News

Resident Survey Shows Strong Support for Parks

Published

7 years ago

May 10, 2019

Key recommendations about tax measure, entry fees

Marin County residents have noticed recent improvements in Marin County Parks properties and facilities and want to see the work continue, according to results from an online survey.

More than 4,800 people took Marin County Parks’ five-minute survey between February 11 and March 25, answering questions about the programs and facilities they enjoy, priorities for where the department is spending its resources, and barriers to enjoying parks.

Marin County Parks engaged over 160 community groups and organizations, conducted in-person outreach at preserve trailheads, and posted notices in parks and preserves to help spread the word about the survey. Max Korten, Parks’ Director and General Manager, reported the results to the Marin County Board of Supervisors during its May 7 meeting.

“It was time to check in with residents across the county, and we are taking immediate steps to put the feedback we received to good use in budget planning and next steps for the department,” Korten said. “The survey results will guide how we apply Measure A funds and other resources.”

Over 75 percent of Marin residents who took the survey said Parks is doing a great or good job. Survey respondents showed the strongest support for sustained or increased funding in three key areas: vegetation management and wildfire fuel reduction, facility maintenance and upgrades, and trail maintenance and upgrades.

Ninety percent of respondents rated vegetation management and wildland fire fuels reduction as a top priority, and Measure A funds are allowing Parks to enhance vegetation management work. In partnership with Marin County Fire, a 14-person crew is being added to focus on vegetation work over the next two years. Measure A is also supporting a countywide vegetation map being created through One Tam, a collaborative of five regional land management agencies that includes Parks. Using advanced technologies, the map will help target the best places to focus risk reduction efforts.

After hearing Korten’s report, the Board recommended that Parks staff take steps to extend the Marin County Parks, Open Space, and Farmland Measure A sales tax by having it placed on the November 2020 ballot. Marin residents approved the Measure A ballot initiative in 2012. The quarter-cent sales tax has generated an average of $13.4 million per year to support Marin County’s 16,000 acres of parks and open space, as well as local parks and farmland. Expenditures are tracked in the department’s annual report available at marincountyparks.org.

By law, Measure A funds are dedicated to park maintenance, open space roads and trails, vegetation management, habitat restoration, community programming, farmland preservation, and outdoor recreation through the County and Marin’s cities, towns, and community organizations. A community oversight committee monitors how Measure A funds are spent.

The Board also said Parks should explore a reduction in park entry fees to encourage more residents to visit County-owned facilities. Kevin Wright, External Affairs Manager for Marin County Parks, has helped lead department efforts on visitor and resident outreach and data collection.

“Each time we hear from residents in our parks and in the community, the feedback we receive gives us an opportunity to improve,” Wright said. “Ensuring all residents have access to enjoyable park outings is a priority for our department, and we are seeking to remove barriers to visiting while providing the best experience possible once people arrive.”

Learn more about Parks at www.marincountyparks.org. The department is always in need of volunteers, and you can learn more about those opportunities on the website as well.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

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13 hours ago

September 14, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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

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7 days ago

September 7, 2026

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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.”
The post 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.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

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.

The post 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.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.