February 3, 2005
The Friends of the Desert Mountains has been notified of a $50,000 challenge grant from the Michael W. McCarthy Foundation. According to a letter received from Brian McCarthy, a trustee of the Foundation, “The funds will be awarded only after matching funds of $50,000 are raised for land acquisition from other private sources. The Friends of the Desert Mountains must raise these matching funds by April 30”.
Another McCarthy Foundation trustee, Patrick M. McCarthy observed, “We don’t normally give to environmental or land conservation projects but the natural environment of the Coachella Valley is so unique that we felt compelled to lend a hand. Another factor in our decision was the quality of the strategic plan the Friends of the Desert Mountains has developed to guide this undertaking.
The Friends is a local non-profit organization that seeks to conserve natural areas that have been identified as priorities because of their scenic value or because they are considered essential to the preservation of threatened plants and animals. According to Friends President Ted Lennon, “The Friends accomplishes its mission by seeking donated land and cash donations to purchase land from willing sellers at fair market value. This approach gives a fair shake to property owners and still results in important areas of the Coachella Valley and the surrounding mountains being protected now and in the future.” Lennon also noted that the Friends of the Desert Mountains is the support group for the 272,000 acre Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. “The Monument is the only one in the country that was created because people in a local area organized and succeeded in having their congressional representative carry a bill through Congress. Local member of Congress, Mary Bono, championed the creation of the Monument in 2000. All others were created by Presidential decree” Lennon said.
The Friends CEO Gene House said he welcomes the idea of a challenge grant. “It takes a lot of money to buy enough land to provide wildlife habitat, open space for hiking and horse trails and scenic views. The McCarthy challenge gives us a sense of urgency that will help the fund-raising. As people hear about this they will understand that we will get an additional dollar for every dollar they donate until we reach the $50,000, but only if we receive the donations by April 30.”
For more information on the Friends programs and volunteer opportunities call 760.568.9918.
