Thankfully, with your support, Save Mount Diablo has been making great progress this year advancing the Diablo Range as a conservation priority for California.
For example, on June 5th, Save Mount Diablo spearheaded, with help from our good partners, a successful first-ever Diablo Range Convening.
More than 150 people registered, representing over 60 conservation organizations and federal, state, and local agencies. At the Convening, we built awareness and collaborations for the Diablo Range.
Mount Diablo State Park. Mount Diablo is the namesake peak of the Diablo Range. Photo: Scott Hein
Save Mount Diablo also made our first-ever efforts to advance the Diablo Range legislatively as detailed below.
Earlier this year, Save Mount Diablo sponsored a Diablo Range bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 1426, co-authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.
AB 1426 would establish the Diablo Range as an official California conservation priority and create a Diablo Range program within California’s Wildlife Conservation Board to financially support more conservation in the mountain range.
On April 8th, we provided testimony in support of our AB 1426 to the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife.
That committee and its Chair, Assemblymember Diane Papan, went on to approve our bill with 10 votes in favor, two against, and one abstention.
We were thrilled with this robust support for our nascent effort to have the Diablo Range officially recognized as a California conservation priority.
View from San Benito Mountain, the tallest peak in the Diablo Range. Photo: Al Johnson
And so, on April 28th, we provided testimony in support of AB 1426 to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. The committee and its Chair, Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan, then approved AB 1426 with 12 votes in favor, one against, and one abstention.
We were ecstatic about this overwhelming support for our bill.
But on May 23rd, a decision was made to suspend all new bills that would establish costly new programs, like AB 1426 and its Diablo Range program, because of California’s large projected budget deficit.
We were disappointed, but we did not let that setback stop our efforts to have the Diablo Range officially recognized as a California conservation priority.
Swainson’s hawks, Panoche Valley, Diablo Range. Photo: Scott Hein
Thus, we quickly pivoted to sponsor an Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR), authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, officially recognizing the Diablo Range as a California conservation priority but not establishing a program to financially support more conservation in the range.
Our Assembly Concurrent Resolution, ACR 107, was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife on September 10th with 13 votes in favor and 0 votes against.
ACR 107 then went before the California Assembly, where it was reviewed and unanimously approved on September 13th with 74 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and six not voting.
On behalf of Save Mount Diablo, I want to give special thanks to Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for her good leadership and support in helping us successfully advance the Diablo Range Resolution, ACR 107, which recognizes Mount Diablo and its Diablo Range as a California conservation priority and educates people about the importance of protecting this incredible mountain range.
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
This coming January, our Diablo Range Resolution will go before the California Senate, and if approved, ACR 107 will then be finalized, making the Diablo Range an official California conservation priority.
In these new legislative efforts for the Diablo Range, we are supported by Douglas D. Houston. He is the President and Legislative Advocate for Houston Magnani and Associates, a government relations and counseling firm headquartered in Sacramento.
Mr. Houston has expertise in conservation and parks matters, and he is a volunteer Board member for his local land trust.
The Diablo Range provides California with one of its best opportunities to meet multiple goals in its 30×30 initiative, which was set up to help the state address the climate crisis.
California’s 30×30 initiative aims to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, promoting biodiversity, climate resilience, and access to nature.
Johnny jump ups in Ohlone Wilderness Regional Preserve. Photo Scott Hein
The Diablo Range is 200 miles long, contains about 4 million acres that are largely intact and undeveloped, and is less than 30 percent conserved; this mountain range runs through 12 counties, with Mount Diablo in its northernmost county of Contra Costa.
The Diablo Range is an immense and important wildlife habitat corridor, teeming with biodiversity. It is home to hundreds of rare and endangered species, such as the California condor.
More than 10 million people reside in communities immediately surrounding the Diablo Range, so protecting more lands and creating more parks within the range has been identified as a great way to help more people get access to nature.
Wildflowers at sunset in the Panoche Valley and Panoche Hills, part of the Diablo Range. Photo: Haley Sutton
Thus, we are very pleased that we have been making great progress this year advancing the Diablo Range as a conservation priority for California.
Our Diablo Range legislative efforts have greatly increased awareness, support, and momentum for the Diablo Range and Save Mount Diablo in California’s capital and beyond.
