The first State Park in California devoted to an active earthquake
fault is being promoted by the Napa Group of the Sierra Club. This new major
State Park would run down the backbone of Napa and Solano County straddling
the ridge line located to the east of Napa and to the west of Fairfield. The
Green Valley Fault runs northerly from the Vallejo watershed area through
Wooden Valley and continues toward Lake Berryessa with steep escarpments on
its eastern side. The park will convert Napa's Skyline Park's 850 acres and
the City of Vallejo's watershed area into the newest North Bay Area park. The
land in Skyline is state owned and leased to Napa County, which in turn
sub-leases Skyline Park to a volunteer group, the Skyline Citizen's
Association. This dedicated corps of park volunteers have made extensive
improvements over the years.
At least one other attempt was made to convert the land into a State Park. In
a 1974 "Napa-Solano Skyline Project Feasibility Study" the State Parks and
Recreation Department determined, "The most significant aspect of this area
is the closeness of its open space lands to the large recreational demand
centers." but concluded later the proposal "does not offer natural or
cultural heritage values of statewide significance" for inclusion into the
Park System because the Rolling Oak Woodlands plant community was fairly
common in the state at the time, the area had little historic value, nor did
it have a unique geologic feature.
This perception of Oak Woodlands has changed since 1974 both within
and without the park service. Fourteen thousand acres of Oaks are lost each
year in California due to urban sprawl and the cutting for prime firewood.
Also scientists have discovered Oak Woodlands are clearly in the decline
throughout the state because Oaks are not naturally regenerating enough to
replace the mature stands even though oak acorns are generally viable and
still sprout. Many theories for this decline are being explored ranging from
over grazing, deer browsing, or possibly the competition with non-native
European grasses are out competing seedlings.
Also since 1974, when a camper could drive up to a park, pitch a tent
and pay a dollar a day, the state population has had a sixty percent
increase, skyrocketing by 12.6 million new residences, and few State Parks
have been added. A vacationer now has to book reservations months in advance
just to get a chance to camp in the woods. There is obviously a shortage of
State Parks for the public to use.
The green Valley Fault looks like a classic geology textbook photograph of a
fault. It is still considered active. We do have a unique, dramatic geologic
feature.
Currently the State has a four billion-dollar surplus and this may be the
best time in the last thirty years to create a new state park in Napa-Solano
Counties. It is a cost-effective proposal. The Vallejo watershed is in public
hands. The 850 acres of Skyline Park are already State owned. An entrance,
parking, and infrastructure are already developed. Miles of trails are in
place and in good condition and access is easy. It has picnicking and tent
camping facilities, and RV overnight hookups, an equestrian arena, a meeting
hall, and a California Native Plant Society public garden and nursery.
The Green Valley Fault State Park will be a one of a kind park celebrating
yet another unique aspect of the land we live in. We can imagine this will be
only the first of a series of Earthquake Fault State Parks in California.
John Stephens
Conservation Chair, 251-0106
The fault cannot be seen from Skyline Park but to get to Skyline for day
hikes, take Highway 29 to the Imola Exit in Napa. Go east 3.1 miles to the
end of Imola where road turns left. The park entrance in on your right.
$4-/car day use. 252-0481