A public-private partnership between California State Parks, Stater Bros. Supermarkets and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California has raised $600,000 to replant more than 1 million trees in state parks recently burned by wildfires.
Mike Chrisman, Secretary for Natural Resources, says the campaign is the largest reforestation project to date at state parks.
The "Reforest California" campaign will plant native trees over the next four years at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park near San Diego and Chino Hills State Park in San Bernardino County. Part of those funds also will be used for fire prevention educational signage at five California state parks: Cuyamaca Rancho, Chino Hills, Silverwood Lake, Mount San Jacinto and Palomar Mountain State Parks.
In addition, the four-year Cuyamaca Rancho reforestation project funded by the "Reforest California" campaign will be studied as a carbon offset reduction project between the California State Parks, CAL FIRE and graduate students at San Diego State University.
The campaign was funded by tax-deductible consumer and employee donations at Stater Bros. Supermarkets and contributions from a percentage of participating Coca-Cola sales, donated by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California.
The campaign is part of the "20% For Parks" program that develops corporate environmental sponsorships ranging from reforestation and solar projects to carbon sequestration or education programs.