My 25 Years of Work on Park District Issues

By Norman C. La Force

I have a record of accomplishment advocating for parks, saving habitat and recreational opportunities with the experience and expertise to lead the Park Disrict.

Led Sierra Club's campaign to create the East Shore State Park, 1983-Present

Created the Plan for the Berkeley Waterfront that became the "Sierra Club" Plan that Berkeley voters approved in 1986, saving the shoreline for a park

Led Sierra Club campaign to pass Measure C in Albany in 1990 that required the voters to approve any changes to the Albany waterfront

Have campaigned for the past 25 years to save the East Bay Shoreline, from Oakland to Pinole, current efforts include trying to save Point Molate and the North Richmond shoreline.

Led effort to create and develop the Gilman Ballfields sports complex (I was the person who put forward the concept for how this could be done.)

Lead legal advisor to Albany residents in preparing the Albany Shoreline Protection Initiative in 2006.

Work on Park Bond Acts and Funding Measures

Current Sierra Club leader on the campaign to renew the Park District's Measure AA bond measure; helped craft the measure; and will work to get it passed

Campaigned for the 1988 California Parks and Wildlife Bond Act (citizen led initiative; I personally gathered 1,000 signatures and led Sierra Club effort to collect total of 100,000 signatures) Helped get the Bond Act passed;

Led Sierra Club campaign to pass Park District's Measure AA in 1988;

Sierra Club leader and Vice-Chair of Park District campaign to pass Measure K in 2002;

Sierra Club leader and Vice-Chair of Park District Measure CC campaign to fund maintenance in the Park District Ward 1 parks, (I crafted this measure with environmental leaders and the Park District)

Work on Park District's Major Management Issues

Led the effort to create a resource management and habitat enhancement approach, which the Park District adopted, for the Park District's Fire Management Program which is now undergoing environment review;

Led effort to have Park District develop a grasslands management and monitoring program to address issues of cattle grazing in the Park District so District could better evaluate and manage its grazing program;

Volunteer Environmental Leadership Positions

Co-Founder and Vice-President of Citizens for East Shore State Parks, 1985-Preseent

Co-Founder of Coalition to Restore Urban Waterways, 1991 (lobbied at both State and federal level for bills to protect and restore rivers, streams, watersheds and urban creeks)

Sierra Club Representative to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Negotiated Rulemaking Process for Off-leash dog rules, 2004-2007;

Sierra Club Representative to the San Francisco Joint Venture (Consortium of environmental groups, public park and environmental agencies, and business to work on restoration and protection of the San Francisco Bay)

Sierra Club Representative (one of two) on effort to stop development of Gateway Valley in Lamorinda, now director of the Gateway Valley Settlement Fund Association to manage handling of funds from that settlement;

Co-founder of SPRAWLDEF (Sustainability, Parks, Re-cycling and Wildlife Legal Defense Fund), organization created out of legal victory to work on the issues concerning the siting of landfills and issues related waste disposal)

Co-Founder of the Campaign to Save California Wetlands, 1991-1995;

Sierra Club leader in stopping the proposal for housing at the toxic Zeneca property (James Levine of Levine/Fricke threatened to sue me for slander for my statements about the toxic nature of the site, which DTSC later showed to be accurate)

Sierra Club Leader on campaign to Stop the Spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth until the action under goes a full environmental and public health assessment and review;

Sierra Club Leadership Positions

Current Chair, San Francisco Bay Chapter Member, Chapter Executive Committee, 1985-1991, 1993-1997, 2004-Present

Chair of Chapter's East Bay Shoreline Park Task Force and East Bay Public Lands Committee, 1983-Present (focus of work on Park District issues0;

Chair, Chapter Legal Advisory Committee 1985-present

Pro Bono Legal Work

Pro Bono attorney for Sierra Club, Golden Gate Audubon Society, SPAWLDEF, and California Wildlife Federation (represented organizations before agencies and in litigation on wetlands, 404, CEQA and NEPA matters)

Public Office

El Cerrito City Council, 1991-1999, Mayor of El Cerrito, 1994-1995;

Led effort to restore El Cerrito creeks; Promoted Smart Growth and Urban mixed use development; Updated City's general plan and zoning laws; Promoted bond to rebuild the El Cerrito Pool; now rated one of the best pools in the area; Had to balance two consecutive budgets when the State took 20% of our local tax revenues to balance the state budget