Previous Award Winners

Save Mount Diablo's Mountain Star Awards
presented by Dave & Dana Dornsife

2009 Winners: Weston Cook - Landowner Award
                     Bob Marx - Leadership Award

Weston Cook
2009 Mountain Star Landowner Award
To recognize Landowners who demonstrate great generosity in preserving their land.

Fox Ridge Manor is a 221 acre property – literally a mile wide – fronting Briones Valley Road south of Antioch.  It is an incredibly strategic property between Roddy Ranch Open Space and the new Los Meganos State Historic Park.  An important wildlife corridor and recreational gap in its own right, Fox Ridge is also almost half of one of just two remaining gaps in a 60 mile circle of open space we call the Diablo Grand Loop.  This beautiful property is home to a variety of endangered species and is crossed by the sinuous Briones Valley Creek before it flows to the new State Park.

Save Mount Diablo usually gives Landowner Awards to long time landowners who have grown to love their land over decades or half centuries and then help to protect them.  This case is different.  This wasn’t a long time landowner or a big developer – this was a partnership of five families who wanted to build homes for themselves when they bought the property in 2000.  Weston Cook was one of the partners.  In October 2000 the partners proposed a subdivision to create five 40+ acre parcels for their homes, and Save Mount Diablo responded.  After years of work, disagreements and cooperation, Weston led his partners to an environmental compromise which would have allowed the five homes, while donating 90% of the property to the East Bay Regional Park District.  We announced the agreement in June 2005.  Weston should be lauded for that accomplishment but the story doesn’t end there. 

The partners were unable to make the subdivision work for a variety of technical reasons related to wells and septic fields – some of them probably because of the small area on which it was agreed development could take place.  It would have been very easy for Weston and the partners to blame Save Mount Diablo, the County, or environmentalists in general.  They could have reapplied for the larger parcels or sold the property for a single large house.  Instead Weston Cook came to understand our goals in preserving an important wildlife and recreational corridor.  

Rather than walk away from a bad investment or simply sell the property, Weston bought out his partners and allowed the East Bay Regional Park District the time to option the property at his cost – which turned out to be $200,000 less than market value – and to raise funds.  Using grants and loans from the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy and other sources, the Park District will acquire the entire 221 acre property by the end of this year.

Bob Marx
2009 Mountain Star Leadership Award
To recognize individuals who have made difficult and visionary contributions

Bob Marx began working with Save Mount Diablo (SMD) in 1993 and served on the Board of Directors from 1997 until 2004.   A San Ramon Valley resident, Bob is an equestrian who’s ridden for almost fifty years.  He’s completed the 100-mile Western States Trail Ride, or Tevis Cup, eight times.

Bob joined the SMD Board because he wanted to make sure the organization reached out to new constituencies, beginning with equestrians:  "I used to ride on farmers' land in Wisconsin, but you had to stick to fence lines and access was difficult from one farm to the next. I was really happy to get involved in preserving the mountain.  I love Mount Diablo for its isolated majestic beauty, for its variety of species and terrain, and for its vistas. Diablo has among the best access of any urban area for equestrians and other recreational users. I can ride for days if I want.  I'm most proud of Save Mount Diablo's dedication to expansion of public lands all around the mountain to allow for greater recreational opportunities."  Bob served on the SMD’s Board of Directors, the Development Committee and on various events committees, and has been a key player in founding several of our events, such as the Diablo Trail Endurance Ride, for which his company is a sponsor. 

Beyond his work with the equestrian community, though, Bob believed that for the organization to grow and to achieve far more preservation at a faster pace, we would have to build many more personal relationships.  For example, he proposed and founded Moonlight on the Mountain, sharing one of his favorite spots on the mountain, rightfully imagining that a special event here at the China Wall would help convey SMD’s mission.  He has fostered many important connections—including several of the current members of our Board of Directors—and has helped to preserve a variety of Mt. Diablo properties.

Even after he retired from the Board of Directors, Bob and his wife Joan have continued their involvement with SMD, as generous supporters, as volunteers and in aid whenever we’ve asked, most importantly in making significant connections between SMD and others who could help us in our work. 

Recently Bob had to deal with health challenges, yet at this writing, just before our annual Endurance Ride, he has nonetheless committed to his usual role as our chief ambassador at the event he created.

For his incredibly positive attitude and hard work, for originating several of SMD’s signature events including Moonlight on the Mountain, for building bridges throughout the community, for helping to expand our efforts and our influence, Save Mount Diablo awards Bob Marx a Mountain Star Leadership Award.

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