[pct-l] Fw: John Muir's Birthplace

[Scott Williams]

Wow Paul,

You're fighting the good fight too, it's just very personal.  If by your
example, some of the younger ones in your family come to see the necessity
of preservation of at least some of our wild lands, then you will have
accomplished a lot.

When we fought to preserve the Franklin Hills, and Mt. Wanda, we were
despised by many, especially those who would have made a lot of money had
the zoning changes been allowed.  Tree Huggers, anti development hippies,
different obscenities, and initially lots of negative press about us, and
even some very personal attacks.  One of our founders was accused of
everything under the sun including alcoholism and theft, none of which was
even a little true.  We kept at it, and ended up with support from over 70
percent of the town, some industrialists and ranchers too.  At this point,
the parks are so beautiful, and are such an asset to the town, that many of
the people who were vocally opposed, now try to take credit for having been
on the council when it became a reality.  They seem to have forgotten how
hard they fought to see it not happen in the first place.  Because the land
is all public now, even the PE classes at our high school get to run them
for part of their PE requirements, as the school butts right up against
these hills.

Thank God the Sierra Club stepped in to offer legal aid to us when we began
the real CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) technical arguments.
 The duration of the battle was about 12 years, and when the Federal money
for the purchase of Mt. Wanda was found to be $100,000 short, the Martinez
Regional Land Trust, (now the Muir Heritage Land Trust,) the very new
organization we had formed, stepped up and through local donations, dinners
and bake sales, raised the money, and the purchase was completed and the
land added to the Muir site.

Part of the benefit to the land trust of raising that relatively small
amount of money, was that it put us on the map so to speak, and we became
the beneficiarys of any mitigation funds any industry around here ever has
to pay for mistakes and mishaps, in one case a major oil spill (the money
from that one saved a huge marsh just east of town.)  Because we got some
credibility, we've been able to raise many millions, and have bought up both
ends of the Franklin Canyon Ridge, (different from the Franklin Hills) from
Mt Wanda in Martinez to the town of Hercules, and a good bit of the middle.
 This is more of the Bay Ridge Trail.  Some day you will be able to backpack
your way all around the ridges of the Bay, several hundred miles.

Anyway, just keep doing what you know is right Paul.  Your life will be a
powerful example to anyone you meet.  Some will be threatened by what you
accomplish, but others may say, wow, I want to be a part of that too.

Shroomer