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Photo
courtesy of Bob Fratini
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Jeff Butler
of PG&E and Bill Cullison of State Parks Foundation present
check to Eric Peach of PARC and Jill Dampier of ASRA
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Photo
courtesy of Sierradigitalservices.com
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Alexander Collard, 5, helps his mother Jamie
of PG&E and grandmother Betty Wong pick up trash |
Businesses, families and residents from
all over Northern California united at the American River Canyon
Saturday to clean up the area in observance of Earth Day. The
efforts were made possible in large part because of a $50,000
donation from Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which offered
the money to the California State Parks Foundation this year
in the hopes that the environment would not be neglected because
of government budget cuts.
"Given the recent government budget cuts that resulted
in the loss of $15 million and 90 positions from various state
parks in California, help from the private sector with actions
like this year's Earth Day event can help ensure that future
generations of California will be able to enjoy their local
recreation areas and State Parks," said Jann Taber, PG&E
news representative, who was at the cleanup.
Shirley Johns of Granite Bay brought her 4-year-old son, Alex,
to the cleanup in the hope that he would start to understand
the importance of picking up after himself. Johns, who came
with a group of Starbucks employees, said she and her son
enjoy spending time in the outdoors and didn't mind the rain
that drizzled on them as they picked up food wrappers and
cigarette butts.
Odwalla and Starbucks also sponsored the event that pulled
seven helicopter loads and a 20-yard dumpster full of trash
out of the American River Canyon Saturday.
Bill Cullison, manager of membership services for the State
Park Foundation, said the organization was helping to clean
up more than 100 different sites throughout California during
the summer, but it has been more difficult to acquire sponsorships
this year.
That is why Eric Peach, Protect American River Canyons' Conservation
Chairman, said he appreciates the $750 check PG&E gave
to PARC Saturday. "This is a real turning point for us,"
Peach said as he stood in a crowd of about 100 people at 9
a.m. Saturday morning. "With this big crowd, we can accomplish
more. We usually focus under the (Foresthill Bridge) and Confluence
but there are teams going in the outlying area and some will
be rafting down the river."
Peach said the $750 donation would buy nets bags, clean up
supplies, would help pay for the printing of trail brochures
and youth activities. "We need to get the trash cleaned
up so we can focus on education," he said. "We still
do a cleanup in the fall, after the heavy use season."
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