- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Wildfire resiliency grant to fund improvements at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association is among 15 state parks and park partners receiving grants to help restore fragile habitats, rebuild parks and create a climate-resilient state park system.
The California State Parks Foundation is awarding $135,000 in grants from its new Wildfire Resiliency and Prevention Fund to help 15 parks – 10 of which are in the Northern California region – recover from devastating wildfires.
The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, will receive $9,026, with the grant term running for a year, beginning March 1, the foundation reported.
The grant will allow AMIA to partner with the Department of Parks and Recreation in restoring and rehabilitating the three-acre entrance meadow that first greets visitors to Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, which burned in the 2016 Clayton fire, the association reported.
“AMIA is grateful for the financial support of CSPF that will allow this project to help protect the park’s historic ranch house and barn complex, as well as creating an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of native plants in reducing the risk of wildfire,” said AMIA President Roberta Lyons.
The nonprofit California State Parks Foundation, which advocates for and supports California state parks, created the Wildfire Resiliency and Prevention Fund in 2020, a record-setting year for wildfires in California.
“The 2020 California wildfires were horrifically destructive, and our beloved state parks have undergone devastating damage. There is a real need to restore fragile habitats and rebuild parks, while building climate resiliency to mitigate the impact of climate change,” said Rachel Norton, executive director of California State Parks Foundation.
The Wildfire Resiliency and Prevention Grant opportunity includes $135,917 in grant funding that supports activities resulting in outcomes including assessment, restoration, preparedness and education.
AMIA, a nonprofit association cooperating with State Parks to support and promote educational and interpretive activities at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, said its project will begin with a prescribed burn at the park.
The project focuses on making the park more resilient to the ever-increasing wildfires that are being caused by climate change, as well as educating the public about what can be done to reduce the risk from wildfire, including the planting of native plants.
“The project will help create a defensible space around the park's historic ranch house and barns through the clearing of non-native species and overgrowth and the replanting of native grasses, shrubs, and trees,” said AMIA Grant Director Henry Bornstein. “At the end of the project, the entrance meadow will be restored to a more natural state and a native plant demonstration area will be created where visitors can compare the treated native entrance meadow to the adjacent untreated areas, and learn about the advantages of native plants in the control of wildfires.”
“State Parks and AMIA have continued to work together on projects which further enhance visitor experiences at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park,” said State Parks Northern Butte District Superintendent Matt Teague. “This project will provide an excellent opportunity to educate users of the park on the benefits of native habitat as it relates to wildfire intensity and management.”
In addition to Anderson Marsh, other grant winners are the California Native Plant Society for the Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Henry W. Coe State Park; California State Parks for Mount Diablo State Park; California State Parks, Bay Area District Natural Resource Management Program for Trione-Annadel State Park and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park; California State Parks, Sierra District for Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park; Gold Country Avian Studies for Big Basin Redwoods State Park; Sonoma Ecology Center for Sugarloaf Ridge State Park; South Yuba River Citizens League for South Yuba River State Park; Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods for Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area; Anahuak Youth Sports Association for Rio de Los Angeles State Park and Los Angeles State Historic Park, Bowtie Parcel; California State Parks/Poppy Reserve Mojave Desert Interpretive Association for Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park; California State Parks in partnership with Chino Hills State Park Interpretive Association and Hills For Everyone for Chino Hills State Park; and Los Angeles Audubon Society for Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park and Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.
AMIA has received previous grants for projects from the California State Parks Foundation, including $5,000 in 2020 to repair the wooden boardwalk on Cache Creek Nature Trail; $3,000 in 2015 for purchasing interpretive equipment for nature walks, school field trips and senior tours; and $6,000 in 2014 for general operations.
For information about Anderson Marsh State Historic Park or AMIA, visit www.andersonmarsh.org or contact AMIA at either This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-995-2658.
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