2017 CHALLENGE GRANT
Support  Parks Recovery

Dear Friend of the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation,  

The morning of October 9 changed everything for the county we know so well and love so deeply. If you are one of the many individuals who experienced the devastating effects of the wildfires, our hearts go out to you.

As Regional Parks' fundraising partner, we are here for the long haul to help fund essential fire recovery efforts in our impacted parks countywide.  For weeks now, parks managers have spent long days in our damaged parks, developing critical needs assessments and monitoring the effects of recent rains.

Your gift today to our Parks Recovery Fund will directly support the large-scale effort Regional Parks will undertake to bring all parks back to the healthy and safe conditions necessary for opening. Your parks need you!

Images captured by a wildlife camera at Sonoma Valley Regional Park. 
Many of Regional Parks' wildlife cameras were destroyed in the fires. 
With your help, we'll replace them, as well as fund other vital restoration work.

Parks Played Critical Role

Your parks played a critical role throughout this disaster. Firefighters cut immense fire breaks and lit backfires in  Hood Mountain  and  Shiloh Ranch Regional Parks, as well as in other parklands .  These open spaces created buffers where first responders could battle the flames, and in some cases halt their spread just yards from endangered homes. 

While the fires raged, hundreds of people escaped to Doran Regional Park and other coastal parks. Doran served as a refuge for residents who evacuated from their homes, as well as a source of better air quality, particularly for people with asthma and other conditions.

As we begin the lengthy process of recovery, your Regional Parks will, again and again, provide respite and a healing sanctuary.   Your generous gift today to our Parks Recovery Fund will be used to control erosion, maintain the integrity of our trail systems, rebuild infrastructure, and help identify and reduce potential  fire hazards and "fuels." Read more about this work here from Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker.

Double your impact: $20,000 Challenge

To help finance this imperative work, the Parks Foundation's volunteer board members are offering a CHALLENGE MATCH, which will double the value of every dollar you contribute until December 31, up to $20,000. 

Now more than ever, our community seeks peaceful natural spaces, where we may retreat into the roar of the ocean at Doran or the profound silence of the redwood groves at North Sonoma Mountain. Your g ift today will be used immediately to help restore our Regional Parks to serve local residents and visitors alike.  Thank you for joining us as we rebuild our parks and community, together!
 
For our parks.

Melissa Kelley
Executive Director
PS: As an example of the excellent work Regional Parks is doing to steward our important natural resources, we've included an informative article by Natural Resources Manager Melanie Parker. 

 
Photos courtesy Ed Kent


With the market experiencing record highs, appreciated securities are a tax-advantaged way to support your parks. When you donate appreciated stock, you will receive a charitable deduction for the value of the donated shares, and you won't have to pay capital gains tax on the stock's increased value. 


Thank you for helping our Regional Parks
be the best they can be!



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