MTB Community Turns Out for Public Comment on EBRPD 2026 Budget

EBRPD Board Meeting on December 16, 2025

The East Bay Regional Park District approved the revised budget proposal for 2026 at their board meeting on December 16, 2025.  THANK YOU to all that sent in public comments or made a live comment. They helped! Of the comments received by EBRPD, more than 240 comments supported reallocating Measure WW funds, while fewer than 5 comments opposed reallocating those funds.  The activation of comments was the result of BTCEB, BAMBi, Stewards of Briones, NICA teams, and individuals reaching out to their personal networks to activate our community.  While individuals and groups supporting more mountain bike trails and access were the core of the comments, we were joined by other sustainable access-oriented groups including Point Isabel dog enthusiasts and others.

By a 4–3 vote the board approved the staff budget proposal which included ~$25M in reallocations of Measure WW funding. Directors Deschambault, Sanwong, and Waespi opposed, while Directors Coffey, Espana, Echols, and Mercurio supported.  That’s the good news. $17M in Measure WW reallocations was removed from the original budget proposal. In those reductions were $2M in funding for Pleasanton Ridge Trails and $1M in funding for an Oyster Bay Bike Skills Area. Those two projects still have partial funding and will likely move more slowly with a phased completion or instead with a reduced scope unless other funding such as grants can be secured. On the positive side, staff will be providing a more clear update on the actual status of both acquisition and development project completion for the overall Measure WW funding. This will paint a more clear picture on whether or not they have delivered on the promises they have made. If they have, then it provides more flexibility to fund development project.

Our advocacy work is rarely done and is definitely not in this case.  Staff and one director have reached out regarding other possible sources of funding for the bike projects and we have shared potential sources that we are aware of.  The large activation of the community is exciting.  Watch for future points to be active in the EBRPD District Plan process in 2026.  It is important that we participate and be part of the process.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

Crockett Hills Volunteers Set New Record for Trail Work Hours in 2025

Thank you to all of our volunteers!

BTCEB volunteers put in 708 hours of trail stewardship at East Bay Regional Park District’s Crockett Hills Regional Park in 2025.   Work sessions were a mix of 4 weekend larger work days, 9 weekday work days, and smaller group work.  92 different volunteers showed up 195 times.  10 volunteers tallied 10 or more hours showing an expanding base of core volunteers.  In November we had the opportunity to partner with both the East Bay Regional Park District and the Bay Area Ridge Trail, allowing us to engage a different audience than we normally connect with.  

708 hours is the highest total we’ve logged since we started keeping track of volunteer hours in 2018.  Park supervision and staff support have enabled this volunteer trail stewardship.  Midweek access provided by staff facilitated a different format that helped increase participation and decrease travel time compared to coming from the main trailhead.  It also helped to significantly increase the amount of work volunteers could accomplish by reducing travel time inside the park to get to more remote work areas.

Work throughout the year maintained and improved drainage, hardened several sections of Soaring Eagle trail, repaired berms and rollers, cleared downed limbs, and cut back poison oak and other vegetation.  Volunteers aren’t permitted to use power tools, including line trimmers, and that limits the amount of tall growth we can cut back.  We continue to advocate for improved vegetation management by the park district to help keep the trails open.  Staff provided mechanical support on several work days with mowers and their Toro Dingo.  Additionally, a conservation crew worked for about a week clearing tall vegetation in the spring.  The combination of all those resources still leaves some of the trails overgrown for several weeks. 

If you see a trail issue that needs attention you can make a report via Trailforks and we’ll get an email.  If the issue is beyond our capacity we’ll work with park staff to get it addressed.

Continued funding from Trail One Components helped keep us supplied on tools, materials, and provide lunch on our larger work days.  Trail One Components donates $1 for every Crockett handlebar they sell.  Trail One Components donates $1 from every item sold either to a product named trail system or into their Trail Treasury for donations to other trail stewardship.  Consider Trail One Components when looking for components and help support trail stewardship at the same time.

Watch for trail work opportunities at Crockett Hills (and other East Bay parks) throughout the year on Meetup. In particular, we have trail work days coming up at Crockett Hills on February 7, February 19, February 26, March 7, and April 12.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

2025 Advocacy Wrap Up

Another full year

2025 was another busy year for advocacy.  Progress was made on a variety of fronts and the work will never end.  On some efforts we’re the lead, and on others we’re a contributing supporter. It’s been great to see various groups such as the Stewards of Briones and Mount Diablo Trails Alliance bring a strong, focused effort on one area.   Those strong areas of focus are able to maximize impact per effort.  We tend to have a broader lay of the landscape, which brings a different type of impact but may not yield as many results in the short term.  Maybe at some point we’ll scale back toward a more narrow focus.  For now, we’ll keep this broader focus which is, in part, a connector role.  If you’ve got a particular focus you’d like to see move forward — and, in particular, if you’ve got time to put in on it — drop us a line at advocacy@btceb.org and let’s see what we might be able to do together. 

In that broader sense, let’s give a shout out to Bay Area Mountain Biking (BAMBi), a Facebook group that is now a 501(c)3.  They’ve taken a role as an amplifier and communications platform for the counties around the Bay and sometimes a little beyond.  They may not drive specific advocacy issues but they are a platform to potentially reach members of the mountain bike community that individual organizations may not reach with their core membership. We appreciate that they joined CAMTB this year.

Briones – no longer just a pilot: Briones Pilot Project trails were adopted and Ordinance 38 updated by the EBPRD Board in December 2024, so 2025 marked the first full year of long-term legal access to singletrack in Briones.  The Stewards of Briones continue to partner with park district staff on trail maintenance and improvements which saw the addition of a very flowy section to the top of Curl of the Burl and continued improvements to Hank & Frank and Radio Tower.   This past fall saw the first of hopefully many trail mixer events at Briones.  It was a joint effort with Bay Area Bike Project, Stewards of Briones, BTCEB, and the park district that brought mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers, and trail runners together.  There were group rides and a group run before the mixer and then ate tacos cooked by SOB’s own Robby Myer while socializing during the mixer.

Wildcat Flow Trail: The Wildcat Flow Trail project continues to move forward.  Late in 2025 the EBRPD confirmed approval to proceed with an EIR and approved issuing a contract for that work.  The EIR is expected to be completed in 2026 and will be the next major milestone.

Wildcat Youth Advocacy: BTCEB takes a supporting role in this effort led by Cortis Cooper and Barbara Smith which has activated and engaged about 10 middle and high school students in advocacy focused around the Wildcat Flow trail.   This is one the most important advocacy efforts happening in the East Bay as it is truly developing our advocates of the future as they come of age.

CAMTB: BTCEB continues to participate in and benefit from CAMTB.  We are active on the Advisory Council, through the Legislation  & Government Affairs Committee, and attending Leadership Roundtable sessions.  BTCEB was the top all volunteer organization in their joint bike giveaway fundraising.

Singletrack Summit (Central Region) in Marin: BTCEB was very active with 5 Board members and 2 general members attending.  We were also able to get 4 East Bay Regional Park District staff to attend.  BTCEB led a session with the Stewards of Briones and East Bay Regional Park District on the Briones Pilot Project.   We also had strong participation at the Caballo Rojo Dig Day at Tamarancho.

Sierra Club engagement: Mountain bikers continue to be engaged in the local Sierra Club chapter and saw a revision in the local mountain bike policy and improved relationships with local land managers.  The mountain bikers are engaging on a number of topics besides trails and access for bikes including wildfire risk management and other conservation issues.  

BATC: We continued participation in the Bay Area Trails Collaborative and have participated in group meetings and the trail development committee.  BATC looks at the overall trail network in the Bay Area.  While it has a strong emphasis on active transportation-type trails they are active in influencing and working with government entities.  It is another opportunity to understand and contribute to the broader advocacy and policy landscape.

CA Trails & Greenways: We participated again this year and took in a number of useful sessions related to bike access.  Trails and Greenways continues to see strong attendance by many mountain bike advocacy groups and CAMTB leadership.  It’s a great opportunity to have face-to-face discussions with our clan.  The 2026 Trails and Greenways conference will be in San Ramon.

EBRPD Board Engagement: BTCEB board and members were able to have direct meetings with several of the directors as they were preparing for their annual planning and prioritization workshop.  We took this opportunity to share our top priorities and ask for their support.  We were also able to engage directors, management, and at several board site tours.  We continue to build constructive relationships and have dialogue with both elected decision makers and staff.

EBRPD PAC: Our advocacy director, Scott Bartlebaugh, was appointed to the EBRPD Park Advisory Committee and served the first year of his two year term.  He was also a member of the PAC Finance Committee.  Efforts continue to increase bike supportive membership on the Park Advisory Committee and build positive working relationships with PAC members.  If you might have an interest in becoming a PAC member, let’s talk about how to make that happen.

EBRPD Crockett Hills cattle management: 2025 was another good year with successful rotation of the cattle and avoiding trail damage due to grazing.  This marks the third successful season of rotation of the cattle off the trails during the wet part of the year.  The rehabilitated pond and new well continue to function to provide additional flexibility on cattle rotation.  We continue to advocate with staff and the elected directors on the importance of planning cattle grazing to protect trails while managing fuel loads.

EBRPD Volunteer Trail Work Expansion: BTCEB was in a supporting role for the NICA team efforts in Tilden and Wildcat Canyon parks.  We’ve had some initial discussions with the park supervisor at Chabot Regional Park and hope to hold a work day in 2026.  Crockett Hills staff supported increased access in 2026 for weekday work which helped increase our effort, efficiency, and impact.  We were also asked to participate in the Bay Area Ridge Trail Day of Service in November which connected us with a different segment of the trail community than we normally connect to.  Efforts were made to expand volunteer trail work opportunities in the district parks but progress was minimal.  Efforts are underway for some trail stewardship events with John Muir Land Trust at Fernandez Ranch.  A V-O-Cal Project in Joaquin Miller Park is also in works for 2026.  Work on setting up a Castle Park re-route is also looking like it will come together in 2026.  Progress is being made on several fronts.

John Muir Land Trust: Two more parcels, the Kenneth Gerlack Preserve and Barnett Ranch, have been acquired along Franklin Ridge, and both parcels are expected to open in 2026.  A new singletrack with bike access is in planning for the Gelack Preserve and will hopefully come in 2026.  These acquisitions are one step closer to public access routes that will connect from both Briones and Mt. Wanda to Fernandez Ranch.

JMP & FOSC: BTCEB and Friends Of Sausal Creek held a joint trail work day in Joaquin Miller Park addressing both trail and conservation issues, including re-routing the top of Orchard Trail.  This was our first collaborative effort at this scale with FOSC.

BTCEB Advocacy Committee: Our advocacy committee continues to meet regularly to stay up to speed with our annual plan and to further engage additional people in advocacy efforts.  The BTCEB Strategic plan includes an effort to help expand our base of active members to help make our advocacy sustainable into the future.

California State Parks – Classification Process: We attended several in person and virtual meetings about the classification process for Alameda-Tesla and expanded our communications efforts to inform our community and to activate them to participate in the process.  In 2026 we expect to see a staff recommendation on the park classification go to the California State Parks Commission for their review and decision.  We continue to work closely with CAMTB on this project.

Mount Diablo Trails Alliance: We continue to stay in contact with and support the Mount Diablo Trails Alliance team which became a formal 501(c)3 non-profit in 2025.  They continued their trail stewardship work in 2025 and readied ambitious plans for trail stewardship, implementation of key bike access elements of the Roads and Trails Management Plan, additional change in use requests, and a trail etiquette program.  

This work was all done by volunteers.  We ask for your support of this work by becoming a BTCEB member today if you’re not already a member.   If you’re already a member, thank you!  If you’d like to become more active in our advocacy efforts please reach out via advocacy@btceb.org.  Supporting our organization via membership management, event support, and communications is also fundamental to our advocacy.  Please reach out if those are areas you are interested in helping or if you’d like to help in some other way.   

While we are currently all volunteers we are working out a plan that will likely include paid staff to assist in increasing our advocacy capabilities, our trail stewardship, and community building.  Watch for more in 2026 as we develop this strategic effort.  ‘Til then, Happy Trails!

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

Advocacy Call to Action: CNRA Trail User Survey

The California Natural Resources Agency is conducting a trails survey.  This information will be part of the information that informs how the funds from CA Proposition 4 Climate Bonds that earmarked for trails and access will be distributed.  It’s important that we show up, speak up, and make it clear that more resources are needed for trails in the East Bay and, in particular, for mountain biking trails.  Their survey is open until the end of February.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

Let’s support the Access Petition and 2026 Work Plan from Mount Diablo Trails Alliance

Mount Diablo Trails Alliance is out of the gate in 2026 at warp speed: buckle up and hang on!  They’ve got a petition to show support for Change In Use (CIU) to expand mountain bike access and their Trails 2035 Strategic Plan, a full slate of trail dig days scheduled for this spring, and a full 2026 work plan including rolling out a trail etiquette program.

First up, go sign their access petition now, and then come back to this article.   The petition is a response to the question of how you will hold the land manager accountable to making the changes to expand mountain bike access included in the 2016 Roads and Trails Management Plan (RTMP).  It is intended to be a show of public support from a broad base of varied user types.  Once again, we’re all advocates and are part of the broadest trail community.  So, if you didn’t go a few seconds ago to sign the petition please GO NOW!

Next, they’ve got their highly popular dig days which help advance the RTMP action plan and some additional CIU requests.  At the very least they improve trails, reduce environmental impact, and build trail community.

Look for more from MDTA later in the year regarding trail etiquette for Responsible Recreation. Trails belong to us all whether we’re experiencing them on wheels, in boots, or on the back of a horse.  There’s room for us all and we’ve got so much more in common than our differences.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

What’s In Your Pack?

Just a little different, not completely different …

Here’s the third in what is now officially a series of “What’s In Your Pack?” articles. It’s not completely different than Rebecca’s pack contents and not quite as extensively dedicated to trail work as Scott’s pack contents, but it might be more extensive than your average MTB rider’s pack because I’m a NICA coach for the Skyline High School MTB team, so I’m probably carrying more First Aid gear, food, tools, and spare parts than the average MTB rider.

Here’s what is pictured:

Camelbak TORO 8 pack: I won this in a gold sprints contest a few years ago at a NorCal league fundraiser, so I didn’t actually select it myself, but it’s comfortable and carries a fair amount of gear. I cut off the waist belt and removed one of the two sternum straps, which probably reduces the effectiveness of its built-in back protector but makes it more convenient to wear.

First Aid gear: I carry an aluminum foldable splint, still in its plastic covering because I haven’t needed to use it — and hope that, by carrying it, I may never need to use it! The Mountain Hardwear fabric face mask is a holdover from coaching during COVID, and I sometimes wear it when riding very dusty trails in the summer months because the dust often triggers my asthma. My first aid kit includes a set of tweezers (my most frequently used piece of first aid gear on MTB rides), a tourniquet, bandages and Band Aids, several precut lengths of tubular stockinette to hold bandages in place on arms and legs, trauma shears, and the typical Benadryl, Ibuprofen, etc.

Small stuff sack with dog poop bags: sometimes I ride with my dog, but there’s always dog poop from other dogs to pick up — I think of it like advocacy for dogs to use trails.

Paper map: I carry my iPhone too but the battery doesn’t last forever and there isn’t always enough signal on the trails to rely on it for navigation. I don’t always carry a paper map, but I like having one as a backup.

BTCEB stickers and cards: you know the question, “What’s BTCEB?”

Pocket chainsaw: works best with another person, and surprisingly effective for clearing medium-sized fallen trees.

Food: usually some blocks and bars, maybe some cashews and raisins. I’m far more likely to have pickles with me than candy.

ALMSTHRE compact frame bag: holds most of the tools I carry, which reduces the weight of my backpack and saves room for more food, water, First Aid gear and the pocket chainsaw.

Tire levers: I like the big levers from Pedro’s because I’ve broken too many of the smaller ones.

Spare brake pads and a set of cleat bolts: since taking this photo I’ve used one of the cleat bolts when a student was missing a cleat bolt at the beginning of our first lap of the day at China Camp.

Dynaplug kit: for plugging punctures in tubeless tires.

CO₂ cartridges and inflator head: I prefer the reliability of a pump, but CO2 is faster — when it works — and is more effective at reseating a tubeless tire.

Patch kit and extra vulcanizing cement: tubeless tires mean the patch kit doesn’t doesn’t get used very often, and that means the tube of cement in the patch kit is likely to be dried out when you need to use it!

Multitools: I carry a few of these. One has more tools and includes a chain breaker, but its Allen wrenches are too short to reach the limit screws on some MTB rear derailleurs. The other tool has longer Allen wrenches — and sometimes you actually need two separate tools (like for the pinch bolts on some dropper levers). Another multitool has pliers and a pocket knife blade: I added this one after I really wished I’d had a pair of pliers while reshaping a mangled disc brake pad spring for a student’s bike at the top of the Soquel Demonstration Forest flow trails. On that day I squeezed the mangled spring between adjacent Allen wrenches in the only multitool I was carrying … and it worked, but a real set of pliers would have gotten us back on the trail a lot faster!

Wolf Tooth master link pliers with two spare quick links: a bit redundant, but they’re pretty lightweight, have storage for two spare quick links, and have come in useful on more than one occasion.

Pen: just in case.

Spoke wrench: less important in the age of disc brakes, but still helpful to fix a wobbly wheel.

Valve core removal tool: perhaps redundant, but often useful when student athletes show up for rides with a flat tubeless tires because their pump unscrewed their valve core a little bit.

Shock pump: this one is really small and lightweight and doesn’t have a gauge, but it’s really useful when someone really needs some more air in a fork or a rear shock in the middle of a ride.

Spare shift cable: actually 2 spare shift cables on the day I took this photo, though I’ve since used one of them on a ride to fix a student’s dropper post. I’ve fixed a few dropper posts and a few rear derailleurs mid-ride by carrying spare cables.

Not pictured, but always attached to my bike: a USB rechargeable taillight, a pump, a couple of spare tubes, and a couple of boots cut from old tubular road racing tires. These work a lot better than Clif bar wrappers or dollar bills and I’ve given many of them away to riders with sidewall cuts or even tread slashes. Ask me if you ever want some for yourself, or cut them from some old road tires on your own.

Not pictured, but added to my pack for most rides depending on weather and terrain: gloves, sunglasses, wind jacket or vest, lights, a water bladder or Platypus soft bottle, and even a water filter for long backcountry rides where the only options for refilling water bottles are streams or lakes.

I’ve never weighed the individual items I carry (and don’t even know how much my bike weighs), but I knew somebody would ask, so I weighed my pack and frame bag filled just with the items in the photo and got 2.2 kg for the backpack and .7 kg for the frame bag. That’s a total of 2.9 kg, so a little over 6 pounds. A bit more than Rebecca’s lightweight pack, but a little less than half the weight of Scott’s pack.

So what’s in your pack?

Brian Glueck, Communications Director

2026 BTCEB Board of Director Elections

Are you passionate about mountain biking?  Would you like to be part of advocacy, trail work, and expanding access for mountain bikers in the East Bay? Well then, come join our Board of Directors!

The Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) will be holding elections for several Board of Director positions at our February 2026 meeting.  We encourage all interested members to consider applying for one of our openings. We are specifically recruiting for Communications Director, Membership Director, Advocacy Director and Secretary along with openings for Board Members at Large.

We are looking for self-motivated, creative individuals who have fresh ideas about what mountain biking in the East Bay could be. Interested? Fill out this form. Interested in more than one position?  No problem — you can apply for more than one! Want more information about a position?  Shoot us an email at nominations@btceb.org.

BTCEB is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1987 by a dedicated group of volunteers who successfully fought the planned closure of almost all bike trails in the East Bay! We are the oldest mountain bike advocacy group in the United States and one of the founding clubs of IMBA. Our mission is to educate cyclists in responsible mountain biking, to advocate for appropriate access and to promote community among trail users so all may fully enjoy and preserve the natural spaces of the East Bay.

Applicants for board positions must be current dues paying BTCEB members (you may join now if your membership is not current). Terms of office will be two years and BOD members should be available to attend our monthly board meetings currently held via Google Meet on the first Wednesday of each month. There will also be opportunities to contribute to our monthly social rides, advocate for increased access to trails, and develop and maintain trails in East Bay parks through our board committees. 

If you would like to be a part of the movement to free the singletrack, please let us know of your interest by completing our Google Form by February 1, 2026. You’ll be invited to attend our BOD meeting by Google hangout on Wednesday, February 4 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM to meet us, introduce yourself and talk about why you’d like to participate in the Bicycle Trails Council Board of Directors.