Citizens for East Shore Parks

Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP) is a United States environmental organization that focuses on the acquisition and preservation of parkland in the San Francisco Bay Area.

CESP works to protect open space along the East Bay shoreline for natural habitat and recreational purposes through a combination of advocacy, education, and outreach.

Since its founding in 1985, CESP has worked to secure approximately 1,800 acres (730 ha) of public land, primarily through the creation of the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) long Eastshore State Park in 2002.

They include Tom Bates, Robert Cheasty, Shirley Dean, Whitney Dotson, Norman La Force, and Sylvia McLaughlin, among others.

[1] Controversially, the CESP and Sierra Club vision for Eastshore State Park (its "Conservation and Habitat Restoration Plan," which was also distributed under the names of Golden Gate Audubon Society and Save the Bay) would have restricted recreation on North Point Isabel.

The 8.5-mile (13.7 km) long park spans the Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, Albany and Richmond waterfronts, and preserves more than 2,000 acres (810 ha) of uplands and tidelands—also home to sixteen species of rare, threatened, or endangered wildlife.

As part of the North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance, CESP urged the East bay Regional Park District to acquire the property.

CESP brought its allies together to successfully fight for the creation of a regional sports complex at the shoreline as an adjunct to the Eastshore State Park.

CESP continues to support the development and operation of the Eastshore State Park, including habitat restoration and the creation of public amenities.

[4] Although a few issues (such as design and cost) remain unresolved, CESP has been working in conjunction with local and state park agencies to provide valued public input for the ongoing planning process.

CESP is working with local residents to adopt a plan that would environmentally restore the site and incorporate it into the Eastshore State Park, while also addressing the need for responsible development.

The developer Upstream currently has plans to build a large-scale Indian casino and resort on this historic part of the shoreline, with far-reaching implications.

In 2008, CESP began publishing a periodic newsletter entitled Shore Lines, focusing on developments in the Eastshore State Park and Richmond.