Hayward shoreline will be protected 'in perpetuity:' park district
Aerial view of shoreline property from the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. Photo: Park District
HAYWARD, Calif. - The East Bay Regional Park District has acquired 77 acres of shoreline property from the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District in a long-term effort to restore marsh habitat, prepare for sea level rise, and secure permanent public access along the San Francisco Bay Trail at Hayward Regional Shoreline, officials announced on Tuesday.
Park district spokeswoman Jen Vanya said the park district bought the land from HARD for $1, since a nominal amount is required to make the transfer legally binding.
The agreement transfers the property to the park district and permanently protects a segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
Bay Trail protected ‘in perpetuity’
Why you should care:
This segment of the trail has been open to the public, but this agreement protects it "in perpetuity," park officials said.
The property is mostly tidal marsh, which also is home to native pickleweed and alkali heath-lined channels. The upland portion of the property also has marsh gumplant scattered throughout. The Bay Trail is located on top of a levee.
HARD will retain ownership of approximately five acres that house the popular Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center.
What they're saying:
"This acquisition allows us to take a major step forward in protecting and restoring the Hayward Marsh while ensuring continued public access to one of the Bay Area’s most important shoreline corridors," East Bay Regional Park District’s Acting General Manager Max Korten said in a statement. "By consolidating land ownership, we can better manage habitat, improve resilience to sea level rise, and support wildlife and visitors alike. We are thankful for our longstanding partnership with H.A.R.D and their role in helping to support this acquisition."
Rising sea levels, wildlife habitat
Big picture view:
The newly acquired property lies within the footprint of the Restore Hayward Marsh project, which park officials described as a large-scale, multi-benefit effort aimed at adapting the marsh landscape to rising sea levels while enhancing wildlife habitat and maintaining public recreation.
Planned restoration activities include levee improvements and strategic breaches, creation of new bird nesting islands, improved tidal channel circulation, and the establishment of upland transition zones critical for marsh-dependent species, according to the park district.
The property was originally donated to HARD in 1980 by the Leslie Salt Company, and is part of what park district officials describe as "a broader regional legacy" of converting former industrial salt ponds and landfill areas into restored wetlands and public open space.
Vanya explained that visitors will continue to use the San Francisco Bay Trail, which already exists along the shoreline, with access from Breakwater Avenue past the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center.
That section of trail is popular and will remain open for public enjoyment.