Spring
1999 Wild Califonia
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
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| A Press Conference at the last September 15 Headwaters Forest Rally:
Ceclia Lanman, former Congressman Dan Hamburg, former Governor Jerry Brown, Rainforest Action Network's Director Randy Hayes, Agnes Patak, and musicians Mickey Hart, Bonnie Rait, Jello Biafra and Darryl Cherney. |
Although EPIC's litigation has protected many acres of critical habitat and our advocacy has resulted in significant policy reforms, all of our projects rely on education and outreach to mobilize public support for lasting ecosystem protection. Our outreach arm works to create and distribute educational materials, information updates, and action alerts to focus attention on the Headwaters campaign, to strengthen the ESA and other environmental laws, to promote forestry reform measures, and to mobilize citizen action. Through communication, teaching organizing skills, public education, and networking throughout the environmental community, EPIC seeks to integrate our projects in a coordinated effort to inspire citizens and effect lasting change.
In 1998 EPIC educated the press and the public about the dangers of HCPs and SYPs by holding press conferences, speaking at hearings, and maintaining a consistent theme in media communications: the Headwaters HCP/SYP will sacrifice the recovery of the forest and its wildlife in exchange for preserving a few small islands of habitat. Recent coverage of the Headwaters agreement indicates that we have been successful in dispelling the myths that HCPs actually conserve habitat. The mainstream press has finally begun to dispel the illusion that HCPs are a biologically acceptable solution to the conflict between endangered species conservation and private profit.
ACTIVIST SUPPORT PROJECT
EPIC's Activist Support Project assisted and empowered citizens to take actions that enhance the protection of water quality, wildlife habitat, and forest health. By providing legal, technical, and material assistance EPIC supported the efforts of many individual activists. EPIC acts as a community resource center, allowing concerned citizens access to the tools they need to accomplish their environmental goals.
FUNDRAISING (1998)
EPIC receives its funding from memberships, donations, fundraising events, and foundation grants. As a grassroots organization, we utilize a significant amount of pro bono attorney services and an unlimited amount of volunteer energy to accomplish our work. In 1998 we raised $416,000 and received $253,000 in pro bono legal services.
We remain very grateful to all of our donors, volunteers and supporters
for providing support for our work, which over the years has gained national
recognition and has implications for environmental protection far beyond the
redwood ecosystem. Our Foundation Supporters for 1998 included: Angelica Foundation,
California Community Foundation, Leo and Celia Carlin Fund, Columbia Foundation,
Compton Foundation, Deer Creek Foundation, Environment Now, Foundation for
Deep Ecology, Further Foundation, Richard & Rhonda Goldman Fund, Luke B. Hancock
Foundation, Giles W. & Elise G. Mead Foundation, Patagonia, Rockwood Foundation,
Turner Foundation and the W. Alton Jones Foundation.
