1) The book’s introduction written by Harold Gilliam for Robert Buelteman’s photographic masterpiece “The Unseen Peninsula” provides all Californians an opportunity to learn from the fate of the San Francisco Peninsula watershed native Ohlones.  As cities sprawl into the countryside, replacing nature with concrete and asphalt, their residents are cut off from the natural world that gives them material and spiritual sustenance.  The hills west of the San Francisco Reservoirs are among those very rare places near cities where the watershed natural processes continue as they have for millennia, where bulldozers have made few inroads, where live oaks and laurels and redwoods still provide shelter and forage for deer and raccoons and foxes.  Unfortunately, the original human inhabitants, the Ohlones, are gone, but their spirits, bearing messages we need to hear, still walk the watershed. In 1769, the Ohlones, no doubt gazing in amazement at the first Europeans to come this way, little realized that the bearded strangers were on the advance guard of wave after wave of outsiders who would arrive to take over their land and eradicate their way of life.  Now, on the dawn of the twenty-first century, we continue to come by the millions to make California our home, although we have strayed afar.  If our culture is to survive, if we are to repair the damage done to our California watershed, we need to come home again, to rediscover our roots, to re-create our reverence for the earth and all its forms of life by implementing a “Wise Use” strategy.   This is the implicit message of the Ohlones.  Californians either heed this lesson of history  or we are all destined to  go the way of the Ohlones. 

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IT'S THE "OIL" STUPID !

2)  California’s rich and diverse watersheds have provided us with an exceedingly generous bounty.  There are limits to these natural systems, and it is time to return their generosity.  As we enter the 21^st century, and add 15 million Californians by the year 2020, we need an expanded “Wise Use” public/private natural resource investment and land use strategy to restore life supporting habitats and fully protect vital natural systems. The Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation believes a vision for the twenty first century must recognize that California habitats and natural communities are an integral part of the economic foundation upon which future prosperity depends. Every Californian and visitor has an obligation to promote increased investment in conserving our watershed natural systems, and the life they support, to sustain a strong agricultural economy, growing tourism and recreational industries, healthy communities and a quality of life that attracts the work force that underpins a vibrant economy. The Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation has established the California Watershed Posse (CWP) to protect California’s  future. The CWP membership is comprised of interested stakeholders, referred to as Members. The Members work cooperatively with willing landowners and governmental agencies to develop and implement integrated landscape scale Coordinated Resource Management Plans (CRMP).  The Plans will be developed by stakeholders, community based groups, homeowner’s associations, and agencies to assure NEPA/CEQA compliance, ecosytem sustainability and effective Fire Safe landscape and watershed planning. The CWP is committed to developing and implementing a streamlined fast track permit approval process, that assures long term integrated management,and promotion of good land stewardship within California's  watershed natural systems and its water resources in perpetuity. The Foundation’s Living Legacy Program (LLP) offers benefactors an opportunity to donate money, securities, real estate or easement grants to the Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation’s 501c3 non-profit community-based charitable trust .

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3) The 2003 California Watershed Posse  Living Legacy Program  celebrated  Martin Luther King’s birthday by launching their “helpRID.US” initiatives for the formation of Rural Incorporated Districts (RID) throughout all rural areas of California . The California Watershed Posse’s first   RID will be  formed in the unincorporated Rural Lands area of San Mateo County . The RID formation election will be held within the boundaries of the proposed RID in calendar year 2003.  The incorporation charter for the  RID will embody  coordinated resource management and planning of vital Rural Lands area resource infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads, watershed natural systems, parks , and open space.  The RID’s land use governing document will be a “RID General Plan” The primary goal of the  RID is to secure “local  control”  of the RID areas in perpetuity  while preserving , protecting, and providing sustainability of the quality of life values found in the  Rural Lands area of California.  CWP, as a 501©3 non-profit CRMP Council, only  supports non-apartheid rural eco-justice policies and projects. In keeping with CWP educational mission, we recommend reviewing the teachers tutorial: Cry, the beloved country. And yes Lennie Roberts, it has been done before! Read history of City of Fremont and the man who named Fremont.  If Oakhurst can do it, why not SMC Rural Lands?  Small is financially beautiful!   State declares "County of San Mateo is saging"! Sustainable San Mateo County?   For further information regarding www.cwposse.org  contact: Oscar Braun, Executive Director for Environmental Justice: Oscar@cwposse.org or Voice 650-867-5779

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4)  Alan Anthony Beaven was the California Watershed Posse co-founder and the Foundation’s legal counsel. Alan’s fearless passion was the protection of the Bay Area’s water quality and the watershed’s natural systems. He died on September 11, 2001 on United Airlines Flight 93.  Alan Beaven was just one of many heroes that died on 9/11, when his love of life, family and community required him to do what he had always done…the right thing. The CWP will strive to preserve  Alan Beaven’s living legacy  by protecting California’s water quality and  maintaining a fire safe healthy watershed for future generations to come.  The CWP will provide the “Wise Use”   leadership, the stewardship and WUI area security by  deploying wireless  early detection fire alert sentinel systems.  Experience Alan Beaven’s  living legacy by becoming a Member of the California Watershed Posse.  You can make a difference in Protecting California’s Future.

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