Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Receives $85,000 from RBC to Protect Local Water

40 RBC Employees Clean Up San Francisco's Ocean Beach to Celebrate RBC Blue Water Day

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - RBC announced today a donation of $85,000 to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to support the MacArthur Meadow Project (a partnership effort of the Parks Conservancy and the Presidio Trust). This RBC Blue Water Project Leadership Grant will help fund the restoration efforts of a large, contiguous freshwater wet meadow and associated upland riparian habitat at the edge of the highly urbanized San Francisco peninsula. The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy was selected from hundreds of applicants from around the world, based on its commitment to addressing water issues and protecting water in urbanized areas.

"We are grateful to have the support of RBC in our ambitious goal of restoring an entire watershed from springs to bay in the Presidio," said Greg Moore, president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "In addition to providing critical habitat at the edge of San Francisco, MacArthur Meadow will serve as an outdoor classroom for generations of urban children and an oasis for all to enjoy."

"RBC's generous support allows us to complete an important segment of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed, a key stewardship goal of the Presidio Trust," said Craig Middleton, executive director of the Presidio Trust. "Once complete, the public will be able to walk the length of the watershed. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase a natural water system and educate the public about the important ecological role these systems play."

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Presidio Trust, and National Park Service are partners in protecting and restoring the 80,000-acre Golden Gate National Parks, which include the Presidio. For over a decade, this partnership has been working to restore the Tennessee Hollow Watershed—the largest watershed in the Presidio—from its headwaters near Inspiration Point to where it drains to Crissy Marsh and the San Francisco Bay. The restoration of MacArthur Meadow, located at the midpoint of the watershed, will complete a key gap in the overall multi-year effort.

"At RBC, we know that water is essential to everything we do - from our most basic daily needs to ensuring our global economy can function successfully," said Rob Spawn, director of RBC Wealth Management's San Francisco complex. "By supporting the efforts of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, we are able to help raise awareness and fund water projects that will help provide access to drinkable, swimmable, fishable water, now and for future generations."

Today's announcement is part of RBC's annual Blue Water Day, a time for RBC employees around the globe to come together to protect their local water sources through "Makeovers": clean ups, plantings and awareness-raising. In 2014, over 20,000 employees completed 751 Makeovers worldwide.

This year, the RBC Blue Water Project has committed $3.2 million in grants globally, to 159 organizations that are committed to improving urban water quality, enhancing storm water management and protecting and restoring urban waterways.

To do their part for RBC Blue Water Day, RBC employees in San Francisco conducted a cleanup effort of San Francisco's Ocean Beach.

"RBC has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability," continued Spawn. "We understand first and foremost that every little bit we do today can help a lot tomorrow. We're proud that our employees in the San Francisco complex and around the world are willing year after year to do their part in their communities through RBC Blue Water Day Makeovers."

About the RBC Blue Water Project
The RBC Blue Water Project is a historic, wide-ranging, 10-year global commitment to help protect the world's most precious natural resource: fresh water. Since 2007, RBC has pledged nearly C$44 million to more than 740 charitable organizations worldwide that protect watersheds and promote access to clean drinking water, with an additional $8.8 million pledged to universities for water programs.

About RBC Wealth Management - U.S.
In the United States, RBC Wealth Management operates as a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Founded in 1909, RBC Capital Markets, LLC. is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and other major securities exchanges.  RBC Wealth Management has $270 billion in total client assets with 1,900 financial advisors operating in 200 locations in 41 states.

About the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is the non-profit membership organization that supports the Golden Gate National Parks—the most-visited unit in the national park system in the U.S. Since 1981, the Parks Conservancy has provided over $300 million in aid for site transformations, trail improvements, habitat restoration, research and conservation, volunteer and youth engagement, and interpretive and educational programs. Conservancy-funded projects, in partnership with the National Park Service and Presidio Trust, are visible across the parks' 80,000 acres—including the Presidio, Crissy Field, Muir Woods, Lands End, Alcatraz, and more. The Conservancy's work is made possible through the dedication of its members and donors; contributions from foundations, businesses, public agencies, and generous individuals; as well as earned income from the operation of park stores, cafes, and tours. Learn more at parksconservancy.org or call (415) 561-3000.

About the Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in the management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust's vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with events, lodging, venues, and recreational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.

SOURCE RBC