Release Date: June 5, 2007
Contact: PG&E News Department (415) 973-5930

PG&E Joins Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program Provides $50,000 to Fund Native Habitat Restoration Project in Yolo County

SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it has signed a five-year license agreement to participate in Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program and enable native habitat restoration at the utility's property in Yolo County, California. PG&E also provided $50,000 to fund the first phase of restoration activities scheduled to begin in October 2007.

"As one of California's largest landowners, we are committed to natural resource stewardship," said Wendy Pulling, director of environmental policy, PG&E. "We are proud to partner with Audubon's Landowner Stewardship Program to restore riparian habitat and to provide environmental education opportunities for Sacramento, Solano and Yolo county kids."

The Audubon Landowner Stewardship Program works with private landowners to enhance and restore riparian, oak woodland, and grassland habitats in a manner compatible with existing agricultural operations. Through its agreement with PG&E, Audubon California will have access to restore a riparian portion of the company's Pleasant Creek gas storage facility, which runs along an important tributary to Putah Creek, called the East Fork Dry Creek.

"PG&E is a leader in environmental stewardship and shares our commitment to conserve and restore natural ecosystems," said Glenn Olson, executive director, Audubon California. "We appreciate their continued support and look forward to working with them in this new capacity as we restore one of Yolo County's most unique resources."

The restoration activities at Pleasant Creek are part of Audubon California's larger effort to restore entire watersheds of Bobcat Ranch, a 6,800-acre Blue Oak woodland northwest of Winters, which Audubon is acquiring as part of a larger conservation landscape of public and private lands. Through revegetation of oak woodlands, stock pond, riparian and native perennial grassland restoration, Audubon California hopes to increase habitat available to various species found on the property, including more than 100 types of birds. Audubon California will work with the Center for Land-Based Learning to bring students from local schools to assist with the restoration work at Bobcat and PG&E's Pleasant Creek facility this fall and engage in environmental education. From 2006-2007, PG&E is providing Audubon California with a charitable grant of $90,000 to support the restoration of Bobcat Ranch.

For more information about Audubon's Landowner Stewardship Program, please visit the organization's web site at www.ca.audubon.org/LSP

For more information about Pacific Gas and Electric Company, please visit the company's web site at www.pge.com