Home  |  Current Priorities  |  Join Us  |  News   Friends of the Angeles Chapter Foundation 2007 Priorities   Calendar year 2007 marks the initiation of active fundraising for FACF in support of Chapter conservation goals. While there are many potential areas where support could be provided, limited funds are available for general donations. Therefore, it will be necessary for initial support efforts to focus on initiatives that offer opportunities to appeal to a broad support base, and where projects can meet grant guidelines for local, state, and federal programs. The programs listed below are believed to fit these criteria. As FACF attracts more funding in support of its priority programs, FACF may be able to broaden its program support to other Chapter campaigns.   Download the 2005 Grant Report (117 KB PDF)   For 2007, FACF will focus its attention in the following areas:   Staff Support to Priority Campaigns   The Chapter has identified three priority campaigns focused on land use issues in wild Orange County, the San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River. Although all three campaigns have strong activist networks and are achieving success, they can also benefit from staff resources to handle critical functions related to recruitment of new activists, organizing events, preparing literature, and many other areas of support. The Chapter has two conservation coordinators, one of whom is assigned to support Orange County campaigns, while the other works with Los Angeles County groups. Since two of the priority campaigns are in Los Angeles County, as are the majority of regional groups and issues programs, it is difficult for the Chapter to focus adequate attention on such a wide range of needs.   Emerald Necklace   The San Gabriel River Campaign, working in conjunction with Amigos de los Rios, a nonprofit initiated within the Chapter, has introduced a proposal for the Emerald Necklace encompassing a 17-mile loop of the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River. This loop includes a connected network of trails, parks and restored habitat, emphasizing its association with the river environment. The Necklace is gaining support from the 11 cities whose lands it borders, and the Rivers and Mountains conservancy. Its implementation is consistent with Chapter objectives and FACF will benefit from its association with this effort.   Wetlands Restoration   The territory of the Angeles Chapter contains several areas where wetlands either exist or once were present. Wetlands provide many benefits for wildlife, water quality and recreation. Wetlands restoration can not only recover these environmental benefits but can also provide a pro-active goal for FACF funding, which can represent an excellent opportunity for external support. Examples of areas where this category is applicable include Bolsa Chica, Los Cerritos, Ballona Creek, Compton Creek, Whittier Narrows, and Santa Clara River.   Transportation Enhancement   Los Angeles and the surrounding urbanized area lags far behind many major metropolitan regions in development of public transportation systems. Limited progress has been made to recapture a semblance of the Pacific Electric rail network that existed in the 1950s, let alone building on this network to create a truly effective public transportation system. Existing freeway corridors have become grid locked as more single-passenger vehicles are added to the highways. FACF is seeking to promote programs that advocate pro-active projects to enhance public transportation in the territory of the Angeles Chapter.   Master Planning for the Santa Clara River   The Chapter's San Gabriel River Campaign has achieved great success with development of visions for the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo. In 2002, a vision plan was developed for San Gabriel Confluence Park, which included the Woodland Wilderness Park, the San Gabriel River Discovery Center, San Jose Creekside Park, Lario Creek and interconnecting park segments along the San Gabriel River. Work is in progress on all of these projects. In 2003-4, work along the Rio Hondo resulted in many more park segments and became the Emerald Necklace. Much of the focus of the Santa Clara River priority campaign has been associated with litigation to stop the Newhall Ranch development. FACF encourages pro-active planning efforts for the Santa Clara River through development of a regional strategy to save the last wild river in the Chapter's territory.   Master Planning for Orange County Open Space   Despite its reputation as a largely pro-business developed urban area, Orange County still contains many areas of wild open space associated with coastal areas or the Santa Ana Mountains. The latter form a larger wildlife corridor which provides a pool of biodiversity to Chino Hills State Park and the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor. FACF is seeking opportunities to promote a regional, pro-active plan linking Orange County open space into a network that can capture grant funding and participation by many Orange County cities and Supervisor Districts.   Extension of Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor   The Chapter and its members have been active in efforts to create permanently protected open space areas in this 30-mile wildlife corridor reaching from the Santa Ana Mountains to Whittier Narrows and the San Gabriel River corridor. This involvement has resulted in creation of Chino Hills State Park, establishment of the Native Habitat Preservation Authority which has saved approximately 4,000 acres of the Puente Hills, and taking legal action against the City of Industry's purchases in Tonner Canyon. The Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor represents a key open space resource which involves both counties that are part of the Angeles Chapter. The corridor continues to face threats from development planned by City of Industry and Aera, a partnership of Shell, Exxon and Mobil Oil Companies in an area known as the "Missing Middle." The Chapter's Puente-Chino Hills Task Force has developed a vision plan for preservation of this area as a preserve for wildlife and low impact recreation. FACF is seeking opportunities to assist in reaching a wider audience of area residents and decision makers to enhance public support for preservation of this resource.   Preservation of Roadless Areas and Protection of Angeles and Cleveland National Forests   Two significant areas of the U. S. National Forests lie within the territory of the Angeles Chapter. These forests provide valuable open space for recreation and habitat resources. Included within these forests are several areas for which the Sierra Club has actively supported retention as roadless areas. The Los Angeles Field Office has committed resources and received grant funding to hire staff resources to aid in this campaign. FACF considers this issue to be meritorious and significant both within the Angeles Chapter's territory and beyond.   Environmental Leadership Training   The Sierra Club in general is being impacted by reduced participation by young people and an inability to develop new leaders for its regional groups and important conservation issues. This is particularly true in the Angeles Chapter, which occupies an area which is becoming increasingly urbanized and where many residents do not clearly understand the applicability of environmental issues to their daily lives. It is essential that the Sierra Club continue to reach out through visible education programs to help members understand the importance of involvement and the role the Sierra Club plays in protecting the planet. FACF seeks viable training programs for all age groups to raise awareness of the importance of becoming active in the environmental agenda promoted by the Sierra Club. A portion of this funding will be used in financial support for young people from disadvantaged areas for scholarships or conferences that will encourage awareness of the environment and potential job opportunities related to environmental work. In addition, FACF will support first aid and CPR training for potential outings leaders from the Sierra Club and outside organizations.     BACK TO TOP   Copyright © 2005 - 2007 Friends of Angeles Chapter Foundation - All rights reserved