Honorary California State Park Ranger Caryl Hart has
demonstrated a consistent and passionate advocacy for the mission
of California State Parks, in addition to an extensive list of
conservation efforts and environmental concerns she has passionately
represented throughout her adult life.
A California native, Ms. Hart received her undergraduate degree
at Cornell University, but returned to her home state to obtain
a law degree at the University of San Francisco. Her early career
included work as a public defender in San Francisco and Marin
County, where her appreciation and love of the surrounding open
spaces eventually steered her to conservation interests.
Ms. Hart served as Chair of the Open Space Citizens Advisory
Committee to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and
Open Space District, as a member of the Sonoma County Outdoor
Recreation Plan Citizens Advisory Committee, and as President
of the Nathan Ohrbach Foundation. Ms. Hart is also a founding
member of LandPaths, an environmental land trust in Sonoma County
focused on community involvement, education, and managed public
access in an effort to maximize resource conservation of open
spaces.
In 2000, Ms. Hart was appointed by Governor Gray Davis, with
support from Vice President Al Gore, State Senator Mike Thompson,
to serve on the California State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Among its tasks, the Commission is responsible for approving
park general plans, establishing general policies for the guidance
of the Director of State Parks, and recommending to the Director
a comprehensive recreation policy for the state.
Most recently, Ms. Hart completed Doctoral studies at the
University of California, Berkeley's Department of Environmental
Science, Policy and Management. Her studies, involving environmental
justice in California's open spaces, were described by the Berkeley,
Albany, and Emeryville League of Women Voters as having "immediate
relevance and the potential for affecting public policy."
Upon reviewing her work, the League voted to award Ms. Hart the
Eva Alexis Bansner Fund for Sustainable Communities Award, a
grant to support equitable access to open space and parkland
in California.
The CSPRA Board of Directors and members are proud to present
Ms. Hart with its highest tribute, Honorary Ranger. Her exhaustive
efforts as an advocate for parklands and open space throughout
California are an inspiration to us all.
