Any history of the Tri-Valley would note its deep roots in ranching, grain farming, and viticulture. While ranching and grain production are no longer critical components of the regional economy, Livermore Valley viticulture has remained a vital force in the area as a major contributor to the popularity of California wine, the financial benefits of tourism, and the quality of life so many locals enjoy. Some residents might be surprised to learn that the wine industry's survival and success are due in part to the Tri-Valley's carefully preserved open spaces, agricultural lands, and greenbelts.

"Locally based, long-term open space conservation plans help communities protect their environment, improve quality of life, and preserve critical elements of the local heritage, culture, and economy," note officials from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Like development, conservation can be either planned or haphazard. Well-managed open space programs protect a community's natural green infrastructure, providing places for recreation, preserving important environmental and ecological functions, and enhancing quality of life."

A Green Legacy

The San Francisco Bay Area has a number of nonprofits that work to protect nature, improve urban areas, and plan for a sustainable future. Their work has created a lasting legacy that will benefit the region far into the future. One important regional nonprofit, the Greenbelt Alliance, is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. Over the nonprofit's history, it has "stewarded this region's beautiful natural landscapes while promoting the growth needed for thriving communities for generations to come," according to Greenbelt Alliance executives. Nearly four million acres of the Bay Area's nine counties are protected open spaces as a result of its work, according to Teri Shore, the Greenbelt Alliance Advocacy Director between February 2015 and July 2021.

Shore defines the word greenbelt as a general term that "refers to natural, undeveloped, and/or agricultural lands that surround urban areas. These lands may include open spaces, parks, farms and ranches, wildlands, or a combination thereof-as designated by cities, counties, special districts, and other jurisdictions." Cities and counties that adopt urban limit lines, which are also known as urban growth boundaries, often value greenbelts as regional tools that help prevent sprawl, encourage infill development, and preserve natural beauty. Research by the Greenbelt Alliance has found that greenbelts also play an important role in fighting wildfires.

According to The Critical Role of Greenbelts in Wildfire Resilience report, there are "four types of greenbelts that play a role in reducing the loss of lives and homes in extreme wildfire events while increasing overall resilience in communities and across landscapes." Those greenbelts are "open spaces, parks, and preserves; agricultural and working lands such as vineyards, orchards, and farms; greenbelt zones strategically planned and placed inside subdivisions and communities; and recreational greenways such as bike paths, playing fields, and golf courses."
As the report explains, these greenbelts play an important function in loss prevention and resilience by "serving as strategic locations for wildfire defense, acting as natural wildfire buffers to create separation from wildlands, increasing overall wildfire resilience through land stewardship, conserving biodiversity on fire-adapted lands while reducing risk," and "providing wildfire-resistant green spaces inside and surrounding neighborhoods."

A History of Preservation,

Several local nonprofits have a history of working to protect and expand the area's open spaces and greenbelts. The Tri-Valley Conservancy, for example, is the only accredited land trust in Alameda County. Its mission is to support a viable agricultural economy in the Tri-Valley area by permanently protecting the fertile soils, rangelands, open space, and biological resources of the region. Since 1994, the nonprofit has helped preserve 3,881 acres of farms and agriculture, 500 acres of parks and open space, and 643 acres of habitat land to protect wildlife. The Tri-Valley Conservancy protects land from urban development through acquisition via purchase and the use of conservation easements and then "cares for the land with ongoing stewardship and management," officials say.

The Friends of Open Space and Vineyards (FOV) have also worked to permanently protect open space and agricultural lands within the Tri-Valley area. The group, which is 100% run by volunteers, collaborates with like-minded organizations that share its goal to preserve the Tri-Valley's landscapes and agricultural resources for the future as well as promote local vineyards and wineries.

"We are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Livermore Valley area asone of California's most historic and premium wine-growing regions," according to the nonprofit. "FOV vigorously promotes the area through programs, projects, and activities. Vineyards are an important part of the heritage of the Livermore Valley; grapes thrive in its gravelly soil and moderate Mediterranean climate."

The value placed regionally on natural lands and open spaces is also reflected in local community planning. Tri-Valley cities have historically placed a premium on making sure that elements of the natural environment are incorporated into urbanized areas. Whether in the form of parks, or the inclusion of passive and active outdoor use areas within various developments, the built environment in the Tri-Valley carries reflections of the importance of the greater surrounding natural world.

For example, from its inception, Hacienda was developed with greenbelts and open spaces as critical elements of its environment, which provides a plenitude of parks and recreation areas to business tenants, residents, and the public. Creekside Park, which is accessible from West Las Positas Boulevard between Owens and Stoneridge Drives, provides a 6.6-acre open area for a variety of activities. Hacienda's Linear Park, part of the Iron Horse Trail that passes through Hacienda, is a 2.85-acre recreational area popular with runners and pedestrians. Owens Plaza Park, a 3-acre space adjacent to the Park Hacienda apartment complex, features similar opportunities for outdoor engagement. Hacienda also features miles of natural arroyos, most with public access, that allow for further engagement with the outdoors.

As a planned development, Hacienda's designers could insist on the inclusion of open spaces, recreation areas, and parks. As a region, the Tri-Valley relies on the work of public officials, civic-minded businesses, and devoted nonprofits to preserve and enhance the open spaces and agricultural areas so important to the region's future. There are many ways for the community to support these nonprofits.

The Greenbelt Alliance, for example, is celebrating its 65th anniversary on Monday, August 14, 2023 at its annual Hidden Heroes of the Greenbelt event and fundraiser from 6 to 8 pm. The Tri-Valley Conservancy's Livermore Valley Uncorked annual wine competition and fundraiser is being held for the 14th time on Thursday, April 27 at 6 pm at the Garré Winery in Livermore. While the FOV has no events scheduled currently, donations are used to support the Las Positas College viticulture and winery technology program and other aspects of its mission.

For more information about the Greenbelt Alliance, please visit www.greenbelt.org.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Conservancy, please visit www.rivalleyconservancy.org.

For more information about the Friends of Open Space and Vineyards, please visit www.fov.org.

Photo by Spencer DeMera on Unsplash