Oakland, CA – The East Bay Regional Park District and the Regional Parks Foundation recognized State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan with the 2022 Radke Championing Advocacy Award at a ceremony at Inspiration Point in Tilden Regional Park.
Bauer-Kahan was instrumental in securing $4 million in the 2019-20 state budget for restoration at McCosker Creek in Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in Orinda and $3.5 million in the 2021-22 state budget for wildfire protection equipment.
“Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan has been a great champion and supporter of the East Bay Regional Park District,” said Park District Board President Dennis Waespi. “The 2022 Radke Championing Advocacy Award recognizes the Assemblymember for her years of advocacy for the Park District in Sacramento.”
Bauer-Kahan serves as the chair of the Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife. She has championed environmental legislation and investments during her time in office.
“The Park District thanks Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan for her leadership in obtaining critical funds in the state budget for environmental restoration and wildfire protection,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “Investments in environment restoration and resiliency is a priority to meet the State’s 30×30 goals to address the changing climate. And, funding up-to-date firefighting equipment is vital to stopping wildfires quickly, limiting the destruction of property, and, most of all, protecting lives.”
The $3.5 million secured for wildfire protection equipment helped the Park District replace its aging helicopter, which is relied upon to drop water on fires burning in inaccessible terrain.
“The East Bay Regional Park District provides an essential service to the community providing opportunities for healthy recreation and protecting our environment,” said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. “I am proud to partner with the Park District and support the critical work they do to ensure public access to parklands, preserve habitat for wildlife, and maintain healthy forests to protect against wildfires.”
The Radke Championing Advocacy award is named for late Park District Board Member Ted Radke, who advanced state and federal support for park funding and strengthened the Park District’s ties in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Radke served 36 years on the Park District Board of Directors and was the longest-serving Board member in its 88-year history.
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
