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Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) is the latest recipient of the East Bay Regional Park District's annual award recognizing advocacy efforts aimed at securing funding for preservation efforts in the region.
Bauer-Kahan was recognized in an awards ceremony at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park on March 3 with the 2022 Radke Championing Advocacy Award for her work in securing $4 million in the 2019-2020 state budget to fund restoration efforts at McCosker Creek near Orinda, along with $3.5 million in that year's budget to fund new wildfire protection equipment.
For EBRPD, the latter funding enabled them to replace their aging helicopter for extinguishing fires in inaccessible portions of the district.
"The East Bay Regional Park District provides an essential service to the community providing opportunities for healthy recreation and protecting our environment," Bauer-Kahan said in a statement. "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."
As chair of the Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, Bauer-Kahan has been at the forefront of legislation and funding for environmental efforts during her tenure on the state House of Representatives, beginning in 2018.
"The Park District thanks Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan for her leadership in obtaining critical funds in the state budget for environmental restoration and wildfire protection," EBRPD General Manager Sabrina Landreth said. "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."
