To the Director of California State Parks and the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District Superintendent:

We ask California State Parks to reconsider its decision not to renew Fort Ross Conservancy’s Cooperating Association Agreement, P21CO017, which is scheduled to expire on November 3, 2026.

Renew the agreement and preserve a community partnership that has served Fort Ross for half a century.

Fort Ross Conservancy (FRC), formerly the Fort Ross Interpretive Association, has been a State Parks cooperating association since 1976. Generations of members, volunteers, educators, and donors have contributed their time, knowledge, and resources to preserving this remarkable place and sharing its history with the public.

For many families, that history is personal. Children discovered Fort Ross State Historic Park through school programs, volunteers returned year after year, and descendants shared knowledge that helped bring the past to life. Ending this partnership puts an established network of community participation at risk.

Fort Ross stands on the ancestral homeland of the Kashia Pomo. Its history brings together Native Californians, Russians, Alaska Native people, and the ranching families and coastal communities who followed. Preserving and interpreting these histories requires sustained cooperation and respect for the people whose heritage is represented here.

FRC has helped make that cooperation possible. Its work has supported historical research, restoration, publications, exhibits, library and archival collections, and volunteer participation. Its educational programs, including the Environmental Living Program and Marine Ecology Program, have introduced generations of schoolchildren to coastal history and the natural environment.

The Conservancy’s contribution also extends beyond California. Through the Fort Ross Dialogue, it helped create opportunities for Americans and Russians to meet, exchange knowledge, and maintain human connections through citizen diplomacy. Meetings in both countries demonstrated how shared heritage can support conversation even during difficult political times.

The historic chapel holds particular importance for Orthodox Christians and for the preservation of Russian heritage in California. FRC has undertaken archival research and developed models to inform the restoration of its historical appearance. This careful work deserves continued support and cooperation.

We support responsible governance, transparent financial management, and clear standards for every organization working in a public park. We ask State Parks to pursue a constructive path that addresses substantiated concerns while preserving the benefits of this longstanding partnership.

We call on California State Parks to:

1. Reconsider the nonrenewal decision and work with FRC to renew Cooperating Association Agreement P21CO017.
2. Provide an interim extension, by mutual agreement, before or 30 days after the November 3, 2026, so meaningful discussions can take place while the partnership remains in effect.
3. Establish a written plan addressing any substantiated concerns, with clear responsibilities, measurable requirements, deadlines, and appropriate oversight.
4. Give FRC’s members, volunteers, educators, cultural communities, and supporters a meaningful opportunity to contribute to discussions about the partnership’s future.

State Parks’ own notice recognizes the contributions of FRC and its predecessor. Those contributions should provide a foundation for rebuilding cooperation. We urge you to act NOW! In addition to signing this petition, please write to California State Parks officials and ask them to reconsider their decision not to renew the Fort Ross Conservancy’s Cooperating Association Agreement. Your voice matters, and every letter of support can help protect this historic partnership.

We encourage you to contact the following officials:

Armando Quintero
Director, California State Parks
Email: armando.quintero@parks.ca.gov

Sedrick Mitchell
Deputy Director of External Affairs, California State Parks
Email: Sedrick.Mitchell@parks.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 653-8380

Jason DeWall
Division Chief, Northern Field Division, California State Parks
Email: Jason.DeWall@parks.ca.gov

Please sign and share this petition. Help keep Fort Ross Conservancy’s community partnership at Fort Ross State Historic Park alive.  Thank you!