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About the
Empire Ranch Foundation
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Who We Are
The Empire Ranch Foundation is a non-profit volunteer organization
that was established in 1997. Acting in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the purpose
of the Foundation is to protect, restore and sustain the Empire Ranch
historical buildings and landscape as an outstanding western heritage and
education center.
Mailing Address & Phone
Empire Ranch Foundation, P.O. Box 842, Sonoita, AZ 84637 *
(888) 364-2829
Administrator
Christine Auerbach, email: admin@empireranchfoundation.org
Board of Directors
The Empire Ranch Foundation is managed by volunteers,
including the following individuals who currently serve on the Board
of Directors:
Alison Bunting, President
Fred Baker, Vice President
Kristi Keller, Secretary
Carla Martin, Treasurer
David Daiss
Emil Franzi
John Komrada
J. Jefrey Matthews
Sarah Miller
Tom Rogos
Richard Schorr
Timothy Vail
Funding and Support
The Empire Ranch Foundation funds its projects through the support of
members, individuals and businesses, through public, corporate and foundation
contributions and grants, and through proceeds from special fundraising
activities.
The Empire Ranch House was designated an Official
Project of the White House Save America's Treasures initiative in
1999, and was awarded a Millennium Grant for preservation work.
Successfully raising $95,000 in matching funds for the grant was a major Foundation
achievement in 1999-2000. Since then, along with member
support, significant partnership grants and cost-share grants from BLM, as
well as grants from private foundations, have been major sources of
funding.
Volunteer workers and donated supplies, equipment and
services are also extremely important to achieving our mission. Please
contact us.
Fundraisers, Community Events, Volunteer Days
Preservation, Restoration and Reuse
Preservation of the Empire Ranch House and other buildings is a
primary mission of the Foundation. Major stabilization repairs
of the Ranch House and Stone Corral were completed in
2001/2002. Subsequent major projects have focused on
stabilization and repair of the ranch headquarters' historic Adobe Hay
Barn and Ranch Hand's House, the ranch house Victorian Addition's west
gable wall, the South Barn, Mechanic's Shed, and other buildings. Once stabilization is complete, plans
call for development of an interpretive historical house museum, a self-guided Heritage
Trail, and educational programs to augment classroom learning about the
natural and cultural history of the region.
Western Heritage and Education Center
The Empire Ranch Foundation addresses the western heritage
and education focus of our mission through sponsorship of an annual
Roundup and Open House for the general public at ranch headquarters; a
"Legacy Day" field day of on-site ranching education for local
middle school children; and "Wild About the Grasslands!", a
youth education program focused on ecology and conservation
stewardship.
The Empire Ranch is an official member site of the Hands on the Land (HOL)
program, a national network of field classrooms, connecting students,
teacher, and parents to their public lands and waterways. Click link
below to see the Empire Ranch Site Profile on the HOL website:
A self-guided Heritage Discovery Trail is under
construction at Ranch Headquarters; the first segment of the trail will be
completed in October 2007.
Archives
The Foundation is actively gathering and organizing photos, oral
histories and other documents relating to the Empire Ranch.
Selected items are made available for download at this website. See Site
Map for links to download educational materials.
Newsletter
The Empire Ranch Foundation publishes a quarterly newsletter with further
information about the Empire Ranch, its colorful history and current
activities. Individual issues are available from this website (as .pdf
files; requires Adobe Reader).
Membership
It takes time, money and lots of effort to accomplish our mission.
You can help by becoming a part of the Empire Ranch Foundation.
Members and supporters receive our newsletter and other mailings and you
share a part in preserving history. Active volunteers get even more!
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Empire Ranch Foundation | P.O. Box
842, Sonoita, AZ 85637 |
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