For Immediate UseContact: Garrison Frost
September 27, 2007 (323) 951-9620

Emeryville, CA – Audubon California announced today that it has established an endowment that will provide long-term financial assistance to California State Parks to support important conservation, restoration and public outreach projects. The endowment is the latest expression of a longstanding partnership between the two organizations.

“Audubon California sees our state parks as a legacy that we all need to support,” said Glenn Olson, executive director of Audubon California.

The decision to create the endowment stems from Audubon California’s long-standing partnership with California State Parks. Following the recent sale to the state of 220 acres of land located on the southern edge of Clear Lake, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, representatives of Audubon California saw the opportunity to create a unique legacy that will fund conservation projects on public lands for years to come.

Audubon California’s initial contribution to the endowment is $700,000. The organization has committed to continue to raise funds and contribute to this endowment, which is expected to pay out about 5 percent annually to projects throughout the state park system selected by Audubon through a competitive process involving local Audubon chapters and California State Parks.

“Audubon California is forging a unique, cooperative relationship with State Parks that will significantly enhance our common goals of protecting wildlife species and habitats across the State,” said State Parks’ Director Ruth Coleman. “This creative idea of an endowment establishes a new model for assisting State Parks with its land protection and management responsibilities and we welcome this new partnership.”

The relationship between Audubon and California State Parks goes back to the 1960s when the state was beginning to identify and prioritize the protection of key natural areas for their scenic, natural, historical and recreational potential. Since then, the two organizations have partnered on many conservation and education projects, with Audubon contributing not just funding, but technical support and volunteers as well.

“Our state parks not only provide important habitat for birds and other wildlife, they are the places where millions of Californians learn about our natural heritage,” said Graham Chisholm, director of conservation for Audubon California. “Audubon California wants to help see them protected and enhanced by bringing Audubon funding and volunteers.”

California State Parks owns and manages 278 park facilities across California, a total of more than 1.5 million acres, that make up some of the most diverse natural resources found anywhere in the world. As an example of the diversity: Fifty-eight per cent of the remaining old growth coastal redwood forests are found in State Parks; 27 per cent of federally listed endangered, threatened or rare species can be found in the State Park system; there are 71 natural preserves and reserves in the system; the largest desert state park in the nation, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is within the system; and, more than one-quarter of the coastline of California, 295 miles, is within the park system. On average, 77 research projects, primarily related to wildlife habitat, are ongoing each year in the State Park System.

About Audubon California

Audubon California is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of Audubon. This relationship links Audubon California to a national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engaging millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.

More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.