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Access to open space is not a luxury; it is essential to healthy people and communities. Doolan Canyon represents one of the most significant opportunities in our region to meet this need.
For years, public agencies and community partners have worked thoughtfully to preserve this landscape: protecting habitat, safeguarding ridgelines, and ensuring that this land remains open for future generations. That work deserves recognition, but preservation alone is not the end of the story.
Without public access, Doolan Canyon remains out of reach for the very communities that have invested in its protection.
Today, we have a clear and practical path forward: the acquisition and development of the Gosselin easement.
Property owner Larry Gosselin, whose land sits just east of Doolan Canyon, has long sought to partner with the East Bay Regional Park District to provide safe parking and access into the preserve. “Nearly 20 years ago, I met with the Schmitz family, open space advocates, and supportive officials to imagine a loop trail,” Gosselin recalls.
This modest but critical investment would establish a staging area and create the first viable public access point into the canyon. In doing so, it would unlock a broader vision, one where residents from across the Tri-Valley can connect with nature, recreate and experience the landscape that defines our region.
This is not a new idea. Funding has been proposed, partnerships explored and plans discussed for decades. In fact, the use of Altamont Open Space Funds for this project was approved in 2017, though those funds were ultimately not used and later returned. What is needed now is follow-through. The pieces are in place, and the opportunity is clear.
This moment calls for partnership. EBRPD has long been a steward of open space throughout our region, and Doolan Canyon is a natural extension of that legacy. By moving forward with the Gosselin easement, the district can deliver a project that is regionally significant, locally supported, and long overdue.
As Gosselin puts it, “I remain ready to work with regional partners to finally provide safe, responsible access to Doolan Canyon from Collier Canyon.”
Recent progress underscores this momentum. The transfer of approximately 5 acres of the Olsen property from the City of Livermore to EBRPD, located just south of the Doolan Canyon Road entrance, marks another important step toward making public access a reality.
In many ways, the Gosselin easement is the missing piece that transforms Doolan Canyon from a land bank into a living, accessible resource. The benefits are clear: expanded recreational access, stronger regional connectivity and a visible example of collaboration between agencies working toward a shared goal.
Opportunities like this do not come often. The groundwork has been laid. The need is evident. The community is ready.
Now is the time to act.
I urge the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors to move forward with the acquisition and development of the Gosselin easement and to partner with local jurisdictions to bring Doolan Canyon to life as a regional asset we can all share.
The EBRPD board will discuss Doolan Canyon access and next steps at its meeting next Tuesday (April 7). This is a meaningful opportunity for the public to engage and help shape the future of this landscape. Community members can attend in person, join via Zoom, or submit written comments in advance at ebparks.org/calendar/public-meetings
Together, we can ensure that the open spaces we have worked so hard to protect are also places where people can gather, explore, and connect with nature and with one another.
Editor’s note: Evan Branning is serving in his fourth year on the Livermore City Council, representing District 1. He is a former member of the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Foundation Board of Trustees.
