Map source: EBRPD
Land could serve as future staging area for potential public access
Preserve includes land in Contra Costa, Alameda counties
By External Affairs Division, East Bay Regional Park District
OAKLAND, Calif. — The East Bay Regional Park District has completed the purchase of 4.5 acres of land from the City of Livermore to add to Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve (the Preserve) in Livermore.
Although the Preserve is presently not open to the public, the newly acquired land could serve as a staging area and the first segment of a public trail if the Park District determines the Preserve can be open for public access. The property is located about a half mile south of the Preserve itself. Due to the Preserve’s hilly topography, creating an on-site staging area would not be cost-effective.
At its April 7 meeting, the Park District Board of Directors considered potential uses for the Preserve, including conservation only or a combination of conservation and public access. While no specific access plan option was adopted at the meeting, the Board voted to direct staff to begin developing a land use plan, which will include studies of the Preserve’s natural and cultural resources, site improvements, public access opportunities, and natural hazards. The Board also voted in favor of offering periodic guided tours of the Preserve while the land use planning process is underway over several years. The first opportunity will be in October 2026; details and reservation information will be released in the fall.
“Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve is one of the East Bay’s remarkable open space landscapes,” said the Park District’s Acting General Manager Max Korten. “As we begin the land use planning process, the Park District will carefully consider how to protect natural habitat while exploring opportunities for future public access.”
Livermore and the surrounding Tri-Valley communities have long recognized the importance of Doolan Canyon as a protected open space resource. This acquisition helps move the Park District closer to the possibility of opening the Preserve for public access and expanding recreation opportunities for residents of Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, and neighboring communities, while ensuring that planning is done thoughtfully and responsibly.
Background
Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve is an important natural and cultural landscape in the northern Livermore Valley. It has a rich agricultural history, with active cattle ranching today. The Preserve is located within the ancestral homeland of the Chochenyo-Ohlone speaking people, who are represented by a number of East Bay Ohlone tribes, and who reman connected to this landscape. Additionally, Doolan Canyon is home to important biological resources, which are culturally important to tribes.
Since the early 2000s, the Park District and the city of Livermore have worked together to protect and preserve Doolan Canyon. In 2010, the Park District and the city partnered to purchase 640 acres for the creation of Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve. An additional 160 acres was added to the Preserve in 2018. This new acquisition of 4.5 acres advances those shared goals and provides the Park District with an opportunity to develop a public staging area as it continues to evaluate potential uses.
About EBRPD
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information visit www.ebparks.org.
Leave a Reply