By Helen Burke
In recognition of his consistent dedication to environmental protection, park creation, and public service, John Sutter is receiving the Sierra Club’s prestigious Trailblazer Award on September 21st at the 9th annual David Brower Dinner gala.
As a young boy in Oakland, John learned to appreciate the outdoors through family trips to the majestic, tree-studded Sierra mountains. Being close to nature led him to believe that it is not enough for cities to offer jobs, commerce and housing; he felt the need to provide open space and parks as well. This belief formed the basis of a lifelong commitment to protecting our natural resources and creating parks to bring Bay Area residents close to nature.
In 1965, John was appointed by Governor Pat Brown to the original state body – The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission — to stop the filling of the Bay for land development. In 1967 he initiated the creation of the new park at the foot of the Bay Bridge by advocating that part of the Oakland army base be turned into a park should the base close, which it did. This became Gateway Regional Shoreline.
Also in the 1960s, John headed the Bay Area Greenbelt Alliance, which was concerned about the loss of open space to urban sprawl and advocated open space concerns in city, county and regional planning. From 2008 to 2016 John sat on the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority which placed a $12 parcel tax on the 2016 ballot; it passed and now funds restoration of Bay wetlands and helps protect the Bay from rising sea levels.
John served on the Oakland City Council from 1971 to 1982, as Alameda County Superior Court Judge from 1982 to 1996, and on the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board from 1998 to 2018.
After a lifetime dedicated to environmental activism, John is winning accolades. On March 29, 2019, the EBRPD Board — on which John sat for 20 years – voted to rename Gateway Regional Shoreline as the Judge John Sutter Shoreline to recognize his leadership in establishing the park. And on September 21st, he will receive the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter's Trailblazer Award at the 9th annual David Brower Dinner gala (tickets available here).
Congratulations John!
Photo: In 1971, John Sutter ran for Oakland City Council, calling for a shoreline park at what is now the Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline Park. (Courtesy of John Sutter)