Partners in park sustainability, education and advocacy! |
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Important information for our readers: Some systems may truncate this newsletter. Look for "View entire message" link at the bottom of this email to see the full newsletter.
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In This Issue
- CALPA News
- CALPA Member's Corner
- California State Parks Updates
- Park Partner Updates
- Park Partner Organization Quick Links
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Registration for the 2022 CALPA Conference coming soon! |
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Dates:
October 17-20, 2022
Location:
Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley)
Warner Center Marriott - Woodland Hills, CA
Who Should Attend:
Nonprofit Board Members and Staff
State Parks Staff
Concessionaires
General Conference Schedule
Oct 17 – Travel Day, Daytime Optional Bootcamps, Afternoon Registration, Evening Opening Reception
Oct 18 – Daytime Sessions and Vendor Show, Evening Banquet (Awards & Auction)
Oct 19 – Morning Sessions and Vendor Show, Afternoon Excursions, Evening Closing Reception
Octo 20 – Morning Sessions, Afternoon Optional Excursions, Travel Day
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Finally, we had an opportunity to meet each other in person again at the recent California State Parks Foundation Park Advocacy Day. There was time for a bit of networking, and I was glad to meet some of you in person. Our conference in October (October 17-20 in Woodland Hills) will be all about networking with each other and with our partners in supporting State parks. We will be opening registration for the conference in the next few weeks and we will be publishing information about the speakers and sessions that you can enjoy while connecting with each other. It’s amazing what a delight it is to find each other again!
It was also important for us to be present and communicate to our representatives the need to support parks and the Parks Department. Our strongest supporters in the legislature repeatedly made the case on that day, along with the Foundation, that some small part of the current budget surplus should be spent to bring the outstanding deferred maintenance more under control. When staffing and project resource spending is so tight, deferred maintenance continues to grow, and this is an opportunity to bring that backlog back to manageable proportions. Many of us made the point that besides spending on the projects themselves, staffing is also needed to manage the projects, and that should not be neglected.
CALPA is also contributing data and volunteer time to help the Potrero Group create a Partnership Impact report. I want to thank all of you who responded to the survey that was sent out in April and May - we had a 45% response rate, a remarkable result for a survey that asked such in depth questions. The information gathering continues this month with focus groups within the Department and among our nonprofit leaders. I’m happy to tell you that the Potrero Group is confident they will have the report ready for review and presentation at the October conference. I am looking forward to discussing the findings with all of you in the working sessions after the presentation. And for those of you who answered the survey, we will choose two lucky winners to be given tickets to the conference!
Our seasons are well underway in most parks throughout the State. I hope that you are seeing a return to near-normal operation after so many months of disruption by the changes needed to safely share our park spaces during the pandemic. While the danger is not over, it feels like we can begin to focus again on what we do best, bringing the rejuvenating experience of Nature and historical perspective to visitors who need to recharge more than ever. I hope you are enjoying that experience yourselves, as you share it with others.
George Loyer
CALPA President
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CALPA Conference Drawing Winners
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association & Central Coast State Parks Association are the winners for a free entry to the conference!
Thank you to over fifty organizations that responded to the Partner Impact Study conducted by the Potrero Group. The study will be part of a report to the Legislature and the Governor and will be shared with CALPA members at the October conference.
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CALPA'S Social Change Blog:
Latest blog post:
Our Juneteenth National Independence Day began at Negro Bar Folsom Lake State Recreation Area the morning of June 18. For Juneteenth U.S.A., this brought a year’s planning to fruition. Upon arrival at the Negro Bar Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, shortly after 7:00 am, a state park employee positioned a ladder near the entry sign. By evening, with a sense of future prosperity, I stopped to photograph a newly painted sign that read Black Miners Bar.
CALPA'S Social Change Blog tackles topics ranging from efforts to revisit lost indigenous narratives in the parks, to highlight new sources for interpretation, to make existing parks and trails accessible to the widest audience, and to support the efforts of park stakeholders throughout the parks community in bringing the beauty and health-giving benefits of parks to all of our citizens. We seek to cover diverse topics and provide a platform for a wide audience. We invite writers from outside CALPA to contribute their voice to this blog by pitching topics to Thomas Stratten.
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Note that when viewing the CALPA Blog on Social Change using one of the links above, you will be given a pop-up window to register for the blog and receive updates and notifications of new blog posts as soon as they are posted.
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Board Executive Committee
President
Secretary
Individual Member
Treasurer
VP of Membership
Open
VP of Education & Outreach
VP of Development
VP of Nominations and Governance
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Board Members
Individual CALPA Member
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Are you interested in joining the CALPA Board of Directors? CLICK HERE for more details on why the CALPA Board could be for you! For additional information or to submit your statement of interest, please contact Bri Fordem, VP of Nominations and Governance.
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CALPA-PLA Online Community |
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All CALPA member organizations have access to the PLA Online Community on the Public Lands Alliance (PLA) Platform. Remember that this is YOUR community of like-minded park partner professionals. Feel free to submit your questions in the online community. Many of your colleagues are experiencing the same types of issues that you are experiencing, and some may have great solutions to share. If your organization is an active member of CALPA, you are eligible to access this useful tool! For more information on joining CALPA and getting access to the PLA benefits, please visit our membership home page.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Please note that the CALPA Library hosted on the PLA site has moved. You can access all of the PLA library materials (including the CALPA specific materials) using this link.
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Parks Related Job Postings |
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The Zion National Park Forever Project seeks a strategic, transformative Chief Executive Officer! For more details and to apply click here...
Check out the links below for other job postings:
Do you have a job opening that you would like others in our park organizations to know about? Please follow this link to submit your job opening for consideration in a future CALPA communication.
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Educational Opportunities |
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CALPA Educational Webinars
Have you been unable to attend one of CALPA's webinars? Here are links to the 2021 CALPA Educational Webinar Series:
Public Lands Alliance Webinars
As members of CALPA, you also enjoy the membership benefits of the Public Lands Alliance. Join them for their upcoming webinars:
Jun 30, 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM (ET)
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Member Grant Opportunity Suggestions |
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Parks California:
To help ensure that all communities, including people who have been historically marginalized, have an opportunity to visit and enjoy California State Parks, Parks California is proud to offer the Route to Parks grants program to local organizations who are helping people develop a connection, appreciation, and love for nature.
Anza-Borrego Foundation:
The Begole Archaeological Research Grant (BARG) is a program is designed to support scientific archaeological research in Colorado Desert District (CDD) parks and in other areas of the California and Baja California Desert regions that may have direct connections with or scientific applications to CDD parks. Two grants are available annually. Funds requested can be up to $5,000 for each research project.
Apply Here (deadline for proposal submissions: July 31, 2022)
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF):
$300,000 in grant funding to make public lands more accessible and enjoyable for Americans of all abilities.
"Applicants can request up to $20,000 for mobility and accessibility projects that will be completed in 12 months. Projects must take place in one of the following 14 states to be eligible: Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia."
Do you know of a great grant opportunity that might be useful to other CALPA members? Use this link to submit your suggestion for consideration to be included in one of our future communications.
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Public Lands Alliance Benefits |
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Don't forget that CALPA members also have access to the Public Lands Alliance member benefits thanks to our joint membership program! Here are some PLA benefit highlights:
- Access to online forums for collaboration and connection with other public lands partners (both national and state of California)
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Free online training webinars and access to the PLA/CALPA Resource Library
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Advocacy resources, training and support
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And much more!
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Not already a CALPA Member? All nonprofit organizations and/or individuals serving the California State Park System are invited to join CALPA, which is founded on the principle that member organizations are independent, but not alone. Association memberships include access to the Public Lands Alliance (PLA) benefits as well. |
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California State Parks Updates |
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Partnerships Division Office |
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California State Parks Weekly Digests |
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Updates from Parks California
Parks California 2021 Annual Report
The Parks California 2021 Annual Report is fresh off the press! In 2021, new partnerships sprouted, and existing partnerships grew deeper roots as we engaged with a network that shares our shared vision with California State Parks for welcoming, inclusive, and climate-resilient parks.
Explore our 2021 highlights – like reimagining a climate-smart future for parks or reducing transportation barriers to parks. Check out what we accomplished and thanks to our partners on this journey!
Learn More About Parks California
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Updates from California State Parks Foundation (CSPF)
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Learn More About CSPF
The California State Parks Foundation is a long-time advocate for state parks. Visit their website to learn more about what they do to support Access, Funding and Protection of California State Parks.
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Updates from California Parks Hospitality Association (CPHA)
Learn More About CPHA
CPHA is the member organization for California State Parks concessionaires. Learn more about CPHA and their organizations through their website.
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Updates from California State Park Rangers Association (CSPRA)
The California State Park Rangers Association (CSPRA) is a non-partisan professional organization, representing employees and retirees from many classifications, including peace officers (rangers and lifeguards), maintenance workers, interpreters, guides, historians, scientists, and administrators. We are happy to be an affiliate of CALPA. Over the past 2 years CSPRA has been working on a variety of issues, including:
- Opposing the Gondola across LA State Historic Park. Opposition is still ongoing.
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Staff Shortages: Documenting and proposing solutions, including an outreach campaign.
- Supporting efforts to protect Redrock Canyon State Park by encouraging acquisition of the old Dutch Cleanser mine inholding.
CALPA members are cordially invited to attend CSPRA’s 2022 Conference & Retiree Rendezvous September 12-15 2022 at Donner Memorial State Park. Program details are still being developed, but will probably include field trips and tours to places of interest, and presentations on timely topics such as Wildfire Impacts on State Parks. Details will be appearing at 2022 Conference (cspra.com) .
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Park Partner Organizations Quick Links |
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3580 Prestwick Circle
Oceanside, CA 92056
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