New Visitor Center and Accessible Trails Will Deepen Public’s Connection to Iconic National Park Site
San Francisco, CA: The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has received a new $5 million grant from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund to support restoration efforts at Lands End—bringing the Fund’s total support of the Lands End project to $8.6 million.
The partnership between the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service (NPS) is resulting in a remarkable gift to the community—the restored and revitalized trails, forests, native habitats, and scenic overlooks at Lands End.
The recent major gift from the Goldman Fund will enhance the following projects and anchor the work already accomplished on this site:
“The relationship with the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund goes back decades to 1983, when the Fund was the lead funder of one of the Golden Gate National Parks’ first restoration projects: Black Point Battery at Fort Mason,” said Greg Moore, executive director of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. “We are deeply grateful to the Fund’s legacy with the parks and continued support of our work at Lands End to make this national park on the edge of San Francisco a treasured jewel for families, runners, hikers, volunteers, and students.”
Lands End—attracting more than 1 million visitors each year to its spectacular coastline—is unique for its rocky shores, unparalleled views, close proximity to a large residential neighborhood, and easy access by public transportation. The trails offer breathtaking 30-mile views stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Point Reyes to the Farallon Islands and Pacific Ocean. Closer to shore, the remnants from shipwrecks testify to the rugged nature of the coastline.
A recent NPS survey indicates that within a 48 hour period, almost 5,800 people visited Lands End. Visitors to this site included more families and local visitors, reflecting the diversity of the community. The Lands End Stewardship Program—a robust community-based volunteer group—is dedicated to restoring native habitat on windswept shores and rebuilding trails in the area and has planted over 80,000 native plants already. Nearly 900 volunteers contributed over 10,300 hours of service in 2009 alone.
“The Goldman Fund is so pleased to see how the community has responded positively to the improvements thus far at Lands End. This next phase will further enhance the experience for visitors and create more opportunities to enjoy this spectacular place,” Amy Lyons, Executive Director, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. “Lands End has always been special to Mr. Goldman as he used to walk there with his father as a young boy and continued the tradition with his grandchildren. Sometimes, he was accompanied by his good friend, the late Brian O’Neill, superintendent of the Golden Gate National Parks from 1986 to 2009.”
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About the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
Since its establishment in 1951 by San Francisco philanthropists and civic leaders Richard and Rhoda Goldman, the Goldman Fund has contributed more than $600 million dollars to a variety of charitable causes in San Francisco, as well as nationally and internationally. The Fund supports programs that focus on improving the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area, the environment, a dedication to reproductive rights and stabilizing global population, and Jewish affairs.
