Napa Valley State Park Sites Among Those Awarded Grants

The California State Parks Foundation is awarding 16 grants totaling $320,000 to several organizations that are working to support underfunded state parks in California.

That includes the Napa Valley State Parks Association, in support of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

These Park Partnership Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that have entered into agreements with the California Department of Parks and Recreation  to either operate or support operations of a particular state park.

“This grant will allow us to expand our ability to engage the community, provide more services to our visitors and build additional strength within our organization,” said Jeff Morris, chairman of the Weaverville Joss House Association.

The funding from these grants supports a variety of activities ranging from critical safety repairs to visitor centers and campgrounds, to the installation of automatic pay station machines to capture more revenues for our parks, to expanded staffing for new educational and interpretive programming for park visitors. These grants are made possible by funding from the Thomas J. Long Foundation and an anonymous gift to CSPF.

This is the third round of Park Partnership Grants that CSPF has awarded since May 2012, bringing the grand total to $998,606 allocated through 39 grants. CSPF began offering Park Partnership Grants when 70 California state parks were facing impending closure. Dozens of nonprofit organizations stepped up at that time and continue their work to ensure state parks will remain open and accessible to the public during this challenging time.

“The Benicia State Parks Association Board of Directors expresses their sincere appreciation for they continued support from the California State Parks Foundation,” said Carol Berman, president of the Benicia State Parks Association. “This grant will further the goals of our association to continue to provide the rich cultural, historical, and natural experiences to the visitors of the Benicia state parks.”

The following organizations were awarded grants:

• Napa Valley State Parks Association to support Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
• Mendocino Area Parks Association to support Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
• Sonoma Ecology Center to support Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
• Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods to support Austin Creek State Recreation Area
• Valley of the Moon Natural History Association and Jack London Park Partners to support Jack London State Historic Park
• Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association to support Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
• Benicia State Parks Association to support Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
• Central Coast State Parks Association to support Morro Strand State Beach
• Ide Adobe Interpretive Association to support William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
• Plumas Eureka State Park Association to support Plumas-Eureka State Historic Park
• Poppy Reserve/Mojave Desert Interpretive Association to support Saddleback Butte State Park
• Poppy Reserve/Mojave Desert Interpretive Association to support Providence Mountains State Recreation Area and reopen Mitchell Caverns
• Sea and Desert Interpretive Association to support Salton Sea State Recreation Area
• Shasta Historical Society to support Shasta State Historic Park
• South Yuba River Citizens League to support Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
• Weaverville Joss House Association to support Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park