Who We Are

OUR MISSION

is to maintain and enhance the quality of life in the greater Riverside area by maximizing the preservation of the region's scenic hills and greenbelt, its ridgelines, arroyos, and wildlife corridors and recreational trails.

Since 2000 Friends Of Riverside's Hills has...

Safeguarded City of Riverside voter initiatives R & C in preserving natural and agricultural lands

Measure R (passed by voters in 1979) had the goal of “preserving riverside's citrus and agricultural lands, its unique hills, arroyos, and Victoria Avenue” but many believed that it was being undermined by subsequent actions of the City Council, leading to a second measure, Measure C, that passed in 1987, “to facilitate preservation of riverside's citrus and agricultural lands, its scenic hills, ridgelines, arroyos and wildlife areas” and, importantly, removed the ability of the City Council to amend the provisions of these measures.

Measure R required that all property having an average natural slope of 15 percent or more be zoned RC (Residential Conservation). We have commented extensively on projects that failed to follow the requirements imposed by RC zoning, and filed suit on many of the worst, including the original case to protect “Coyote Hill” that brought FRH into existence in 2000. We filed suit opposing a City-approved housing development on Coyote Hill, an unofficial name for the hill bordered by Watkins Drive and the UCR natural open space, and won our case. The hill is still undeveloped but is still vulnerable.

Helped preserve 900 acres in the Box Springs Mountains Reserve

FRH purchased and donated 164 acres to Box Springs Mountain Reserve reaching from the “C” down to the railroad tracks, facilitated a donation of a further 16 acres by the Mulla family, partnered with the Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) of western Riverside County in purchasing 370 acres near the top of the mountains and establishing a conservation easement over a further 350 acres, plus we partnered with the Block family to add 4 acres to Islander Park on the City side of the tracks next to the Reserve. These actions were made possible through our legal settlement in July 2013 with the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) concerning the development of the Perris Valley Line Metrolink Project.

Protected Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park

As development has encroached up to the edge of this valuable 1500-acre wilderness park within the City of Riverside, FRH has worked to minimize the impacts. We have had to litigate multiple times to protect the only remaining potential wildlife linkage from the Park (at its northern edge) to the Box Springs Mountains. We also negotiated the addition of 6.2 acres to the southern edge of the park (in joint litigation with Center for Biological Diversity, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club), established requirements for using only local native plants in the landscaping around some of the warehouses surrounding the park. We review landscaping plans to ensure invasive species are not planted near the park and encourage removal of invasive landscaping plants when they have been planted in City projects.

Enhanced habitat and invasive species control

Invasive species threaten habitat for native plants and wildlife. FRH has funded invasive species removal projects in parks and reserves of both the City of Riverside and Riverside County. Invasive castor bean and tree tobacco was removed from Two Trees Canyon in the Box Springs Mountains following a wildfire. A large stand of the of highly invasive Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) was removed from the edge of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park in collaboration with the California Native Plant Society, Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter and Rivers and Lands Conservancy.

Protected arroyos from encroaching development

We have promoted the protection of our arroyos in several ways, including:

a. FRH has filed suit on projects along the Alessandro, Prenda and Springbrook Arroyos to prevent development within the arroyo boundaries and setback protected by the grading ordinance of the City of Riverside. Too often these important protections are overridden by local politicians.

b. FRH in collaboration with CNPS identified an important wetland area in the proposed Ryan Bonaminio Park that resulted in its preservation and restoration, helped by a small FRH grant for plants.

c. When a road crossing of an arroyo is necessary, we have advocated for requiring a small bridge that allows the free flow of water and movement of wildlife along the arroyo, instead of the developer-favored pipe that is then covered in fill.

Established and improved trails

We have promoted the protection of our arroyos in several ways, including:

b. FRH in collaboration with CNPS identified an important wetland area in the proposed Ryan Bonaminio Park that resulted in its preservation and restoration, helped by a small FRH grant for plants.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT - Gurumantra Khalsa

Gurumantra Khalsa is a founding member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills. Gurumantra has a long history of community organizing (e.g. University Neighborhood Association, Neighbors Better Together) and has a particular interest in efforts to develop regenerative local food systems (e.g. Grow Riverside, Riverside Food Systems Alliance, Riverside County’s Healthy Communities Food Access Plan). Other projects include publisher of Nutrition News, and Executive Director of World Be Well, a not-for-profit, conservation and community development organization.

CFO - Arlee Montalvo

Arlee Montalvo is a founding member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills and a longtime Riverside resident. She holds a BA and MA in Botany and a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology. Arlee served on a standing committee for the City and County of Riverside that produced a 2006 policy document on protecting Riverside’s watersheds and arroyos. She worked for 16 years as restoration ecologist for a local Resource Conservation District and has written extensively on genetically appropriate plant materials for native planting projects. She also serves on the board of the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

SECRETARY - Leonard Nunney

Leonard (Len) Nunney is a founding member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills and a University of California-Riverside Professor specializing in applied evolution. His research includes studying conservation strategies that maximize the ability of threatened species to adapt to climate change. In the 1990s, he was a member of the scientific advisory committee of the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan.

DIRECTOR - Nicolas Barth

Nicolas Barth is an Associate Professor of Geology at UC Riverside and has been a Riverside resident for a decade. He is particularly passionate about outdoor recreation areas, sustainable trail designs, and access to open space. Nicolas currently serves on the board of the Riverside County Parks Foundation and as a commissioner for the 5th District on the Riverside Parks District Advisory Commission.

DIRECTOR - Kevin Dawson

Kevin Dawson is a lifelong community and environmental advocate with a B.A. in History from UC Riverside. He serves as co-chair of the University Neighborhood Association and as the Ward 2 City Parks Commissioner, where he works to protect and expand green spaces. Kevin is dedicated to sustainable urban planning, open space preservation, and fostering stronger community connections to the environment.

DIRECTOR - Scott Simpson

Scott Simpson has been a member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills since 2014 and is a fifty-year Riverside resident. He retired from the California Department of Toxic Substance Control. Scott is a California water rights activist who supports many non-profit organizations, including as a Member of Neighbors Better Together, Reform Riverside, Old Riverside Foundation, and Riverside Renovators.

DIRECTOR - Michele Wise-Simpson

Michele Wise-Simpson has been a member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills since 2018 and a resident of Riverside since 2015. She retired from AT&T working as an auditor and engineer. She lives in her restored Victorian home, Marmalade Manor, which gives historic home tours and hosts non-profit events. She is also involved with Neighbors Better Together, Old Riverside Foundation, Riverside Renovators, and the UFDC Endowment Committee. Michele is passionate about preserving Riverside’s historic architecture, citrus culture, and native habitat.

MEMBER EMERITUS - Richard Block

Richard Block is a founding member of Friends of Riverside’s Hills and a Distinguish Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of California- Riverside. Richard has long been an advocate for Riverside's open spaces and, along with his wife Jane, was particularly instrumental in the initial designation of the Box Springs Mountain Reserve over 50 years ago.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse