Complete Bibliography

Here is the list of websites I began my research with for Assignment #2. I will continue to add more and more to this post as time goes on and I acquire more sources.

Internet Sites:

• http://www.ebparks.org/
• http://www.facebook./EastBayParks
• http://www.nps.gov/index.htm
• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/15/MNGA988H5O1.DTL
• http://www.mdia.org/
• http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/faq.html#n1
• http://www.stateparks.com/ca.html
• http://www.parks.ca.gov/

Here is the list of books I have read through so far. About half listed are from the Clayton Library and the other half I found at the Pleasant Hill Library

• Andrews, Edna May. History of Concord its Progress and Promise. Concord Historical Society. 1986
• Bohakel, Charles A. A Pictorial Guidebook to the Mount Diablo: The "Devil" Mountain of California. 2nd rev ed. Antioch, CA. 1975
• Clayton Historical Society. Images of America: Clayton. Arcadia Publishing. San Francisco CA. 2006.
• Emanuels, George. Ygnacio Valley 1834-1970. Panorama West Books. Fresno, CA. 1985.
• Engbeck, Joseph H. By the People, For the People: The Work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in California State Parks, 1933-1941. Office of State Publishing, California. Sacramento. 2002.
• The Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. The Mount Diablo Guide. 2nd ed. Berkeley Hills Books. Berkeley, CA. 2002.
• Nash, Roderick. Wilderness and the American Mind. 3rd ed. Vail Ballou Press. Binghamton, N.Y. 1982.
• Pettitt, George A. Clayton: Not Quite Shangri-La The Story of a California Town. The Parthenon Press. Nashville, TN. 1969.
• Salmond, John A. The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942. Duke University Press. Durham, North Carolina. 1967.
• Weintrabu, David. East Bay Trails: Hiking Trails in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. 2nd ed. Wilderness Press. Berkeley, CA. June 2005.

Assignment #2, Internet Research

I have begun my research into the local parks and open spaces located in the East Bay Area, and luckily I have been blessed with living in an area that has so many. But first I must define the three different types of spaces I am researching because each is very similar yet very different.

A National Park is a natural or semi-natural land that has been set aside for human recreation and enjoyment as well as the protection of the environment according to the National Parks Service website. These areas are to remain protected for the sake of the environment and development on the land, either for urban needs or for industrial needs, is restricted. The National Parks Service has loads of websites about themselves and about each of the 392 areas that they oversee and protect. National Parks are considered federal territories and receive their annual budgets from the federal government. The very first National Park, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, was established in 1872 and is considered the world's first National Park. California posses 32 National Parks throughout the state.

Next are State Parks, which are similar to our National Parks but differ in one distinct way. State Parks are NOT run by the federal government but rather are under the control of state and local governments. California State Parks are protected and maintained by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and oversee 278 park areas. I see State Parks as areas that are just as important to protect and preserve but for some reason the federal government does not see it that way as well. Luckily we have the largest state park system and the California Department of Parks and Recreation protects the most diverse natural and cultural holdings of any state. Each state park has its own linked websites and information about each park. As I pry further into the depths of the online world I am coming up short on actual histories for our individual state parks, especially those in my area of the Bay. I am aware, however, that each park usually contains a small museum on the grounds that is maintained by park volunteers. It is begining to look that if I want the history on an individual park I am going to have to go visit it myself, which was half of the reason I picked this topic.

A regional park is an area that is preserved and protected for its natural beauty, historical interest, or its recreational uses. These areas are administered by a regional park board, instead of the National Park Service or other local government agency. Here in the East Bay we have the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) which oversees 65 parks and 1,100 miles of trails. The EBRPD is supported and funded through the Regional Parks Foundation which raises money to keep the parks open and for park improvements.

I have plenty of parks and areas to choose from, so now I must begin narrowing down my research to just the few parks and open spaces I want to find more about. The creation of the National Parks Service in the United States in 1916 is well documented and contains an extensive history. I am going to be putting my findings in the context of the rising sense of a need to protect the beauty of America's natural spaces. I intend on conveying the importance of our National, State, and regional parks and what roles they played in the formation of our Park Services.

Biography

Hello, my name is Kevan Santos. I am a junior at California State University East Bay in Hayward, California and I am a History Major with my area of focus being in U.S. History. The purpose of my blog is to investigate the preservation of open spaces in the East Bay Area and to present the research I find. It was not until only within the past few years that I have discovered the importance of the many parks, preservation, and protected open spaces found in the Bay Area. No where else on earth resembles the beautiful golden hills of California, the vast and bountiful Central Valley, or the impressive Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Bay Area has always been one of the most populated and fastest growing areas in the United States which has led to an immense amount of development for housing, businesses, and other human needs. Yet protected areas remain not only for our enjoyment but also for the good of the environment. I am interested in learning more about our State's national parks and the protected open spaces in the Bay Area. I am especially interested in the parks and open spaces near my home in Concord, California such as Mount Diablo, Lime Ridge, and the Black Diamond Mines. Each of these places has a reason for being where it is and has a history behind it. I can only hope my research leads me to not only answers but more questions in which I can follow.