Mission Statement

Butters Canyon Conservancy, previously Butters Land Trust conserves wild landscapes in Butters Canyon, along Peralta Creek and promotes environmental awareness throughout the watershed to preserve vital habitat for all Bay Area residents to enjoy.

Goals and Strategies

Conserve undeveloped lands in Butters Canyon using the tools of private land conservation.

• Demonstrate flexibility in our land conservation strategies, including purchase, conservation easements, or other strategies.
• Demonstrate credibility as capable stewards in perpetuity of the land we acquire.

Increase awareness about the benefits of private land conservation and the mission of the Trust.

• Conduct educational and outreach activities in the neighborhood surrounding Butters Canyon.
• Target key technical advisers and make them available to landowners.

Promote environmental and habitat awareness throughout the neighborhood surrounding Butters Canyon.

• Demonstrate creativity and flexibility through working relationships with a broad range of environmental experts, including creek preservationists, native plant and wildlife biologists, watershed specialists, and city parks and recreation personnel.
• Target naturalists and other scientific and environmental specialists who can lead educational activities.
• Maintain working relationships with organizations involved in conservation, such as environmental groups and city agencies engaged in creek, watershed, and open space preservation.

Create an efficient and effective organization capable of protecting and managing lands in perpetuity.

• Develop a diverse board supported by effective committees and advisers.
• Involve all board members and as many donors as possible in fund-raising activities.
• Develop a large and stable membership that provides stable, unrestricted revenue.
• Maintain clear and open lines of communication with major donors, neighborhood creek enthusiasts, and neighborhood associations.

Projects

Conserve undeveloped lands

1. Purchase and or acquire remaining undeveloped creekside lots for sale in Butters Canyon as they become available.
2. Secure purchase of or conservation easements on undeveloped lands in Butters Canyon, with a priority on creekside properties.

Increase awareness of private land conservation

1. Conduct a neighborhood meeting annually to provide updates and receive feedback.
2. Sponsor seminars on conservation easements for creekside and canyon property owners, in partnership with environmental organizations.

Promote environmental and habitat awareness

1. Conduct workshops and canyon walk-throughs on topics such as creek restoration, creek hydrology, storm water awareness, plants and trees of the canyon, geology of the canyon, and wildlife corridors. Utilize the Butters Canyon Long Term Management Plan, April 2008, as a reference for understanding Canyon ecology, plant communities and the challenges/issues impacting natural urban landscapes.
2. Seek further funding sources for creek restoration projects once lands have been conserved.
3. Explore maximizing public recreational/educational benefits of the canyon, such as signage along Butters Drive in Butters Canyon, educational kiosk, and/or linking Butters Canyon to Joaquin Miller Park.
4. Provide new volunteers instruction regarding appropriate restoration techniques.  Utilize the Techniques section of the Butters Canyon Long Term Management Plan, April 2008, as a guide.

Create an efficient and effective organization

1. Hold monthly board meetings.
2. Expand donor base to 500 by 2010.
3. Publish newsletter at least twice a year.
4. Engage in board development, such as workshops and an annual land trust conference.
5. Secure funding to support one part-time staff person by end of 2010, or, if not feasible, seek a volunteer to perform administrative/fund-raising activities.

Long-Range Projects

1. Sponsor creek restoration projects, including ivy abatement and native plant restoration in Butters Canyon, working with community and educational resources (ongoing).
2. Work with City of Oakland to close the Butters Canyon section of Butters Drive to all but emergency and local traffic; creating a “conserved corridor” for hikers, bikers, and walkers (2010-11).
3. Obtain funding to develop educational trail and/or kiosk in Butters Canyon, with signage about flora, fauna, and maintaining healthy creeks.
4. Engage in outreach to landowners in Peralta Creek tributaries above Highway 13 (2011-12).