The November 4th election is really important, at least in our beloved East Bay backyard.  Yes there’s a presidential race and all, but Measure WW matters directly – because it improves local parks by extending the “existing East Bay Regional Park District bond with no increase in tax rate.”

You can’t avoid the wilderness/urban interface living in Montclair, and Measure WW helps preserve more non-renewable, open spaces throughout the East Bay.  Check out this interactive map, where you can insert any address and see what projects are planned nearby.

We’re lucky to live in a bucolic outpost, with the parks right up the hill.  As quick inspiration, here are some familiar Redwood and Briones scenes by local artist David Miller.

We’re unabashedly pro-WW at Today in Montclair, aligning with all the arguments for the measure and supporting the range of land acquisition and other benefits for East Bay residents.  After all,  we’re blessed with Redwood, Sibley and Huckleberry nearby, and see them as gems.

What about the folks who say no on WWW in November?  They just received an unintended boost when the ballots forgot to print the Measure WW title and description, which is a shame.  Generally, they believe trails are mismanaged, feel they are overly grazed, and want more places to bike as well.

While some of the Park District’s trail practices or fire suppression activities might raise valid concerns, it seems like we should all agree that establishing conservation funds is a common good.  Plus it costs $10 max per $100k home value, nothing different than rates that are expiring now.

We don’t literally live in the wilderness, and are lucky to have open spaces at all.  When you fly over the hills, there’s a noticeable difference in the Bay Area versus any other major urban area – so let’s try to save the open spaces, however imperfect.