Support for Tesla Preservation Grows

Posted on by

mortars3The circle of support to preserve Tesla keeps growing. Recently several Native American groups joined the work to Save Tesla Park, stating that the interpretive zone around historic and cultural resources must be protected, as well as the footprint of the archeological artifact itself.   At Carnegie SVRA,  historic resources are damaged by the close proximity of OHV use around their perimeter.  Such damage within the view and sound shed of the extensive historic and cultural resources at Tesla cannot be allowed.  That is why Tesla should be established as a cultural and natural preserve.

Join the growing alliance of Friends of Tesla Park and help save this wonder of the East Bay from destruction by OHV use.

 

Watch for email updates – DEIR now expected in Spring 2014

Posted on by

The Draft Envirnmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Carnegie SVRA General Plan update and Tesla expansion is now expected to be issued some time in “Spring 2014.”  We will inform you when the DEIR is actually issued as there will be a short 45 day comment period.

If you have not already, sign up to be on our email list and also sign up at the www.carnegiegneralplan.com web site to receive email updates.

 

 

A Livermore resident’s call to SAVE Tesla Park

Posted on by

By Marilyn Russell, Livermore Resident

Marilyn is one of many who have written about the importance of permanently protecting the Tesla Park land from the destruction of OHV recreation.  This letter was published in The Independent on November 29, 2013.  Check out other informative Letters to the Editor at The Independent. Add your voice. Join Marilyn and others to SAVE Tesla Park.

Marilyn on horseI have lived in Livermore for 46 years and watched a beautiful transformation of our town and valley into a rich cultural and agricultural community with great respect for the environment and the improvement of the quality of life for the residents. We have become a destination area for wineries and many visitors to taste our excellent products.  The southern region has been preserved in perpetuity as an agricultural preserve through the Tri-Valley Conservancy.  Our
valley is surrounded by a necklace of beautiful parks, from Brushy Peak to the Northeast to Del Valle in the South, with Holdener and Sycamore in between.  We can enjoy open vistas, clear skies, and many quiet, restorative connections with the natural world.  Our area was home to many peaceful Native American groups of the Ohlone and Miwok tribes, and there are village sites, incised boulders,  and bedrock mortars throughout our region.  The DeAnza Expedition passed through our Valley in April of 1776, followed by many other historical pioneers.  Many of whom have left their names in our streets, schools and cities.

Now there is a serious turn of events on the Eastern side of our valley. 3400 acres of biologically diverse and unique landscape is about to become an Off Road Vehicle Park. In the preferred concept plan presented on November 12, there will be a parking lot and practice area just 7 miles from the city limits of Livermore, closer than any other park with the exception of Sycamore Grove.  The noise, extra traffic on already over-used Tesla Road, and other access routes around the valley, as well as visibility of denuded hillsides from off road use will be a reality.

If this acreage, called Tesla Park by the Friends who hope to preserve it as a natural area, is added to Carnegie Park (the State Vehicle Recreation area)  there will be easy access to 5000 acres of land to attract off road enthusiasts from throughout the state.  Is this the image that Livermore wants to promote????  What will this do to property values and the vision of the Tri Valley Conservancy for thousands of acres already protected in quiet agricultural uses?  In addition, there are several archeological sites on this property that are perhaps 8000 years old.  How can they be protected?  Livermore has a Native American history that treasures the land as sacred, to be protected for many generations into the future.  Brushy Peak and Mt Diablo are considered to be creation peaks and part of an enormous viewscape that should be preserved intact, not destroyed by wheeled vehicles, noise, dust, oil and gasoline leaks, not to mention the destruction of all but the hardiest of plant species.  Do we want to be known as a visionary community or an off road vehicle mecca?

I was raised on a ranch that I still own in Northern California.  My Dad was a conservationist before the word was invented!  He would never drive on roads after a rain and he never allowed any vehicle off the established ranch roads.  Those tracks destroy native vegetation and habitat and may never recover.  This is proven by the wagon tracks across many of the pioneer trails as the immigrants came West  in wagon trains in the 1840s and 50s seeking new homes and gold.  I was raised to cherish and protect landscapes and to preserve them for future generations.  I am very proud
to be a part of the Livermore community with its far-reaching vision for improvement and protection.  I hope you will join with me and Friends of Tesla Park to stop the destruction of this unique biological, historical, cultural and spiritual area.  I can envision a quiet reserve with access for hikers, bikers, equestrians, bird watchers, archeologists, seekers of peace and open vistas, botanists and others.  All types of interests can be served in a park like setting.  None of these ctivities can occur within an Off Road Vehicle area.

What is your vision for Livermore?  Please act now to encourage your local legislators, LARPD, City Council as well as the State Parks Department (Off Road Vehicle Division) to STOP the expansion of Carnegie  off road vehicle use into this beautiful area and complete the necklace of open space and trails around our valley in perpetuity.

Say NO to OHV Use in Tesla – December 13, 2013 comment deadline

Posted on by

Take 5 minutes to oppose the new Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (Carnegie SVRA) and State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) “Preferred Concept Plan.”

SUBMIT COMMENTS BY DECEMBER 13, 2013 DEADLINE

The State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) has issued their Preferred Concept Plan (**see below for more detail) for the existing Carnegie SVRA and Tesla Park acquisition area. The plan calls for Carnegie SVRA to expand OHV use into most of the Tesla Park land.

The OHMVR Preferred Concept Plan materials can be viewed at http://carnegie.engage-sites.com/preferred_concept.

The deadline to submit comments on the OHMVR Preferred Concept plan is December 13, 2013.  

Please submit comments opposing the OHMVR plan and ask that Tesla Park (also called the Acquisition area and Alameda-Tesla property by OHMVR) be designated as a non-motorized park and preserve.

TELL STATE PARKS – NO OHV USE IN TESLA

WHAT TO SAY:

  1. All of Tesla Park is unsuitable for OHV recreation use because of its unique and rare natural, cultural and historic resources.
  2. There can be no OHV recreation use in any part of Tesla Park (Acquisition area or Alameda-Tesla property).
  3. A non-OHV use alternative that provides for Tesla Park to be designated as a non-motorized park and sensitive area preserve must be considered in the EIR.
  4. A detailed analysis of all direct and cumulative environmental impacts of full build-out of the Carnegie SVRA expansion plan and required mitigation must be part of the current DEIR and cannot be deferred or fragmented.

WHERE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS:

You can send by e-mail or US mail to:

SAMPLE COMMENTS:

Dear Mr. Canfield:

I am aware of the irreparable damage caused by OHV use in Carnegie SVRA. OHV use will damage the irreplaceable natural and cultural resources at Tesla Park and should not be allowed.  I oppose the recently issued Preferred Concept Plan.  

Tesla Park (acquisition area or Alameda-Tesla property) should be established as a non-motorized recreation park and preserve. Tesla Park is unsuitable for motorized recreation use because of its unique and rare natural, cultural and historic resources.

The Draft EIR for the Carnegie SVRA and Tesla Park expansion should include evaluation of a non-motorized recreation park and preserve alternative. The Draft EIR must also include detailed analyses of all direct and cumulative environmental impacts for build-out of the nearly 5,000 acre OHV park and required mitigation. This detailed environmental review is required up-front and cannot be deferred or fragmented.

SUBMIT COMMENTS BY DECEMBER 13, 2013 DEADLINE

Thank you for your continuing help to SAVE Tesla Park.

_______________________________________

**MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OHMVR PREFERRED CONCEPT PLAN FOR TESLA:

The OHMVR Preferred Concept plan will establish of a 5,000 acre OHV park directly in an area of significant biodiversity and extensive natural, cultural and historic resources.  Most of the OHV park will be in Eastern Alameda County. The OHMVR Plan for a 5,000 acre OHV park provides for:

The existing Carnegie SVRA to remain as it is currently managed

  • Tesla Park acquisition area to be opened up to OHV recreation use by all types of OHV vehicles, with expanded OHV facilities throughout the Tesla Park land
  • Multiple new entrances into the Tesla Park land for OHV use
  • OHV recreation use allowed around and through the historic Tesla mine/town site and other historic and cultural resources, with the protection zone being limited to the footprint of any particular resource.
  • Addition of some interpretive/education services

The OHMVR Preferred Concept Plan materials can be viewed at http://carnegie.engage-sites.com/preferred_concept.

The OHMVR plan does not recognize or protect the extensive natural resources present throughout the entire Tesla Park land.  OHV trails and facilities can be established throughout the entire Tesla Park area. OHMVR has identified very limited sensitive areas, but OHV trails can still occur even in these limited sensitive areas.

The OHMVR plan provides for OHV recreation use throughout the western watershed portion of Tesla Park that is in the Alameda Creek watershed and Tri-Valley/Livermore view shed.  Tesla Road is the only access from the Bay Area to the planned 5,000 acre Carnegie SVRA.  All Bay Area users will travel through Livermore and along Tesla Road to get to Carnegie SVRA.

The OHMVR plan provides for not only OHV recreation use throughout ridge tops of this biologically significant and scenic area, but the ridge tops are also designated as a gathering and services center that could include camp grounds, parking, staging areas, concessions, ranger station, entrance kiosk, etc.

The OHMVR plan does not protect the “interpretive zone” around historic and cultural resources. There will be OHV recreation use around and through historic and cultural areas, and within the view and sound shed of historic and cultural resources.

OHMVR does not intend to analyze non-OHV use alternatives in the Draft EIR, such as a non-motorized recreation park and preserve.

The OHMVR plan is based on “programmatic approval” that will not evaluate the direct or cumulative environmental impacts of opening up Tesla Park to OHV recreation use and the build–out of a 5,000 OHV park. Rather, OHVMR plans to defer and fragment the environmental review, if done at all, to unknown later dates when trails or facilities are built, attempting to prevent a comprehensive upfront analysis of all direct and cumulative impacts and required mitigation.

OHMVR has also provided an online “Comment Card.”  However, the comment card is designed to force OHVMR’s desired range of responses based the assumption that the Tesla Park land has to be used for OHV recreation use. We do not accept this assumption.  We recommend you submit comments by email.

We are working with our state legislators to find other ways to SAVE Tesla Park. Your comments and those of all others you can reach demanding to SAVE Tesla Park are important.  They demonstrate to elected officials the widespread opposition to the Carnegie SVRA expansion plan to establish a 5,000 acre OHV park in this biologically and culturally rich part of Eastern Alameda County.

The next comment stage will be when the DRAFT EIR is issued sometime in Spring 2014.  We will provide more information as it is received.

Please submit your comments by December 13, 2013 deadline opposing the OHMVR Preferred Concept Plan and calling for all of Tesla Park to be preserved as a non-motorized use park and preserve.

Thank you for helping to SAVE Tesla Park.