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A SPECIAL APPEAL FROM KATIE BARROWS,
R/SB CHAPTER PRESIDENT September 2004 Dear Friend of Native
Plants: The endangered Lane
Mountain milkvetch in the Mojave Desert and the San Fernando Sunflower in the
Santa Clara River watershed are the only plants in the State of California
that have a regionally-focused CNPS conservation staff person looking out for
their well being. Many CNPS members in Southern California have met Southern
California Regional Botanist Ileene Anderson. Her consistent, cheerful
presence at important public meetings and the help she provides to CNPS
chapters on conservation issues has brought her in contact with all the
chapters from the Grapevine south. She has even helped to kick-start the
rebirth of our chapter (Riverside – San Bernardino) and the formation of
another (Mojave)! What Ileene has
accomplished to date is far reaching and it bodes well for what can be
accomplished in the future with your additional support. An abbreviated list
of just some of Ileene’s successes in the past seven years includes: · Petitioned to have the desert cymopterus listed as
endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act. · Led CNPS to adopt a desert grazing policy that “opposes
the grazing of domestic and feral animals in the hot California deserts until
compelling scientific evidence shows that such grazing is compatible with
sustaining native plant communities and rare native plants.” · Worked with Joshua Tree National Park to develop a
management plan for the rare Rock Pennyroyal. · Represented plant conservation issues on three large
planning efforts in the Bureau of Land Management’s 25 million-acre
California Desert Conservation Area. · Advocated for the protection of rare plant species
including Pierson’s milkvetch, found only on the Algodones dunes in Imperial
County and imperiled by off-highway vehicles. It is vital for the future
of our environment that Southern California continues to be represented by
our own botanist. Some of the current projects Ileene is supervising and
which your special gift will support include: · Participating in the Western Riverside Multiple Species
Habitat Conservation Plan to ensure that plants are given their share of
protection in a 50-year conservation plan. · Participating in the Carbonate Habitat Management Strategy
working group to protect a suite of rare endemics in the San Bernardino
Mountains. · Working with several chapters on rare plant issues in the
Santa Clara River watershed, including the Newhall Ranch mega-development. · Coordinating with several chapters to present a united
position on protecting habitat in the massive, proposed Tejon Ranch
development, straddling Kern County, the western Mojave, and L.A. County. Please consider making a special contribution to support the work the
Southern California Regional Botanist does for our region’s native plants and
plant communities. It costs about $25,000 per year to fund a half-time
position. That’s the equivalent of only 100 people contributing $250! The
more funds we raise, the closer we will be to bringing the position up to
full-time. Please use the form on the next page and send your
tax-deductible contributions directly to the state CNPS office in Sacramento.
All donations using this form will be earmarked for the Southern California
Regional Botanist. Thank you so much! Katie Barrows President, Riverside/San
Bernardino chapter % ╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍╍ Please
earmark my donation to support the Southern California Regional Botanist! Enclosed
is my tax-deductible gift of: $25 ____ $50 ____ $100 ____ $250 ____ Other _____ Make check payable to CNPS or charge my
Visa ____ MasterCard ____ Account # ________________________________Expiration Date: ______/________/_______ Signature: _______________________________ Phone #:___________________________ (Your phone number is required for gifts via credit card. Thank You!) Please mail this form with your tax-deductible contribution
to: California
Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite I, Sacramento,
California 95816 |