On a November ballot that includes candidates for everything from the White House to Napa County Superior Court, local voters will weigh in on the first contested election for a spot on the recently-created Napa County Parks and Open Space District.

Guy Kay, the former St. Helena City Councilman who represents ward three — including St. Helena, Calistoga and a large swath of the eastern county — is being challenged by Lake Berryessa Chamber of Commerce leader Peter Kilkus.

In deciding to run, Kilkus said he wants the county and local residents to be more aware of and active in the Berryessa area, and he said there are many opportunities to develop recreational areas near the lake.

At the top of Kilkus’ list is restoration of Camp Berryessa, a former Boy Scout camp that he would like to see restored as an environmental education center and family camp. The park and open space district is taking bids that include four scenarios on how to develop the site.

Other projects Kilkus would like to see developed include potential parks on a 50-acre parcel at Berryessa Estates and a 224-acre piece of land, called Berryessa Vista, that the district purchased from Land Trust of Napa County at the south end of the lake. The site is across from the Capell Valley boat launch ramp.

“There is no way to get to it but by water, which is cool,” said Kilkus. “It would be great for kayakers,” he added, noting it would take time before the area was accessible to the public.

He also said people living near Moskowite Corners would like to see a more traditional family park there, but said “that is more long term.”

Kilkus is president of Berryessa Environmental Management Systems, editor of the Lake Berryessa News and is an executive director at the Lake Berryessa Chamber of Commerce. From 1999 to 2004, he served on the San Anselmo Town Council and was mayor one year.

Kay’s credentials

Kay has a long history of involvement in Napa County land use and politics. A lifelong hiker who for many years was a leader at Beringer Vineyards, Kay has served on the St. Helena Planning Commission, St. Helena City Council, Napa County Planning Commission and the Napa County Local Agency Formation Commission.

“I think I have the credentials to do a good job. I have 25 years or more in public service in Napa County,” Kay said.

He said his work over the years with local, county and state agencies gives him a strong foundation to help the parks district, which works to seek funding and land through grants and by working with a variety of public and private landowners.

Kay said one of the goals that motivated him to seek creation of the parks district is the fact that agricultural lands around the state are giving ground to urban development.

“We are losing ag land at an extraordinary rate ... the ability to provide food can’t be done without ag land. So we need people to support ag and open space,” said Kay. Kay believes that to get the general electorate to appreciate and support the ag preserve, the public must have access to open lands.

All running

The Napa County Open Space and Parks District was created when the voters approved Measure I in 2006. At the same time, the voters approved the agency’s first board of directors, all of whom ran uncontested. The parks and open space boundaries are the same as the Napa County Board of Supervisors.

All five park district board members are up for re-election this fall, and all incumbents said they are running. This includes Harold Kelly in ward one, Tony Norris in ward two, Kay in ward three, David Finigan in ward four and Myrna Abramowicz in ward five.

In an effort to stagger the parks board elections in the long term, this time the candidates for wards one and five will run for two-year seats, while the candidates in wards two, three and four will seek four-year terms.

The deadline for candidates to declare their candidacy is Aug. 13.

John Woodbury, director of the Napa County Parks and Open Space District, said the two-year-old agency is working on a master plan that should be ready by early fall. The document will help the district outline some of projects it hopes to make progress on in the next five years.

Projects undertaken by the district during its brief tenure include the Napa River/Bay Trail between American Canyon and Green Island Road and work to improve the Oat Hill Mine Trail.

Woodbury said a consulting firm is doing a feasibility study on Camp Berryessa — the former Boy Scout camp — and that the district has identified the goal of turning Berryessa Vista into a wilderness park.

“Overall I’m very happy with the way things are going,” Woodbury said.