Contra Costa County Opens Recruitment for Citizen Advisory Seat on East Bay Regional Park District Board

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors launched an open community recruitment campaign on Tuesday, inviting local residents and open space advocates to apply for an appointment to the East Bay Regional Park District's influential Park Advisory Committee. County supervisors underscored that citizen involvement provides essential grassroots oversight as the regional park network expands recreational amenities and environmental protections across Northern California.

The twenty-one-member advisory body provides direct citizen counsel to the district's elected Board of Directors, reviewing long-range master planning, capital bond allocations, environmental habitat restoration, and multi-use trail expansions spanning over 126,000 acres of preserved parkland across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The selected volunteer representative will serve a two-year term representing countywide interests on land acquisition priorities and public access equity. Appointees help guide the allocation of millions of dollars in voter-approved Measure WW and Measure FF capital project funds.

County officials emphasized that prospective applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in park management, natural resource conservation, wildlife preservation, or outdoor community recreation. The advisory panel convenes monthly on Monday evenings at park district headquarters in Oakland and conducts regular on-site field inspections of trail heads, staging areas, and historic park infrastructure throughout the East Bay. Committee members also inspect wildfire fuel reduction corridors and native vegetation restoration areas across the Diablo Foothills and Carquinez Strait preserves.

Community conservation advocates and regional recreation groups welcomed the open recruitment process, highlighting that balanced citizen guidance ensures diverse neighborhood perspectives are reflected in trail linkages connecting Mount Diablo, Briones, and Carquinez Strait regional parks. Committee members evaluate recreational demands ranging from mountain biking and equestrian access to environmental education and wildfire vegetation management across vulnerable ridge interfaces. Public input gathered through the advisory body directly informs the district's annual operating budget priorities.

Completed application packets must be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 13. Interested residents can access the application forms online at contracosta.ca.gov or pick up printed materials at the County Administration Building located at 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. County staff members are available by telephone at (925) 655-2000 to assist applicants with submission guidelines and answer procedural questions regarding board committee appointments.