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For the second year, a diverse and dedicated community has come together to organize a joint conservation vision for the entire Diablo Range.

With the proliferation of local and large-scale threats to these sacred mountains, this annual convening is working to make the little-known Diablo Range into California’s next great conservation story.

The Second Annual Diablo Range Convening

Californian tribes, agencies, land trusts, resource conservation districts, and other organizations sent representatives.

They were joined by conservation lobbyists, local landowners, recreationists, photographers, and others. All told, more than 130 people representing nearly 70 organizations came together.

Together, we discussed our concern for this precious 205-mile mountain range—and possible solutions to preserve it forever.

This community spans 12 counties, united by a fierce passion for preserving wildlife, ecosystems, and human connection to nature.

We recognize that these mountains are truly priceless, yet only about 27 percent of the range is protected. It’s surrounded by more than 10 million people, some of whom don’t even know it exists.

Partially because of that obscurity, the Diablo Range harbors imperiled and magnificent wonders like the San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, California condor, and tule elk.

Still, heritage landscapes like Del Puerto Canyon are threatened by proposed reservoirs, oil drilling, or city expansion. Tribes who are fighting hard to regain access to their ancestral lands are too often at risk of losing that opportunity forever.

These threats are part of why we’re uniting to defend the range at local, state, and federal levels.

Uniting for the Land

This gathering began in earnest with a powerful Muwekma Ohlone invocation and a reminder of our responsibility to each other. It is important to remember that this kind of intergenerational work must always be approached with respect.

With this guidance, we began to share conservation stories from across the community.

The Executive Director of California’s Wildlife Conservation Board, Dr. Jennifer Norris, highlighted an inspiring opportunity at the statewide level: at least 1 million acres of the Diablo Range could support California’s 30×30 initiative, which still needs 4.8 million acres by 2030.

Policies like 30×30 are more than just numbers; they affect countless lives. Wildlife photographer Vishal Subramanyan provided a glimpse into the lives of a Diablo Range bobcat family, who are directly impacted by land use policies.

Land trusts like Amah Mutsun Land Trust and Peninsula Open Space Trust are working hard to save ancient places like Juristac (or Sargent Ranch).

Save Mount Diablo representatives explained how projects in the Altamont Pass area can make or break connectivity in the Diablo Range.

We heard from passionate advocates from Save Del Puerto Canyon and Save Mount Diablo about how land advocacy goes hand-in-hand with city planning and policy decisions.

It’s extremely important to get involved in those processes early and often, they explained.

Experienced landowners and representatives from the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association elaborated on the challenges and strategies for creating successful conservation easement agreements with new partners.

Working Together toward a Shared Vision

Most importantly, we gathered to brainstorm more effective strategies.

Specialized breakout groups exchanged perspectives and unique expertise on land use and advocacy, working lands, parks and open space, and legislation and funding.

These discussions revealed exciting overlap among our strategies.

For instance, public awareness and education are hugely helpful to various branches of land conservation.

Public outreach could attract program funding, garner support for crucial legislation, or help cities understand the value of outdoor recreation for public health.

Across the board, convening participants were eager to offer support and resources with their focus groups.

The breakout sessions performed the most essential function of the convening: collaboration.

We Must Defend Public Lands Together

When dealing with millions of acres in a more-than-200-mile mountain range, this collaboration helps fend off large-scale threats.

Among the protected lands in the Diablo Range are federal and state public lands, which are still vulnerable.

Last year, Senator Mike Lee’s budget reconciliation bill threatened to sell off 86 percent of Bureau of Land Management public lands in the Diablo Range.

Luckily, it was defeated—but the threat is back.

Now, a new set of Bureau of Land Management plans seek to exploit lands throughout the Diablo Range for oil and gas drilling using subsurface mineral rights. Their proposal map includes gems like Mount Diablo State Park and Pinnacles National Park.

Thousands of comment letters were sent discouraging this insane plan, but so far the BLM has not backed down.

Threats like these make the Diablo Range Convening all the more important; with such sudden and widespread attacks on our public lands, we must rely on each other.

An Unwavering Commitment to the Future

Inspiration may be our most powerful ally. Before us lies an incredible opportunity to safeguard some of the most spectacular and precious landscapes.

We have seen time and again how these conservation initiatives benefit communities and often branch out into even more programs that create a brighter future for all.

Already, efforts to conserve the Diablo Range have resulted in game-changing legislation: since it passed, Senate Bill 630 now allows state parks to add adjacent land under $1 million, free from a burdensome approval process.

Thanks to our collective efforts, Mount Diablo State Park is finally beginning to expand, and Governor Newsom has recently announced three new state parks in California.

New legislative efforts are also underway.

If successful, our Assembly Concurrent Resolution 107 would declare the Diablo Range an official California conservation priority and encourage more conservation legislation protecting the range.

Heartfelt thanks to all of you who submitted letters of support for this Diablo Range resolution. With your help, it has just passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee with no opposing votes.

Next, it goes to a vote in the California Senate.

We’re just getting started.