Bay Area

County Eyes Open Space Opportunity in Ross Valley

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2022

Oakland Post

The summit of Bald Hill (photo credit: Jonathan Braun)

Board to discuss purchase of Bald Hill

Courtesy of Marin County

Bald Hill in Marin County’s Ross Valley is not part of Bald Hill Open Space Preserve. Since the preserve was formed in 1994, adjacent lands gradually have been added as public open space, but the hill’s summit has remained privately owned.

The protection and preservation of Bald Hill has been identified as a high priority by local governments, grassroots environmental groups, and residents since 1976. Now, the naming quirk could be fixed. After decades of attempts to make a public purchase, there is a proposed agreement between the County of Marin and the nonprofit Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) to make Bald Hill a proper part of the preserve.

On Oct. 11, Marin County Parks will ask the Marin County Open Space District Board of Directors to authorize a purchase and sale agreement with MOST and other requirements. Parks would use $850,000 from the County Open Space District acquisition set-aside budget for the purchase, a move that would not affect the County’s General Fund.

The land, in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, would increase the preserve’s acreage from 46 to 106 (130%) if the deal is approved.

“I think most Ross Valley residents assumed it was already protected public land,” said Board of Supervisors President Katie Rice, who represents nearby residents in District 2. “In fact, this ingrained part of Ross Valley’s identity has been vulnerable to development this whole time. If this is approved, the acquisition would fulfill a decades-old goal of the community and the County to protect this invaluable landscape and prevent development on its pristine hillsides. And we would be getting the property at a significantly discounted price thanks to the generous support of the donors.”

The privately held Bald Hill parcels, just south of the existing preserve boundary, include the 1,141-foot treeless summit, which provides an iconic backdrop for the towns of Ross, San Anselmo, and Fairfax. The parcels are within the Town of Ross and adjacent to the San Anselmo town limits and Marin Water lands to the west. The Worn Springs and Upper Road West fire roads run through the parcels. If the sale is executed, the two parcels — approximately 60 acres in all — would be added to the existing preserve that features hiking and equestrian recreational opportunities.

Jonathan Braun, MOST’s board member leading the effort to acquire the parcels, said MOST has received strong support from Ross Town Councilmember Elizabeth Robbins, Ross resident Dan Kalafatas, the Tamalpais Conservation Club, and a host of conservation-minded individuals.

“Bald Hill is a beloved place,” Braun said. “This is made possible by a lot of generosity and hard work by community members and MOST, and we’re grateful to reach this point and bring it forward for Open Space District consideration. MOST is thrilled to have the opportunity to protect it.”

The last time Bald Hill Preserve was enlarged was in 2015 when the County bought the 16.2-acre Sky Ranch. That purchase also featured MOST as a liaison between the County and private owners. It connected the preserve to more than 100,000 acres of additional public lands and hundreds of miles of public trails stretching west to Point Reyes and south to the Marin Headlands.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

5 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.