Posted on Wed, Jan. 11, 2006

Board rejects Sibley campground

By Denis Cuff

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

A divided regional parks board on Tuesday rejected plans for a campground for Scouts and other youth groups in the Sibley Regional Preserve near Orinda.

The 4-3 vote followed a spirited public hearing during which environmentalists sharply criticized the campground for up to 150 people as a threat to wildlife. Supporters said the campground would be a convenient site accessible to users on both sides of the Oakland-Berkeley hills.

John Sutter, an East Bay Regional Park Board member from Oakland, said the nearly 20 critics of the campground who spoke at the hearing made a difference in the vote.

"I think that we can be impressed by the large number of people who are ardent conservationists," Sutter said.

Members of the Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society and other groups said the campground would disrupt the movements of foxes, mountain lions and other animals traveling across the Caldecott Tunnel.

"There are a lot of campground options, but not here," said Arthur Feinstein, a wildlife advocate. "This is an important and sensitive area."

Feinstein told the board that it risked being sued if it approved the campground without a full-blown environmental impact report, as park managers had suggested.

"This campground doesn't make good sense for a wildlife corridor," said Martha Breed of Lafayette. "To have an overnight campground is not a wise use of this area."

Park district wildlife experts told the board that the campground would not hurt animals traveling in a wooded creek area more than a half-mile away from the campground.

"There is enough space in the corridor for the animals to get from Point A to Point B," said Joe Didonato, park district stewardship manager.

Some park board members said they were sympathetic to the concerns about wildlife. They also said that Sibley was a poor site for a campground because it is flat, treeless and has sharp ledges where young people might fall.

"I favor campgrounds, but I don't think this is the right place," said Ayn Wieskamp, a board member from Livermore.

Several recreation advocates spoke in favor of the campsite. Hobie Woods, operator of the Roughing It Day Camp, said Sibley would make a good place for young people to camp and learn about nature.

George Phillips, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alameda, said the campground would be centrally located to serve young people in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

After scrapping the campground, the board approved a Sibley land-use plan that calls for additional parking spaces and access for mountain bicyclists to a dirt portion of the Skyline National Trail.

Voting against the campground were Weiskamp, Sutter, Ted Radke and Jean Siri. Voting in favor were Bev Lane, Doug Siden and Carol Severin.