ADVOCATING FOR A NATURAL, SAFE, AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE SINCE 1957

Latest Highlander

Newsletter

Our most recent Issue:

July, 2025

 

Public

Meetings

Our next public meeting is July 30, 2025 at 7:00pm

Understanding and Improving Communications in the Santa Cruz Mountains: a survey of technology solutions for our challenging environment

This is a Zoom only meeting.

Zoom meeting login and more info.

We all recognize the need for better cell and internet service. The RBDA will host a presentation and an expert panel discussion led by Tammie Weigl, Director of Information Services for Santa Cruz County, dedicated to bringing us up to date on the state of the communications technologies (broadband, cellular, satellite) and infrastructure that we depend on to make calls and connect online. Join us to learn about:

  • The difficulties presented by our challenging terrain, living in the Wildland-urban Interface
    (WUI)
  • The technologies in use today and tomorrow
  • The County’s role and activities in improving the situation; opportunities, challenges
  • What progress can we expect in the future

The RBDA

Advocates for You

Measure Q

The Santa Cruz County Safe Drinking Water, Clean Beaches, Wildfire Risk Reduction, and Wildlife Protection Initiative (Measure Q) was approved by voters in November 2024. It is funded by a tax of $87 per year on each parcel. Out of the $7 million estimated annual revenue, 40% will be allocated to Countywide environmental needs, 20% to incorporated cities (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola), 20% to unincorporated areas of the County for targeted improvements, and 20% to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County and a land stewardship partner.
In June 2025, the County held a series of 5 public meetings for public input on how to prioritize funds by project topic (such as watersheds or wildfire reduction) and location (such as individual watersheds). The public comment period ended July 3. More details about Measure Q are posted at
https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/MeasureQ/About.aspx. This website will be updated in the coming months to announce the projects selected to receive funding.

LICA

Letters from our community, the RBDA board, and our Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors letter in opposition to the recently introduced State “low-impact”
camping bill AB518 may be having an effect. The bill was not heard in committee on March 13th, as was expected. On March 21st, the RBDA board [DR] had a 30-minute zoom call with Alfonso Gomez, the staff person for Chris Ward (the State Assemblymember who introduced AB518). We listed our numerous objections to the bill detailed in the RBDA report on LICAs and Gomez said they would try to work out a compromise to address our concerns, but he stopped short of specifying how they would change it. We asked him for the date that the Assembly will consider the bill. He thought the Housing Committee would discuss and vote on it in early April, but he wasn’t certain about this; he said he would send us the schedule by email. In the meantime, there is still time to influence the vote. If you haven’t already sent in email opposing AB518, you can find a sample letter and email addresses of the Assembly Housing Committee members here.

Please support us!

The RBDA was founded in 1957 after a group of Dooners organized to successfully fight the creation of a trailer park near the corner of Martin and Pine Flat Roads. They realized they needed to have a formal organization to ward off unwanted development in Bonny Doon, including the subdivision of many areas into 1-acre parcels by a local realtor. In the years since, we’ve continued to actively advocate for Bonny Doon on many different issues. It’s time to renew your membership. Please support the RBDA…or join us if you’re not a member!

Our year in advocacy:

In 2024 we had great success reaching out to residents when the community was threatened by the Low- Impact Camping Ordinance legislation, generating many emails of protest from our active and concerned members. Over 100 residents showed up at the Supervisors meeting to condemn and ultimately kill the county ordinance!

The RBDA also hosted an incredibly popular public meeting on the escalating crisis in home insurance that drew an audience of over 150 concerned citizens. Joining that meeting were many important stakeholders including California’s Insurance Commissioner. This crisis has now been underscored ten times by the devastation our neighbors in Southern California are going through.

We were also active on many other issues of concern to our Bonny Doon community such as the UCSC expansion, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, cell and internet communications, the new Rail Trail and much more.

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Sponsorships: $100 a year (6 issues).

Send check and text to: RBDA, P.O. Box 551Felton, CA 95018

FRANS LANTING STUDIO

Photography Workshops

108 High Road

Santa Cruz CA 95060

831-429-1331

www.lanting.com

MCHENRY VINEYARD

Estate Pinot Noir

Bonny Doon CA 95060 

www.mchenryvineyard.com

530-756-3202

WE DRIVE DOONERS!

24/7 Airport Shuttles, Medical Appointments, City Tours, Emergency Deliveries, and more. All our drivers and cars are pet friendly! Charges vary depending on the service provided, please call us for a price!

Mimi (up to 7 passengers) 310-721-1464

Jackie 831-295-7239

Eliyahu 831-247-9167

Kischka 831-465-6784

THE FLOWER LADIES

Flower Arrangements for Weddings & Special Occasions

www.theflowerladies.com

831-423-0261

HEIDI E. HART, President, CEO

California Dreaming Real Estate

Local / Non-Corporate

myagentheidi@gmail.com

831-247-9410