East Bay 2049

John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) was founded in 1989. Since then you and other generous supporters have conserved 3,500 glorious acres of land in the East Bay. We’re just getting started. Even though we live in one of the country’s most bustling metropolitan areas, our home remains a place of remarkable natural beauty. That’s because people like you made this possible. Over the past century waves of population growth have been met by equally forceful waves of conservation. JMLT marked our 30th anniversary in 2019 by examining our role in the storied history of conservation in the East Bay, and by looking 30 years ahead.

Our conclusion? We owe a profound debt to foresighted people who came before us. With them, we share an obligation to generations yet to come. We hope you enjoy reading this reflection on how we got here and where we’re going—together. 

Read 30 YEARS AHEAD: A Brief History Of The Future. 

Some key takeaways:

• Foresighted people shaped the abundantly natural landscape where we live today
• The lands protected by JMLT are an inspiring window into that past
• The challenges of waves of population growth in the past century were huge
• Population pressure will be even more intense in the next few decades
• We urgently need to protect remaining vulnerable lands
• It is an endgame; the next few decades will shape the East Bay forever
• We need to protect the remaining large parcels of essential wild lands
• We need to ensure that urban neighborhoods have great places for getting outside
• The work ahead won’t be without challenges, but we can do it
• Our success so far shows just how rewarding this will be!