County parks director Mary Burns moves on to Sonoma County County parks director Mary Burns moves on to Sonoma County (November 10, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

San Mateo County's 16 parks have made tremendous progress in the six years since Mary Burns came on board as director of parks and recreation.

That message came across clearly at Wunderlich Park last week as about 40 park supporters gathered to thank Ms. Burns for her contributions to the county's parks, and wish her well in her new job as director of Sonoma County's regional parks.

"If you scratch Mary, she bleeds green," said Supervisor Rich Gordon.

Ms. Burns brought huge experience and knowledge of parks when she came from managing San Francisco's parks in 1998, said Julia Bott, executive director of the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation. "She has made a real impact on our park system."

For example, the private foundation, which was formed during Ms. Burns' tenure and with her support, has so far raised $3.6 million for county parks.

A long resolution and several speakers highlighted other contributions by Ms. Burns to the park system: master planning for individual parks including Edgewood and for weed management and eradication; expansion of volunteer efforts; establishment of friends groups to support Huddart, Wunderlich and other parks; and development of environmental education programs.

Last year 2,500 volunteers contributed 30,000 hours to county parks, Ms. Burns said proudly.

But Ms. Burns has faced severe cutbacks over the last three years as the parks budget shrank by 40 percent and rangers went from 62 to 51 in five years.

"I feel conflicted," Ms. Burns said, but added, "Sonoma County will be a better fit for me."

In Sonoma County, Ms. Burns will oversee a larger park system that is still expanding. And voters in the county have allocated money specifically for parks.

Ms. Burns highlighted two main challenges for San Mateo County parks: replacing a staff that is aging and retiring; and securing funds specifically dedicated to parks.

Retirements represent a tremendous brain drain, she said. "How do we replace people to be leadership over the next 20 years?"

Ms. Burns also stressed the need to obtain long-term funding for parks. San Mateo County is one of two in the Bay Area that has no outside source of funds earmarked specifically for parks, she noted.

A team of park supporters in the county is working on a proposal for legislation to allow formation of a countywide special park district. If approved by county voters, such a district could coordinate park and recreation activities within the county and its cities, and -- more important - could raise more money to maintain and improve county and city parks.

Not all Ms. Burns' efforts in San Mateo County were bureaucratic. She referred to a field encounter with three pit bulls and a guy toting a chainsaw, and her highly publicized effort to evict squatters from their tree houses. "I do intend to write a book some day," she said.

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