For Bay Trail Rider, write the SFBTP c/o ABAG, P.O. Box 2050, Oakland 94604–2050; phone: (510) 464-7935; web site: baytrail.abag.ca.gov.

For Ridgelines, write BARTC, 26 O'Farrell, San Francisco 94108; phone: (415) 391–9300.

Bay Trail Update

PIECE BY PIECE, the 400-mile San Francisco Bay Trail is growing. So far, 210 miles have been completed. The Coastal Conservancy, with $5.8 million in new funds for coastal access appropriated by the Legislature in 1998, is helping this visionary effort.

At Union Point on the Oakland Estuary, the nonprofit Spanish Speaking Unity Council is developing a master plan for a nine-acre park, with Coastal Conservancy funds. This park will be a destination point for Bay Trail hikers and bicyclists. The draft master plan has been completed, with much community participation, and the final plan is to be produced by mid-February.

Further north along the Estuary, the nonprofit Jack London Aquatic Center is working with the City and Port of Oakland to develop a public boathouse and dock for hand-launched boats. Between Jack London Square and Fruitvale Avenue the 3.4-mile bicycle lane will be added to the Bay Trail.

Construction on Sunnyvale Baylands will begin next summer, opening 2.8 miles of levee trails. In San Rafael, Shoreline Park will extend the Bay Trail along a levee with beautiful views. In San Francisco, about six miles of the Bay Trail will connect China Basin to Hunters Point.

In October 1998, the Conservancy provided $30,000 to the San Francisco Bay Trail Project, a project of the Association of Bay Area governments, to complete fieldwork for a study on the impacts of public access on wildlife. This study will compare behavior, abundance, and diversity of bird species at study sites around the Bay.

In December, the Conservancy approved $500,000 for Bay access projects. Projects will compete for funds from this total allocation. Grants will range between $25,000 and $100,000. Varied Bay Trail projects are eligible. For information, call Joan Cardellino at (510) 286-4093. Deadline for applications is March 15. --Joan Cardellino

Ridge Trail Update

IT WAS A GRAND IDEA: to build a trail that links ridgetops aroundSan Francisco Bay, connecting parks and open spaces in all nine bayside counties. William Penn Mott, Jr. first proposed it when he was generalmanager of the East Bay Regional Parks District in the 1960s. After he went to Washington to direct the National Park Service, others carried the vision forward, and now, almost three decades later, over half of the 400-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail is in place.

In 1987, trail advocates formed the nonprofit Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, dedicated to the trail's completion. Through the efforts of the Council's 4,500 members, many dedicated volunteers, and local land trusts and public agencies, 210 miles of trail have been completed, mostly on public lands. Now, however, the Council faces a more formidable challenge: the gaps between completed segments total 190 miles, and these are mostly on private lands, particularly in South and North Bay counties. The Council is working to acquire public access easements from landholders and to provide for the long-term maintenance and management of trails along these easements. In addition, although the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to permit access across its Crystal Springs watershed in San Mateo County, issues of water protection, endangered wildlife, and a proposed golf course are awaiting approval of a watershed management plan by the San Francisco Water Department. The Council is now working to help resolve these issues.

The Ridge Trail Council publishes a newsletter, as well as maps of those trail segments that can be enjoyed now by hikers, bicyclists, wheelchair users, and horseback riders. To ensure that the Ridge Trail will be appreciated and cared for in the years to come, the Council operates a program for children in grades K–8. The six-session Ridge, Kids, and Stewards program introduces children to environmental issues, habitat restoration, and California's natural history by offering them a chance to work on the trail. This year, nearly 300 children took part. In 1999, the Council plans to reach more than 720 children from all nine counties.

The natural beauty of the Bay Area is one of its most valuable assets. The Ridge Trail offers opportunities to enjoy that beauty from elevated perspectives -- a peak experience, away from stress yet close to home.
--Clifford Janoff