Friends of ECOS
Our Mission and Activities
Our mission is environmental education and protection
in the Sacramento region. Friends of ECOS focuses on the sustainability
of the region's quality of life and increased appreciation and protection
of our region's environmenal qualities and diversity.
In recent years, Friends of ECOS has provided both
financial support and incubator services to worthy local environmental
protection activities. These include: habitat protection litigation,
Earth Day education activities, an environmental film festival,
and education projects carried out by ECOS on smart growth, urban
sprawl, and environmentally sound and equitable transportation policy.
The Organization and
Board
Friends of ECOS is a non-profit educational organization,
incorporated as a 501-c-3 organization in 1988. It is independent
of ECOS, the Environmental Council of Sacramento. Friends
of ECOS is a volunteer organization with no staff and no offices;
it has no members and few expenses. All funds donated to Friends
of ECOS are allocated to worthy environmental projects in our region.
Friends of ECOS is governed by a Board of Directors
led by President Betsy Weiland. Board members are:
Betsy Weiland
- President - Betsy is is an ECOS Board Member and was honored as
a 2005 Environmentalist of the Year for her work on the American
River Parkway and habitat issues since 2001. Betsy serves
on the Citizens to Save the Bluffs steering committee and represents
the Save the American River Association on the American River Parkway
Coalition. Betsy is also a member of Habitat 2020 and the
California Native Plant Society.
Del Tura - Vice President - Del
has made many contributions to local environmental organizations,
including Audubon Society, Urban Creeks Council and ECOS. He's
a canoeist and works for the County of Sacramento. Del's wife,
Alta, is president of Urban Creeks Council.
Kevin McRae
- Treasurer - Kevin is an avid amateur botanist, bird-watcher, naturalist
and landscape gardener. He is a board member for Friends of
Swainson's Hawk and Finance Chair for the Sierra Club Mother Lode
Chapter Executive Committee. Kevin has twenty-two years of
experience as a Certified Public Accountant, including tax and business
management consulting.
Judith Lamare - Secretary - Environmentalist
of the Year in 1987, Jude is President of Friends of the Swainson's
Hawk. She managed the Cleaner Air Partnership for 19 years
and is an air quality consultant. Jude is also active in the
Sierra Club on both air quality and endangered species and habitat
issues.
Linda Whitney - Environmentalist of the Year
in 1999, Linda has led several local community organizations including
ECOS, Sacramento Old City Association and Friends of ECOS. She
works for the Medical Board of California.
Alan Hirsch - Alan is a local realtor
and transit advocate and was the organizer who formed the Sacramento
Transportation Equity Network (Sac-TEN) to integrate social equity
and environmental concerns into the transportation planning process.
Ralph Propper - Ralph is a clean air advocate
and a chemist who works at the Air Resources Board in its research
program. Ralph has been a leader in the Environmental Council
of Sacramento and in Breathe California (formerly the American Lung
Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails), and has served on both
boards.
Donations
Friends of ECOS receives donations and makes financial
contributions to a variety of worthy environmental education and
litigation projects in the Sacramento Region each year. It
has supported 501-c-3 eligible activities by ECOS. It has
also supported a number of other local environmental organizations
with specific projects, as well as supporting neighborhood quality
of life organizations and social equity groups, such as No Way L.A.
and the Sacramento Transportation Equity Network (Sac-TEN).
To make a tax deductible contribution to Friends of
ECOS, click HERE for a form
that you can print out and send in with your check. Make checks
payable to "Friends of ECOS" and mail back with your form to:
Friends of ECOS
Betsy Weiland, President
4950 Keane Drive
Carmichael, CA 95608
You can designate your contribution for one of the following
purposes. If you do not make a specific designation, your
donation will be made to the Friends of ECOS General Fund.
-
Educational Activities - ECOS outreach and education
-
Environmental Litigation - allocated by Friends of ECOS
Board to tax-exempt litigation activities in the Sacramento
Region
-
General Fund - allocated by Friends of ECOS Board to tax-exempt
environmental projects in the Sacramento Region
-
Friends of ECOS Endowment - a permanent fund - revenue deposited
in the General Fund but the principle remains unspent
If you would like to make a donation of stock or securities,
Friends of ECOS has an account to which you can transfer your
donation.
Please contact President Betsy Weiland for more details
about donations or if you would like to include Friends of ECOS
in your will.
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