‘Cheap water is over’: A $500 bill shows a Southwest suburb’s dilemma

For more than 50 years, Fort Ross Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, has helped preserve and bring to life the remarkable history of Fort Ross State Historic Park on the Sonoma Coast.

Now, California State Parks has decided not to renew its cooperation agreement with Fort Ross Conservancy, effectively ending a partnership that has supported the park for generations.

Fort Ross Conservancy has done far more than organize occasional events. For decades, the organization has:

• Operated the museum bookshop and supported visitor services.
• Provided educational programs for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren.
• Organized cultural festivals, historical reenactments, lectures, and community events.
• Supported preservation of the historic Russian-era buildings, chapel, and orchard.
• Built a valuable research library dedicated to California and Russian American history.
• Brought together Russian, Alaska Native, Kashia Pomo, and other communities to celebrate their shared history.

What happens to these programs, the library, and the community activities when this partnership ends? That remains a serious concern.

Fort Ross Conservancy is not dissolving. We will continue as an independent nonprofit dedicated to preserving this extraordinary heritage. But losing our longstanding agreement with State Parks puts decades of educational and cultural work at risk.

We're asking for your help.

Please sign and share our petition urging California State Parks to reconsider its decision.

What is going on with these two? Why does it appear they are selling out our public lands, our health, and our environment? Let them know what you think!

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