In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Sara Cherry and Vice President of Regulatory Relations Brian Cherry pitched in to restore and clean up Mt. Diablo State Park.
“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 more than 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.”
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/.
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 state parks. For more information about California’s state parks, visit www.calparks.org.
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