California’s Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) recently awarded the National Forest Foundation (NFF) a $1,245,000 grant for expanded restoration and community engagement efforts on the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

“The WCB’s investment signals the urgency and importance of ensuring these treasured places are not only healthy, but also accessible to the millions of diverse residents who live nearby. The NFF is grateful for the WCB’s vote of confidence in our work on this exciting project,” said Bill Possiel, NFF President.

On October 10th, the NFF announced a $3 million San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Fund , immediately following President Obama’s official Monument designation. The Fund will jump start critical restoration and stewardship projects on the National Monument and ensure that these projects address the needs of Los Angeles’ diverse communities. This new WCB commitment brings the total raised for the Fund to $2.1 million.

The Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument are within an hour of 17 million residents of greater Los Angeles. The Forest and Monument comprise 70 percent of the open space in Los Angeles County and provide 33 percent of the County’s water. More than three million people visit the Angeles National Forest annually and Forest Service officials expect this number to grow since the Monument’s designation.

“The NFF has been an outstanding partner of ours for the past five years,” said Tom Contreras, the Angeles National Forest Supervisor. “Their leadership and focus on community engagement has significantly furthered our post-Station Fire restoration activities, and we are excited to expand our work with this new funding,” he continued.

Following the 2009 Station Fire that burned more than 160,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest, the NFF selected the Angeles as one of 14 Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences conservation campaign sites, focusing on raising restoration funding and community engagement.

“The NFF looks forward to expanding our work with the Los Angeles community. Since 2009, we have raised $1.6 million for our Treasured Landscapes campaign work on the Angeles . The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Fund now provides an additional $2.1 million to further our work on these amazing landscapes,” said Possiel.

The WCB funding will restore chaparral and riparian areas of Big Tujunga Canyon, including the removal of invasive weeds, native plant revegetation, and instream restoration to protect sensitive and threatened fish species on more than 200 stream miles. The NFF will work in partnership with the Forest Service and local conservation organizations to manage the projects through June 2018.

Businesses and individuals interested in supporting the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Fund are encouraged to contact the NFF’s California Program Director, Vance Russell , to learn more about the Fund and the NFF’s restoration campaign on the Angeles National Forest.