PG&E and California State Parks Foundation Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Utility Awards Cash Grant and Employees Volunteer to Restore Parks for Earth Day
SAN FRANCISCO, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is joining the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) on Saturday, April 17, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. More than 1,000 company employees, retirees and their families and friends will volunteer at 10 state parks in Northern and Central California. In addition, PG&E is granting $200,000 to CSPF for restoration and environmental improvement projects at these parks.
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"California state parks currently face a $1.2 billion maintenance backlog that cannot be addressed due to extensive staff and funding shortages," said CSPF President Elizabeth Goldstein. "PG&E will provide critical funding, expertise, in-kind contributions and volunteers to help clean and restore shorelines, plant trees and shrubs, remove invasive non-native plants, clear trash and debris, and make other improvements at several state parks."
This year marks the ninth consecutive year the utility has partnered with CSPF. Since 2001, PG&E has granted more than $1.2 million to fund vital maintenance and improvement projects at California's parks, while PG&E employees, retirees, and their families and friends have contributed over 18,000 volunteer hours.
"We are proud to continue this long-standing partnership with the California State Parks Foundation to help preserve the natural beauty of our state parks," said Chris Johns, President of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. "This is a natural extension of our work to provide environmentally responsible energy service and of our commitment to give back to the communities we serve."
In recognition of this special Earth Day anniversary, PG&E is becoming a founding "Park Champion," pledging to provide year-round support to four parks in the utility's service area. The Park Champions Program was developed by CSPF in response to the growing problems faced by state parks due to lack of funding and staff resources. This year, 10 pilot project sites will be launched statewide, including those sponsored by PG&E.
"Now more than ever," stated CSPF's Goldstein, "private partnerships designed to address state parks' needs are critical. Our parks continue to be wildly popular — accommodating some 80 million annual visitors — all the while suffering from budget cuts, staffing furloughs and service reductions. PG&E's leadership in helping maintain and preserve our state parks is something we hope others in the public and private sector will emulate."
On Saturday, April 17, PG&E employee volunteers, retirees, and their families and friends will join the CSPF at the 10 following locations:
PARK | TIME | PROJECTS | |
East Shore State Park Alameda County | 10:00 am to Noon | Non-native fennel/pampas removal and shoreline cleanup | |
Mt. Diablo State Park Contra Costa County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Split rail fence installation, redevelopment of picnic area, trail maintenance and removal of non-native plants | |
Millerton Lake State Recreation Area Fresno/Madera County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Native plant species planting, general improvements to South Shore day-use area and creation of fish habitat | |
Patrick's Point State Park Humboldt County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Habitat restoration, park landscaping and meadow management | |
Angel Island State Park Marin County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Beach cleanup, vegetation management, drainage and culvert maintenance and exotic plant removal | |
Auburn State Recreation Area Placer County | 8:00 am to 1:00 pm | Park clean up, install benches and paint over graffiti | |
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park Sacramento County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Removal of vegetation around historic structures, trash cleanup and non-native plant removal at several locations | |
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area San Francisco County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Community garden rehabilitation, split rail fence installation, shoreline cleanup | |
Montana de Oro State Park San Luis Obispo County | 8:30 am to 1:00 pm | Remove deteriorated fencing and maintain trail treads | |
Coast Dairies State Park Santa Cruz County | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Extend existing boardwalk to regulate access to culturally and ecologically sensitive areas, removal of invasive plants and trash cleanup | |
In 2010, as a 'Park Champion,' PG&E will encourage employee volunteers, retirees, and their families and friends to join the CSPF to provide year-round support at the four following locations:
PARK | 2010 PG&E 'PARK CHAMPION' PROJECTS | |
Tule Elk State Reserve Kern County | Fence removal and replacement, construction of patio enclosure to be used as a visitor's center, tree planting and removal of non-native trees | |
Angel Island State Park Marin County | Installation of solar vent fan at Camp Reynolds, installation of solar lighting at the boat docks/finger piers and restoration work on multiple historic buildings including plumbing, painting, cleaning, electrical, landscaping and carpentry | |
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area San Francisco County | Fence repair, wind screen repainting and graffiti removal, tree trimming, removal of weeds and invasive plants and revitalization of picnic areas | |
Caswell Memorial State Park San Joaquin County | Grounds maintenance including detailing the campfire center and cleaning campsites and native plant restoration | |
About Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/.
About California State Parks Foundation
With its 115,000 members, the California State Parks Foundation is the only independent nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California's magnificent state parks. For more information about California's state parks, visit www.calparks.org.
SOURCE PG&E
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