Our Parks Deserve an Effective Advocate

A perspective from Casey Farmer, candidate for East Bay Regional Park District Ward 2

Casey Alyson Farmer is a candidate for the East Bay Regional Park District Ward 2, which encompasses Most of Oakland, Piedmont, Lamorinda, Rossmoor, and a small part of Walnut Creek. See map on her website. www.Farmer4Parks.vote 

The views that candidates share are their own. Oakland Report does not endorse candidates.

All local candidates are invited and encouraged to submit a view, provided that it adheres to Oakland Report’s editorial standard for reasoned, evidence-based, verifiable information.

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Somewhere buried in your ballot, you’ll see a little known elected position: East Bay Regional Parks District Board. Board Directors are responsible for a budget of $300 million of our property tax dollars to operate 73 regional parks spanning Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Our parks face grave challenges from climate change and wildfires which necessitate new policies, as well as advocacy for grants from State and Federal agencies. Each of the 7 Board Directors represents over 400,000 residents within Alameda and Contra Costa counties and must be responsive to the needs of those constituents. 

Challenges that come before the Board of Directors range from park use policy — e.g., where dogs should be allowed, or how to reduce user conflicts between equestrians and mountain bikers, to strategic resource allocation and growth — e.g., how and where to balance resources between park expansion and maintenance of our existing parks so that they remain clean, safe and available for a broad range of activities. 

Board Directors need a diverse and dynamic set of skills to address such issues. They should have experience writing and implementing policy, a successful track record of engaging and working with community members and stakeholders on all sides of issues, and the advocacy skills to effectively hold the government accountable for excellent service to the public. Those are the exact skills that I’ve developed through a career in public service. 

Our parks are the treasures of the East Bay and they deserve an effective advocate who will work hard to keep them thriving, resilient from climate change and the threat of wildfires, and accessible to all. East Bay Parks—many of which are located in Oakland such as Lake Temescal, MLK Jr. Shoreline, and the multiple parks which stretch the entire ridgeline of the Oakland hills—are foundational to our quality of life, our recreation, and our wellbeing. The current East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) Board member for Ward 2 (Director Dee Rosario) is retiring. I am the only Oaklander on the ballot so if I do not win, Oakland won’t have a voice on this important regional body. .  

My platform aligns with the District’s greatest needs

1. Expand Wildfire Prevention Efforts—Our District must expedite its vegetation management plan to ensure our parks and our neighbors are protected from the grave risk of wildfire. I support removing non-native species like Eucalyptus which greatly increase our risk. As a Board Member of the Oakland Firesafe Council, I know how impacted residents are by the loss of homeowners insurance and how committed they are to reducing the risks on their own properties. EBRPD must be a good neighbor and communicate the important fire prevention work they’re doing with the community.

2. Climate Resilience—I will champion more innovative and resilient policies to expand EBPRD's stewardship and restoration efforts. My guiding strategic questions are: How can our parks be better protected from climate change? How are we planning for the climate of the future? How can we help combat climate change through carbon sequestration in EBPRD’s “natural infrastructure” like redwoods and marshlands?

3. Break down the barriers to accessing our parks—I will work to ensure our budget allocates enough resources to keep them well maintained and safe for all. Expanding access to our parks for families of all backgrounds will improve mental and physical health for our entire region. Specifically, I’ll champion the “Park Prescriptions Initiative” with our local clinics. As a Girl Scout Troop leader in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood, I’ve seen firsthand, the power of the parks to transform young people, to inspire a love of nature that we need future generations to carry forward, and to teach them how recreating in nature is vital to physical and mental health. As a mom of young children, I see the necessity of parks for play, fresh air, and that nature is an essential place for parents and children to recharge. 

An experienced and effective leader

EBRPD needs to partner with local agencies for emergency preparedness, for climate resilience planning, and to ensure the safety of patrons within our parking lots and parks. My experience working for the city, county, and state gave me the skills and experience to build such partnerships. I learned the inner workings of government: what functions and why, what is broken, and how to build effective partnerships that deliver results for the community. These experiences give me the tools and perspective to get things done in local government. 

For example, in 2018, I was recruited by my mentor, the late Supervisor Wilma Chan, to lead Alameda County’s Census 2020 Initiative. My role was to build investment amongst historically undercounted communities (an estimated 25% of the entire county) through the leaders they trusted, including teachers, health care professionals, faith leaders, and nonprofit service providers. At that time, there was growing distrust in the government. I overcame this distrust, by actively listening to community leaders and bringing them to the table to help shape the outreach plan, Alameda County outperformed expectations, thus ensuring we were allocated the appropriate number of resources based upon accurate count. 

Effective community engagement is paramount to addressing user conflict on our trails and planning for the future of this great District. Next year, EBRPD will craft a new master plan (referred to as the Second Century Plan). I will ensure our process is accessible to residents, that stakeholders have a seat at the table, and that our District incorporates data and innovation as it envisions the future of our East Bay Regional Parks. 

I’m proud of my track record of getting things done and advocating for important causes in Oakland. To continue my service to this City and residents throughout the East Bay on the EBRPD Board would be a true honor.

—Casey Farmer