The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) hosts 19 environmental improvement projects at parks statewide on Saturday, April 14 as part of its 15th Annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Volunteers are encouraged to help maintain the beauty of California’s treasured state parks.

This year, in celebration of this milestone anniversary, CSPF is providing grants up to $15,000 to parks, allowing for the completion of larger projects that would otherwise be placed on the state’s maintenance backlog. With park closures and continued budget cuts looming for state parks, volunteers are more important than ever to keep the parks clean and safe for all to enjoy.

“For 15 years, the Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup has brought communities together to beautify and preserve California’s state parks,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation. “We value and thank all the sponsors and volunteers that support Earth Day. Our treasured state parks need this yearly cleanup, especially at a time when environmental improvement and maintenance projects are significantly delayed or eliminated due to continued budget challenges.”

Thousands of volunteers statewide make overdue repairs including trail maintenance, installing railing, historic water wheel restoration and campfire improvements. In addition, volunteers will plant native trees, restore wildlife habitat, update displays and remove trash.

Since 1998, more than 76,000 participants have contributed over 318,000 volunteer hours worth nearly $6.1 million of park maintenance and improvements. More than $4 million has been raised for the Earth Day program throughout California.

"As one of California’s largest land owners, PG&E has a deep commitment to protecting and preserving our state’s natural beauty," said Greg Pruett, PG&E senior vice president and chairman of the board of PG&E Corporation Foundation. "We are proud to support state parks in the communities we serve and are pleased to be the statewide presenting sponsor for an 11th consecutive year."

Park sites:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline and Redwood Regional Park – Alameda County
  • Mt. Diablo State Park – Contra Costa County
  • Millerton Lake State Recreation Area – Fresno/Madera counties
  • Patrick’s Point State Park – Humboldt County
  • Keep Bakersfield Beautiful project – Kern County
  • Dockweiler State Beach, Malibu Creek State Park, Rio de Los Angeles State Park – Los Angeles County
  • Angel Island State Park – Marin County
  • Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park – Napa County
  • San Onofre State Beach – San Diego County
  • Auburn State Recreation Area – Placer County
  • Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park – Sacramento County
  • Candlestick Point State Recreation Area – San Francisco County
  • Montaña de Oro State Park – San Luis Obispo County
  • Burleigh H. Murray Ranch – San Mateo County
  • Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park – Santa Cruz County
  • Sonoma Coast State Beach – Sonoma County

To volunteer on Earth Day, visit calparks.org/earthday or call 1-888-98-PARKS. Registration is required. Parking fees are waived for volunteers.

PG&E, which is sponsoring 15 Northern and Central California sites, is providing a $210,000 grant to CSPF and to participating parks for the materials required to complete Earth Day and Park Champions Program projects. Other regional event sponsors include: Edison International, Chevron, Oracle and Virgin America.

Media sponsors include: Bay Area News Group (The Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, Marin Independent Journal), Santa Cruz Sentinel, El Mensajero, World Journal, KTVU-TV Channel 2, KTSF-TV and KFOG-FM in the San Francisco Bay Area, KVRV-FM in Sonoma, Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Bakersfield Californian in Bakersfield, KVON-AM and KVYN-FM in Napa, KIEM-TV News Channel 3 and KHUM-FM in Eureka, KLST-FM in Los Angeles, San Luis Tribune and KSTT-FM in San Luis Obispo, The Auburn Journal and KGPE-TV/CBS47 and KSOF-FM in Fresno.

About Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), strives to power strong communities throughout Northern and Central California. PG&E is committed to energy sustainability, resource conservation and environmental stewardship. PG&E’s environmental leadership covers a broad range of activities, from protecting sensitive habitats and species, to fighting climate change through renewable resources and local Earth Day projects. Community investments are funded entirely by shareholders. For more information, visit pge.com/community.

About CSPF

With its 130,000 members, the California State Parks Foundation is the only independent nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California's magnificent state parks. For more information about California's state parks and the California State Parks Foundation, visit calparks.org.