Congress Recognizes Park District's 90th Anniversary

EAST BAY, CA — U.S. Reps. Mark DeSaulnier, John Garamendi, Josh Harder, Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee and Eric Swalwell on Thursday recognized the 90th anniversary of the East Bay Regional Park District by introducing a Congressional resolution celebrating the milestone and the District's service to the entire East Bay.

EBRPD is the largest regional park district in the nation, spanning 73 parks, 126,000 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline and over 1,300 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The District was established through a 1934 ballot measure which was passed with 71 percent of the vote.

"Since its creation, EBRPD has worked tirelessly to protect the East Bay’s open spaces and promote recreational opportunities for Bay Area residents," DeSaulnier said. "I’m grateful for EBRPD’s leadership in working to improve quality of life and community well-being through a steadfast commitment to environmental conservation and maintenance of our local public parks. I’m proud to celebrate 90 years of the East Bay Regional Park District and look forward to continuing to partner with them for years to come."

Park District leaders were honored by the recognition, which took place during a session of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

"We are honored that Representative Mark DeSaulnier recognized the 90th Anniversary of the East Bay Regional Park District on the floor of the House today," said Sabrina Landreth, general manager of the largest regional park system of its kind in the nation. "This is a year of celebration for our community, dedicated staff, and many partners. Thank you, Rep. DeSaulnier, for celebrating with us the Park District’s 90 years of milestones, environmental conservation, and positive experiences in nature as we continue vital work that will impact generations to come."

DeSaulnier has been a steadfast supporter of the East Bay Regional Park District throughout his career. He was the recipient of our Radke Championing Advocacy Award in 2023 for his commitment to conservation and public access to open space.

"He values the tremendous physical and mental health benefits that our District’s regional parks and trails have provided for the East Bay community and so many park visitors," said Elizabeth Echols, the Park District's board president. "We thank him and the entire East Bay delegation for their long-standing support and for leading the House resolution recognizing our 90 years of service to the Bay Area community."

The Story Begins

The East Bay Regional Park District's story began in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of watershed land in the East Bay Hills suddenly became available for development. Civic leaders came together with a vision: preserve the land forever, and balance environmental conservation with public enjoyment.

To aid the cause, they enlisted renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and National Park Service’s Chief Naturalist Ansel Hall to survey the watershed lands for potential park use. The resulting 1930 Olmsted-Hall report titled "Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities" brought national credibility to the effort and is largely considered the founding document of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Four years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, civic leaders placed a measure on the ballot to establish the Park District and tax themselves for land preservation. The measure passed on Nov. 6, 1934, by a resounding 71 percent — even during trying times and economic instability. On June 4, 1936, the District purchased land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks: Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden), Temescal and Roundtop (Sibley).

For 90 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved and protected open space and provided safe and welcoming parks for recreation and nature viewing.

See upcoming 90th-anniversary events here.