East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The system encompasses 1,745 square miles on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. The East Bay Regional Park District, established in 1934, has a fascinating history and an inspiring story.

It began with a vision of far-sighted civic leaders seeking to preserve excess watershed land in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. Their goal was to create a park district as part of the community, one that retained a balance of recreation opportunities and wilderness features, ideas unheard of at the time. Members of a grassroots land preservation movement placed a measure on the ballot. During the depths of the Great Depression it passed by a surprising 71 percent and created the first regional park agency in the nation–the East Bay Regional Park District.

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) provides regional park and recreation services, and operates golf courses.  The boundary of the District is coterminous with both Contra Costa and Alameda counties.  Facilities and properties are located throughout Alameda and Contra counties. EBRPD was formed on August 7, 1933 as an independent special district. The District was formed to acquire and maintain regional parkland in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

The service area for EBRPD includes District regional parklands, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) owned lands, the San Francisco Water Department Watershed, the East Shore State Park (owned by the State of California, but operated by EBRPD), and the Middle Harbor and Port View Parks operated by the Port of Oakland.

The EBRPD boundary encompasses a total of 1,745 square miles in both Contra Costa and Alameda counties, according to County Assessor data on acreage of parcels. In Contra Costa County, the boundary land area of the EBRPD is 720 square miles. The District owns or operates 65 regional parks, recreation areas, wilderness, shorelines, preserves and land banks spanning 98,369acres, as of November 2008.

The District has a seven-member governing body. Board members are elected by geographic district to four-year terms.  EBRPD also has a Park Advisory Committee made up of 21 citizen-members, appointed by the EBRPD Board of Directors. Advisory Committee members are appointed for two-year terms and may serve a total of four consecutive terms, or eight years.

EBRPD updates constituents through its website, a bimonthly activities newsletter, community outreach programs, and through the Park Advisory Committee. Board meeting agendas and minutes are posted in multiple locations, and on the District’s website. The District also posts other public documents and notifications on its website.