Non-Motorized Nature Parks in highest demand
Where is Tesla Park?
The Tesla parkland is located in the south east corner of Alameda County in the hills between Livermore and Tracy.� It is adjacent to and west of the existing� Carnegie SVRA.� Corral Hollow Road � and Tesla Road runs along the northern border of the parkland.
This rich array of historical, help
cultural, biological and scenic resources in Tesla Park can serve a range of preservation, recreation and education purposes.� Consistent with natural resource protection, low-impact non-OHV recreation, such as interpretive history and nature trails, hiking trails, wildlife viewing, bird watching and horseback riding could be established along with dedicated preservation areas. Tesla Park can also provide outdoor environmental and historical education for area k-12 schools and serve as a field research location for colleges and universities. Protection of Tesla Park matches the charter of East Bay Regional Parks District and supports the objective to establish park and hiking access around the Tri-Valley metropolitan area.� EBRPD has recognized the importance of Tesla Park by adding it as an area of interest to its Master plan map. Tesla Park is consistent with preservation objectives for several other organizations. Tesla Park as a non-OHV park can serve the State Parks Department priority for low impact recreation as documented in the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Report, including the objective to provide additional nature parks to serve the Central Valley. Tesla Park matches the State Natural Resource Agency purpose to conserve treasured lands and valuable natural resources, including Blue Oak woodlands. Tesla Park directly meets these state parks and natural resource objectives.Because of unique range of historical, cultural, scenic, habitat and biological resources contained in Tesla Park, and the destructive impacts of Off -Highway� Vehicle (OHV) use, including at the adjacent Carnegie (State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), Friends of Tesla Parkis working� to develop Tesla� Park separate from Carnegie SVRA with no off-highway motor vehicle use. Some of the features that Tesla Park could potentially include that can be designed to protect and preserve the landscape are:
- Preservation and interpretive development of the historic Tesla town site and� the surrounding village sites and� mines
- Hiking trail system and interpretive development throughout park to historical sites, Native American cultural sites, wildlife/plant viewing, and scenic routes
- Link to other Tri-Valley Parks and hiking trails
- Dedicated preserves for rare and endangered wildlife and plants
- Picnic sites and scenic points
- Hiking , equestrian and� bike trail between Livermore Valley and San Joaquin Valley along the roadway
While there are budget and inter/intra-agency challenges to protect Tesla Park from OHV use, there are also viable options to explore: transfer to an appropriate State Parks unit with consistent management objectives that will protect Tesla�s varied and abundant resources; joint management with East Bay Regional Parks as has been implemented at portions of Mount Diablo State Park; transfer to Easy Bay Regional Parks District; cooperative planning with Alameda and San Joaquin counties to establish a recreation and preservation corridor; public-private partnerships to provide reimbursement and development funds; and more.
Any of these opportunities requires a broad resource management view of the Tesla Park land and the region. In spite of regulatory requirements to protect resournces, the OHMVR Divisionâ��s purpose and objectives are incompatible with such a view.� We are not working against Carnegie SVRA, but we are working for protection of Tesla Park.� That is why it is time to pursue more viable and appropriate, and likely more cost-effective, alternatives for the Tesla Park land.
Development of the park under any alternative� operational and management scenario will take time given limited budget resources.� But the Tesla Park land is already public land owned by the State and under the control of the the State Parks department.� The first step to making Tesla Park become a reality� is� to redesignate its intended use from a Off-Highway Motor Vehicle site to a low impact non-OHV park and preserve.
This is a great opportunity for our communities and region.� We must first protect and preserve the Tesla Park land; then we can begin the process to establish the appropriate use and management plan that ensures this unique and special� landscape is protected for for all toddsy and for furture generations.
Return to main Tesla Park page.
In the future, malady Tesla Park land could also be part of a geographic preservation and recreation bridge between the Tri-Valley region of Alameda County and the Central Valley. The entire length of Corral Hollow/Tesla Road through Corral Hollow Canyon on one side or of the road or the other is now owned by the state, information pills
federal or regional agencies. In addition to Carnegie SVRA and the new Tesla Park land, a small State Department of Fish and Game wildlife preserve,� LLNL Site 300 and� a Contra COsta Water District preserve� all front the Corral Hollow/Tesla roadway.� � Several private conservation easements have been placed on land in the Canyon area, solidifying the preservation focus of the canyon.
Hiking, biking, equestrian trails between the East Bay and the Central Valley couldÃ? be developed along the roadway providing an unparalleled recreation experience that would not impact sensitive resources. Application could be made to make Tesla Park and the Corral Hollow Canyon a State or National Historic Rural District and Roadway. With its varied natural resources within a concentrated area, the region could be the ââ?¬Å?Carrizo Plain of the North.ââ?¬Â
With over 15,000 acres of land already under public ownership, the Tesla/Corral Hollow Roadway should be a priority target for preservation resources. We have� a unique opportunity in the canyon to preserve valuable historical, cultural, natural and biological resources that are not present elsewhere in the State in such a concentrated locale, and provide appropriate resource sensitive recreation opportunties for the larger public.� Saving Tesla Park is the first step.� Join us to help� SAVE Tesla Park.
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California residents identify low impact and nature park recreation as their top park priorities based on planning studies by the State Parks Department. In addition to play areas for tots and young children and turf fields for team sports, weight loss
the 2008 and 2009 California Outdoor Recreation Plans and found that wilderness, outdoor nature parks and historic parks and non-motorized (non-OHV) trails were the most important park and recreation facilities for residents. Off highway vehicle parks and duck hunting were among the least important.
Click here for more on the California Outdoor Recreation Plan.
