February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 20

ADVOCACY
In all his advocacy work, Judge John
Sutter sought to improve access to
parks, trails and open spaces for all.
One Leader's Commitment to Equitable
Access of the Bay Area Shoreline
By Erich Pfuehler and Lisa Baldinger
A
s a kid, former East Bay Regional Park District Director Judge
John Sutter flew model airplanes along the Oakland, California,
shoreline. His childhood experiences led this dedicated
Oaklander into a lifetime of staunch advocacy aimed at expanding
public access to the shoreline. Nearly everywhere he went, he
would declare: " There should be a park here! "
With time, Sutter's beloved shoreline
became less and less accessible
as development
dominated the
landscape. What began as a patchwork
of docks, quays, wharves
and beltline railways boomed into
an international airport and other
industrial sites. With the development
of Interstate 880 in 1972, the
City of Oakland and its residents
became largely
separated
from
their shoreline. By the early 2000s,
there was only one location in Oakland
where passengers on Bay Area
Rapid Transit trains and those on
the freeway could see the water and
be reminded of natural shorelines
close to home. This location along
the Oakland-Alameda Estuary became
a priority for the determined,
now grown, Sutter.
In all his advocacy work, Sutter,
who passed away in May 2021,
sought to improve access to parks,
trails and open spaces for all. Equity
was a critical pillar in his work. As
a Superior Court Judge in Alameda
County, California, for 14 years
20 Parks & Recreation | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
and at-large City Council member
for 11 years, he believed firmly in
fairness and inclusion. This drive
for equitable access led Sutter to
ensure the Oakland shoreline was
preserved and forever accessible
to the public. Sutter's goals were
complemented by the work of
others. To increase public shoreline
access, such
as the
Alameda Estuary
inspired
Sutter,
around
the
location
Oaklandthat
California
Legislature
adopted an aspirational
law to create a 500-mile trail
network
Bay, known locally as
San Francisco
the Bay
Trail. Of this national model, some
350 miles are complete today and
used regularly by commuters and
recreationists alike. The remaining
gaps,
however, are the most

February 2022 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2022 - Parks & Recreation

February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 1
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 2
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 3
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 4
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 5
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 6
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 7
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 8
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 8a
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 8b
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 9
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 10
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 11
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 12
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 13
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 14
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 15
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 16
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 17
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 18
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 19
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 20
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 21
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 22
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 23
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 24
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 25
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 26
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 27
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 28
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 29
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 30
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 31
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 32
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 33
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 34
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 35
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 36
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 37
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 38
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 39
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 40
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 41
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 42
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 43
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 44
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 45
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 46
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 47
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 48
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 49
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 50
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 51
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 52
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 53
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 54
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 55
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 56
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
February 2022 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
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https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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