• Steering Committee Members
• Executive Committee Members
• Bay Area Open Space Council Staff
• Open Space Council Description of Programs

Goals

The Bay Area Open Space Council is a collaborative program of public and non-profit agencies and organizations, providing regional leadership and expertise for the preservation and professional management of important open spaces in and around the cities of the San Francisco Bay Area. A primary objective of the Council is to enhance the region's quality of life, by articulating the region's vision of which lands should be protected as open space through public ownership or conservation easements, and by developing financial and organizational resources to implement this vision. A related objective is to support sufficient funding for the maintenance and operation of our open space lands. This involves building stronger linkages between resource conservation efforts and outdoor recreation programs. The underlying principle of the Council is that interagency collaboration will enable the more than 150 agencies and organizations involved in preserving and managing Bay Area open space lands to more readily and efficiently fulfill their individual and collective missions.

Programs

Interagency Communication

The Council offers public and non-profit managers and their representatives the opportunity to meet with their peers from throughout the region to share ideas, opportunities, problems and solutions.

Research

The Council researches open space issues that transcend the scope of individual agencies. These include compiling regional data on topics such as what is protected through ownership or conservation easements, park visitor rates, and funding mechanisms for the acquisition and operation of parks and other open spaces.

Education

The Council prepares educational materials regarding the benefits of public and other protected open space lands, and the efforts of the agencies and organizations that are working to protect and manage these lands.

Legislation

The Council monitors legislation that affects park and open space agencies and organizations, and offers input where appropriate. The Council also helps coordinate legislative initiatives to enhance funding and resources for member organizations.

Organization

The Bay Area Open Space Council is guided by a Steering Committee of professional leaders from public agencies and non-profit land trusts in the Bay Area. Administrative oversight and organizational focus is provided by the Executive Committee of the Council.

The non-profit Greenbelt Alliance serves as fiscal agent for the Council. Funding for the Council comes both from contributions by participating agencies and organizations, and various grants.

The full Council meets bi-monthly, as does the Executive Committee of the Council. Our upcoming meeting schedule is available for viewing.

Getting In Touch

If you wish to volunteer in support of parks, outdoor recreation, open space, habitat preservation, or agricultural land protection, we recommend you consider the organizations and agencies listed in the Organization Finder. Volunteers interested in undertaking serious research projects are encouraged to contact us. We're always interested in suggestions for improving this web site.