[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 211 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 211

 Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the East Bay 
     Regional Park District in California, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2009

 Mr. George Miller of California (for himself, Ms. Lee of California, 
  Mr. McNerney, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Garamendi) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the East Bay 
     Regional Park District in California, and for other purposes.

Whereas, November 6, 2009, will mark the 75th anniversary of the historic 
        passage of a ballot measure to create the East Bay Regional Park 
        District (referred to in this preamble as the ``District'') in 
        California's San Francisco Bay Area by a convincing ``yes'' vote of a 
        2\1/2\ to 1 margin in 1934 during the height of the Depression;
Whereas with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress 
        Administration, and private contractors, the District began putting 
        people to work to establish the District's first 3 regional parks--
        Tilden, Temescal, and Sibley;
Whereas over the intervening 75 years, the District has grown to be the largest 
        regional park agency in the United States with nearly 100,000 acres of 
        parklands spread across 65 regional parks and over 1,100 miles of trails 
        in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties;
Whereas approximately 14,000,000 visitors a year from throughout the San 
        Francisco Bay Area and beyond take advantage of the vast and diverse 
        District parklands and trails;
Whereas the vision of the District is to preserve the priceless heritage of the 
        region's natural and cultural resources, open space, parks, and trails 
        for the future, and to set aside park areas for enjoyment and healthful 
        recreation for current and future generations;
Whereas the mission of the District is to acquire, develop, manage, and maintain 
        a high quality, diverse system of interconnected parklands that balances 
        public usage and education programs with the protection and preservation 
        of the East Bay's most spectacular natural and cultural resources;
Whereas an environmental ethic guides the District in all that it does;
Whereas in 1988, East Bay voters approved the passage of Measure AA, a 
        $225,000,000 bond to provide 20 years of funding for regional and local 
        park acquisition and development projects;
Whereas in 2008, under the strategic leadership of its Board of Directors and 
        General Manager Pat O'Brien, East Bay voters approved passage of the 
        historic Measure WW, a $500,000,000 renewal of the original Measure AA 
        bond--the largest regional or local park bond ever passed in the United 
        States; and
Whereas throughout 2009, the District's 75th Anniversary will be recognized 
        through special events and programs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the establishment of 
        the East Bay Regional Park District; and
            (2) honors the board members, general managers, and East 
        Bay Regional Park District staff who have dutifully fulfilled 
        the mission of protecting open space and providing outdoor 
        recreation opportunities for generations of families in the 
        East Bay.
                                 <all>