ACTION ALERT 

AT&T is trying to end land lines.

The AT&T-sponsored Assembly Bill 470 continues to progress through the state legislature and will be heard in the Senate
Appropriations Committee on August 28th. If passed, AB 470 will allow telecommunications providers to shed their Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations, potentially ending land lines in rural areas such as Bonny Doon. The Rural Bonny Doon Association opposes AB 470, or any bill that reduces the minimal communications options we have in the Santa Cruz Mountains, as stated here. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has also written in opposition to AB 470 unless it is significantly modified to protect rural areas. A summary of these points can be found here.
If you object to this bill, please send an email with “opposition to AB 470” in the subject line to these addresses by Wednesday, August 27th.

Measure Q

The Santa Cruz County Safe Drinking Water, Clean Beaches, Wildfire Risk Reduction, and Wildlife Protection Initiative (Measure Q) was approved by voters in November 2024. It is funded by a tax of $87 per year on each parcel. Out of the $7 million estimated annual revenue, 40% will be allocated to Countywide environmental needs, 20% to incorporated cities (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola), 20% to unincorporated areas of the County for targeted improvements, and 20% to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County and a land stewardship partner.
In June 2025, the County held a series of 5 public meetings for public input on how to prioritize funds by project topic (such as watersheds or wildfire reduction) and location (such as individual watersheds). The public comment period ended July 3. More details about Measure Q are posted at
https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/MeasureQ/About.aspx. This website will be updated in the coming months to announce the projects selected to receive funding.

Please support us!

The RBDA was founded in 1957 after a group of Dooners organized to successfully fight the creation of a trailer park near the corner of Martin and Pine Flat Roads. They realized they needed to have a formal organization to ward off unwanted development in Bonny Doon, including the subdivision of many areas into 1-acre parcels by a local realtor. In the years since, we’ve continued to actively advocate for Bonny Doon on many different issues. It’s time to renew your membership. Please support the RBDA…or join us if you’re not a member!

Our year in advocacy:

In 2024 we had great success reaching out to residents when the community was threatened by the Low- Impact Camping Ordinance legislation, generating many emails of protest from our active and concerned members. Over 100 residents showed up at the Supervisors meeting to condemn and ultimately kill the county ordinance!

The RBDA also hosted an incredibly popular public meeting on the escalating crisis in home insurance that drew an audience of over 150 concerned citizens. Joining that meeting were many important stakeholders including California’s Insurance Commissioner. This crisis has now been underscored ten times by the devastation our neighbors in Southern California are going through.

We were also active on many other issues of concern to our Bonny Doon community such as the UCSC expansion, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, cell and internet communications, the new Rail Trail and much more.