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REFERENDUM Campaign – The Results!

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A little less than a month ago, the Friends of Knowland Park launched a referendum campaign to overturn a City Council ordinance that took away 53 acres of the heart of Knowland Park from public access forever.

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Referendum: Let the People of Oakland Decide How Their Public Parkland Is Used!

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These poster images above were created by young artist Kaley Bales inspired by Knowland Park.

Friends of Knowland Park held a press conference at Oakland City Hall Tuesday, December 16 to kick off a 30-day referendum petition drive. The group seeks a public vote on whether to reverse a recent City Council decision that paved the way for a controversial Oakland Zoo expansion above the ridge in the heart of Knowland Park. Click here to see video.

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Save Knowland Park – The City Council voted…

By now most of you have probably heard that the vote did not go our way at the Oakland City Council on Tuesday night, with a 6–2 vote to pass the “conservation easement” ordinance, moving the zoo one step closer to breaking ground. However, two courageous Councilmembers did stand with the public and voted against approving this fake “conservation easement” that will smooth the way for the razing of the heart of Knowland Park: Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan. Continue Reading →

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THIS IS IT: Last chance to protect Knowland Park!

Please come to Oakland City Council meeting

Tues 11/18 starting 5:30 pm

Oakland City Hall at 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza

Council Chambers, 3rd Floor

Please RSVP here if you can attend: bit.ly/knowlandmeeting.

Beautiful & wild Knowland Park is home to native wildlife, including rare and threatened species, and it was deeded to the city of Oakland to remain a public park forever. The Oakland Zoo wants to take over the heart of it (77 acres of prime habitat on western ridge) for an exhibit of species that are now regionally extinct due to development! …plus restaurant, gift shop, offices and meeting rooms, and a gondola ride that will transport Zoo visitors uphill to the ridgetop development. This is not conservation. Once the chain-link perimeter fence goes up and the richest portion of Knowland Park is bulldozed, it’s gone forever―habitat significantly damaged, no free public access. Continue Reading →

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RESULTS of Parks Commission Hearing

PracMtgCrowdOur turnout for the Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) hearing Wednesday night (Oct 22) on whether to recommend that the City Council approve letting the Zoo take even more of Knowland Park was GREAT—well over 50 Park defenders showed up…and wow, were they powerful, articulate, and persuasive! The sea of blue Save Knowland Park t-shirts and buttons was every bit a match for the busload of employees and others the Zoo brought in (see photos here of the assembled crowd and of the zoo’s bus leaving afterwards). Almost all the speakers FOR the recommendation were zoo employees, with a few volunteers, though the great majority of speakers were fighting to save the Park. Continue Reading →

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