 25TH PUBLIC MEETING AROUND HIGH SCHOOL BIKE TEAM PRACTICE SCHEDULES, INCORPORATED ADVOCATE-DRAFTED POLL QUESTIONS INTO THE ZOOM PRESENTATION, WHILE ADVOCATES ASSURED STAFF THAT STUDENT ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE WOULD BE REQUIRED. 
          MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WHEN AN AGENCY COLLABORATES PRIVATELY WITH ONE GROUP FOR TWO YEARS, WHILE WITHHOLDING THE PROPOSAL FROM AN ACTIVE WORKING GROUP, IT COMPROMISES PUBLIC TRUST AND UNDERMINES ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. WE ASK THE BOARD TONIGHT TO PAUSE ALL FURTHER PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ON THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL, INITIATE AN INDEPENDENT PROCEDURAL AUDIT, AND RESTART STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH AN THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP. 
          PROCESS. THANK YOU. 
          CARRIE S, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HI MY NAME IS CARRIE SCHULMAN. I LIVE IN EL CERRITO. I HAVE KIDS WHO ARE AGED 11 AND 13, AND I'M CALLING IN TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT OF THE WILDCAT CANYON FLOW TRAIL. PERSONALLY, I'VE ONLY MOUNTAIN BIKED TWICE IN MY LIFE AND CONSIDER MYSELF MORE OF A HIKER, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO CREATE SEPARATE, SAFE SPACES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAIL USERS. SHARING TRAILS WITH FAST-MOVING BIKES CAN FEEL STRESSFUL. A DESIGNATED FLOW TRAIL WOULD REDUCE THESE CONFLICTS AND IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE. WE RECENTLY VISITED FAMILY IN ASHLAND, OREGON, WHERE THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED SEPARATE HIKING AND BIKING TRAILS. MY COUSINS ARE AVID HIKERS AND WERE INITIALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PLAN CONVERTED SOME OF THEIR MIXED-USE TRAILS INTO BIKE-ONLY TRAILS. 
          HOWEVER, NOW THAT IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THEY LOVE NOT HAVING TO SHARE THEIR HIKING TRAILS WITH BIKERS AND SAY THE TRADE-OFF WAS WELL WORTH IT. 
          THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL IS AN EVEN EASIER DECISION BECAUSE THE PLAN DOES NOT REMOVE ANY HIKING TRAILS, IT SIMPLY ADDS A NEW TRAIL FOR BIKES. IT'S SAD THAT SOMEWHERE SO CLOSE TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF MOUNTAIN BIKING HAS SO FEW PLACES TO RIDE. 
          WITH SUCH LIMITED OPTIONS, KIDS ARE SOMETIMES TEMPTED TO USE TRAILS THAT AREN'T DESIGNATED FOR BIKING. GIVING KIDS A SUITABLE TRAIL WOULD REDUCE THAT PROBLEM. MY 13-YEAR-OLD IS A MEMBER OF THE WILDCAT COMPOSITE MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAM AND LOVES TO BIKE. HE ALSO LOVES 
          [00:35:01]
TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES, BUT BIKE RIDING GETS HIM OUTDOORS, KEEPS HIM ACTIVE, AND PULLS HIM AWAY FROM SCREENS. IN ADDITION, MOUNTAIN BIKING IS GIVING HIM AN APPRECIATION FOR NATURE. A FLOW TRAIL WOULD GIVE KIDS LIKE HIM A SAFE PLACE TO RIDE, WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING A LIFELONG CONNECTION TO THE OUTDOORS. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS TRAIL GETS BUILT BEFORE MY MIDDLE SCHOOLER GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE TRAIL SAFER AND MORE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE, WHILE GIVING KIDS A HEALTHY, POSITIVE WAY TO SPEND TIME OUTDOORS. I HOPE YOU'LL SUPPORT THE WILDCAT CANYON FLOW TRAIL, AND HELP MAKE IT A REALITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. AND SINCE I HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME, I ALSO WANT TO SAY, PLEASE KEEP THE STEAM TRAIN THAT I HAVE SO MANY FOND MEMORIES OF TAKING MY KIDS THERE AND HOPE THAT SOMEDAY I'LL HAVE GRANDCHILDREN TO TAKE THERE SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE, THE STEAM TRAIN. PLEASE SUPPORT THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL, AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE BOARD OF EAST BAY PARKS. THAT'S THE END OF MY COMMENT. 
          THANK YOU. THIS IS OUR LAST ONLINE SPEAKER, BARA SAPIR. 
          YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          OKAY, YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. 
          GREAT. HI, I'M BARA SAPIR, AND I LIVE NEXT TO ALVARADO PARK. 
          IN JUNE ON NEXT DOOR, ME AND OTHERS WERE INFORMING NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE PROPOSED BIKING TRAIL, AND IN RESPONSE, A TRAIL SUPPORTER POSTED AN IMAGE OF THREE WITCHES. THE CAPTION READ, THE CHILDREN JUST WANT A PLACE TO RIDE THEIR BIKES. HE WENT ON TO CALL US THE THREE HARPOETEERS. I'M ONE OF THOSE WITCHES AND A HARPY. 
          WITHIN THE HOUR, THE SAME MAN POSTED A GARGOYLE WITH THE WORDS, CHILDLESS, HEARTLESS, SOULLESS SPAMMERS. 
          ANOTHER SUPPORTER WROTE, I ACTUALLY SHOW MY KIDS BARRA'S COMMENTS. THEY THINK THEY'RE REALLY FUNNY. THAT'S NOT ONE BAD AFTERNOON. I'VE BEEN CALLED A WITCH AND A MAN'S PUPPET. THOSE CANNOT BOTH BE TRUE. NEITHER ONE ENGAGES WITH WHAT I POST. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH? ADULTS DEMONSTRATE THE WAY TO WIN A PUBLIC DISCUSSION IS TO MOCK THE WOMEN WHO SPEAK UP. 
          CHILDREN ARE SHOWN THESE COMMENTS FOR LAUGHS. THIS IS ONE WAY CONTEMPT FOR WOMEN GETS PASSED DOWN, AND ALL OF IT IS DONE IN THE NAME OF THE CHILDREN. 
          LAST WEEK I SENT YOU 130 PAGES AND AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DEMONSTRATING WHAT HAPPENS ONLINE ABOUT THIS BIKE TRAIL, AND 14 PEOPLE ACCOUNT FOR MOST OF THE HARASSMENT. MOST OF THE TARGETS ARE WOMEN WHO SPEAK UP AND SHARE DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION. THE DISTRICT DID NOT. MY TRACKING STOPPED IN JUNE. THE CONDUCT DID NOT. IT CONTINUES DAILY. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROJECT FROM A NEIGHBOR, NOT FROM THE DISTRICT, A NEWSLETTER, OR OUTREACH. IT WAS ALREADY YEARS IN THE PLANNING, AND IT CAME WITH A CONDITION OF 1 MILLION DOLLAR PRIVATE DONATION TIED TO THE SPECIFIC SITE. TO MANY OF US, THAT LOOKS LIKE A PAY TO PLAY FOR A BIKE TRAIL. WHEN A PROJECT IS SHAPED BY DONORS FIRST AND THE PUBLIC SECOND, RESIDENTS AND PARK USERS ARE NOT TREATED AS STAKEHOLDERS, BUT RATHER AS OBSTACLES. THE DONOR HIMSELF IS IN THOSE THREADS, CALLING WHAT WE POST MISINFORMATION, AND OTHERS HAVE FOLLOWED HIS LEAD. THERE IS A COST TO YOU TOO. IF THIS DISTRICT INTENDS TO ASK VOTERS FOR A TAX MEASURE, IT WILL NEED THE TRUST OF THE SAME RESIDENTS WHO ARE ONLY FINDING OUT ABOUT THIS PROJECT BY HAPPENSTANCE. YOU CANNOT BUILD TRUST ON A PROCESS THAT LEAVES PEOPLE OUT AND A DEBATE THAT CALLS WOMEN WITCHES. MY REQUEST IS SIMPLE. 
          BEFORE THE EIR REVIEW, RUN A REAL PUBLIC INFORMATION PROCESS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE PARK REGULARLY. THE DISTRICT KNOWS HOW TO REACH PEOPLE WHEN IT WANTS TO. I GET PLENTY OF MAIL FROM DENTISTS, WINDOW DRESSERS, MECHANICS THAT THEY GET TO ME. SO I'M ASKING THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD WANT TO REACH US TOO. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. THERE IS NO MORE ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WILL NOW 
          [GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM E, OUR GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS. 
          THANKS SO MUCH, DIRECTORS, MAX CORT AND GENERAL MANAGER. 
          UM, WE HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE SPECIAL TODAY, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A THEME THROUGH THE REST OF THE FALL SLASH WINTER AS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OUR DISTRICT PLAN, OUR PLANNING TEAM HAS BEEN ENGAGING WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, TRYING TO BROADEN THE REACH OF PEOPLE THAT WE TALK TO AND GET FEEDBACK FROM, AND AS WE'VE TALKED BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, WE THOUGHT IT'D BE WORTHWHILE TO BRING FOLKS FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO YOUR BOARD. SO TODAY WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS HERE. 
          IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA UH, NOTE THESE ON THE AGENDA MORE SPECIFICALLY SO YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT THIS MORNING TO START WITH, WE HAVE CHARLIE NGUYEN FROM UH, SENIOR, SHE'S A SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER AT THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE EAST 
          [00:40:01]
BAY, AND I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE HER PARTNERSHIP AND WELCOME HER. 
          HI EVERYBODY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE AS MAX SAID, I'M THE SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER AT VASA, THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER AT EAST OF EAST BAY. WE JUST ARE LOCATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES FROM HERE IN ANCHO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION HERE. 
          UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US IS THAT WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. 
          UM, WE ARE A WE DO MULTIPLE SERVICES TO OUR MOSTLY SE- OH, MOSTLY ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, NATIVE, SORRY, ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER SENIORS, AND HAVE EXPANDED OUT TO THE LAND X COMMUNITY MOST OF THEM ARE REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS LOW INCOME INCOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND WITH LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS. WE ARE A WRAPAROUND SERVICE THAT DOES, INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IF A SENIOR COMES IN WHO WANTS TO SIGN UP FOR MEDI-CAL, WE HELP THEM WITH THAT PROCESS, AS WELL AS CALFRESH. WE HELP OUT WITH IMMIGRATION CITIZENSHIP ASSISTANCE. WE DO A NUMBER OF WORKSHOPS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AS WELL AS SENIOR ACTIVITIES LIKE KARAOKE YOGA, AND WE DO FOOD SECURITIES, WHICH IS MEALS AND GROCERY BAGS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WE DO MEALS ABOUT, AND GROCERY BAGS ABOUT OVER 500 A WEEK SO WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM WE COMMUNICATED WITH OUR SENIORS MOST OF OUR STAFFS ARE BILINGUAL, SO VIETNAMESE, ENGLISH, CHINESE, AND SPANISH SPEAKING. 
          WE DID 160 SURVEYS WITH OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UH, CONGREGATE MEALS, GROCERY DISTRIBUTION, AND THE SENIOR ACTIVITIES. WE WOULD WE HELD TWO EVENTS, UM, TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED AND KIND OF EXPLAIN OUT WHAT, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS. I THINK THAT THERE WAS A, A BIT OF A CONFUSION OF LIKE WHAT THAT MEANS COMPARED TO NATIONAL PARKS AND LOCAL PARKS. BUT TO GO INTO THIS IS THAT WE HELD TWO, WORKSHOPS. ONE WE HELD AT THE ARDENWOOD HISTORIC PARK WE HAD AN OUTING WITH ABOUT 60 LOW-INCOME SENIORS WE CHARTERED A BUS, HAD LUNCH HAD THEM JOIN WITH THE TRAIN RIDE AND HAD A PICNIC IN THAT ARDENWOOD HOUSE MOST OF OUR STAFF DID ALL THE TRANSLATIONS ONCE, UH, WE GOT INTO THE PARK. 
          AND THEN WE DID A FLOWERS OF THE EAST BAY WORKSHOP, AND WHERE THEY GOT WE ORDERED DIFFERENT VARIOUS, UH, PLASTIC FLOWERS AND HAD THEM DO CREATE HEADBANDS AND WE DID A PRESENTATION ABOUT THOSE FLOWERS AS WELL AS, UM, TIPS ON THE FLOWERS AND WHAT YOU WOULD SEE ALONG THE TRAILS THAT ARE PART OF THE REGIONAL PARK, AS WELL AS TIPS ON HIKING. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SOME PICTURES OF THE SENIORS THERE WITH THE, WITH THEIR CREATIONS SO OUT OF THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES OF THE ARDENWOOD HISTORIC PARK. SO WE HAD A BIG GROUP, AND THEY REALLY ENJOYED THE TRAIN. AND YOU COULD SEE ON THE CORNER THAT SOMEBODY IS SINGING KARAOKE, AND I THINK WE GOT IN TROUBLE FOR THAT, ACTUALLY, BUT THEY ENJOYED THEMSELVES. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US THERE SO KEY TAKEAWAYS, REALLY, IS THAT THEY REALLY THE HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR THEM IS WELL-MAINTAINED PARKS. I THINK THAT WAS BEING SAFE, I THINK WAS ONE OF THE KEY WORDS THAT CAME OUT, FEELING SAFE AS WELL AS JUST HAVING A PATH WHERE THEY COULD WALK ALONG AND FEEL THAT IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE A PAVED PATH OR FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES SO THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS BY WELL-MAINTAINED PARTS THE TOP PRIORITY REALLY IS JUST TO REPAIR THE EXISTING ONES AND EXPAND OUT THE PROGRAMS. I THINK WHEN WE LOOK UP ACTIVITIES, MOST OF IT WAS GEARED TOWARDS KIDS AND OR YOUNG ADULTS THERE WERE SOME FOR OLDER ADULTS, BUT THEY'RE NAMED OVER THE HILL PROGRAMS, AND WE HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT IN VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE AND SPANISH, WHAT OVER THE HILL MEANS. AND I THINK THEY GOT A KICK OUT OF THAT, ACTUALLY. IT'S LIKE, OVER THE HILL? ARE WE REALLY OVER THE HILL? LIKE, WELL, OKAY BUT YEAH, I THINK WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IS THAT THEY KNOW 
          [00:45:01]
ABOUT THE PARKS AROUND LAKE CHABOT, FOR EXAMPLES, THAT THEY WERE THEY THEY GO THERE WITH THEIR FAMILY, AND ARNOLD WOOD WAS REALLY THE FIRST ONE THAT THEY KIND OF GOT EXPOSED TO, OH, THIS IS, UM, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK. AND THEN SO THEY, THEY KIND OF, YEAH, I THINK WE PUT UP THE MAP AND KIND OF CLICKED THROUGH IT SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS AND WHERE THINGS ARE AT, AND THAT WAS REALLY FUN I THINK HARD TO GO ALONE. I THINK THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEEDBACK WITH THE WELL, ACTUALLY MANY OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SENIORS. SEVERAL HAVE SAID THAT THEY CAN'T REALLY DO IT INDEPENDENTLY. I THINK THAT THEY APPRECIATE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE US THAT WOULD PUT TOGETHER A TRIP FOR THEM WITH TRANSPORTATION, MEALS, EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED WITH BILINGUAL STAFF AS WELL. 
          THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE MOST OF THE, WHEN WE WENT TO ARDENWOOD, EVERY THE PROGRAMS WERE IN ENGLISH. WE WOULD GIVE IT TO THEM, THEY WOULD JUST SAY, OH, NICE, AND THEY LOOK AT THE PICTURES, AND THEY WOULD JUST GIVE IT BACK BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S IN ENGLISH. 
          BUT WE WOULD HAVE OUR STAFF KIND OF SIT WITH THEM AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH IT AND EVEN DO AN INTRODUCTION OF THE OF WHAT THE, THE HOUSE MEANS AND WHAT THE HISTORY IS BEHIND WITH THE CHINESE RAILROAD BUT THERE THAT WAS FELT VERY IMPACTFUL FOR THEM YEAH, SO WHAT WOULD HELP IS REALLY TRANSLATED MATERIALS CLEAR ACCESSIBILITY AND MORE PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR OLDER ADULTS SO THERE'S A DEFINITELY A STRONG, UH DEMAND FROM THEM TO, LIKE, GET OUT THERE AND UTILIZE ALL THE PARKS AND SO IT'S ALWAYS LIKE, WHEN'S OUR NEXT TRIP AND ALL THAT STUFF. AND THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FROM ME. ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AT ARDENWOOD, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH YOUR GROUP. I KNOW FOR ME IT'S VERY, IT FEELS VERY PERSONAL. MY FATHER'S FROM UBON RATCHATHANI, THAILAND, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PORTION OF THE WORLD BEFORE THE FRENCH COLONIZED IT, THERE'S A LOT MORE YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS SOME OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE NOW SEPARATE COUNTRIES. AND I WAS PERSONALLY VERY SURPRISED WHEN I TOOK A DNA TEST THAT TOLD ME THAT I WAS ABOUT 30% VIETNAMESE, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS IDENTIFIED MYSELF AS THAI LAO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY FATHER'S FROM. 
          SO I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO BE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO USE THIS TIME TO HEAR ABOUT YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER AND CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? SO NEXT UP, I WANT TO INTRODUCE, JEFFREY EMBLETON. HE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOREST AND TREE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS JEFF EMBLETON. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOREST AND TREE WE ARE, WE WORK WITH TK12 YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES PRIMARILY IN OAKLAND AND HAYWARD SCHOOLS, AND WE SERVE PUBLIC TITLE 1 CHARTER SCHOOLS AS WELL. 
          WE HAVE BEEN A NONPROFIT FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN AN EDUCATOR IN OAKLAND FOR 20 YEARS, AND PRIMARILY WE ARE WORKING TO GET KIDS CONNECTED OUTSIDE THE FOUR WALLS OF A CLASSROOM BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS DESERVE A CHILD, A HEALTHY CHILDHOOD. SO WE ALSO WERE INVITED TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE THAT WE WORK WITH TO GET THEIR RESPONSES FOR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE OF THEIR PARKS. AND SO WE TOOK, UM, TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THIS YOU CAN SEE OUR TWO PROJECTS THAT WE RAN. ONE WAS CALLED THE YOUTH PHOTO VOICES WORKSHOP, WHERE WE TOOK A GROUP FROM LAZIER CHARTER ACADEMY, UM, WHICH IS IN THE FRUITVALE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OAKLAND, AND SIMILARLY WE RENTED A PRIVATE CHARTER BUS TO PICK THE STUDENTS UP DIRECTLY AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE. WE WENT OVER TO ARROWHEAD MARSH, MLK REGIONAL SHORELINE, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF FROM WHERE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL. 
          NO KIDS HAVE EVER HAD EVER BEEN THERE BEFORE PRIOR TO THAT TRIP, AND WE GAVE THEM CAMERAS, AND WE GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SHOW US WHAT THEY SAW THEIR PARKS TO BE. WE ALSO WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION COME OUT, WHO'S A PHOTOGRAPHER, AND LINK TO OUR SLIDES SHE TOOK PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOS AND ALSO TALKED TO OUR KIDS ABOUT CAREERS IN THE OUTDOORS, AND SO IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM BOTH TO GO WALK AS A GROUP DEMONSTRATE THEIR ARTISTIC ABILITY, AND THEN GIVE FEEDBACK FOR WHAT THEY HOPE THE FUTURE OF THE PARKS WOULD BE AND THE SECOND EVENT THAT WE RAN, WAS CALLED SCOOPS FOR PARKS, AND YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE PHOTOS UP THERE. BECAUSE THE PHOTOS ARE EXTREMELY SMALL, I ALSO JUST BROUGHT A VISUAL BOARD SO THAT YOU COULD SEE. 
          THIS IS CALLED DOTMOCRACY AS AN EDUCATOR. AND WHAT WE DID WAS, IT WAS AN OPEN EVENT WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH NIEVES CINCO DE MAYO, WHICH IS A LOCAL ICE CREAM SHOP 
          [00:50:02]
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MANY OF OUR FAMILIES KNOW, AND WE GAVE A SCOOP OUT AFTER FAMILIES PEOPLE HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY. AND SO IT WAS KIND OF A WALK THROUGH THE FRUITVALE PLAZA RIGHT AFTER THE FARMERS MARKET AND WE HAD ABOUT 200 PEOPLE THAT WE SERVED SCOOPS TO, MORE ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND SIMILARLY, NO ONE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A DISTRICT PLAN KIND OF SURVEY GOING ON, SO THEY WERE EXCITED TO GET THEIR VOICES OUT SIMILAR TO CHARLIE, WE HAD TO EXPLAIN WHICH WERE OPEN PARKS AND RECS, WHICH WERE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS, AND WE TAKE A LOT OF FIELD TRIPS, AND SO WE SHARED THAT PLACES LIKE CRAB COVE, COYOTE HILLS, ROBERTS REDWOOD, SOME OF THE TRIPS THAT WE TAKE THEIR KIDS TO ARE PART OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND SO WE ENGAGED WITH THEM IN DIALOGUE, YOU KNOW, IN MULTILINGUAL, SO I'M NOT FLUENT SPANISH-SPEAKING, BUT MY TEAM WHO WERE IN THE FIELD WERE ALSO JUST THERE TO ENGAGE IN DISCOURSE, AND SO WE SUMMARIZED IN OUR REPORT BACK WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING AS THEY WALKED THROUGH WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FOR THE FUTURE, AND SO I'LL JUST SHARE A COUPLE OF THOSE TAKEAWAYS AND THESE ARE PHOTOS FROM OUR ARROWHEAD MARSH WALK THAT WERE TAKEN BY SOME OF OUR STUDENT PHOTOS UP THERE, STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHERS, BUT IN THE SCOOPS FOR PARKS, IT WAS ACCESS TO MORE NEARBY GREEN SPACES IN THE FRUITVALE AND SAN ANTONIO NEIGHBORHOODS. WE DON'T HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THOSE GREEN SPACES. AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATOR, WE'RE CONSTANTLY SEEKING PLACES TO GET OUR KIDS OUT TO, AND SO WALKABLE LOCATIONS. 
          AND THEN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THAT ACTUALLY COMES TO THE COMMUNITIES FOR EXAMPLE, WE PARTNER WITH THE PRESIDIO, AND WE HAVE A BUS THAT DRIVES OVER FROM THE PRESIDIO CALLED THE PRESIDIGO THAT PICKS UP FAMILIES IN THE FRUITVALE, AND THAT IS A WAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OVER TO PUBLIC PARKS, AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY SAID, IS THERE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AVAILABLE? BELONGING AND SAFETY ALSO RECORD WAS VERY CLEAR. 
          HAVING MULTILINGUAL SIGNAGE, MULTILINGUAL INTERPRETERS, MULTILINGUAL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE ALLOWS FAMILIES TO FEEL THAT SENSE OF BELONGING. AND THEN KIDS, KIDS HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS FOR WHAT THEY, THEY HOPE THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PARK THAT WAS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THEM. 
          UM, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TIDEWATER AS A LOCATION THAT THEY CAN GO TO TO FISH, AND SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT EXPOSURE AND HOW ARE WE CONNECTING OUR FUTURE AND GETTING KIDS THAT KNOWLEDGE. 
          UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO NAME THEY ENJOY THINGS LIKE KAYAKING AND BIKING BUT BEING SO CLOSE TO WATER, THE THING THAT BECAME LOUD AND CLEAR WAS THEY HOPE THAT SOMEONE OR THERE'S A PROGRAM TO HAVE THEM LEARN HOW TO SWIM AS PART OF THEIR UPBRINGING. AND SO THAT WAS A BIG PIECE AND AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE BEING INVITED. 
          WE THINK IT'S CRITICAL FOR THE COMMUNITY AND VOICES TO BE PART OF THIS DISTRICT PLAN, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT, THANK YOU AGAIN. IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL. YOU'RE ACTUALLY OUR FIRST TWO COMMUNITY PARTNER PRESENTATIONS TODAY, AND YOU BOTH DID SUCH A GREAT JOB IN TERMS OF SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU KNOW, IN REGARDS TO BELONGING AND, UM, SAFETY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COMMENTARY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IN TERMS OF THE SIGNAGE THAT WE'RE PRODUCING, AS WELL AS INTER, YOU KNOW, THE THE NATURALIST INTERPRETATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND I THINK THIS REALLY HELPS GIVE US SOME INSIGHT AS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE DISTRICT PLAN. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING OUR FIRST TWO HERE TODAY. THANK YOU ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I KNOW THIS IS PART OF THE GENERAL MANAGER'S PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS HERE. YES, GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR ECHOLS. 
          I WANTED TO THANK BOTH PRESENTERS TOO. IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU BOTH ABOUT THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU'RE DOING, BUT ALSO PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM THE PARK. SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL, AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET COPIES OF, OF YOUR PRESENTATIONS, OR AT LEAST THE KEY TAKEAWAYS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL, AND I'M REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND SHARE THIS WITH US. 
          YES, THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT TO ALL THE DIRECTORS, AND ALSO OUR TEAM'S PUTTING TOGETHER A REPORT ON ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I'LL SAY TOO, I THINK WE LOOK APPRECIATE CHARLIE AND JEFF AND LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING CONNECTED, I THINK EVEN BEYOND THIS EFFORT SO THANK YOU. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          OKAY, I HAVE A LITTLE MORE IN THE GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT, IF THAT'S OKAY LET'S SEE. 
          OKAY SO BEAR WITH ME HERE. OH, I GOTTA TURN IT ON. THERE WE GO. OKAY, SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE CHIEF FELICE AND THE WHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING IN COORDINATION WITH, ALL OF THE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS ALONG THE IRON HORSE TRAIL 
          [00:55:01]
OR A NUMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS ALONG THE IRON HORSE TRAIL ON, UM, E-BIKE AND E-MOTO ENFORCEMENT AND OUTREACH, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN SUPER EFFECTIVE ON THE PATHWAYS OUT THERE, SO REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION AS WELL. 
          AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THE INTEREST SUPPORT FROM THIS, BOTH FROM YOUR BOARD AND OUR PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND SO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S LOOKING AT, AT THIS AS A MODEL FOR OTHER LOCATIONS AS WELL. 
          LET'S SEE SO ONE THING THAT YOUR BOARD ASKED WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE PREPARING FOR EL NINO? UM, THIS OBVIOUSLY THIS COMING YEAR IS PREDICTED TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. I JUST SAW A, A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORT THAT IT'S LIKE OVER 90% CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION THIS WINTER, SO VERY HIGH CHANCE OF SOME SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON OUR, ON OUR PARKS. 
          UH, THESE ARE JUST SOME PHOTOS. 
          OUR OPERATIONS TEAM IS WORKING AT CLEARING CULVERTS GETTING FACILITIES READY, EMERGENCY SUPPLIES READY, LOOKING AT HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL. WE HAVE THESE TIGER DAMS FOR POTENTIAL DEPLOYMENT AT CRAB COVE OR CROWN BEACH AND OTHER LOCATIONS. JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE GETTING READY. 
          ANOTHER EXAMPLE TO HIGHLIGHT IS AT POINT MALATI, WHERE, UM CHRIS AND OUR, OUR FACILITIES TEAM IS LOOKING AT WE MAY NEED TO RE-TARP SOME OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURES OUT THERE THAT COULD BE PRONE TO STORM DAMAGE IF THEY'RE NOT CARED FOR. SO JUST A NUMBER OF PLACES ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHERE ALL OF OUR TEAMS ARE GETTING TOGETHER TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN PREPARE BEST FOR WINTER STORMS COASTAL CLEANUP DAY, THIS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. THIS IS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, IT'S A HUGE LIFT FOR OUR TEAM, AND I WANT TO ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION AND SANDY AND HER TEAM, OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS, WHO HELPED TO PUT THIS ON AND SOME STATISTICS THERE IN ON THE REPORT I WANTED TO HONOR ONE OF OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS THAT UH, PASSED ON RECENTLY. THIS IS FERGIE, THE RATTLESNAKE AT THE SNOLL VISITOR CENTER, WHO HAS BEEN HELPING VISITORS LEARN ABOUT RATTLESNAKES FOR 35 YEARS. SO REALLY APPRECIATION TO FERGIE AND THEN A FEW MORE PROJECTS TO HIGHLIGHT WHERE THIS IS AN ALVARADO PARK REMOVING GRAFFITI FROM SOME OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES OUT THERE AND THEN THIS WAS A PLANNING WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD A COUPLE WEEKS AGO FOR CONTRALOMA. WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT, I THINK MAYBE AROUND 50 PEOPLE SHOWED UP ALONG WITH DIRECTORS MERCURIO AND COFFEY THANK YOU UH, THIS IS A TOUR OF BRUSHY PEAK. SO WE GOT OUR TEAM OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UM, KIRSTEN AND AMY JOINING THE TEAM, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THEM OUT TO ALL OF THE REALLY COOL SITES IN THE FIELD. SO THIS IS A TRIP WITH, WITH OUR TEAM AND STATE PARKS AND OTHERS. 
          JUST LAST WEEKEND WE HAD THE GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES IN COYOTE HILLS WE HAD OVER A THOUSAND VISITORS ATTEND SO THIS IS SOME MORE UPDATES THIS IS SOME, UH, REPLACEMENT OF HARDWARE ON THIS COGSWELL BRIDGE PROJECT THIS IS A REALLY COOL BRIDGE PROJECT. THIS IS AT LAUREL CANYON, WHICH IS IN, UH, TILDEN PARK, AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BROUGHT, WE'VE HIRED ON AND DEVELOPED A REALLY AMAZING TRAIL CREW, AND THAT THE WORK THEY'RE DOING IS REALLY, THEY'VE REALLY RAISED THE BAR ON THE, THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE FIELD. THIS KIND OF BRIDGE WITH THEY BROUGHT IN STEEL BEAMS TO SUPPORT THE BRIDGE IS GONNA LAST LITERALLY FOREVER, WHICH IS AWESOME BECAUSE IT'S REALLY TAKES A LONG TIME TO REPAIR THESE STRUCTURES, AND THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          UH, LET'S SEE, THIS IS ANOTHER, SOME MORE JUST THIS IS JUST THE REGULAR WORK THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES. 
          THIS IS AT ROBERTS PARK DOING A REPAIR ON A RESIDENCE. 
          [01:00:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR PARK RESIDENTS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR THE OPERATION OF OUR PARKS, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO CARE FOR THOSE FACILITIES, AND THEY SUPPORT OUR TEAM. 
          I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A CAREER FAIR. 
          WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT SUPPORTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET INTO WORKING HERE AT THE PARKS OBVIOUSLY, I THINK IT'S AN AMAZING CAREER PATH, AND WE WANT THAT TO REALLY, BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO DOING THESE CAREER FAIRS IS A GREAT WAY TO HELP PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY. 
          HIGHLIGHTING A FEW MORE EVENTS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THIS WAS OUT AT CONTRA LOMA THIS WAS THE ALBANY CITY COUNCIL MEETING ABOUT GOLDEN GATE FIELDS. WE HAD OVER 400 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTEND THIS MEETING IT WAS SUPER POSITIVE TO SEE ALL THE INTEREST IN GOLDEN GATE FIELDS. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE OUR BOARD CLERK, KELLY CLANCY. SHE WAS JUST AWARDED THE MASTER MUNICIPAL CLERK DESIGNATION, SO CONGRATULATIONS. REALLY PROUD TO HAVE KELLY ON OUR TEAM AND UH, WE HAD, WE COMPLETE, OUR TEAM COMPLETED THE PHILIP SCHOLZ TRAIL WITH THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SOME REALLY GREAT UM, CONTRACTORS FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL BUT THIS WAS REALLY INSPIRED BY A COMMUNITY HERO, AND SO WE GOT TO CELEBRATE THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT THIS LAST WEEKEND, AND THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR SANWONG AND DIRECTOR WAESPI, WHO JOINED. 
          AND THEN ALMOST DONE HERE, JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR EQUITY OFFICER, JOSE GONZALEZ WHO WAS AT THIS SPORTING, REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT AT THIS OUTDOORS FOR ALL EVENT IN SACRAMENTO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR TEAM IS CONNECTING STATEWIDE WITH SOME OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT EQUITY AND NATURAL RESOURCE GOALS OF THE STATE AND RECOGNIZED THAT WAY ALSO AT THE 30 BY 30 SUMMIT, UM, JOSE WAS ALSO A SPEAKER THERE, AND I KNOW THE POTENTIAL ACQUISITION AT GOLDEN GATE FIELDS WAS RECOGNIZED A NUMBER OF TIMES, AS WELL AS POINT MALATI ACQUISITION BY SENATOR ARREGUIN AND, UM UH, SECRETARY CROWFOOT AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST WE GOT A CHANCE TO BRING OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM OUT TO SIBLEY MEADOW, WHERE WE'RE WORKING, WHERE OUR TEAM'S BEEN WORKING ON A RESTORATION PROJECT, AND DINA AND ROSE FROM THE STEWARDSHIP TEAM HELPED US PLANT LITTLE SEEDS AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK IN THE SPRING TO SEE THEM BECOMING WILDFLOWERS. AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. THANKS. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. AND I BELIEVE THE SIBLEY MEADOW, WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE IN, I THINK, JUNE ON THAT RESTORATION PROJECT THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO VIEW AND GET MORE INFORMATION, BUT THAT'S WONDERFUL THAT THE TEAM WAS OUT THERE, SO THANK YOU YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION WHERE, OR AN ITEM WHERE THERE'S QUESTIONS, IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD MATERIAL ON THERE. GOOD JOB WITH GETTING THROUGH ALL OF IT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MY COLLEAGUES IF YOU JUST HAVE ANYTHING QUICK THAT 
          [ANNOUNCEMENTS]
YOU WANT TO SHARE, BUT NO, OKAY. SO THANK YOU SO THEN WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO MAKE 
          [CONSENT CALENDAR]
AT THIS TIME? I DON'T SEE ANY, SO THEN WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. AND WITH THE CONSENT CALENDAR, WHAT I'D LIKE TO FIRST DO IS SEE IF ANYONE WANTS TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR TO BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY FROM ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS. OTHERWISE, WE WILL YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN VOTE ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ALL TOGETHER AS ONE MOTION AND ONE RESOLUTION. ALL RIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANYONE WANTS TO PULL ANYTHING FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, SO NOW WE WILL MOVE INTO CONSIDERING ALL 14 ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND WE'LL START WITH ANY BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS ON CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS G1 THROUGH G14. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT. 
          I'LL ASK A SIMPLE, I THINK IT'S A QUICK QUESTION, MAX. THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE NORTH PEAK EQUESTRIAN CENTER IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY, AND I ASSUME IT MEANS SPECIFICALLY, SO THIS IS JUST FOR A PRIVATE HORSE FACILITY. 
          THERE'S NO ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR EQUESTRIAN RIDING. IS THAT SOMETHING WE HAVE DONE COMMONLY? CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT? SORRY, DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU 
          [01:05:01]
ON THE SPOT. 
          DO YOU KNOW? OKAY. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON TIFFANY MARGALISI. I'M THE ACTING ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER, AND UM, THAT IS CORRECT THAT THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT IS FOR A, A BACK AREA OF A PRIVATE EQUESTRIAN FACILITY THAT'S NOT OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE. SO THIS IS REALLY A, A LICENSE AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT HELPED TO RESOLVE A, A UNINTENDED EXPANSION OR ENCROACHMENT OF THE FACILITY AND SO, UH, FROM THE MAP IN THE PACKET, YOU CAN SEE IT'S REALLY JUST A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE BACK LOT AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER. 
          SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A BACKSTORY THERE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. MY OTHER QUESTION, OR I GUESS GENERAL COMMENT, WAS JUST IN GENERAL, I ADDED UP ALL THESE. WE'RE MOVING INTO OUR LAST QUARTER HERE OF THE AGENDA, I MEAN, OF OUR BUDGET, AND I JUST DON'T HAVE A GOOD PERSPECTIVE. 
          I ADD THESE UP, AND IT'S ABOUT 1.65 MILLION WE'RE APPROVING BY THIS MOTION THAT I'M HAPPY TO MAKE IN A MINUTE. BUT I GUESS IT'S A COMMENT MORE THAN A QUESTION. I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS SOURCE OF FUNDS, USE OF FUNDS WE SEEM TO HAVE LESS ON WHAT'S THE BUDGET AND REMAINING BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND ARE WE ON BUDGET, AND SORT OF LESS ON PERSPECTIVE. SO I'VE PUT A LOT OF TRUST IN STAFF, BUT MAYBE IN I GUESS IT'S NOT EVEN A QUESTION. MAYBE I'LL JUST MAKE MY MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. 
          IT'S JUST A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR US, AND AND I FEEL LIKE AS WE WE KNOW WE'VE BEEN BELT TIGHTENING AS WE GET CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR, I'M JUST LIKE, I HOPE WE GOT ENOUGH MONEY. 
          THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I'LL SHARE. I MEAN, I KNOW, UM, JONAH'S BEEN WORKING ON UPDATES FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, BUT THEN ALSO TO YOUR BOARD AS PART OF THE BUDGET. ONE THING I CAN SHARE, I MEAN, A, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE BOTH JONAH AND AMY, WHO ARE COMING ONTO OUR TEAM AND BRINGING A TON OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. ONE THING THAT THEY'VE BOTH BROUGHT UP, WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY GREAT IDEA, IS PROVIDING MORE TRANSPARENCY, NOT JUST LOOKING FORWARD WITH OUR BUDGET, BUT ALSO LOOKING BACKWARD, WHICH I THINK I'VE ALSO HEARD FROM YOUR BOARD, IS LIKE, HOW DID WE DO IN THE LAST YEAR? DID WE MEET OUR GOALS? YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WAS OUR REVENUE? HOW MUCH WERE EXPENSES? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF AS JONAH, UM, WORKS THROUGH SORT OF GIVING YOU PRESENTATIONS ON THE BUDGET AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, WELL, THANK YOU. I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE. I'M SO EXCITED WE HAVE JONAH. WE'LL SIT DOWN SOMETIME AND LOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          WELL, WE HAVE TO FIRST DO OH, I'M PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          AND THEN LET'S JUST SEE IF THERE'S OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAD ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THEN AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR MOTIONS. 
          ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR MOTIONS. 
          I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 1 THROUGH 14. 
          OKAY, AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND FROM DIRECTOR ECHOLS. 
          SO MOTION MADE BY DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT, SECONDED BY DIRECTOR ECHOLS. IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS, PLEASE MAKE THEM NOW. 
          OTHERWISE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTAINED? SO THAT PASSES 7-0. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A QUICK BREAK LET'S TRY TO BE BACK AND START AGAIN AT 02:25, WE'LL SAY. THANK YOU. 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
OKAY, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED AGAIN. LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM. THIS IS OUR PRESENTATION FOR TODAY ON THE DISTRICT-WIDE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK. 
          ALL RIGHT, WELL, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING ONE. I'LL GIVE THE FIRST COUPLE SLIDES, I'M GONNA HAND OVER TO CLAIRE AND KRISTEN, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT, SINCE COMING HERE AS THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS HELPING OUR TEAM SORT OF, WORK BETTER TOGETHER AND HAVE SORT OF A CONSISTENT FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE DO SOME OF THE CORE PIECES OF OUR WORK ACROSS THE DISTRICT SO THAT NO MATTER WHAT PARK YOU'RE IN WE HAVE A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO OUR WORK AND SO WE STARTED OFF THIS WORK JUST HAVING A COORDINATION MEETING WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OPERATIONS, STEWARDSHIP SOME OF OUR KEY PRO- UH, TEAM MEMBERS THAT DO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING. AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT THERE'S A TON OF WORK HAPPENING ALL THE TIME AROUND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, BUT THAT IT WASN'T PART OF SORT OF A COHESIVE STRATEGY AND THAT THERE WERE A BUNCH 
          [01:10:02]
OF SORT OF DATA GAPS AND THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW, AND THEN ALSO THAT WE COULD USE SOME GOALS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR WORK WAS SORT OF DRIVEN BY THE SAME VISION NEXT, OH, LET'S SEE, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? OKAY, SO, SOME OF THE THINGS THE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE MANAGE A HUGE NUMBER OF ACRES. WHEN WE TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE HEARD, AND IT WAS THE SAME THIS YEAR WHEN WE DID THE VOTER POLLING, WAS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN FROM FOLKS IS THE RISK OF WILDFIRE AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT FOR THE DISTRICT, FROM YOUR BOARD, PAST BOARDS, AND FROM THE COMMUNITY AND OUR OWN TEAM, WE REALLY HAVE A DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BALANCING REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK AND ENHANCING NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY IN OUR PARKS. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE TWO GOALS ARE CONNECTED WITH ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR STAFF AND RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. IT'S LIKE WE COULD DO ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK. 
          THESE LANDS HAVE BEEN MANAGED PROACTIVELY BY THE TRIBES THAT LIVE HERE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, AND AND THAT ACTIVE MANAGEMENT IS BENEFICIAL FOR THESE ECOSYSTEMS, AND IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY, BUT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, SO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO BE USING THAT AS STRATEGICALLY AS WE CAN. NEXT SLIDE AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THIS REALLY EXCITING TO ME IS WE HAVE SO MANY COOL, AMAZING PEOPLE ON OUR TEAM, AND THAT THIS WORK HAPPENS THE BEST WHEN THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER I WANTED TO ALL, WE'LL GET THERE IN THE THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONNECTION WITH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE BECAUSE THIS WAS ONE OF THE TWO AREAS THAT WE WORKED ON REALLY DEEPLY WITH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE THIS YEAR, AND JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT A, WE SAW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THIS WORK AT AN EARLY STAGE AND B, YOUR BOARD AND THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHEN WE CREATED THEIR WORK PLAN, HAD TWO SORT OF VERY GENERAL TOPIC AREAS. 
          ONE WAS ABOUT NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND BIODIVERSITY, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS ABOUT TRAIL SAFETY AND STEWARDSHIP. 
          AND WE TRIED TO CONNECT THOSE REALLY GENERAL TOPIC AREAS WITH PLACES THAT WE HAD A QUESTION WHERE WE REALLY, SO THEY COULD HAVE AN ACTION, LIKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOUR BOARD. AND THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE WERE WORKING ON WHERE WE WERE LIKE, WE REALLY DO HAVE A QUESTION, LIKE HOW, ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? AND THEY REALLY DUG DEEPLY INTO THIS, AND WE PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE, THE GOALS WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU TODAY WERE INFORMED BY THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE'RE BRINGING THIS AS AN INFORMATION ITEM TODAY. 
          WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS, AND THEN THE IDEA IS TO COME BACK FOR YOUR BOARD'S ACTUAL APPROVAL, A LITTLE LATER DOWN THE ROAD. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CLAIRE. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU I'M CLAIRE GRIFFIN, A MANAGEMENT ANALYST IN THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE, EXCITED TO SHARE WITH THE FULL BOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS EXCITING PROJECT WE'RE WORKING ON. THANKS, MAX, FOR SHARING SOME HISTORY. 
          I'M HERE WITH KRISTEN VAN DAM IN STEWARDSHIP. WE'RE BOTH GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR THE STRATEGY, WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND AND WHAT THE STRATEGY LOOKS LIKE. 
          SO I'M GOING TO START BY SHARING THIS IS KIND OF A TABLE OF CONTENTS OF WHAT WE ENVISION THE STRATEGY TO LOOK LIKE IT INCLUDES THESE FIVE ELEMENTS. 
          SO FIRST GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. A GOAL WILL BE SOMETHING, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU OUR DRAFT GOALS OF OBJECTIVES, BUT THE GOAL IS SOMETHING LIKE WILDFIRE, WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION AND AN OBJECTIVE MIGHT BE TO FOCUS ON MANAGING OUR DEFENSIBLE SPACE TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DEVELOP ACTIONS AS PART OF THE STRATEGY TO HELP ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'VE DECIDED ON. AND AN ACTION MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE MAP ALL DEFENSIBLE SPACE, UM, IN THE PARK DISTRICT AND CREATE A PLAN FOR LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF THAT SPACE AND DETERMINE, THE BEST TREATMENT METHODS. 
          SO IT STARTS WITH GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS, AND THEN ALSO THE STRATEGY WILL INCLUDE PROJECT PRIORITIZATION, UM, WHICH IS A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT THAT KRISTEN'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, BUT WE WANT TO LOOK DISTRICT-WIDE AT, AT, ALL OF OUR LANDS AND DETERMINE HOW WE WANT TO BEST PRIORITIZE THESE PROJECTS. WE CAN'T DO IT ALL WITH OUR LIMITED RESOURCES. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE WANT TO BE REALLY STRATEGIC ABOUT, HOW WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, AND SO 
          [01:15:01]
WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IN A DATA-INFORMED WAY WITH SOME REALLY COOL TOOLS THAT WE'LL SHARE LATER. 
          AND THE STRATEGY ITSELF WILL, WILL ALLUDE TO AND ESTABLISH HOW WE MAKE THOSE PRIORITIES. WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? THE STRATEGY WILL ALSO INCLUDE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          UM, AS MAX, AS MAX MENTIONED, WE ARE COORDINATING DISTRICT-WIDE INTERNALLY, UM, EVERY DIVISION HAS A ROLE, LIKE YOU SAW IN THAT LAST SLIDE, AND SO WE WANT TO ESTABLISH THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT MOVING FORWARD TO HELP US WORK TOGETHER. AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO FOCUS ON EXTERNAL COORDINATION, SO PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AND ALSO WITH OUR AGENCY PARTNERS AND OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS. SO YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF, AT A BROAD LEVEL WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE STRATEGY AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE BUILDING IT AND THE, AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS. 
          WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, OUR RESOURCES WHERE THEY CAN PROVIDE THE GREATEST BENEFIT AND MAKE INFORMED STRATEGIC DECISIONS. WE ALSO WANT TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION, AS MENTIONED BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL. WE WANT TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION, AND TRANSPARENCY. 
          UM, THAT'S A THEME THAT'S GOING TO COME UP THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION. AS MAX MENTIONED, WE WENT TO THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE HEARD FROM THEM IS WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC, MORE INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AT EACH LEVEL. AND SO AT EACH STAGE OF THE PROCESS. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL BE AN OUTCOME OF THIS AND THEN WE WANT TO SUPPORT RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES. WE WANT EVERYONE TO, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON PROJECTS THAT ARE LONG, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM AND ALSO HAVE A FOCUS ON BALANCING OUR ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES. SO THIS IS A, A SLIDE THAT SHOWS HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND THEN THERE'LL BE A SLIDE LATER ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING FROM HERE BUT THIS IS A BIT ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WE'VE UNDERTOOK OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO SO IN THE SPRING OF 2025 WE CONVENED A CROSS-DIVISIONAL TEAM OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT AND ASSESSED OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN TERMS OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND ANY GAPS, AND WE DRAFTED GOALS FOR WHAT WE WANT THIS TO LOOK LIKE. SO WE HAD SOME VISIONING SESSIONS WITH THAT TEAM TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DOES VEGETATION MANAGEMENT LOOK LIKE DISTRICT-WIDE? WHERE DO WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS FOR THAT? UM, AND THEN WE ENGAGED PARK DISTRICT STAFF THROUGH A SURVEY AND A LISTENING SESSION, A STEWARDSHIP SEMINAR AND THEN MORE RECENTLY SOME DATA REVIEW SESSIONS. WE'VE EN- ENGAGED TECHNICAL STAFF AND THEN WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE WE WENT TO THEM, I THINK, IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR WITH A PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE ASKED THEM TO GO OUT INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS. SO THEY EACH WENT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THEM, ONE PERSON TABLED A FARMER'S MARKET AND TALKED TO 400 PEOPLE. SO SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY WENT TO EVENTS, SOME PEOPLE WENT TO STANDING MEETINGS, SOME PEOPLE JUST HAD CASUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS BUT THEY ALL DID SOME SORT OF OUTREACH, ASKING PEOPLE, DO THEY KNOW WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT DOES IN TERMS OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT? ARE THEY AWARE OF WHAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR GOALS ARE OR ACTIVITIES? UM, AND WE HEARD, YOU KNOW, VARYING LEVELS OF, OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT AND THEN ASKED PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES AND THEIR CONCERNS. AS MAX MENTIONED, WILDFIRE IS AT, AT THE TOP OF MIND BUT WE, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THEM WAS, UM, THAT WILDFIRE RISK AND PUBLIC SAFETY WERE REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO TRAIL ACCESS AND RECREATION UNSURPRISINGLY ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT, AND ECOSYSTEM AND WATERSHED HEALTH CAME OUT AS ANOTHER PRIORITY AS WELL AS COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS. SO WE HAD THESE DRAFT GOALS THAT HAD BEEN DRAFTED BY STAFF THAT WE, THAT, UM, THAT THE PAC PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK ON THROUGH THIS ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN WE REFINED THOSE GOALS AND AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE THOSE GOALS UNTIL, UM, UNTIL WE WE FINALIZE THE STRATEGY, BUT THEY PROVIDED SOME REALLY GOOD INPUT. 
          UM, AND THEN STAFF COMPILED A A A REPORT FOR THE PAC BASED ON, THEY ACTUALLY CAME, THEY DID A WORKSHOP IN APRIL WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF, STAFF COMPILED A REPORT, BROUGHT IT BACK TO THEM IN MAY. THEY MADE SOME REVISIONS AND ACCEPTED THE REPORT THAT IS ATTACHED TO YOUR STAFF REPORT, TO YOUR BOARD PACKET. SO YOU HAVE THEIR OFFICIAL FINDINGS AND THEN FROM THAT WE DEVELOPED, WELL, LET ME TALK MORE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT FIRST. SO RIGHT NOW STARTING THIS SUMMER AND CURRENTLY WE'RE ENGAGING OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS ON THE STRATEGY AS WELL. 
          SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOALS, 
          [01:20:01]
TREATMENT METHODS, AND FUTURE COLLABORATION POTENTIAL FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CO-MAN- CO-MANAGEMENT. 
          SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING WITH OUR CULTURAL RESOURCES STAFF AND OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS AND THEY WILL BE, THAT WILL BE WRITTEN INTO THE STRATEGY AS WELL IN TERMS OF HOW WE, HOW WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THEM IN THIS WORK A COMMITMENT FROM US. AND THEN WE ALSO ENGAGED THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE IN JUNE AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THAT COMMITTEE ON ON OCTOBER 28TH FOR TO BRING THE FINAL GOALS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION AND HOPEFULLY RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD, AND THEN WE WILL BRING THEM BACK TO YOU LIKELY EITHER THE END OF THE END OF THE YEAR, LIKELY JANUARY, WE WILL BRING YOU OUR FINAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR YOU TO ACCEPT. SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. 
          AND I APOLOGIZE, THIS, THIS HAS A LOT OF WORDS ON IT AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A PRINTED COPY, IT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR YOU TO LOOK AT, AT A, AT A FUTURE DATE, BUT I'LL GO, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THEM. SO THE 4 MAIN GOALS WE HAVE ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT I SHARED THAT ARE THE PAC OBJECTIVES, AND THEY ALSO ALIGN QUITE WELL WITH OUR AGENCY MISSION. 
          BUT THE FIRST IS WILD- REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK AND PROTECT COMMUNITIES WHICH INCLUDES REDUCING HAZARDS, MAINTAINING DEFENSIBLE SPACE, SUPPORTING EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ACCESS, PROTECTING COMMUNITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ALSO PROTECTING IN NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES AND THE SECOND GOAL IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, AND THIS IS KEY BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS, WHICH KRISTEN'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT MORE, BUT WE WANT TO BOTH REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK AND, AND PROTECT OUR ECOSYSTEMS, AND OFTEN THOSE THINGS GO HAND IN HAND, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PRIORITIZING PROJECTS THAT DO BOTH. SO WE WANT TO PROTECT NATIVE AND RARE AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT PLANTS, PROTECT WATERSHED HEALTH, PREVENT AND MANAGE INVASIVE SPECIES, PESTS, AND PATHOGENS, AND BUILD CLIMATE RESILIENCE. 
          AND THEN THE THIRD GOAL IS MAINTAIN SAFE AND ACCEPT- ACCESSIBLE PARKS AND TRAILS, UM, WHICH INCLUDES REDUCING VEGETATION RELATED HAZARDS, PLANNING FOR SEASONAL CONDITIONS AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE, AND BALANCING PUBLIC ACCESS WITH NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION WHICH IS ALWAYS OUR GOAL AS AN AGENCY. AND THEN, SO THESE TOP THREE ARE OUR GOALS, THEY ARE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND THE FOURTH IS REALLY HOW WE GET THERE, HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, UM, I- AND BEST PRACTICES. SO THAT'S STRENGTHEN COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION, AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT. 
          UM, IT'S KIND OF A MOUTHFUL, THERE'S A LOT THERE, BUT IT THE THE MAIN PIECE IS PRIORITIZING MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS, WHICH IS A BIG, BIG POINT OF THE STRATEGY WE ALSO WANT TO PLAN FOR LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE. WE WANT TO PLAN PROJECTS THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG TERM AND WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITY AND USE RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY, ENSURE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, WHICH MEANS TALKING ABOUT THAT EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT PLANNING PHASE, USING DATA MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT, ADVANCING COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS, AND IMPROVING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TRANSPARENCY AND ALSO PUBLIC EDUCATION SO THESE ARE OUR DRAFT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND AFTER THE OBJECTIVES, WE'RE DEVELOPING NOW ACTIONS THAT GO UNDER EACH OF THESE OBJECTIVES, SO LIKE 2 TO 5 ACTIONS UNDER EACH OBJECTIVE THAT REALLY EXPLAINS THE, THE ACTIONS WE'LL TAKE TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES THAT WILL THEN GET US TO OUR GOAL. 
          SO THAT'S THE FORMAT FOR THE STRATEGY AND WITH THAT, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO KRISTEN VAN DAM, WHO'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS PIECE, WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND THEN HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE DEVELOPING THIS PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE STRATEGY. SO, THANK YOU. 
          HI, THANK YOU KRISTEN VAN DAM, ECOLOGICAL SERVICES COORDINATOR IN OUR STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT. SO HERE WE GO SO I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AS PART OF THE LARGER STRATEGY THAT THIS GROUP, THIS COLLABORATIVE GROUP IS WORKING ON SO WE KNOW THAT OUR EAST BAY LANDSCAPES EVOLVE WITH DISTURBANCE, INCLUDING FIRE AND GRAZING AND THESE SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION, BIODIVERSITY, AND RESILIENCE, AND REALLY SHAPED THESE LANDSCAPES THAT WE KNOW TODAY. INDIGENOUS CULTURAL BURNING HAS LONG USED FREQUENT, LOW-INTENSITY FIRE AS A TOOL TO SUSTAIN HEALTHY LANDSCAPES. 
          THIS ANCIENT RELATIONSHIP MEANS THAT OUR ECOSYSTEMS ARE NOW DEPENDENT UPON THAT MANAGEMENT TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. AND OVER TIME, FIRE SUPPRESSION, CHANGING DISTURBANCE PATTERNS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE DISRUPTED THESE NATURAL SYSTEMS. AND AS A RESULT, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF OUR VEGETATION BECOME DENSER AND LESS RESILIENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF SEVERE, FAST-MOVING WILDFIRES. WE'RE ALSO SEEING SIGNS 
          [01:25:02]
OF ECOSYSTEM STRESS, INCLUDING TREE DIEBACKS, PATHOGENS, ECOSYSTEM SIMPLIFICATION, AND DECLINING FOREST HEALTH, WHICH CAN FURTHER INCREASE WILDFIRE RISK. PRINCIPALLY, THESE EFFECTS WIDELY RESULT IN DENSER, DRIER FUEL LOADING, ESPECIALLY IN GROUND AND MID-STORY LEVELS, WHICH IS EXTREMELY, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY INCREASES OUR FIRE RISK. SO THESE DIVERSE LANDSCAPES REQUIRE DIVERSE APPROACHES AND TOOLS. STAFF IN EVERY DIVISION DO WORK TO MANAGE OUR VEGETATION. 
          CULTURAL FILE FIRE, OF COURSE, WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN HISTORIC VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, AND ITS REMOVAL CAUSED AND CONTINUES TO CAUSE MAJOR SHIFTS IN ECOSYSTEM FORM AND FUNCTION. 
          CATTLE GRAZING IS THE BEST PROXY WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR PRESCRIBED FIRE. DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES REQUIRE DIFFERENT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT APPROACHES, DEPENDING ON WILDFIRE RISK, HABITAT CONDITIONS, VEGETATION TYPE, PUBLIC ACCESS, AND LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE NEEDS. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS A FORM OF ACTIVE STEWARDSHIP AIMED AT CREATING RESILIENT, HEALTHY, AND MANAGEABLE LANDSCAPES. 
          THESE TOOLS ARE OFTEN USED TOGETHER AS PART OF A LARGER, UM, MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION EFFORT CATTLE AND GOAT GRAZING, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ACRES IS MANAGED THROUGH OUR GRAZING PROGRAM, WHICH COVERS APPROXIMATELY 68% OF OUR LANDS. GRAZING HELPS REDUCE FINE FUELS ON A LARGE SCALE AND MANAGES VEGETATION IN OUR GRASSLAND LANDSCAPES, AND WHEN MANAGED APPROPRIATELY, CAN SUPPORT HABITAT DIVERSITY AND REDUCE LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE NEEDS MANUAL AND MECHANICAL TREATMENTS. 
          THESE TREATMENTS HELP MAINTAIN TRAILS, DEFENSIBLE SPACE, FUEL BREAKS, AND PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS. 
          TARGETED HERBICIDE USE. SOME INVASIVE SPECIES ARE JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH MECHANICAL OR OTHER MEANS, SO HERBICIDES ARE A VERY IMPORTANT TOOL THAT WE HAVE TO SELECTIVELY AND STRATEGICALLY AFFECT INVASIVE SPECIES. TREATMENT METHODS ARE GUIDED THROUGH OUR IPM DEPARTMENT PRACTICES TO ENSURE EFFICACY THROUGH THE MOST APPROPRIATE APPROACH. AND FINALLY, PRESCRIBED FIRE. IT'S A NATURAL ECOLOGICAL PROCESS IN MANY CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPES AND CAN IMPROVE LONG-TERM LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE, AND IT IS REALLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY. 
          PRESCRIBED FIRE IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN COORDINATED, PLANNED THOUGHTFULLY, AND MATCHED TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE LANDSCAPE. SO FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS, THE TIME IS RIGHT NOW TO TAKE A DISTRICT-WIDE APPROACH TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLANNING, AND I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS PROJECT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR THE PARK DISTRICT WE'VE NEVER ATTEMPTED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. WE HAVE ACQUIRED THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF PARKLAND EVEN SINCE THE ORIGINAL WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD. THE FIRE LANDSCAPE IS SHIFTING, COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE CHANGING, AND EVEN THE PARK DISTRICT'S RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS MOVING IN NEW DIRECTIONS. 
          IMPORTANTLY, THIS PLANNING PROCESS ALLOWS THE PARK DISTRICT TO BE MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW IT ALLOCATES RESOURCES AND PLANS PROJECTS. 
          THE FRAMEWORK IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT LED BY THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE, STEWARDSHIP, AND OUR MULTI- MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF CONSULTANTS, LED BY ARC FORESTRY, WHICH IS FROM MILPITAS THEY HAVE A VERY, UM, VERY BROAD AND SKILLED SET OF FORESTERS ON STAFF. TUCHMAN GEOSPATIAL, WHO LED THE DISTRICT'S FINE SCALE VEG MAP, AND WILDLAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, CAROL RICE, WHO I THINK MOST OF US ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, A REALLY SKILLED AND IMPRESSIVE TEAM OF FOLKS, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB WE ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION AND STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT. THAT'S REALLY, THE ONLY REASON WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS WAS THROUGH THEIR SUPPORT, SO THANK YOU. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS FRAMEWORK IS DESIGNED TO BE SCALABLE AND ITERATIVE AS CONDITIONS CHANGE AND PARKLANDS ARE ACQUIRED, THE MODEL CAN BE RERUN WITH NEW DATA INPUTS. DID I LOSE? OKAY. HERE WE GO. SO THIS FRAMEWORK IS A TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING TO SUPPORT MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT. 
          IT IS NOT A NEW WILDFIRE PLAN. 
          IT IS NOT ACTUALLY A PLAN AT ALL. IT IS A DATA-DRIVEN SET OF MODELS THAT PRI- IDENTIFY PRIORITY TREATMENT AREAS AND SUPPORT OUR OVERALL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. RATHER THAN PRESENTING A LIST OF PROJECTS, THE FRAMEWORK WILL IDENTIFY AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED OF SOME FORM OF TREATMENT, AND THOSE TREATMENTS ARE GOING TO BE AS DIVERSE AS THOSE IN THE SLIDE THAT I JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU EARLIER. THIS WILL HELP INFORM PROJECTS IN EVERY SINGLE WORK GROUP. SO THE FRAMEWORK IS INFORMED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF DATA SOURCES, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TO THE PARK DISTRICT'S OWN DATA. IT IS UNDERLAIN BY THE PARK DISTRICT-LED FINE-SCALE VEGETATION AND WILDFIRE HAZARD MAPPING COMPLETED IN 2024. 
          ORIGINALLY, THE FRAMEWORK WAS INTENDED TO BE DRIVEN BY A SINGLE LOGIC MODEL. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF OUR LANDSCAPE AND MANAGEMENT DEMANDS, THE TEAM DECIDED TO CREATE THREE SEPARATE LOGIC MODELS: COMMUNITY, ECOLOGY, 
          [01:30:01]
AND FEASIBILITY. THE COMMUNITY MODEL INCORPORATES DATA INPUTS SUCH AS FIRE HISTORY, FUEL CHARACTERISTICS, AND NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY MAPPING. 
          THE ECOLOGY MODEL IS BASED ON VEGETATION MAPPING, SPECIAL STATUS RESOURCES, AND ECOLOGICAL FOCUS COMMUNITIES. 
          THE FEASIBILITY MODEL INCORPORATES DATA INPUTS LIKE SLOPE, ASPECT, ACCESS, AND RESOURCING DATA TO INDICATE WHERE TREATMENTS WOULD BE MOST FEASIBLE. SO THE FORMAT OF THIS IS BASICALLY WE HAVE A BIG CLUMP OF DATA THAT FEEDS METRICS THAT INFORM THE LOGIC MODELS, AND THAT WILL THEN LEAD US INTO THE PRIORITY AREAS. THE LOGIC MODELS, IMAGINE A FUNNEL THAT BASICALLY TAKES THE DATA AND SPITS OUT A MAPPING, UM, PROJECT THAT WE CAN USE TO IDENTIFY OUR PRIORITY AREAS. 
          THE AREAS WHERE THESE THREE MODELS OVERLAP ON THE LANDSCAPE WILL INDICATE THE PARKLANDS WITH THE GREATEST NEED FOR SOME FORM OF TREATMENT. 
          THIS STRENGTHENS OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE MODELING AND ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON WHAT SUBSET OF OUR PARKLANDS ARE GIVING US THE STRONGEST MANAGEMENT SIGNAL. 
          WE ARE STILL BETA TESTING THESE MODELS AND EXPECT TO HAVE THEM FINALIZED BY THE END OF OCTOBER. THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING EXTENSIVELY WITH STAFF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO ENSURE THAT THE MODELS ARE WORKING AS INTENDED. 
          THE PRODUCTS OF THIS PROCESS WILL INCLUDE A FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT, AN INTERNAL WEB MAP THAT IS USABLE BY PARK STAFF, AND A WEBINAR TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR PARTNER AGENCIES. SO HOW WILL WE USE THIS FRAMEWORK? THE MODELS WILL IDENTIFY KEY AREAS FOR TREATMENT TO ALLOW THE PARK DISTRICT TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF FOCUS, PREPARE THE NECESSARY RESOURCING, AND TO BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS WHEN RESOURCING BECOMES AVAILABLE. 
          UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY STEPS IN THE PROJECT PHASING PROCESS WILL COME AFTER PRIORITY AREAS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED INCLUDING FIELD VERIFICATION, MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS, REVIEW AND PERMITTING, PROJECT LEVEL RESOURCING, ALL OF THE, THE PROCESSES THAT WE CURRENTLY GO THROUGH WHEN WE PLAN AND, AND IMPLEMENT PROJECTS. SO, TAKING THIS DISTRICT-WIDE APPROACH WILL HELP THE PARK DISTRICT MAKE THE MOST ACCURATE AND INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. AND I'LL BE PASSING IT BACK TO CLAIRE. 
          THANK YOU. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS WE'RE STILL IN OUR ENGAGEMENT PHASE, KIND OF WRAPPING THAT UP NOW. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS, AND UM, TOMORROW IS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY FAIR FOR STAFF, AND SO WE'RE BRINGING THOSE DRAFT ACTIONS TO STAFF TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON AND THEN FROM THERE, THIS LATER THIS FALL, WE'LL BE FINALIZING THE STRATEGY STRATEGY ACTIONS AND COMPLETING THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK MODELS AND THEN, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE GOING TO NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES AND THE BOARD TO REVIEW AND ACCEPT THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE STRATEGY, AND THEN OUR HOPE IS TO BEG- BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION EARLY IN 2027 AND DEVELOP SOME OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE. WE HAVE, UM, SOME THOUGHTS ON DEVELOPING SOME MAP-BASED OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR STAFF THAT COMES OUT OF THIS THIS PROCESS. 
          SO, SO THOSE ARE OUR NEXT STEPS, AND HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS IF ANYONE HAS ANY. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU THIS IS VERY GOOD OVERVIEW OF ALL THE WORK THAT, ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING IT TOGETHER NOW'S A GOOD TIME FOR BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THIS PRESENTATION. UM. 
          CAN I JUST ADD GO AHEAD. 
          ONE QUICK COMMENT. I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE KRISTEN AND CLAIRE FOR HELPING TO FACILITATE THIS GROUP FROM ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. 
          UM, I THINK THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE LEADING EDGE OF WHAT AGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE NEEDING TO DO ACROSS THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD IS LIKE GETTING AHEAD OF SORT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES AND GETTING ALL THESE POTENTIAL GOALS INTO SORT OF A DATA-DRIVEN MAP TO HELP INFORM THE WORK, BOTH THE OPERATIONAL WORK AND THE PROJECTS. WHAT KRISTEN SAID, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, IS LIKE, THIS ISN'T JUST COMING UP WITH A LIST OF PROJECTS, IT'S THIS CAN INFORM OUR EVERYDAY, OUR RANGERS IN THE FIELD, OUR FACILITIES WORKERS, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          SO, ANYWAY, JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE THAT. 
          YEAH, AND SO WHAT MAYBE WHILE BOARD MEMBERS ARE GATHERING THEIR QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS SO GOING TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS SLIDE ON PAGE 98 IN OUR PACKET, I THINK IT'S THE THIRD SLIDE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT OCCURRED TO ME IS YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE WORK. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE FOREFRONT HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR WILDFIRE RESILIENCY. AND I KNOW THAT WE WE CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE 
          [01:35:01]
IN THE EAST BAY HILLS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE HAVE, AND I WONDER IF THERE IS SPACE IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS TO INCLUDE THE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND THAT LED US UP TO THIS POINT. AND MAYBE IT'S ALREADY THERE, I JUST DIDN'T SEE IT. 
          YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT. 
          YES YES, WE ARE PLANNING ON, I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT IT THERE, BUT WE ARE PLANNING ON, ON DEFINITELY GIVING SOME CONTEXT AND ALSO SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS RELATES TO OTHER PLANS. 
          THAT'S GREAT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO PIECE THAT TOGETHER AND HAVE THAT HISTORY, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ON THAT, YOU KNOW, LEADING EDGE IN TERMS OF PUTTING TOGETHER BOTH WILDFIRE RESILIENCY, BUT THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HABITAT AND NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON THAT LEGACY. AND I, I BELIEVE ANOTHER BIG PART OF THIS, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN REGARDS TO WORKING WITH THE CARBONIZER AT ANTHONY CHABOT, SO I IMAGINE THAT WILL ALSO BE A PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, TIMELINE AND HISTORY OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, IS A SECTION POTENTIALLY IN THIS VEGETATION PLAN. 
          YEAH, I THINK, ONE AGAIN, IT'S NOT A PLAN, IT'S JUST A SORT OF STRATEGY, BUT YES, I THINK LIKE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND IN FACT, I'M PRESENTING ABOUT THIS TO THE CITY MANAGERS FOR IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LATER THIS WEEK, AND I WAS, CLAIRE'S HELPING ME PUT TOGETHER SLIDES FOR THAT PRESENTATION, AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE WE'RE, I WANT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE STRATEGY WORK ON IT, BUT ALSO TELL THEM ABOUT ALL THE EXISTING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, I, THE WAY I SEE IT, THE WORK THAT THE DISTRICT'S DONE BOTH AROUND GRAZING AND AROUND FOREST MANAGEMENT, FUELS REDUCTION, RESTORATION, THAT'S WHAT SETS THE TABLE FOR US TO TAKE THAT SAME MODEL AND DO IT ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. 
          SO YEAH, I THINK ALL OF THAT JUST HELPS SUPPORT THAT. 
          I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THAT BE PART OF IT. 
          AND, AND ARE, IS THE GOAL GOING TO BE FOR US TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF DOCUMENT WITH THIS STRATEGY, OR IS IT GOING TO BE SLIDES, OR WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE END PRODUCT? THERE WILL BE A DOCUMENT. WE IMAGINE IT'S INTERNAL FACING, BUT YES, THERE WILL BE A DOCUMENT. 
          I MEAN, THE THE BIG, WE CAN, IT'S A GREAT POINT, AND IT LIKE, IF IF THAT'S A REQUEST, WE CAN LOOK AT LIKE, HOW CAN WE PUT SOMETHING INTO A SIMPLE SORT OF EXTERNAL FACING DOCUMENT TOO. I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT OUTPUT IS ACTUALLY THE MAP, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WILL HELP, THAT IS THE STRATEGY, THE MAP IS THE STRATEGY. I MEAN, THE GOALS AND THE MAP TOGETHER SORT OF IS, IS WHAT IT IS. 
          YEAH, I SEE THAT WE HAVE YOU KNOW, ON OUR WEBSITE FOR THE PREVIOUS WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PLAN FOR THE EAST BAY HILLS WE DO PROVIDE TO THE PUBLIC YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO A PDF OF THE REPORT. AND I DO THINK IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH ONE OF OUR GOALS, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNICATION GOAL AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, HAVING SOMETHING FOR THE PUBLIC TO REFER TO COULD BE HELPFUL. 
          THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL FEEDBACK, YEAH. 
          DEFINITELY. 
          AND THEN I HAD A QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE 2024 MAPPING, AND I DO REMEMBER THAT COMING BEFORE THE BOARD AT SOME POINT. CAN YOU REMIND ME AGAIN WHAT THAT WAS CALLED? I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT IN THE PRESENTATION. 
          THE FINE SCALE VEG MAPPING? YEAH. 
          YES. 
          IT'S SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY USING LIDAR. IT'S LIKE A SIMILAR PROCESS THAT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE STATE, BUT TO DO, FINE SCALE MATCH MAPPING OF THE DIFFERENT VEGETATION TYPES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY AND IT- OKAY. AND THEN ONE OF- I HAVE TWO OTHER POINTS, AND THEN I SEE NOW PEOPLE ARE READY TO ASK QUESTIONS, THAT'S GOOD. 
          SO ONE OTHER THAT I WANT TO ADD THAT MAYBE MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE AS A PART OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT IN APRIL, AT THE END OF APRIL, THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WE HAD, I JUST HAD IT PULLED UP TOO. 
          WE, WE DID HAVE A PRESENTATION ON HERE I WANT TO ACTUALLY BE VERY SPECIFIC AND BE ABLE TO MENTION WHAT WE HAD. SO WE HAD STEWARDING WITH FIRE FOR MULTIPLE BENEFITS, AND WE DID HAVE A SPEAKER, I BELIEVE, FROM CHICO STATE, WHO IS, IS ONE OF OUR STATE LEADERS IN REGARDS TO INDIGENOUS AND CULTURAL BURNING PRACTICES. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD TO INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO THAT PRESENTATION AS A PART OF ALL OF THIS, THAT THAT HAPPENED APRIL 29TH, 2026, AS PART OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAD A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TOPIC, 
          [01:40:01]
AND I I BELIEVE IT'S ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, HAVE Q&A ABOUT THE TOPIC AT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THROUGH THIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEE. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE THAT I WANT TO ASK ABOUT, SO WHEN WE I HAD IT EVEN PULLED UP. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROTECTING COMMUNITIES, SO IT'S PAGE 101 IN OUR PACKET, AND I THINK MAYBE THE SIXTH SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I HEAR, SO I SUPPOSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF RANCHING COMMUNITIES ALSO AS PART OF, UM, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. THERE'S A LOT OF RANCHERS OF VERY DIFFERENT SIZES IN TERMS OF ACREAGE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME VERY LARGE RANCHES, SOME SMALLER RANCHES, BUT ARE STILL FAIRLY LARGE IN ACREAGE. AND I'VE HEARD FEEDBACK THAT YOU KNOW, FROM SOME, SOME OF THE RANCHERS IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES THAT HELP WITH YOU KNOW, CATTLE AND HORSE EVACUATION WHEN THERE'S FIRES. 
          UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY, I THINK THE LARGEST FIRE THAT EVER THAT, THAT THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT HAD EVER FACED WAS THE 2020 SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE, AND I BELIEVE THE SECOND LARGEST WAS THE CREEK FIRE TWO SUMMERS AGO IN SUNOL. AND I WAS, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S US THAT'S HELPING WITH THE LIVESTOCK AND HORSE EVACUATION, SUPPORT WITH THE RANCHERS, OR IF THAT'S ANOTHER ENTITY AND WE'RE GETTING CREDIT FOR THAT. 
          BUT MY POINT HERE IS, AND I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT TO TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING COMMUNITIES. I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING YOU KNOW, STRONG PROTECTIONS FOR URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCLUDE IN PROTECTING COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR SOME OF OUR RANCHERS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE LARGE OPEN SPACES, OR ARE WE NOT DOING SOMETHING TO HELP THEM? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE, BUT ALSO JUST TO THINK ABOUT THOSE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF OUR PARK DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. 
          YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. SO THIS IS REALLY ALL EVERYTHING TO DO WITH VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, AND OBVIOUSLY IT TOUCHES FIRE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DROVE THIS WAS WE WERE GETTING NOTICES FROM SOME OF OUR PARTNER FIRE AGENCIES THAT WE WERE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR DEFENSIBLE SPACE ORDINANCE. AND SO ONE OF THE PLACES THAT SOME OF THIS MAPPING STARTED WAS WE MAPPED ALL OF THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE, YOU KNOW, THE PER THE STATE FIRE CODE AND OUR LOCAL FIRE OR CODE AND ORDINANCES ON THE PARK DISTRICT, SO THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WHERE, HOW ARE WE MAINTAINING THAT REQUIREMENT, NOT JUST IN URBAN AREAS, BUT RURAL AREAS, EVERY AREA. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS LIKE AT BRIONES, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE SOME OF THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES SAID, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM FIRE? AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE FUTURE, FOR ALL OF YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS, WHEN YOU GO TO CONNECT, OR FOR ALL OF US AS STAFF TOO, WITH ANY COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE PARKS ADJACENT TO, THAT WE COULD SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, HERE'S WHAT THE PRIORITY AREAS ARE THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY, AND HERE'S HOW IT INTEGRATES WITH OUR WORK PLAN OR REGULAR MAINTENANCE. 
          YEAH, AND THEN MY FINAL POINT ON PROTECTING COMMUNITIES, SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE DENSELY POPULATED AREAS NEAR THE URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE, MAYBE WHERE THERE'S MORE OPEN AREAS AND RANCHES, BUT WE MIGHT ALSO HAVE MORE SEVERE AND LARGER, THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE SEVERE AND LARGER WILDFIRES, LIKE THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE, THE CREEK FIRE IN SUNOL. AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOMES, BUT THEN ALSO ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES. I KNOW DURING THAT 2020 SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE, AT THAT TIME I WAS SERVING AS BOARD PRESIDENT FOR ZONE 7 WATER AGENCY, AND OUR DELVAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT WAS DANGERLY, DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE. AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAL FIRE AND ALL OF THE MUTUAL AID AGENCIES THAT WERE WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE, WE COULD HAVE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SPACE IN THE DEL VALLE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THAT PROVIDES DRINKING WATER AND WATER SUPPLY TO THE CITIES OF LIVERMORE, DUBLIN, PLEASANTON, AND THE DOUGHERTY VALLEY PORTION OF SAN RAMON. 
          SO IT, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS FACILITIES THAT YOU KNOW, MAYBE AREN'T ON ACREAGE AND LAND THAT'S OWNED AND MANAGED AND/OR MANAGED BY EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, BUT JUST SITTING ADJACENT TO, 
          [01:45:02]
LAND THAT WE OWN AND MANAGE. 
          SO NOW I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK ELIZABETH, YOU'RE READY TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, SO I'M GOING TO GO TO YOU NEXT. THANK YOU. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. GOOD DISCUSSION SO FIRST OF ALL, MY FIRST QUESTION WAS SIMILAR TO SOMETHING THAT, THAT OLIVIA ALREADY ASKED, WHICH IS AROUND, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS, THE EXISTING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING FEED INTO THIS WHOLE PRIORITIZATION? AND YOU ANSWERED THAT YOU, THAT IT WOULD FEED IN BUT I GUESS ON, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING, SO WE'VE GOT THESE EXISTING TREATMENT AREAS, RIGHT, THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT WE FIRST WE TREATED AND THEN WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING. SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE MAINTENANCE? BECAUSE ONCE YOU TREAT THESE AREAS, IF YOU DON'T MAINTAIN THEM, THEN THAT WORK IS WASTED AFTER A FEW YEARS. SO, BUT THEY MAY NOT POP UP ON THE FORMULA AS MUCH BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN TREATED. SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU WOULD ADDRESS THAT, THAT DYNAMIC. 
          I, I CAN SHARE TOO. I MEAN, I LIKE, I'LL TELL YOU JUST IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FIRE CHIEF AND KARI AND OUR TEAM IS LIKE, WE ARE NOT WALKING AWAY FROM ANY OF THE EXISTING PLACES THAT WE'VE TREATED AND DONE INITIAL WORK. THAT INVESTMENT IS SO HUGE AND SO CRITICAL, AND THE AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR THAT MAINTENANCE COSTS SO MUCH LESS THAN THAT INITIAL TREATMENT DID. IT'S, IT WOULD BE A HUGE IT WOULD REALLY BE A BUMMER TO WALK AWAY FROM, FROM THAT INVESTMENT. AND SO WE'RE REALLY PRIORITIZING MAINTAINING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED, AND THEN THIS WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN BETTER. 
          BUT I WILL TELL YOU, LIKE, MY EXPECTATION, AND KRISTEN, I'M INTERESTED IN YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON IT. MY BET IS THE AREAS THAT WE'VE PRIORITIZED PRIORITIZED ALREADY WOULD ALSO SCORE VERY HIGH IN THIS MODEL. SO, LIKE, I THINK, TO ME, LIKE, LOOKING BACK AT WHAT THE DISTRICT, THE WORK THE DISTRICT HAS DONE, I THINK WE'VE, I THINK YOUR BOARD IN THE PAST AND LEADERSHIP IN THE PAST HAS MADE GOOD CHOICES, AND NOW IT'S JUST LIKE, HOW CAN WE EXPAND ON THAT WORK? YEAH, I, YEAH, I AGREE, AND I, I, I DO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF PRIORITIZATION AND THOUGHT AND PLANNING AND STRATEGY THAT HAS GONE INTO THE WORK TO DATE. 
          AND, AND I'M GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS DISTRICT-WIDE AND BE, YOU KNOW, EVEN FACTOR IN MORE, MORE AREAS TO, TO, TO LOOK AT, I MEAN, MORE, I GUESS, GOALS TO INCLUDE IN THAT, IN THAT PRIORITIZATION BUT, BUT YEAH, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, KUDOS AS ALWAYS TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR. 
          UM, SO I WAS ALSO, SPEAKING OF ALL THAT GREAT WORK SO I DID SEE THAT, THAT ONE OF THE BIG AREAS IS PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION. SO OBVIOUSLY THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. THE COMMUNICATIONS, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE AN IDEAL TIME TO SAY IT AGAIN. YOU KNOW, WE DO SO MUCH GREAT WORK, AND WHEN WE CAN GET OUT THERE AND DO AND SPEAK AT A GIANT TOWN HALL OR YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE ARE SO REASSURED. 
          AND I KNOW THAT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY GET ASKED TO DO LIKE A LOT OF SORT OF SMALLER EVENTS, AND THEY'RE SO GRACIOUS, AND THEY ALWAYS SHOW UP AND DO IT. 
          BUT I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE PROACTIVELY DOING MUCH BIGGER EVENTS THAT WERE MORE IMPACTFUL, WHERE YOU HAVE NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, BUT PEOPLE ON ZOOM WHO CAN REALLY HEAR THE WORK THAT WE DO AND THE AMOUNT OF STRATEGY THAT GOES INTO IT AND WHY WE DO THE WORK WE DO IN THE WAY THAT WE DO IT. AND ALL OF THAT IS SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND SO WELL PLANNED. AND REALLY, I MEAN, WHENEVER I'M AT ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS GIANT COLLECTIVE SIGH OF RELIEF WHEN PEOPLE HEAR OUR, OUR FIRE YOU KNOW, OUR FIRE FOLKS TALKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHY THEY'RE DOING IT THE WAY THEY'RE DOING. THAT'S MY PITCH. 
          YES, IF I COULD JUST BRIEFLY ADDRESS DIRECTOR SANWONG AND ECKEL'S QUESTIONS OR, OR COMMENTS. THERE ARE AGAIN, AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF DATA SOURCES THAT ARE GOING INTO THIS ANALYSIS, AND THEY DO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PG&E INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE CONTROLLED BY THE PARK DISTRICT BUT ARE BEING CONSIDERED ANYWAY FOR THOSE REASONS THAT YOU MENTIONED. AND IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE, OF COURSE THAT DOES COME IN A, IN A LATER PHASE WHERE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT PRESCRIPTION, THE WORK PLANS YOU KNOW, AND THE, AND THE ACTUAL WORKFLOW THAT'S GOING TO BE DRIVEN THROUGH OUR STAFF AND, AND, AND OUR OUR WORK GROUPS. 
          SO YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? YES, DIRECTOR DUCHINBO. 
          THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN GREAT. 
          [01:50:02]
UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE RESTORE FRONT AND CENTER TO THE FIRE MANAGEMENT ISSUE. 
          IT'S ALL THROUGHOUT YOUR PRESENTATION. I REALLY LIKE THAT, APPRECIATE THAT. 
          YOU REALLY FOUND A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SILOS AND REALLY PUT IT IN. I, I CONCUR OR ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF DIRECTOR SANWONG. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE DELIVERABLE OR THE OUTCOME IS FOR ME, A BIG OVERRIDING AS WE WRITE THE DISTRICT PLAN WILL BE THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SEE SORT OF A QUESTION HOW THAT FITS IN, TO OUR ULTIMATE GOAL HERE IS TO SEQUESTER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS I, THIS DEFINITELY MORPHED TO A NEED THAT WE NEEDED TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, BUT WE, WE, UH, PUT OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THIS FOR 6 MONTHS, AND I THINK THAT'S THE OUTCOME IN THE ATTACHED REPORT. WAS THERE ANY, I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS OUR GOAL WAS THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM OUR ADVISORY TEAM. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO PRESENT ON THAT OR ANY OTHER BACKGROUND? ONE OF THE THINGS WAS THE BOARD REALLY WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM INFORMATIONAL ONLY ITEMS, AND SO DID THE PAC, AND THIS, UH, DEFINITELY SHOWS THAT THEY DID OUTREACH. WE FOUND A WAY TO SQUEEZE RESTORATION AND, AND BIODIVERSITY INTO THIS PLAN. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WHAT'S NEXT FROM THE PAC? AND THERE IS THERE ANYONE TO, OR CAN YOU GIVE ME AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S NEXT FROM THE PAC? I MEAN, I CAN SHARE I CAN SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND I, I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY WE DIDN'T SQUEEZE BIODIVERSITY INTO THIS. IT'S AT THE CORE OF THIS WORK, RIGHT? LIKE, I THINK IT'S REALLY LIKE WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH OUR TEAMS, IT WAS LIKE, WE DON'T WANT THESE PROJECTS TO HAVE RESTORATION AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT. IT'S REALLY THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS WORK IS KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE AND KEEPING OUR, OUR FORESTS AND OUR GRANGE LANDS AND ALL THOSE THINGS HEALTHY AND SO THAT'S REALLY AT THE CORE OF, OF THIS WORK. 
          I MEAN, ONE THING I KNOW WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE PAC MEMBER HERE, BUT LIKE, I DON'T THINK WE PLANNED A FORMAL PRESENTATION FROM THE PAC. THAT'S, WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING THIS BACK TO YOUR BOARD, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD TALK TO THE PAC ABOUT, IS LIKE HAVING A MORE FORMAL PRESENTATION AROUND THIS, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND AGAIN, THIS WAS AN ACTION ITEM FOR THEM. WE HEARD THAT REQUEST FOR THEM TO HAVE AN ACTION ITEM ON SOMETHING THAT WAS COMING TO YOUR BOARD, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE, WE LOOKED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT THEY COULD ENGAGE WITH. AND AS RIGHT NOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE MET WITH, DIRECTOR SAN JUAN COFFEY, AND THEN ALSO WITH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR THE PAC TO START TALKING ABOUT THEIR WORK PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR. AND AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME OF THOSE TOPICS THAT THEY CAN, UM, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOUR BOARD ON, AND THAT'LL BE COMING TO YOUR BOARD SOON. 
          YEAH, I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ON THE NEXT ROUND WHAT ABOUT THE, WHERE'S THE, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE DISTRICT PLAN FITTING INTO THIS? THEY'RE TOTALLY CONNECTED. 
          TO ME, LIKE, IF WE HAD, LIKE, TO ME, LIKE, IF WE HAD DONE THE DISTRICT PLAN AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE, AND THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WOULD BE POINT- POINTING TO DOING THIS WORK, AND MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT AS WE DO THOSE THINGS, THEY WILL BE CONNECTED TO THIS, TO THIS WORK. I TOTALLY AGREE. 
          UM, I THINK I'LL WAIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE LIKE 4 LIKE LITTLE COMMENTS ON YOUR SLIDES. I THINK I'LL JUST HOLD ON THOSE FOR A MINUTE. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          YOU WANT ME TO GO? UM, WHAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, JUST IN A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, IS THE CHALLENGE THAT IS SET FORTH IN THE STAFF REPORT AND IN THE WORK THAT THE PAC DID IN THEIR REPORT, AND THAT IS THE IDEA THAT OUR PEOPLE, OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR USER AREN'T AWARE OF THESE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE DO UNDER THE RUBRIC OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. AND AS ELIZABETH HAS POINTED OUT, WHEN WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESCRIBE THIS TO THEM, WHAT WE DO IN, IN TERMS OF, OF WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION, ACTUALLY IS THE, THE RUBRIC I USE THERE IS A BIG SIGH OF RELIEF, AND THEY'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. AND, AND HERE, HERE'S, SO JUST LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, UNLIKE US, THEY DON'T DRIVE THROUGH TILDEN PARK AND JUST SEE IT, RIGHT? AND, AND WE ALL GET TO JUST SEE IT AND KNOW ABOUT IT AND SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THIS WORK. 
          [01:55:02]
UM, WHEN I AM AT, AND YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTY OF AN ELECTION YEAR, YOU DO THIS MORE THAN YOU OTHERWISE WOULD. WE DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FIND MYSELF IN MORE COMMUNITY GROUPS AND THOSE KIND OF SETTINGS. AND, AND HERE'S THE CHALLENGE THERE IS WHEN I TALK ABOUT UH, THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND PRIORITIES AND HOW WE DO IT, UH, WHAT I GET BACK FROM THE FOLKS IS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION, AND THEIR SECOND PRIORITY IS WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION, AND THEIR THIRD PRIORITY IS WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION. I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY GET TO THE POINT IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS WHERE I'M TALKING ABOUT ECOLOGICAL PRIORITIES AND FEASIBILITY, AND EVEN TO SOME EXTENT I GET INTO TRAILS AND OVERGROWN WEEDS AND AND AND THAT, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE, INVOLVED IN OR INTERESTED IN THAT. 
          BUT THE OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK THAT I GET FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IS WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION IS WHAT THEY WANT AS OUR PRIORITY. AND I DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET INTO THE OTHER STUFF, SO I I AGREE WITH ELIZABETH, LARGE FORUMS WHERE YOU HAVE MORE TIME WOULD BE BETTER. 
          BUT THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A DOUBLE CHALLENGE FOR YOU AND THEY DO SIGH OF RELIEF. I JUST TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION AND HOW WE HAVE EXPANDED BOTH MONEY AND APPROACHES TO IT OVER THE LAST 5, 5 YEARS OR SO. 
          I'M ABLE TO SAY WE'VE GONE FROM 2 MILLION DOLLARS TO 10 MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL JUST DIRECT STUFF. 
          IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE DIRECT EFFORTS OF DAY-TO-DAY WORK THAT OUR PARK RANGERS DO, FOR INSTANCE WE HAVE THE, THIS MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH THAT WE NOW HAVE INCORPORATED INTO EVERYDAY PRACTICES OUT IN THE PARKS. WE HAVE HUMAN CREWS, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR STAFF CREWS OVERSEEN BY THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE HAVE OUR TRAILS CREWS OVERSEEN BY PARK OPERATIONS FOLKS WE HAVE CIVICOR DOING SOME OF THIS WORK. WE HAVE THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION, CORPS DOING SOME OF THIS WORK THAT'S ALL... 
          OH, MORE, I GOT NO TREE SERVICE OPERATORS. WE HAVE TREE SERVICE CONTRACTORS DOING AN AWFUL LOT OF THIS WORK THESE DAYS WE HAVE PRESCRIBED FIRES. WE HAVE, AFFIRMATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT, FOREST REFORESTATION WE HAVE IPM, TREATMENTS. WE HAVE, AS A RESULT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CALIFORNIA CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR EFFORTS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF NEW, VERY MODERN EQUIPMENT FOR ALL THAT MECHANICAL WORK YOU DESCRIBED FROM MASTICATORS TO THOSE REMOTE CONTROL, MOWERS THAT GO UP HILLSIDES. 
          AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CATTLE, SHEEP, AND GOATS OUT THERE BY THE THOUSANDS DOING ALL SORTS OF WORK. SO WHEN I'M ABLE TO DESCRIBE THOSE, THAT MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH THAT WE HAVE I HAVE BEEN DOING IT ALL IN THE RUBRIC, UNDER THE RUBRIC. THIS IS FIRE, WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION, AND I, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO, TO GET INTO THE MORE REFINED, AREAS THAT FUELS MANAGEMENT ACTUALLY ENTAILS, THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED, THIS REPORT DESCRIBES, AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE FEEDBACK ON. SO I ENCOURAGE THAT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SUGGESTING THAT WE NEED TO INFORM PEOPLE BETTER, AS THE PACK HAS POINTED OUT, WHO ARE IN THE ENVIRONS OF OUR PARKS AND BEYOND AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND, AND MAYBE FIGURE OUT HOW TO BROADEN THE APPROACH, BECAUSE I KNOW WE CAN BE DOING ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF BRIONES, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A FIRE RISK REDUCTION EVEN FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE PERIMETERS OF BRIONES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COMMUNICATE THAT BROADER VIEW OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE, I GUESS I, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE A QUESTION OTHER THAN, AS A COMPLIMENT, I THINK THIS IS A INCREDIBLE WORK. 
          IT'S AMAZING. I THINK THIS IS, BEING AROUND HERE A WHILE, THIS IS LIKE THE FIRST TIME WE REALLY EMBRACED THIS. LET'S FIGURE IT ALL OUT, AND AND I FIND IT AMAZING BECAUSE I'M LOOKING HERE AT THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE IT'S ALMOST THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY COMING OCTOBER 19TH, AND UM, I GUARANTEE YOU 2 DAYS 
          [02:00:01]
BEFORE THAT, NO ONE HAD A PLAN. YOU'D LIGHT IT, AND WE'D PUT IT OUT. THAT WAS THE WHOLE MOTTO. START FIRE'D START, WE'D PUT IT OUT, AND THAT WAS IT. THERE'S NO PRE-FIRE MITIGATION, THERE WAS NO COORDINATED PLANNING, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING, THERE WAS NO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FOR SURE AND THEN WE, AS AS COLIN HAD SAID, WE'VE GONE FROM WHEN AFTER WE DID THE WHOLE WALL RUMP AND GOT IT ALL APPROVED AND THEN FOUGHT LAWSUITS FOR ANOTHER 8 YEARS BY, THAT WAS ONLY 10 YEARS AGO WE PROBABLY GOT THAT THING GOING, AND IT WAS 2 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. AND I REMEMBER MY COLLEAGUE, AND I'VE SAID THIS A MILLION TIMES, JOHN SUTTER, SAYING, OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND 2 MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR IN PERPETUITY FOR THIS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY, IT'S, I KNOW IT'S OUR ROLE, BUT THE, THE FACT IS JOHN WANTED TO BUY PROPERTY, BUILD PARKS, AND DO WHAT KIND OF OUR CORE WAS. THIS WAS PRETTY EXTRANEOUS PUTTING OUT FIRES, BECAUSE IT WAS EASY IN THOSE OLD DAYS UNTIL PEOPLE BUILT COMMUNITIES UP AGAINST OUR HOME OR OUR PARKS. 
          SO NOW WE'VE GONE TO 10 MILLION A YEAR, AND I'M WONDERING, DID YOU GUYS DREAM OF A PRICE TAG FOR THIS? BECAUSE IT'S EVERYWHERE, AND I, I UNDERSTAND FULLY THAT IT'S NOT GONNA, YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO IT ALL. 
          YOU'RE GONNA DO LIKE KRISTEN SAID, WE'RE GONNA GET THE DATA, WE'RE GONNA GET THE METRICS, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE FUNNEL, AND WE'RE GONNA CHOMP IT ALL UP AND SHOOT OUT THE PRIORITIES. UM. 
          I MEAN, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS IS IT'S NOT A PLAN OR A LIST OF PROJECTS. IT'S DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE AVAILABLE OR THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR BOARD APPROVES FOR DOING THIS KIND OF WORK. 
          THIS ALLOWS US TO USE IT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAYS. SO NO MATTER WHAT THE LEVEL OF FUNDING IS, IT HELPS US STRATEGICALLY PUT IT TOWARDS THE HIGHEST BEST USE. I JUST WANT TO LIKE ACKNOWLEDGE THOUGH, LIKE THAT 10 MILLION, THAT'S LIKE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT ARE OFTEN LIKE TREE PROJECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK ACTUALLY THE BIGGEST PORTION OF FUELS AND RESTORATION WORK IS DONE BY OUR OWN OPERATIONS TEAM AND OUR OWN STEWARDSHIP TEAM AND OUR OWN CATTLE GRAZING AND GOAT GRAZING, RIGHT THAT AREN'T REALLY SO MUCH THESE BIG PROJECTS, BUT ARE JUST ONGOING MAINTENANCE WORK. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DID ACTUALLY WAS HAVE OUR OPERATIONS TEAM GO OUT AND MAP THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING, WHICH A LOT OF TIMES HAD HAD NOT BEEN MAPPED BEFORE. IT WAS LIKE PEOPLE KIND OF KNEW, I'M SURE YOU EXPERIENCED THIS, LIKE KNEW THE AREAS THAT THEY MOWED EVERY YEAR OR WHATEVER, AND PART OF THAT WAS JUST GETTING THAT ON A MAP, AND THEN THAT WILL HELP US WITH SOME OF THIS WORK, HELP GIVE FEEDBACK TO OUR OPERATIONS TEAMS IN THE FIELD TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THEY DO THEIR REGULAR MAINTENANCE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, IS ANNUAL OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE FREQUENT, THAT THEY'RE THIS CAN INFORM THAT, THAT PART OF THE WORK. 
          WELL, YEAH, AND, AND I THINK FINALLY THAT THE, THE, THE, THE ABILITY TO COLLABORATE, AND, AND WHEN OLIVIA SUGGESTED, AND THEN SO DID ELIZABETH, THE MORE THAT WE CAN PUT THIS OUT, IF WE GET A DOCUMENT OR SOMETHING, AND TO SHOW THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT, AND EVERYBODY NOW, NOT JUST ALONG THE WARUMP, NOT ALONG THE URBAN INTERFACE, BUT EVERYWHERE, ALL THE COMMUNITIES ARE WORRIED ABOUT FIRE. IF WE CAN SHOW THEM WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEN SHOW THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY AREA, I THINK CAL FIRE STILL HAS TONS OF GRANTS, AND THEY MAY BE SAYING, WELL, MAYBE WE'RE GIVING THE PARK DISTRICT TOO MUCH, BUT IF WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH CITIES TO GET GRANTS TO DO THE PRIORITY AREAS IN THEIR SPECIFIC THREAT ZONES, SO TO SPEAK, I THINK WE CAN DO REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND ALSO, I HAVE TO FINAL SAY MY FINAL WORD IS, I THINK MR. COFFEY IS GOING TO BE A, A, A PROPHET TO SUGGEST THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THESE, WE NEED A GOAT HERD OF OUR OWN. BECAUSE I, I SEE ALONG THE TEN HILLS TRAIL WHAT A WONDERFUL JOB THEY'VE DONE, AND I KNOW MY FRIENDS ALONG THE TRAIL ARE GOING TO EXPECT IT TO BE PRISTINE EVERY YEAR, JUST LIKE IT IS RIGHT NOW. AND WHEW, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE CHEAPER, BUT BOY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF GOATS. 
          WINTERTHUM AND THE VASCO HILLS, RIGHT? EXACTLY. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH, YOU'RE 100% RIGHT. ONE OF THE POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT THIS WORK IS THIS CAN HELP US GET GRANTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN SHOW THESE AREAS ARE HIGH PRIORITIES, AND IT'S THE SAME WITH PARTNERS, CAN HELP US WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS FOR THEM TO HELP FUND WORK ON OUR LAND. 
          ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THANK YOU. WE HAVE 2 SPEAKERS IN PERSON AND 5 HANDS UP ONLINE. IRENE DIETER. 
          HELLO, BOARD MEMBERS I AM A MEMBER OF THE PAC, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT WE ENGAGED IN. THERE WAS ONE 
          [02:05:02]
MEETING WHERE WE ASSEMBLED OURSELVES, AND WE BROKE OUT IN BREAKOUT GROUPS TO GIVE OUR FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE LEARNED FROM OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING WE WERE PROVIDED STAFF'S REPORT FOR FEEDBACK. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MEETINGS THAT THE PAC DID DISCUSS THIS TOPIC, AND I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK IT WAS ENOUGH TIME TO DIVE DEEP INTO THIS SUBJECT MATTER AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY PAC MEMBER WHO FELT THAT WAY SO JUST WITH THAT IN MIND I, THE ONE THING, THE ONE KEY TAKEAWAY THAT I LEARNED FROM THE PUBLIC OUTREACH FROM ALL THE PAC WAS THAT THE PUBLIC IS UNAWARE OF WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT DOES BEYOND WILDFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT. WHEN IT COMES TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, THEY WERE CLUELESS ON WHAT IT IS, AND THEY, THE ONLY THING THAT THEY HEAR ABOUT IS FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY THING THE PARK DISTRICT TALKS ABOUT AND PUBLICIZES, AS SHOWN BY THIS MEETING. AND SO IT'S A CIRCULAR KNOWLEDGE EMPTINESS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ALL THE OTHER ASPECTS OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. SO THERE ARE TWO SHORTCOMINGS THAT I FIND IN THE REPORT, AND THE FIRST IS THAT TREES ARE NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE, AND WILDLIFE IS MENTIONED ONLY ONCE. I ENCOURAGE THIS BODY TO PRIORITIZE PLANTING MORE TREES, WHICH MAY INCLUDE ON A DISTRICT-WIDE TREE PLAN THAT INCLUDES A BASELINE TREE INVENTORY AND INCLUDES GOLDS- GOALS TO MEET. SECONDLY, I SUGGEST MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ADDING MORE VEGETATION SPECIFIC FOR WILDLIFE. 
          WITHOUT CONNECTING VEGETATION WITH WILDLIFE COMMUNITIES, WE ARE BASICALLY TALKING ONLY ABOUT LANDSCAPING FOR HUMAN ENJOYMENT. SO I JUST THINK THAT BEYOND PROTECTING WHAT WE HAVE, WE NEED TO INCREASE WHAT, WHAT WE NEED. AND SO THOSE ARE THE, THE TWO SHORTCOMINGS THAT I, THAT I THINK SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND AS YOU MOVE FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. NORMAN LAFORCE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON SO SPEAKING ON THIS ISSUE, IT'S A BIG ISSUE. I CAN'T ADDRESS EVERYTHING IN JUST 3 MINUTES. 
          I AM ON THE SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA STATE FOREST COMMITTEE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT I'M CERTAINLY NOT SPEAKING FOR THE SIERRA CLUB AT ALL RIGHT NOW, JUST FOR MYSELF. ONE THING WOULD BE THAT PAST WE HAD THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE TALK ABOUT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES AND THREATENED SPECIES MAPPING INVENTORY. I HOPE THAT IS GOING TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THIS, AND FUNDING FOR IT WILL BE PROVIDED, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL. AND PART OF THAT, UH, ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THIS IS WITH REGARD TO CERTAINLY THE, THE STATE AND NATIONAL FORESTS IN CALIFORNIA, IS THAT 40% OF SPECIES RELY ON DEAD VEGETATION, DEAD TREES FOR THEIR SURVIVAL. SO THEN, SO THE IDEA OF REMOVING ALL THE DEAD VEGETATION, WHICH IS WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL, IS SIMPLY UNECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE HABITAT AND WILDLIFE, AND I HOPE THAT ASPECT OF THINGS IS PUT INTO THIS PLAN THE OTHER THING IS THAT ACTUALLY, FROM ALL THE INFORMATION WE'VE GATHERED AT THE STATE LEVEL OF THE CLUB ON THIS ISSUE, IS THAT THE KEY IS HOME HARDENING. 
          THE FIRES ACTUALLY ARE CAUSED NOT CAUSED, BUT ARE DRIVEN BY THE, THE, THE BURNING OF THE HOUSES AND BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT HOME HARDENED. AND THAT'S WHY BERKELEY NOW HAS THE HOME HARDENING ORDINANCE, AND THAT IS CRITICAL IN TERMS OF PROTECTION FOR FIRE. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THIS PLAN AS BOTH AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR THE COMMUNITIES, AND ALSO THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO DO HOME HARDENING AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA AND INFORMATION ON THAT THAT I AND OTHERS AT THE STATE LEVEL COULD PROVIDE, UH, THE DISTRICT, UM IF IT WANTS TO FIND OUT ABOUT THAT AND THE INFORMATION THERE. 
          BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL, UM PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE YOU CAN TAKE WITH REGARD TO STOPPING AND 
          [02:10:02]
PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF A WILDFIRE LASTLY, I WAS VERY HEARTENED BY DIRECTOR WAESPI'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE ORIGINAL ORIGINS OF ALL OF THIS BACK AFTER THE 1991 FIRE A NUMBER OF US WERE INVOLVED WITH WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS GOING TO DO BACK THEN, INCLUDING JIM HANSEN AND MYSELF JERRY KENT, WHO SADLY ISN'T WITH US. HE, I THINK HE WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE WERE HE'S STILL ALIVE ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT HE'S PASSED AWAY I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT I FIND A LOT OF THIS PLAN ENLIGHTENING, AND MORE ENLIGHTENED THAN WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ON THIS WHOLE ISSUE BACK AFTER THE 91 FIRE, WHEN FRANKLY WE HAD TO BRING THE PARK DISTRICT KICKING AND SCREAMING INTO DOING THE INITIAL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND AND, AND ACTUALLY RECOGNIZING THE REAL NEEDS HERE. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW GO ONLINE. SORRY, I LOSE MY SCREEN WHEN I SHARE IT. JUDY SMITH, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          THANK YOU MY NAME IS JUDY SMITH. I'M A PAC APPOINTEE FOR WARD 2, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR IT I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS. IN FEBRUARY, WE WERE GIVEN THE TOPIC OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT TO DISCUSS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WE WENT INTO OUR COMMUNITY. IN APRIL, WE BROKE INTO SMALL GROUPS TO DISCUSS THESE FINDINGS THAT WE CAME UP WITH. STAFF TOOK NOTES FROM OUR SMALL GROUPS AND CAME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THEIR INTERPRETATION OF OUR FINDINGS. I ASSUMED, AND I FEEL THAT OTHER PAC MEMBERS DID AS WELL, THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THOROUGHLY DISCUSS OUR FINDINGS AS AN ENTIRE PAC BEFORE WE WERE PRESENTED A REPORT. AT THE MAY MEETING, WHICH I UNFORTUNATELY WASN'T AT BECAUSE OF A HEALTH ISSUE, BUT I DID GO BACK WATCH THE ENTIRE MEETING WE WERE ASKED TO ENDORSE THE REPORT AS PRESENTED AT THAT MAY 26TH MEETING WITH VERY LITTLE TIME FOR FEEDBACK. AND SEVERAL PAC MEMBERS VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THE REPORT, AND I FEEL THAT HAD WE ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A, A REALLY DEEP DISCUSSION AS AN ENTIRE PAC, I FEEL THAT THE CONCERNS THAT CAME UP WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE REPORT THAT WE WERE BASICALLY ASKED THAT DAY TO APPROVE. 
          AND I THINK THAT THERE WERE SUBSTANTIVE THINGS THAT GOT LEFT OUT, AND IRENE MENTIONED TREES A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT MY BREAKOUT GROUP SPOKE ABOUT WAS TREES, CANOPY, CANOPY MAINTENANCE, RESTORATION AFTER TREE REMOVAL, AND THE NEED FOR NATIVE FEED TREES TO ENCOURAGE BIODIVERSITY. 
          AND AS IRENE, I SAID, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING DIRECTLY ABOUT TREES COMING UP. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT AND REQUEST THAT THE PAC FOCUS TOPIC PROCESS INCLUDE A SEPARATE MEETING WHERE THE PAC CAN DISCUSS AS A BODY BEFORE WE ARE PRESENTED A REPORT. 
          OTHERWISE, IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE'RE ASKED TO RUBBER STAMP SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T ENTIRELY ENCOMPASS OUR VIEWS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. CORTIS COOPER, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          OKAY. YES, I'M COURT COOPER, AND TODAY I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON YOUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ON BEHALF OF THE BAY AREA CHAPTER OF THE SIERRA CLUB. I WAS ONE OF THREE MEMBERS ON THE EAST BAY PUBLIC LANDS COMMITTEE WHO DEVELOPED THE CHAPTER'S POSITION PAPER ON WILDFIRE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT LAST YEAR. WE SENT YOU THE FINALIZED COPY OF THAT PAPER LAST APRIL, AND YOU SHOULD NOW HAVE A ANOTHER COPY IN TODAY'S PACKET. FIRST, LET ME SAY WE APPLAUD THE IMPORTANCE THE DISTRICT HAS GIVEN THIS TOPIC. THOUGH THE DISTRICT HAS A LOT ON ITS PLATE, DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF WILDFIRE IN AN EVER WARMING AND DRIVER- DRIER CLIMATE RANKS PERHAPS THE MOST SERIOUS CHALLENGE IT WILL FACE IN THE COMING DECADES. 
          NOW FOR A FEW SPECIFICS. MANY OF YOUR PRIMARY AREAS OF FOCUS ALIGN WELL WITH THOSE INCLUDED IN OUR CHAPTER POLICY, NAMELY REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK, PROTECTING COMMUNITIES, AND 
          [02:15:01]
RESTORING HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS. YOUR LIST OF THE REASONS TO DO VEGETATION TREATMENT ALSO ALIGN WELL WITH OURS. BOTH OUR DOCUMENTS POINT OUT THE CRITICAL NEED TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND THE COMPLEX CONSIDERATIONS THAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN AN EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE PLAN. OUR POSITION PAPER DOES GO INTO MORE DETAIL IN SEVERAL AREAS THAT YOUR DOCUMENT WILL ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS AS IT CONTINUES TO MATURE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, OUR PAPER OUTLINES ALLOWABLE TREATMENT AND STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLES THAT WE HOPE YOU WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER AS YOU FURTHER PROGRESS YOUR PLAN. 
          THOUGH PERHAPS WE ARE BEING A BIT PREMATURE, WE ARE KEEN TO SEE THE DISTRICT DRAMATICALLY EXPAND THE USE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE AND MANAGED WILDFIRE, A TOOL NOW BEING USED EXTENSIVELY IN MARIN, SONOMA, AND THE SOUTH BAY. ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP IS TO IDENTIFY A STRATEGY TO MAINTAIN THE GAINS AFTER THAT INITIAL VEGETATION TREATMENT, AND TO MAINTAIN THOSE GAINS OVER DECADAL TIMESCALES GIVEN REALISTIC PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS, A POINT BOARD BOARD MEMBER ECHOLS JUST HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER. FINALLY, WE WOULD URGE YOUR STAFF TO SEEK INPUT FROM THE EAST BAY PUBLIC LANDS COMMITTEE AS THEY FILL IN THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN. 
          THUS FAR, WE'VE HAD NO REAL INPUT. WE BELIEVE THAT WITH OUR LONG HISTORY AND REPUTATION FOR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE EXPERTISE OF SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS IN THE TOPIC OF WILDFIRE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INPUT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE PLAN. 
          THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE DISTRICT ON YOUR EFFORT IN THIS CRITICAL TOPIC. 
          THANK YOU. KELLY, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO THESE SUBJECT OF WILDFIRE MITIGATION I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE BIG PICTURE TRENDS AND THE BIG PICTURE NUMBERS GET OVERLOOKED A LOT OF THE TIMES AS AS NOTED EARLIER, WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE THE THREAT IT'S AS IF ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY THEY HAD THEIR HOUSE THERE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A UH, A UH, FLAMMABLE FOREST APPEARED IN THEIR BACKYARD, OR FLAMMABLE VEGETATION APPEARED THERE. 
          WELL WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE BUILDING, A LOT OF HOUSES, VERY EXPENSIVE HOUSES, IN VERY NARROW CANYONS, AND THAT'S AND AND AND UH TO AS EVIDENCE OF THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE BIGGEST FIRES IN IN HISTORY, LIKE UH THE ONES THAT HAPPENED 5 YEARS AGO AT THE SCU COMPLEX THEY, THE TOTAL, TOTAL DAMAGE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 70 MILLION DOLLARS. AND THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE IN TODAY'S DOLLARS IS, OH, WELL OVER 3 BILLION DOLLARS. 
          UH, FROM 3 BILLION DOLLARS WHEN YOU BURN DOWN A FEW HOUSES OR A LOT OF HOUSES, AND UH, AND ALMOST NOTHING IF YOU BURN, YOU KNOW THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DAMAGE. THEN THE, THE OTHER ECOSYSTEM THREAT THAT'S HAPPENING IS THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PROGRESSIVE DRYING OF THE, OF THE ECOSYSTEM IS, IS HAPPENING. AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU GET VERY WET WINTERS WITH UNDER, WITH THE CLIMATE CHANGE. YOU, YOU'RE, WE'RE GETTING WETTER WINTERS FOLLOWED BY DRIER SUMMERS, AND THE, THE WETTER WIMMERS- WINTERS PRODUCE UH, A BIG CROP OF FLAMMABLE VEGETATION. SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A THREAT. AND THEN ALL OF THESE, THESE MITIGATION MEASURES, THIS REPORT, THESE REPORTS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY FREE, AT LEAST THE SLIDES WERE, OF NUMBERS IF YOU LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BIOCHAR NUMBERS, OR WHERE THEY WERE SPENDING UM, SO MUCH MONEY FOR SO MANY ACRES, OR THE 2 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OR 10 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. WHEN YOU DIVIDE IT OUT BY THE ACRES AND YOU LOOK AT THE PER ACRE COST, A, ANNUAL COST OR EVERY 10 YEAR COST OF, OF DOING ANY OF THESE MITIGATION MEASURES, IT'S ENORMOUS. IT'S, IT COSTS MORE. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THE PARK DISTRICT'S IN A BAD POSITION BECAUSE IT'S, SITTING AS THE OWNER OF A LOT OF LAND THAT'S ACTUALLY A LIABILITY, AND THE COST OF DOING THIS KIND OF FIRE MAINTENANCE WORK IS SUPER HIGH. 
          IT'S MORE THAN THE, THE VALUE OF THE LAND ITSELF TO TO GO OUT THERE AND DO ANY OF THIS STUFF TO, TO REDUCE THE VEGETATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. JIM HANSON, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          HELLO. THANK YOU, BOARD. JIM HANSON CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, CALIFORNIA PLANT SOCIETY EAST BAY CHAPTER THANK YOU FOR THE COLLABORATION THAT THE DISTRICT IS UNDERTAKING AROUND WHAT IS GENERALLY TERMED AS VEGETATION, 
          [02:20:03]
UM, WHICH OF COURSE CAN INCLUDE ALL KINDS OF PLANT COMMUNITIES, A LOT OF DIVERSITY, AND INCLUDING THE INVASIVE WEEDS THAT THAT WE'RE ALL TACKLING. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IN OUR PERSPECTIVE, CALIFORNIA IS LEARNING REALLY HOW TO HANDLE A SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY, UNFORTUNATELY, OUR OWN SOCIETAL WIDE FOSSIL FUEL POLLUTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT IT'S NOT REALLY ALWAYS VEGETATION THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT I THINK WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER. AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS, THIS IS, IT'S INTERESTING THAT THIS IS KIND OF FOCUSED ON WILDFIRE AND NOT, IN A WAY, VEGETATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, AND THAT'S OKAY AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WORDS ARE IMPORTANT SOMETHING IN, IN ORDER THAT THE ECOLOGY THAT'S MENTIONED OR MAINTAINING A PLANT DIVERSITY IS NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL RUMP, IT COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE TITLE OF THIS APPROACH I DON'T HAVE AN EASY ONE, BUT IT COULD BE INTEGRATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION PLAN. AND THE REASON I MENTIONED THIS, AND, UH, TOUCHING ON A NUMBER OF WHAT, OF NUMBER OF WHAT YOU HAVE SAID INCLUDES A BROADER APPROACH AND TALKING TO THE PUBLIC. IT REALLY IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE WILDLANDS AND THE URBAN EDGE. SOME OF THE CITIES ARE REALLY ADVANCING THAT AREA. 
          I'M AFRAID, I HOPE THAT CALIFORNIA WILL, THE STATE, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING, THE DISTRICT HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SUSTAINING NATIVE PLANT POPULATIONS IN TREATMENTS BECAUSE, AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN OR HEARD, IN SOME CASES THEY'VE GONE TOO SEVERE, MAYBE AN OVER INTERPRETATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CODE, AND THE GROUND HAS BEEN CUT DOWN TO ALMOST NOTHING, TREES LIMBED UP, AND HONESTLY BECOME A BOWLING ALLEY FOR EMBER. SO THIS IS A DIFFICULT AREA TO TOUCH. IT TAKES A LOT OF SKILL THAT IS WITHIN THE STAFF, AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE TAKE THAT BROADER VIEW THAT YOU CONSIDER BRINGING IN PLANT CONSERVATION BECAUSE THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FLORA THAT HAS ADAPTED TO FIRE FOR A LONG TIME. WE'RE JUST A LEARNING TO, THE CALIFORNIA FLORA HAVE FOR A LONG TIME, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE ADAPTED TO THEIR DISASTERS BY ADAPTING THEIR COMMUNITIES. 
          SO ANY RATE THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ON THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT. THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. WHITNEY GROVER, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          YES, HI THERE MY NAME IS WHITNEY GROVER. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION FOR GOLDEN GATE BIRD ALLIANCE. I'M REPRESENTING OUR 7,000 MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, MOST OF WHICH ACTUALLY ARE IN THE, CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTIES AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS PRIORITIZATION PROJECT IS, IS AWESOME, AND I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD THE PARK DISTRICT FOR UNDERTAKING IT. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS IS UPLIFTED, AND THEN I'M ALSO REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT STRENGTHENING COORDINATION IS IS A HUGE PIECE OF IT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF THE ECOLOGISTS AND BIOLOGISTS AT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE HIGHLY COMPETENT, HIGHLY SKILLED, AND AND KNOWLEDGEABLE FOLKS LIKE KRISTEN AND UH, AND MANY OTHERS. AND FROM OUR OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE, WE OFTEN SEE, DON'T SEE THAT THEY ARE INFORMING THE WORK THAT HAPPENS ON THE GROUND, THE OPERATIONS. AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THAT WILL BE STRENGTHENED ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT A HIGH LEVEL IN THIS PRIORITIZATION PLAN IS, UM, DOING MOST OF THIS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK OR, OR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES ALWAYS OUTSIDE OF THE BIRD BREEDING SEASON. 
          UM, WE GET A HUGE FLURRY OF, UM, CALLS AND EMAILS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS EVERY YEAR DURING THE BIRD BREEDING SEASON NOT JUST IN THE PARK DISTRICT PARKS, BUT ACTUALLY EVERYWHERE AROUND THE BAY AREA AND, UM, IT JUST SEEMS THAT IF WE UNDERSTOOD THE PRIORITIZATION PLAN AND WE UNDERSTOOD YOU KNOW, WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE GOING ON IN THE BIRD BREEDING SEASON BECAUSE OF AN URGENT NEED, THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY HELP COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE PUBLIC FOR YOU WHEN THEY REACHED OUT TO US ALARMED THAT NESTS COULD POTENTIALLY BE DAMAGED AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO HAVING THIS PRIORITY 
          [02:25:01]
WITH YOU ALL ON IT AND I, I ALSO WANTED TO BRING UP THAT OUTSIDE OF MY ROLE AT GOLDEN GATE BIRD ALLIANCE, I'M ALSO A REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE ALAMEDA COUNTY PIECE OF THE, THE STATEWIDE CALIFORNIA BIRD ATLAS, WHICH, UM, IS PUTTING TOGETHER OVER 5 YEARS OF DATA COLLECTION TO ATLAS EVERY BIRD BREEDING IN OUR STATE INCLUDE, AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT COULD BE A HUGE RESOURCE IN UNDERSTANDING WHEN THE BREED- BREEDING SEASON IS PRIORITIZING THE SPECIES THAT, THAT ARE IN THE PARTICULAR PARKS OR IN THE PARTICULAR ATLAS BLOCKS WHERE YOU'RE DOING WORK. SO I'M HERE AS A RESOURCE TO HELP WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN PUBLIC COMMENT. IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL AND INSIGHTFUL TO HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU WE'LL NOW BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY FINAL COMMENTS. THIS IS A PRESENTATION, NOT AN ACTION ITEM, SO IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING WE DO NOT HAVE A RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE. ARE THERE ANY POINTS OF CONSIDERATION YOU WANT US TO THINK ABOUT IN REGARDS TO DIRECTION, OR DO YOU BELIEVE SO FAR THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN HELPFUL AS IS? I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN SUPER HELPFUL, BOTH FROM YOUR BOARD AND FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. I FEEL LIKE THE FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROCESS IS REALLY HELPFUL. IT'S THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE DONE THIS NEW PROCESS, SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR US THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IT GOING FORWARD. 
          AND THEN I, LIKE ALL OF THE POINTS FROM YOUR BOARD ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND INVESTMENT AND MAINTENANCE, AND SOME OF THOSE POINTS HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL. I'VE BEEN, I KNOW, BUSY TAKING NOTES. I KNOW OUR TEAM HAS TOO, AND SO I THINK THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO DO SOME WORK AND COME BACK TO YOU. 
          GREAT. GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR MERCURIO. 
          YES, THANK YOU I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED HERE KIND OF TOOK THE LOAD OFF OF ME. I JUST LISTENED TO ALL YOU FOLKS AND ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS. GREAT JOB IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE THROUGHOUT THE TWO COUNTIES AND SO THAT, THAT THIS IS BEING DONE AT THE LEVEL IT'S BEING DONE WITH THE DETAILS BEING DONE, I THINK IT'S A TESTAMENT TO MAX AND HIS TEAM AND ALL THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE KIND OF ALL ALIGNED, BUT I, I, YOU KNOW MAX'S LEADERSHIP, I THINK, IS INSPIRING A LOT OF THIS YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE ID PRIORITY AREAS. THERE WAS THAT MAP, AND IT HAD LIKE ARROWS AND DIFFERENT COLORS AND STUFF, AND I'M LOOKING AT THAT, AND REALLY WHAT IT IS, IT'S A VENN DIA- IT'S A VENN DIAGRAM, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE A EAST BAY LANDSCAPE AS VENN DIAGRAM, AND I LOVE GANTT CHARTS, I LOVE VENN DIAGRAMS. WE'RE DOING IT HERE IN THE NATURAL WORLD. WE'RE APPLYING THESE SORT OF TECH THINGS, AND AND ALL THE, ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE USE TO DO THIS MAPPING IS ALSO HIGHLY YOU KNOW, TECH ORIENTED. SO, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENDLESS RESOURCES. WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND DO THIS WORK IN AN INTELLIGENT WAY AND IN A FOCUSED WAY, AND WE CAN DO IT IF WE HAVE UM, A WAY TO FILTER THROUGH ALL THE LESS THAN CRITICAL STUFF AND LOOK AT THE STUFF THAT REALLY IS THE MOST CRITICAL. SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THIS ENABLES US TO DO YOU KNOW, I THINK PRETTY, PRETTY EFFICIENTLY. 
          SOMETHING IS KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE VERY RECENTLY, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, I WAS IN SAN RAMON TALKING TO A SAN RAMON VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER, I THINK HE WAS, AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, I THINK WITH PRESCRIBED BURNS AROUND THE MARGINS OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY. AND SO YOU KNOW, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO TELL HIM EXCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME STUFF. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS. SO ARE WE CONTACTING ALL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LOCAL FIRE AGENCIES AROUND. IT'S NOT JUST OAKLAND, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S OTHER PLACES AS WELL, THERE, YOU KNOW, MORAGA, ORINDA, EVERYBODY ELSE. WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH, WITH WORKING WITH THEM? YEAH, I, WE'RE, WE ARE CONNECTED WITH ALL THE FIRE AGENCIES. I KNOW BETWEEN ASSISTANT CHIEF KARI HALEY AND, AND OUR AND CHIEF IVERSON, THEY'RE CONNECTING WITH THE FIRE CHIEFS WE'RE ALSO PART OF SEVERAL WORKING GROUPS WITH A LOT OF THE FIRE AGENCIES WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THIS STUFF. SOME OF THE PRESCRIBED BURNS, LIKE I KNOW THERE'S A PRESCRIBED FIRE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN ROUND VALLEY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAL FIRE AND SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES WE LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED IN THESE SAME THINGS, SO THE MORE THAT WHETHER IT'S THE LA MIRANDA 
          [02:30:02]
FIRE FOLKS, THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, ALAMEDA COUNTY SAN RAMON, LIKE ALL THOSE FIRE AGENCIES, UH, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT TOOL TO HELP US IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          WELL, I WOULD HOPE THAT EITHER THIS PRESENTATION OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO THEM SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT THERE THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US TODAY, AND IT REALLY TELLS A COMPLETE STORY. 
          WELL, AND I, WE'VE BEEN RESPONSIVE TO REQUESTS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE IDEA AND ADVICE FROM YOUR BOARD TO, LIKE, GET OUT AHEAD OF IT AND BE MORE PROACTIVE AT YEAH. 
          TELLING THE STORY. SO YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, GREAT, THANKS. 
          IF I COULD JUST ADD, OH, SORRY, GO AHEAD. 
          YEAH SO I WANTED TO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT FINAL MAPPING MODEL WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE WAS IT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WAS GIS LAYERS, OR WOULD IT BE SOMETHING THAT HAD FORECASTING ABILITIES? UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE STATIC BUT YOU COULD ALSO HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD DEPENDING WHAT HAPPENED ENVIRONMENT-WISE THAT COULD CHANGE WHAT THE PRIORITY IS, OR IF WE BRING IN SOME OF THE EFFECT LIKE DIFFERENT FACTORS WHERE RIGHT NOW THEY MENTIONED ABOUT, WILDLIFE AND BIRDS AND NESTING AND OTHER STUFF IT MIGHT CHANGE, LIKE, WHAT OUR PRIORITY AREAS ARE AND THE IMPORTANCE AND HOW TO MOVE. SO WHAT TYPE OF MAP ARE WE LOOKING AT? AND THEN AS FAR AS THE MODEL THAT'S LIKE FEEDING IN IT, LIKE WHAT TYPE OF IS IT SOME TYPE OF REGRESSION MODEL OR KIND OF WHAT'S, BESIDES JUST OVERLAPPING, KIND OF WHAT ELSE INFORMATION ARE YOU USING TO FEEDING IN? AND THEN ARE THERE SOME TYPE OF LIKE FORECASTING ABILITIES IN THE MAP? THANK YOU, DIRECTOR YEAH, AS I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TOO DEEPLY INTO THE VAST AMOUNT OF DATA THAT HAS GONE IN TO THIS PROJECT SO FAR IT, IT INCLUDES, I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE ABOUT ANY PHYSICAL ENTITY IN THE PARK DISTRICT AND THAT INCLUDES OUR, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, SO WILDLIFE, ET CETERA SO THE, THE, THE CONSULTANT TEAM IS DEVELOPING A, A WEB MAP, AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SAID. IT'S A GIS-BASED SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO BE ACCESSIBLE BY ANY INTERNAL PARK DISTRICT STAFF TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN WORK, PLAN THEIR OWN WORK, INFORM THEIR WORK. AND IT IS GOING TO BE SCALABLE AND ITERATIVE, SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO RERUN THE MODEL AT ANY TIME THAT THE TEAM, THE WORK GROUP DECIDES IT'S NECESSARY AS, AS CONDITIONS CHANGE AND, AND NEW INPUTS ARE, ARE AVAILABLE. 
          GREAT WORK, AND THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY CLEAR AND I KNOW AS FAR AS THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS FROM THE PAC, THEY'D LIKE MORE TIME BUT IT WAS VERY GREAT TO SEE AS FAR AS THIS EVOLUTION OF THE PAC AND HOW THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER INPUT ON DIFFERENT IDEAS. SO EVERYTHING MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN PERFECT FROM BOTH SIDES, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS A, A MODEL WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT IN SOME MORE THOUGHTFUL FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE WITHIN THIS, UH, PROCESS. SO ALSO WANTED TO THANK THE PAC MEMBERS FOR THEIR COMMENTS TODAY. 
          THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ECHOLS. 
          JUST VERY QUICKLY, YES, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE PAC MEMBERS' COMMENTS, AND I APPRECIATE THE PAC FOR DIGGING INTO THIS AS A WHOLE AND I AGREE, EVEN THOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS, I, I JUST LOVE THAT THAT THE PAC WAS ABLE TO TAKE A MEATY TOPIC LIKE THIS AND REALLY DIG IN AND PROVIDE VALUABLE INPUT INTO THE DECISION MAKING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT. 
          YEAH, I, YEAH, I, MAX, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH YOUR TEAM, THIS CROSS-DIVISIONAL EFFORT, AND AS I SAID, SOME OF THE FIRST UNDERTAKING OF THIS KIND. I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC I SAVED A COUPLE OF MY NITPICKY QUESTIONS AS OUR, OUR COMMENTS ONE OF THE THINGS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS ON PAGE, IT'S MY PAGE 101, BUT UNDER YOU'VE GOT THE VEGETATION STRATEGY AND THE GOALS FOR PROTECTING AND RESTORING HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEMS. I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU ADD A LINE THAT GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS IS ONE OF THE ULTIMATE GOALS THERE, AND BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS OF OUR LANDS IS HOW MUCH THEY SEQUESTER. SO I'D LOVE 
          [02:35:02]
TO SEE THAT AS, AS THAT. 
          I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED IN THE IT WAS PAGE 95, LET'S SEE, HOLD ON. THE STAFF REPORT FROM THE PAC HAS THIS PARTICULAR SECTION. IT'S ACTUALLY ON PAGE 91 FROM THE PAC, AND IT'S ITEM 04, THE LAST ECOSYSTEM HEALTH, BIODIVERSITY, AND HABITAT. AND I THINK THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS IN THERE THAT MAYBE WE CAN PULL INTO THIS, BECAUSE THEY GET REALLY SPECIFIC INTO THINGS LIKE THE WATER YIELD, THE WATER QUALITY, THE WATERSHED, THE MONITORING OF VEGETATION, BECAUSE I NOTICED ALSO THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A TREE INVENTORY. 
          AND I REMEMBER IN 2021, WE HAD A REALLY BIG DEAL IN THE NEWS ABOUT HOW WE HAD DONE AN INVENTORY, AND 1 MILLION OF OUR TREES WERE DEAD. AND THEN WE HEAR ABOUT ALL THE TREES WE'RE REMOVING FOR, FOR, UM, FOR FIRE SAFETY. SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVENTORY OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, INVENTORY, GET A BASELINE OF OUR TREES. I LOVE THE FUNNEL LOOK WITHOUT GOING INTO ANY DETAIL, AND I THINK THE COMMENT WAS MADE EARLIER, ALL THAT GREAT INFO WE HAVE IN NATURE CHECK NOW, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO ALSO BE FILTERED THROUGH THERE. AND I'M WONDERING, ULTIMATELY WITH THIS SORT OF GIS PRIORITY, WILL SOME OF THIS FEED INTO OUR CPP SCORES? BECAUSE FOR ME, IF A PROJECT SUDDENLY HAD A HIGHER, YOU KNOW, FIRE, LIKE, IF THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE SCORES AS WE DEVELOP THAT PRIORITY LIST, THAT WOULD BE A REASON TO, ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS TO BUMP IT UP, THAT IF YOU, AS YOU DEVELOP THIS LIST, I'D JUST BE CURIOUS OR COMMENT IS I'D LOVE TO SEE IT FILTER UP AND THROUGH THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT MYSELF FROM PEOPLE, AND THEY WERE UP ON THE HILL BEHIND MY HOUSE, WE KEEP MENTIONING GOATS AND CATTLE, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY IN YOUR SLIDES, DON'T FORGET THE SHEEP, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY ARE NOT AS DAMAGING, AND THERE'S MORE AND MORE STUDIES THAT ARE SHOWING THAT THEY CAN THEY CAN WORK WELL. SO JUST TO, WHAT DID JIM HANSEN SAY? WORDS MATTER. JUST THROW, THROW THE SHEEP WORD IN THERE. AND ULTIMATELY THE LAST THING ON THE LAST SLIDE IS THE I THINK DIRECTOR ECHOLS MENTIONED IT, OR SOMEONE DID, UM, ABOUT THE LOOP BACK. HOW DO WE LOOP BACK, LIKE FOR PROJECTS DO WE HAVE A ONE-YEAR REVIEW OR FIVE-YEAR REVIEW? MAX, YOU MENTIONED WE'RE NOT GOING TO WALK AWAY FROM THESE, THEY'RE SO SUPER IMPORTANT, BUT AS WE ROOT, ROOT BACK, HOW, I MEAN, IT WASN'T IN THE SLIDE AS IT JUST SORT OF ENDED IN REPORT OUT, BUT SOME ONGOING OPPORTUNITY, I IMAGINE, IS COMING. JUST HOW DO WE PRESENT IT IN THIS REPORT? AND IT COULD LOOP BACK TO THE INVENTORIES AND THE MEASURABLES OF THAT I MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO REALLY BE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THAT, NOT JUST, OH YEAH, IT'S STILL FIRE SAFE, BUT THIS CRITERIA, IT'S ALSO RESTORED. IT'S TRULY NATIVE HABITAT. IT'S THE PLANTS THAT THE BIRDS WANT AND THE NEWTS NEED AND THE VARIOUS SO, UM, BUT YEAH, OVERALL, I THINK RAISING THIS UP, LIFTING THIS UP TO THIS LEVEL IS IS A GREAT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND I THANK EVERYBODY WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS TODAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU DID A NICE JOB. 
          ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON IN THE AGENDA? I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT DISCUSSION AND CONVERSATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DID TO COME HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND I'M PART OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN NEXT, OR AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AT THAT MEETING. SO THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR AGENDA. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM WILL BE AGENDA ITEM K, ANNOUNCEMENTS 
          [PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FROM CLOSED SESSION. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION? NO, WE DO NOT. 
          OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM L, PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT. 
          I KNOW I'VE BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE, BUT YOU'VE GOT ME ALL HOT ON THIS TOPIC TODAY, THIS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND INVENTORIES. I JUST I KNOW I'VE ASKED FOR IT IN THE DISTRICT PLAN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR A CLIMATE ACTION, I MEAN, A CLIMATE INVENTORY OF A GREAT JOB WE'RE DOING, OUR PARKS DO TO SEQUESTER. THERE'S A LOT OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS TO HELP US MEASURE THAT BY RIPARIAN GRASSLANDS. I, I JUST WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, ON INVENTORIES, PARTICULARLY THAT. AND SOMETHING, SOMETHING CAME UP, I, MAYBE JOHN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE TRAIN RIDE UP TO SACRAMENTO. I'D LOVE TO KNOW, WHAT WE MIGHT DO WITH A, A YOUTH YOUTH COMMITTEE. 
          WAS THAT WITH YOU WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION? ANYWAY OUR PAC TO MAYBE CONSIDER HOW WE CAN ENGAGE THE NEXT GENERATION BETTER. WOULD IT MAKE SENSE, LIKE IN MORAGA, WE HAD A MORAGA YOUTH INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE, OR WOULD IT MAKE SENSE 
          [02:40:01]
TO MAYBE HAVE A YOUTH APPOINTEE TO THE PAC? I JUST I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. HOW DO WE GET THE NEXT GENERATION INVOLVED? DISCUSSIONS EARLIER ABOUT YOUTH AND KIDS. WAS THAT YOU? YEAH I, I PUT THAT OUT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. 
          GREAT. ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS 
          [BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED]
FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED, ITEM M. 
          WHO WOULD LIKE TO START? OKAY, GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR MERCURIO. 
          I THINK, I THINK BEING ON THE END ENCOURAGES ME TO GO FIRST SO ON SEPTEMBER 15TH I WAS AT THE BOARD MEETING ON THE FOLLOWING DAY AT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEN ON THE SEPTEMBER 18TH, THE BOARD SITE TOUR WHICH WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL, VERY GOOD AT CONTRA LOMA. 
          UM, THEN ON THE 21ST, I ATTENDED THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SPECIAL DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION MEETING ON THE 22ND, I MET WITH THE GM FOR A MONTHLY CHECK-IN. LATER THAT DAY, I ATTENDED MEDIA TRAINING WITH THE BODWELL STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS. AND THEN STILL LATER THAT DAY WAS THE, UM, CONTRALOMA SWIM FACILITY PUBLIC MEETING AT ANTIOCH THAT DIRECTOR COFFEY AND I WERE AT, AND THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT SWIMMING I- UH, IN OR AROUND CONTRA LOMA AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, WE WERE IN SACRAMENTO AT THE LEGISLATIVE AND AGENCY STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS. ALWAYS INTERESTING TO MEET UP WITH A LOT OF THE FOLKS THERE AND THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING IN SACRAMENTO FOR US AND WITH US LATER THAT DAY, UM, I ATTENDED THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FISH AND FALL FORUM, AND THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING. THERE'S ALWAYS A GOOD PRESENTATION THERE, AND, I ENJOYED THAT VERY MUCH. 
          ON SEPTEMBER 28TH I MET WITH SOME DANVILLE RESIDENTS TO TALK ABOUT THE IRON HORSE TRAIL SAFETY SURVEY THAT THEY DID AS PRIVATE CITIZENS TO GATHER SOME IMPRESSIONS OF HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THEIR TIME SPENT USING THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, AND THAT'S BEEN TRANSMITTED TO THE DISTRICT. 
          ON SEPTEMBER 30TH WE HAD THE SPECIAL CLOSED SESSION FOR THE DISTRICT COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 1ST I MET WITH, CHRIS WYCKOFF AND SOME OF HIS STAFF TO VISIT SOME CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TRAIL ISSUES THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AND THEN LATER THAT DAY, ON THE, ON THE 1ST, I ATTENDED THE CONTRA COSTA MAYOR'S CONFERENCE IN LAFAYETTE, AND THEN ON THE 2ND, I ATTENDED THESE, SAN RAMON MAYOR'S BREAKFAST, WHICH IS A MONTHLY THING. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, BACK ON SEPTEMBER 15TH WAS OUR BOARD CLOSED AND OPEN SESSIONS GREAT KICKOFF ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, A NEW INTERNATIONAL LEASE TURN PARTNERSHIP THERE WERE OVER 780 PEOPLE ON THE CALL. 
          THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH THE UP THE COAST THE LEASE TURN, ALSO KNOWN AS CHARON MINIMO. IT'S PUT ON BOTH BY THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE AND THE CAL FISH AND WILDLIFE, AND I KNOW A BUNCH OF OUR STAFF ATTENDED THAT, BUT IT'S PRETTY AMAZING. I DON'T THINK THEY THOUGHT MAYBE 50 OR 100 PEOPLE, BUT IT'S PRETTY BIG. AND THEN ON THE 22ND I HAD MY ONE-ON-ONE WITH GM MAX AND DEPUTY AMY, AND I ATTENDED ON THE 21ST MY SPECIAL DISTRICT, THE FIRST TIME AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE, THE CCSDA UP ON 924. ALSO THE SACRAMENTO LUNCHEON, ALWAYS FUN TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN SACRAMENTO, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON RECESS, TO JUST REMEMBER WHERE OUR ROOTS AND OUR POLICIES COME FROM. I JUST REALLY ENJOY CONNECTING WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE DOING GREAT WORK. THE 23RD, I WENT TO THE EAST BAY MUD LIAISON MEETING. I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE IN A FEW YEARS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CORRECT OR AN EXAGGERATION, BUT REGARDLESS, IT'S A REALLY GOOD, VALID ONE. EAST BAY MUD, I THINK, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR 
          [02:45:01]
EVERYTHING FROM THEIR DISTRICT PLAN TO STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I LOVE THAT COLLABORATION. 
          I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, ON THE 25TH, THE US EPA WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE CALLED ME ABOUT AN ALUMNI ARTICLE FOCUSED ON WORK I'M DOING AFTER LEAVING THE THE AGENCY. SO GOT A LITTLE PR COMING THERE FOR THE FEDERAL, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEWSLETTER ON THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT ON THE 29TH, I, WAS INVITED TO A SISTER OF ALAMEDA CITY OF A SISTER PROGRAM. THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED. 
          MY NONPROFIT'S DONE SOME WORK, THIS BINATIONAL WORK ON THE CHARON MINIMO, THE, THE, TURN. I DID COPY LUANA ON THAT. I BUT THE MEXICAN CONSULTS WERE THERE, AND I GOT A CHANCE TO DO MY ENTIRE PRESENTATION, UH, IN ESPA OL. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, I'M GETTING PRETTY FLUENT AT THAT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE, MAYBE FOR THE PARKS OR NOT THE PARKS, TO WORK WITH THE PROTECTING THE TURNS. 
          AND IT WAS GREAT TIMING WITH THAT OTHER INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION. ON THE 29TH, I ATTENDED THE 30 BY 30 SUMMIT THAT WAS VERY UPLIFTING TO REALLY SEE ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW CLOSE WE ARE AT 27% OF THE 30%. AND AS GM MENTIONED, I REALLY ENJOYED JESSE ARGUIN WAS REALLY LIFTING US UP ON A FEW TIMES ON THE PANEL, REALLY TALKING UP, THE PARK DISTRICT AS A WHOLE AND THE GOLDEN GATE, THE ACQUISITION THAT WE'RE HEADED TOWARDS. AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE 30TH, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL REVIEW, AND ON THE 1ST I WAS AT THE LAFAYETTE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE AS WELL. THANKS. 
          DIRECTOR ESPANA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? YEAH DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT I KNOW WE ATTEND SO MANY MEETINGS BUT I BELIEVE YOU WERE MISTAKEN ABOUT THE EBMED LIAISON MEETING. 
          OH, I THINK IT WAS YEAH, YOU, YOU WEREN'T IT'S BEEN GOING FOR A WHILE. 
          NO, YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THAT ONE. YOU WEREN'T PRESENT AT THAT MEETING. YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD ATTENDED IT. 
          I WAS ONLINE. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          UM, AN ALTERNATE. I WASN'T A VOTING MEMBER, I WAS AN ALTERNATE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LET THE YEAH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LET THE I DON'T, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR YOU, AND THEY SAID, WELL, THEY SAID YOU WERE COMING, AND AND SO, ANYWAY, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST CHECK IN WITH THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. ALL RIGHT 8/15 I ATTENDED THE BOARD MEETING, 9/18 THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK PORT, UH, BOARD SITE TOUR 9/19, UM, I VISITED ALL THROUGH THE COASTAL CLEANUPS IN MY WARD 9/22 MEDIA TRAINING WITH BODEWELL, 9/23 THE EAST BAY MUD LIAISON MEETING, 9/24 THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, ANNUAL LUNCHEON, 9/29 MAX MONTHLY CHECK-IN, 9/30 A SPECIAL MEETING 9/4 UH THE LONEY GATHERING, AND 10/6 A BOARD MEETING. 
          OKAY, GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          DIRECTOR COFFEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? SURE, THANK YOU. ON THE 16TH, I ATTENDED THE EXEC AND LEDGE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND IN BETWEEN HAD A ONE-ON-ONE WITH UH THE GENERAL MANAGER. 
          VERY EFFICIENT USE OF TIME THERE. 3 MEETINGS RIGHT IN A ROW. ON 18TH ATTENDED THE WARD 7 BOARD SITE VISIT, AND I DID FIND IT REWARDING. 
          19TH, I ATTENDED A RODDIE RANCH LAND BANKED HIKE AND TOUR HOSTED BY THE NATURALISTS AT BIG BREAK, AND LATER THAT DAY ATTENDED THE PARK DISTRICT DISTRICT PLAN AND RESOURCE FAIR, ALSO IN ANTIOCH AT THE ANTIOCH COMMUNITY CENTER ON THE 22ND, I ATTENDED THE... I'M LOSING TRACK NOW, THE I THINK THAT WAS THE CONTRA LOMA COMMUNITY MEETING AT THE ANTIOCH COMMUNITY CENTER THAT DIRECTOR MERCURIO MENTIONED. I MIGHT HAVE MY DATES WRONG ON THE 21ST, I ALSO ATTENDED THE CONTRA COSTA SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION MEETING ON THE 25TH, I ATTENDED THE HISPANIC HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION AT THE CONTRA LOMA PARK THAT MORNING, AND LATER THAT AFTERNOON ATTENDED A BOARD MEETING PREP SESSION WITH PRESIDENT OF, UH, SAN JUAN. ON THE 26TH, I, UH, WAS ABLE TO STOP BY A TILDEN TRAIL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM BY THE HIGH SCHOOL MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUBS THE VARIOUS KIDS INVOLVED IN, 
          [02:50:02]
IN FROM A VARIETY OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE AREA, AND THEIR PARENTS AND A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR UH, HELPING THEM OUT FROM OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATION STAFF. 
          IT WAS CAMERON, ACTUALLY. 
          ON THE 27TH, I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY EVENT, WHICH IS QUITE A GATHERING AND A, A GOOD EVENT FOR ME TO ATTEND. ON THE 30TH, THE SPECIAL MEETING ON, UM COUNCIL'S EVALUATION AND THE, OCTOBER 1ST, CONTRA COSTA MAYORS CONFERENCE. OCTOBER 2ND, AGAIN WITH DIRECTOR SANWONG AND THE GENERAL MANAGER AND COUNCIL, WE HAD A BOARD MEETING PREPARATION SESSION FOR TODAY. 
          ON OCTOBER 3RD, I ATTENDED THE DOOLIN CANYON, KIND OF A SOFT OPENING HIKE, I WOULD DESCRIBE IT, OR AS AN OPEN HOUSE. AND ON THE 5TH, I ATTENDED WITH, DIRECTOR WAESPI THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE MEETING, AND I THINK THAT COVERS IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. DIRECTOR WAESPI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? YES, THANK YOU ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, I ATTENDED AND MADE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TO THE CASTRO VALLEY DEMOCRATIC CLUB. ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, I ATTENDED THE UNITED NATIONS DAY OF PEACE EVENT THAT WE HOST AT LAKE CHABOT. 
          IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT. 
          EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, THE EDEN AREA INTERFAITH COUNCIL, AND THE UNITED NATIONS UH, SAN FRANCISCO UH, BAY CHAPTER WERE THERE AND AND DID A WONDERFUL JOB. THERE WERE GREAT KIDS THERE TALKING ABOUT PEACE, SINGING SONGS ABOUT PEACE, AND AND JUST CELEBRATING OUR HOPES FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD, AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT. 
          ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, I ATTENDED THE GENERAL COUNCIL REVIEW ON OCTOBER 2ND, I ATTENDED THE PLEASANTON EBRPD LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING THIS PAST SATURDAY, I ALSO ATTENDED THE DOOLIN CANYON TOUR IT WAS A WONDERFUL TOUR. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO DOOLIN CANYON, IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE. AS IT WAS POINTED OUT, THERE'S HARDLY ANY TREES. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, 365 DEGREES OF NOTHINGNESS EXCEPT BEAUTIFUL OPEN SPACE. 
          AND OUR NATURALIST DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF, OF INTERPRETING, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE THAT ARE, ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL AND, AND GORGEOUS. AND THERE WAS LITTLE SPOTS OF WATER WHERE SOME ALKALINE SOIL WOULD GROW PLANTS THAT ONLY COULD BE GROWN THERE IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE SHOWED INTEREST AND SHOWED UP. 
          ON SUNDAY MORNING, I ATTENDED THE PHILIP SHOALS, TRAIL DEDICATION, IN PLEASANTON RIDGE. THAT WAS A INTERESTING EVENT. I, I HOPE YOU EVERYBODY REMEMBERS PHILIP SCHOLES. HE'S A YOUNG MAN WHO WENT OUT OF HIS WAY AND AS A GOOD SAMARITAN AND TRIED TO TALK DOWN A SUICIDAL PERSON HE WAS SUCCESSFUL AT THAT, BUT HE GOT RUN OVER BY A TRAIN ON A THIS WAS ON A CALTRAIN BRIDGE, AND HIS FAMILY GOT TOGETHER AND JUST FORMED A FOUNDATION. 
          THEY DID A LOT OF WORK, TALKED WITH THE PARK DISTRICT, WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND WE FINALLY GOT A TRAIL NAMED AFTER HIM THROUGH THEIR GREAT EFFORTS AND OUR GREAT EFFORTS. 
          SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A SOLEMN EVENT, BUT IT WAS A VERY CELEBRATORY EVENT ALSO. IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT DAY AND IN THE AFTERNOON, I ATTENDED THE GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES ANOTHER TRADITION IN THE PARK DISTRICT, A GREAT ONE AND YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE MEETING. AND JUST AS A HEADS UP, TOMORROW'S THE SAFETY FAIR. 
          HOPE YOU CAN ALL BE THERE, SHADOW CLIFFS, 10 O'CLOCK. 
          IT'S A GREAT EVENT. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. DR. 
          ECHOLS. 
          OKAY, SO JUST QUICKLY, SO ON THE 23RD OF SEPTEMBER I ATTENDED THE EAST BAY MUD LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING, AND IT WAS REALLY REALLY GREAT, VERY SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION PARTICULARLY, WE JUST WANT TO MENTION, OF COURSE, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE WILDFIRE RISK AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, AND MAX GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF A PREVIEW OF, OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY AND EAST BAY MUD ALSO DID A PRESENTATION ON THE WATER SUPPLY AND WINTER OPERATIONS, WHICH IS FASCINATING GIVEN, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE EL NI O COMING, OR IT'S HERE ACTUALLY. 
          AND, AND THEN FINALLY THEY, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK, WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF, WITH, WITH EAST BAY MUD ON EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH. AND SO I WAS, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR OUR, TO OUR STAFF AND THEIRS FOR, 
          [02:55:01]
FOR BEING INVOLVED IN THAT. 
          UM, SO LET'S SEE. SO ON THE 26TH, I ALSO STOPPED BY THE, THE TRAIL WORK THAT WAS GOING ON AT CURRAN TRAIL IN TILDEN. 
          THIS IS THE, THE NECA YOUTH TEAMS, AND IT WAS JUST REALLY, THEY'RE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB, SO PROFESSIONAL, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING BY WERE, WERE VERY EXCITED THAT THAT TRAIL WAS FINALLY GETTING FIXED, AND I REALLY WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO BOTH CAMERON AND COLT WHO WERE THERE, AND VERY, THEY WERE ALSO, YOU KNOW, VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND GIVING PART OF THEIR SATURDAY TO, TO WORK ON THIS, AND, AND SO REALLY APPRECIATE OUR STAFF FOR HELPING OUT WITH THAT. 
          LET'S SEE, ON THE 30TH, WE ATTENDED THE, WELL, WE ALL DID THE SPECIAL CLOSED SESSION EVALUATION MEETING FOR OUR GENERAL COUNCIL, COUNCIL. AND THEN YESTERDAY I ATTENDED A MEDIA EVENT MOSTLY ORGANIZED BY TPL AND SENATOR EREGENE AT GOLDEN GATE FIELDS, AND THIS WAS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE OUR GOVERNOR AND OUR NATURAL RESOURCES SECRETARY WADE CROWFOOT FOR BOTH, AND OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS FOR PASSING THE BUDGET ITEM WITH OUR 125 MILLION FOR GOLDEN GATE FIELDS AND OF COURSE THAT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR. SO REALLY IT WAS JUST GOOD TO HAVE OUR PARTNERS THERE IN ADDITION TO SENATOR ARRAGON, ASSEMBLYMEMBER WICKS, MAYOR MCQUAID FROM ALBANY AND BERKELEY MAYOR ISHII AND OUR COUNTY SUPERVISOR NIKKI BOSS, AND OF COURSE OUR WONDERFUL STAFF. 
          AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO TO EVERYONE, TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, AND REALLY JUST THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT OUR STAFF HAS BEEN DOING TO GET THIS. I MEAN, THIS IS... THE MONEY IS HUGE, BUT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. 
          SO IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BUT BUT IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN A, UH, REALLY HUGE EFFORT. IT'S THIS DEAL HAS GONE SO FAST JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS ON IT, AND I KNOW THAT OUR TEAM HAS JUST BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE WE HAVE THE VERY BEST DEAL POSSIBLE, AND ALSO THAT WE'RE REALLY TYING DOWN EVERY, DOTTING EVERY I AND CROSSING EVERY T. SO MUCH APPRECIATION TO MAX AND THE ENTIRE TEAM WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS, AND I THINK THAT'S, OH, THAT BRINGS ME TO TODAY, SO. 
          OKAY SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PREVIOUSLY. DO WE HAVE ANY? THERE IS NONE. 
          OKAY, SO WE'LL CLOSE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT. WE ARE GONNA BE CLOSING OUR OPEN SESSION NOW, BUT WE ARE ADJOURNING INTO CLOSED SESSION, AND I PROPOSE 9 MINUTES, AND WE WILL TRY TO START CLOSED SESSION AT 4:25 P.M. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.