All Links and Resources
The Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve
Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve is nestled in the Berkeley and Oakland hills behind the historic Claremont Hotel. The Preserve, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, is used by park goers primarily for its hiking trails. Stonewall fire trail begins off of Stonewall Road, a block north of the Claremont Hotel. This steady .75 mile climb to the top is steep, but hikers are rewarded with a panoramic view of Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge. (See Wikipedia for more details.)
East Bay Regional Park District's Wildfire Hazard Reduction Plan and EIR
To reduce fire hazard on publicly-owned lands in the East Bay's wildland-urban interface to an acceptable level of risk To maintain and enhance ecological values for plant and wildlife habitat To preserve aesthetic landscape values for park users and neighboring communities To provide a vegetation management plan which is cost-effective to the District on an ongoing basis.
UC Berkeley's Reports on Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Programs in Claremont Canyon
To reduce fire hazards in the hills, the University of California Berkeley campus is pursuing a long-term program to encourage native species on its 225 acres at the top of Claremont Canyon, below Grizzly Peak Blvd. on either side of Claremont Avenue.
Oakland's Wildfire Prevention Special Assessment District
In 1993, Oakland voters approved an Oakland Hills Fire Prevention and Suppression Benefit Assessment District. The district includes all of the hill areas in the city of Oakland. Each of the 20,000 real estate parcels included in the district will be assessed initially at $75 per year, with a potential increase to a maximum of US$300 per year. "This revenue will be used primarily for reducing the amounts of hazardous fuels on public and private lands; among other means, they will continue to employ herds goats to graze public lands within the district. The program will fund inspections of private lands to ascertain violations of the Uniform Fire Code and will generally strengthen the capability of Oakland to combat urban/wildland fires.
City of Berkeley's Wildfire Protection Program
Each year, thousands of acres of wild land and hundreds of homes are destroyed by wildfires. To help protect our families and property, there are certain precautionary steps we should all follow.
North Hills Phoenix Association
The North Hills Phoenix Association is a nonprofit organization formed by the homeowners in the area (north of Highway 24 and east of Highway 13. This area includes about 1500 homes), some of which are also represented by smaller neighborhood groups. The association was created after the 1991 Oakland Hills fire in order to help residents rebuild and to ensure that fire safety would serve as a guiding principle in rebuilding.
North Hills Phoenix speaks for our concerns about issues like fire safety at City Hall and elsewhere. It disseminates information about decisions or services which impact the community. We have learned a lot over the six years since the Fire. North Hills functions as an advocacy group in Oakland, Sacramento and even in Washington. We are currently working to get the repaving of area streets completed as promised with underground utilities and to find a way to maintain vegetation management services in the hills.
Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association
The primary goal of the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association (CENA) is to make our neighborhood a safe and desirable place to live, and to keep our residents informed about important issues in the City and the neighborhood. We monitor traffic and transportation, crime and public safety, emergency preparedness, open space, the local business environment, city planning and the University of California's impact on our community, and we interface with other neighborhood associations. CENA is a forum where neighbors can discuss issues of concern with their neighbors.
Panoramic Hill has been called "Berkeley's Most Romantic Neighborhood" by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, and few would disagree. The hill contains many one-of-a-kind houses which were designed to complement their hilly, irregular lots. Despite the sometimes oppressive presence of Memorial Stadium at its base, the hill maintains a remote, unspoiled quality which enhances the presence of its numerous historic dwellings - many by well-known California architects. Although only one principal road, Panoramic Way, serves the hill, several old paths and public steps provide access for the hardy to its higher elevations (about 1000 ft above sea level). Surrounded on three sides by hiking trails, canyons, ridges and open land, the Hill offers a rare combination of natural beauty, context sensitive development, spectacular vistas and convenience to the University and downtown Berkeley.
Vicente Canyon Neighborhood Association
Vicente Canyon is a small, residential canyon just south of Claremont Canyon. It has an active neighborhhood Assocition.
The Friends of Temescal Creek (FoTC) is a community organization of Temescal Creek Watershed citizens, businesses and supporting organizations. Our ideal is to see Temescal Creek restored as a natural watercourse through the urban landscape, providing a recreational and wildlife corridor from the hills to the bay. Our long range plan is to work toward a guided urban trail along the Temescal Creek corridor, with pieces of the natural riparian landscape being added to the whole as the community support develops, and as financial opportunities arise. Our short range plan to produce and publicize the Guidelines for greenway development within the City of Emeryville, and begin to extend that to Oakland.
Friends of Sausal Creek. Sausal Creek begins in the hills of Oakland, CA and runs through Oakland to San Francisco Bay. The Friends are a group of residents, teachers, students, merchants, and elected officials working together with the City of Oakland and County of Alameda to improve the Sausal Creek watershed. The Friends' mission is "to promote awareness and appreciation of the Sausal Creek watershed, and to inspire action to preserve and protect the creek and its watershed as both a natural resource and a community resource."
Wildlife in the North Hills by Kay Loughman
Kay Loughman is a Founding Sponsor of the Claremont Canyon Conservancy and long time birder. A member of several birding and conservation organizations, she maintains a list of birds and other wildlife observed in the North Hills of Oakland, including part of Claremont Canyon, and publishes this list monthly on the North Hills Phoenix Association's Open Forum. The website contains photo galleries with pictures of wildlife, plants, and fungi found in the canyon, lists of plants, records of bird sightings, recommendations for field guides, and a booklet showing the most common wildlife species found in the canyon.
The Hills Emergency Forum exists to coordinate the collection, assessment and sharing of information on the East Bay Hills fire hazards and, further, to provide a forum for building interagency consensus on the development of fire safety standards and codes, incident response and management protocols, public education programs, multi-jurisdictional training, and fuel reduction strategies. Member agencies include:
City of Berkeley, City of El Cerrito, City of Oakland. East Bay Municipal Utility District,
East Bay Regional Park District, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California Berkeley.
Diablo Fire Safe Council was founded in 1998 as a non-profit coalition of public and private agencies whose mission is to Pre serve and Enhance the natural and manmade resources of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties by mobilizing all East Bay reidents to make their homes, neighborhoods and communities firesafe.
"Utilizing the combined expertise, resources and distribution channels of its members, the Fire Safe Council fulfills its mission to preserve California's natural and manmade resources by mobilizing all Californians to make their homes, neighborhoods and communities fire safe. Since its formation in April 1993, the Council has united its diverse membership to speak with one voice about fire safety. The Council has distributed fire prevention education materials to industry leaders and their constituents, evaluated legislation pertaining to fire safety and empowered grassroots organizations to spearhead fire safety programs."
State of California Fire and Resource Assessment Program
"The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) assesses the amount and extent of California's forests and rangelands, analyzes their conditions and identifies alternative management and policy guidelines. FRAP projects address important issues within the State, such as project development patterns and associated impacts, monitoring vegetation change by magnitude of change and cause..."
Fire Effects Information System
"FEIS provides up-to-date information about fire effects on plants and animals. It was developed at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station's Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana."
The national Firewise Communities program is a multi-agency effort designed to reach beyond the fire service by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, and others in the effort to protect people, property, and natural resources from the risk of wildland fire - before a fire starts.
Discover the beauty and history of the Bay Area with Greenbelt Alliance's unique "Wonders and Wanders" online hiking guide. This innovative guide not only showcases some of the Bay Area's most beautiful spots, but also tells the cultural and land use histories of each place. This link describes a hike up Strawberry and down Claremont Canyon.
"BAY NATURE is the first magazine to explore the natural world of the San Francisco Bay Area. See the world around you with new eyes through BAY NATURE."
California Urban Forests Council
"The California Urban Forests Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping all of California grow and manage its urban forests. Through education, policy and management advice, practical assistance, and networking, we help government and civic leaders, volunteers and residents of California's cities and towns plan for and maintain the precious gift of trees."
The California Chaparral Field Institute
The California Chaparral Field Institute is an association of scientists, naturalists, and educators who value the chaparral as both a valuable resource and a place to enjoy the wilderness.
