California Nonprofits Working For Sustainability

 Click on an organization to see a description and its hyperlink, if available.         
California Certified Organic Farmers
California Communities Against Toxics
California Native Plant Society
California ReLeaf/The Trust for Public Land
Citizens for Mojave National Park
League of Women Voters
Recycled Paper Coalition
California Certified Organic Farmers
Contact: Diane Bowen, Exec. Director
Address: 1115 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 408-423-2263

CCOF's purpose is to promote and support a healthful, ecologically accountable and permanent agriculture in California and elsewhere to develop standards and certification programs for organic farming and processing of organic foods; to provide verification of adherence to those standards for distributors, retailers, and consumers; to provide educational forums and material relating to sustainable agriculture, and generally to share ideas and information. Resources: Quarterly newsletter; membership directory and Handbook of Standards; referral to regional contacts; fifteen chapters statewide (please contact Santa Cruz office for listing) Volunteer Opportunities: Yes

California Communities Against Toxics
Contact: Stormy or Jane Williams
Address: 3813 50th St. W. Rosamond, CA 93560
Phone: 805-256-2101
Fax: 805-256-0674

CCAT brings together communities from across the state fighting toxic and nuclear waste. There is power in numbers, and when diverse activists from all walks of life unite to challenge polluting corporations, victories are common. CCAT provides a forum that facilitates statewide communication and strategizing among groups and helps develop leadership skills. CCAT's focus is on environmental justice, peace, and pollution prevention.

Projects: Statewide groups (80) in eight regions; covers issues from nuclear waste transport issues (statewide) to local toxic waste sites, landfills, toxic cleanup sites, superfund sites, and incinerator proposals; works in Sacramento on lobbying issues; sits on task forces and committees; may get involved in litigation; dioxin and chlorine issues

Resources: Referral service for environmental issues; can provide backup and help (i.e. media, Sacramento, networking, specific technical information); keeps libraries of information on specific projects; affiliated with national groups on nuclear and toxic waste

Volunteer Opportunities: Especially people with technical backgrounds; office work; media skills; networking

California Native Plant Society
Contact: Dave Chipping
Address: 1722 J Street, Suite 17; Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-447-2677
Fax: 916-447-2727
Email: dchippin@oboe.aix.calpoly.edu
Web Site: www.calpoly.edu/~dchippin/cnps_main.html

The California Native Plant Society increases understanding and appreciation of California's native plants and preserves them in their natural habitat through scientific activities, education, and conservation. Membership is open to all. Our members have diverse interests including natural history, botany, ecology, conservation, photography, drawing, hiking, and gardening.

Projects: Educational programs and conservation efforts focused on long-term protection and preservation of the native flora in its natural habitat; local plant lists; supports establishment of protected reserves for native plants and monitoring; helps reduce spread of invasive non-native species; provides expert testimony on plants. Rare Plant and Plant Communities Programs: provides an objective, scientific inventory of over 1800 species of endangered and rare plants of California; Plant Communities Program: preparation and standardization of an updated classification of California's plant communities; Federal Endangered Species Act News and Legislation

Resources: Field trips; monthly speaker meetings; annual native plant sales and wildflower shows; CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California; A Manual of California Vegetation Publications; Fremontia, a quarterly journal; the Bulletin, a statewide report of activities and schedules; chapter newsletters; and a series of wildflower posters. CNPS also publishes a number of books such as floras of local areas; memberships available

Volunteer Opportunities: Please call

California ReLeaf/The Trust for Public Land
Contact: Genni Cross, Director of Urban Forestry
Address: 3001 Redhill Ave., Bldg. 4, Ste. 224, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 714-557-2575
Fax: 714-557-3923

California ReLeaf was established to expand, enhance and preserve urban and community forests in California by promoting citizen involvement in planting, protecting and caring for trees and by building alliances among individuals, organizations, industries and government, helping them to understand the contribution each can make to our urban forests.

Projects: Administration of grants to grassroots groups doing work in urban forestry; coordination of the California ReLeaf Network, providing information and referral services and regular mailings; annual meeting of ReLeaf Network Group representatives.

Resources: Newsletter; urban forestry educational material; "how to" guides for individuals and groups working in urban forestry

Volunteer Opportunities: Tree planting; community organizing

California Trout (CalTrout)
Contact: Michael Bowen
Address: 870 Market St., Ste. 859, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-392-8887
Fax: 415-392-8895
Web Site: www.caltrout.org

In order to provide high quality public fishing experiences, California Trout protects and restores wild trout, native steelhead and the waters which nurture them.

Projects: Instigated a series of lawsuits to enforce California's oldest environmental law that requires dam owners to release sufficient water past the dam to keep fish in good condition. As a result, an order was placed that required Los Angeles to release water into four streams feeding Mono Lake on a permanent basis. CalTrout also works to recover endangered salmon and steelhead populations from Oregon to Los Angeles and to reform timber and livestock grazing on public lands.

Resources: Memberships available; quarterly newsletter; annual meeting

Volunteer Opportunities: Streamkeepers - an individual or entity assumes responsibility for monitoring an individual water, stream or environmental issue; TroutClout - members make the commitment to write six letters annually for important environmental purposes. For complete information about California Trout, please visit the web site listed above.

Citizens for Mojave National Park
Contact: Joyce Burk
Address: P.O. Box 106, Barstow, CA 92312
Phone: 619-256-9561
Fax: 619-245-2273
Email: cfmnp@aol.com
Web Site: www.barstow.cc.ca.us

On October 31, 1994, President Clinton signed the California Desert Protection Act which created a Mojave National Preserve. Although this is definitely progress, our purpose is to create the 1.5 million acre Mojave National Park. The East Mojave wonderland is a marvelous expanse of nature, and this organization continues to work toward National Park status.

Projects: Lobbies for adequate funding for MNP; works with National Park Service to do resource monitoring and conservation efforts to restore the area, i.e. assisting in burro counts on ground rather than from air.

Resources: Quarterly newsletter, the East Mojave Monitor, desert literature; occasional outings.

Volunteer Opportunities: Contact organization for Volunteers in Park Program

League of Women Voters of California
Address: 926 J Street, Suite 1000 Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-442-7215
Fax: (510) 845-3310
Email: 73503.2016@compuserve.com
Web Site: http://www.ca.lwv.org/

In support of voter education, the goal is to direct citizens to information to encourage informed political actions including voting, communicating with elected representatives, or running for political office. It has many chapters throughout California.

Recycled Paper Coalition
Address: c/o Peninsula Conservation Center Foundation, 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Hotline: 415-985-5568
Phones: Southern California 213-933-6942
Central Valley, CA 916-944-4218
Texas 214-444-5343
Chicago 312-759-3400
New York 212-783-6928
Email: rpc@igc.apc.org

The Recycled Paper Coalition (RPC) is a voluntary organization of major paper users whose National Board of Directors in the San Francisco Bay Area includes Bank of America, Chevron, PG&E, George Lithograph, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Hewlett-Packard and GAP, Inc. The Coalition's primary principle is the need to conserve natural resources and reduce waste by purchasing environmentally-preferred paper products and by maximizing the efficient use of paper. The objective is to bring purchasing strength to the recycled paper market by stimulating demand for recycled paper products, especially those made from post-consumer content. Coalition members agree that in working towards a sustainable future, optimizing the wise use of resources must be a priority.

Projects: Coalition members reported a total purchase of over 140,000 tons of environmentally-preferred paper in 1995. Also, more than 46,000 tons of post-consumer wastepaper was diverted from landfills and reused; 144,000 tons of office waste paper was recycled, diverting 190,000 tons of paper from landfills.

Resources: Membership: requires corporate agreement to implement a comprehensive paper-recycling program, giving preference to competitively priced recycled paper products, and to work with manufacturers to increase the percentage of post-consumer content in recycled paper. Benefits are networking, workshops, cost-saving ideas and potential revenue.