December 5, 2024Guiding principles for River Partners are collaboration and partnership: the practice of open dialogue, and perseverance in the face of complexity and setbacks. The trust that we forge together with our partners enables us to take bold action and deliver lasting repair of our riverways.
In 2022, we created a new conservation leadership award, the Forrest Legacy Award, named in honor of Kim Forrest, retired San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Manager. For decades, Forrest boldly led vital floodplain restoration across the San Joaquin Valley. Kim modeled core River Partners values of collaboration, determination against all odds, and partnerships built on trust to achieve big wins for California’s environment and communities for future generations.
This year, River Partners is honored to present our annual Forrest Legacy Award to four outstanding champions of riverway and community renewal.
“State Parks is committed to ensuring access for all Californians as we collaboratively craft this park alongside the public, tribal partners, and stakeholders for a healthier natural environment close to home.”
– Armando Quintero
Armando Quintero
California Department of Parks & Recreation Director
River Partners is honored to collaborate with California State Parks & Recreation Director Armando Quintero and his team this year to open California’s newest state park in more than a decade at Dos Rios Ranch near Modesto. Since his appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020, Director Quintero has expertly navigated partnerships and agencies to ensure that San Joaquin Valley residents, who have the fewest parks per capita of anywhere in California, have access to beautiful parks and open spaces. Under his leadership, State Parks has expanded access, promoted equity, and fostered inclusion, ensuring that underrepresented communities and Native Californians are given an honored role in the stewardship and interpretation of our natural and cultural resources. One of Director Armando’s best leadership qualities is his extraordinary ability to connect to people through stories that make us laugh, cry, and remember why we need nature and each other.
“I think mental health is where it all starts. Nature pays a huge part in your life: the sounds, the vegetation, the peacefulness.”
– Lilia Lomeli-Gil
Lilia Lomeli-Gil
Grayson United Community Foundation Co-Founder
Lilia Lomeli-Gil’s dedication to her small farming community of
Grayson reflects the resilience of the nearby San Joaquin River—once forgotten, now coming back to life. When Lilia moved to Grayson over 20 years ago, water in the community was undrinkable and the river was severely degraded. Lilia advocated for her community to have clean water, and as Co-Founder of the United Community Foundation and Director of the Grayson Community Center, Lilia works tirelessly to ensure her neighbors are not overlooked, providing essential services like senior and after-school programs. She believes in the transformative power of nature for mental, physical, and spiritual health, often finding solace in walks along the river at the nearby Grayson Riverbend Preserve, a 285-acre site restored by River Partners in 2022. Lilia’s vision is simple yet profound: Instead of seeking a better place to live, she brings people together to create a better community right where they are.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Driving private-sector investment in nature-based water solutions
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is a visionary
nonprofit with a long track record of working side by side with
multinational companies and leading non-governmental organizations to advance innovative solutions to pressing climate, water, energy, and other natural-resource challenges. Over many years, BEF has served as a steadfast thought partner and advocate in driving critical corporate investment to advance
River Partners’ multi-benefit riverway restoration statewide.
BEF is particularly effective in demonstrating how bringing life
back to California rivers can help diverse industries achieve their bold commitments to long-term water stewardship. These same investments will help California meet its first-in-the-nation water, climate, biodiversity, and community health initiatives over the coming decades.
BEF continues to lead the way in demonstrating the power of public- private partnerships to achieve tangible, lasting impact for California, the West, and nation.
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Conservation and Philanthropic Champion
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation is a path-breaking partner in community-led efforts to protect and restore our natural world. As a bold early-stage investor, the Foundation enabled River Partners’ acquisition of priority lands for restoration and permanent protection along the Sacramento River. Restoration of these critical floodplains now underway will yield hundreds of times their cost in broad climate resilience, habitat, and community benefits. The Foundation has re-doubled its support to help implement California’s historic $40 million budget earmark for floodplain restoration. The Foundation’s low-interest loan jump-started the state’s investment, enabling River Partners to immediately initiate restoration across large swaths of priority floodplains for flood safety, water conservation, community open space and indigenous land reconnection. We are proud to partner toward the Foundation’s vision to build a just and equitable world where people and nature flourish.
The 2024 Forrest Legacy Awards are featured in:
River Partners’ 2024 Impact Report: Confluence
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