We have some good news here at Save the Redwoods League, and we’re thrilled about it! We have reached a major milestone by raising half of the $8 million cost to protect some of the tallest and oldest redwood forests left in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties: the 145-acre Peters Creek Old-Growth Forest adjacent to Portola Redwoods State Park, and Boulder Creek Forest, a beautiful 214-acre tract of old-growth redwood forest, next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Someone once asked me, after finding out what I do for a living, “Well, you’re a fundraiser. It’s only about the money, right?” It took me about a quarter of a second to respond with, “No, it’s not only about the money. Fundraising is about relationships. Without good relationships, there is no money.”
We are very grateful to have wonderful relationships with our partners who helped us reach the halfway mark: the landowners, who agreed to make a significant lead gift to jumpstart our fundraising; our project partner, Peninsula Open Space Trust has pledged $1.125 million; and we received a generous grant of $1.75 million made through the Living Landscape Initiative Challenge Grant program of Resources Legacy Fund, which is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. And of course, our loyal and caring members, who we can always count on to stand by us to protect our remaining old-growth forest when spectacular properties like this come up for sale.
We have until December 31, 2013 to raise the additional $4 million to permanently protect both of these properties, so I’m hoping the title of my blog post in January 2014 will be “Together, We Did It!”
If you haven’t seen any of the photos of Peters Creek Old-Growth Forest or Boulder Creek Forest, take a look on our website and let us know what you think!
2 Responses to “Good News For Old-Growth!”
Ruben
How would this money save these trees? What was the threat?
Deborah White
Hi Ruben, thanks for your comment. Given their proximity to the San Francisco metropolitan area, both of these properties face the very real risk of subdivision and development for estate homes. The money we are actively fundraising for this year will enable us to purchase and protect the land at Peters Creek Old-Growth Forest. The League will care for the forest until we can transfer it to a permanent steward. Funds raised will also allow us to protect Boulder Creek Forest through a conservation agreement that would prohibit harvesting of its massive redwoods and subdivision of the land.