Jan 30, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

PG&E Provides New Climate Resiliency Grants to Help State Parks Prepare for Natural Disasters

In an effort to protect and enhance California’s state parks system, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is funding resiliency grants to prepare state parks for natural disasters. The resiliency grants, totaling $50,000, are part of a $250,000 PG&E grant to the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF). The funding will be used to restore and clean up 40 state parks across California as part of the California State Parks Foundation’s (CSPF) 20th Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup on Saturday, April 21.

Among the 40 parks benefitting from the funding and volunteer work in commemoration of Earth Day are Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Trione-Annadel State Park in Sonoma County. Both parks sustained major damage in the devastating October 2017 wildfires. Volunteers will repair trails, access roads and structures in the parks.

Resiliency projects will focus on brush removal and habitat management to make parks better able to cope with fires, drought and other environmental impacts in the short term, and will bolster strategies to help make parks more resilient in dealing with the effects of climate change in the long term.

“PG&E has a proud tradition of supporting state parks, enjoyed by millions of visitors each year. Expanding that effort to help protect natural and cultural resources against the effects of climate change is the logical next step, and is part of our larger company strategy to help build more resilient communities,” said Travis Kiyota, PG&E vice president, California External Affairs, PG&E and executive director of the PG&E Corporation Foundation.

California’s state parks receive great benefits from the work completed by volunteers during the annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup.

Some of the volunteer projects slated for this year include:

  • Replacing trees that were lost during the drought
  • Updating campgrounds to meet ADA-compliance requirements
  • Removing trash, weeds and non-native plants
  • A community engagement event to promote stewardship and sustainability of our shoreline parks

“As we celebrate 20 years of our annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup, it’s appropriate that so many of these grants will fund projects that reflect our vision of access, equity and excellence in state parks. Through our volunteer programs, partnerships and advocacy, we’re committed to improving quality of life for all Californians and visitors from around the world by ensuring positive, meaningful and healthy experiences in a flourishing state park system,” said Rachel Norton, executive director, CSPF.

PG&E will provide employee volunteer support at 11 state parks. PG&E project sites include:

  • Angel Island State Park – Marin County
  • Candlestick Point State Recreation Area – San Francisco County
  • Folsom Lake State Recreation Area – Sacramento County
  • Half Moon Bay State Beach – San Mateo County
  • Lighthouse Field State Beach – Santa Cruz County
  • McLaughlin Eastshore State Park – Alameda County
  • Mt. Diablo State Park – Contra Costa County
  • Millerton Lake State Recreation Area – Fresno/Madera Counties
  • Montaña de Oro State Park – San Luis Obispo County
  • Sugarloaf Ridge State Park – Sonoma County
  • Trione-Annadel State Park – Sonoma County

Since its inception in 1998, CSPF’s Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup program has resulted in more than 85,000 participants contributing more than 350,000 volunteer hours.

Volunteer registration for the 40 parks opens early March. To find out more about CSPF grants and projects in your area, or for more ways you can help protect our state parks this Earth Day, please visit calparks.org/earthday.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

About California State Parks Foundation

California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) is a member-supported nonprofit dedicated to protecting, improving and advocating for all of California’s state parks. With our community of supporters, we deliver innovative solutions for an excellent parks system by facilitating park improvements, inspiring stewardship, supporting partners, advocating for sound policies, and connecting people to parks. Together we ensure that the natural beauty, rich culture and history, and recreational and educational opportunities of our 280 state parks are available for all to enjoy now and for generations to come. For more information, visit calparks.org.