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About the Foundation

The mission of the Bay Foundation is to provide leadership in restoring, enhancing, and protecting the marine resources and watersheds of Morro Bay, Estero Bay, and the Central Coast of California. 

The Foundation has operated from its inception without paid general staff and without charging overhead costs to any of its projects. The Directors, who serve on a pro-bono basis, originate and manage programs and projects. All staff positions currently funded by the Foundation are dedicated exclusively to program and project assignments as opposed to operation of the Foundation itself. Foundation programs and projects are funded through grants from the US EPA, the California State Coastal Conservancy, and private sector donations. Foundation program operating expenses for fiscal year 2000 are estimated at approximately $415,000. This estimate does not include allocations for expenditures from the Foundation's Morro Bay Estuary Restoration and Enhancement Fund ($4,400,000). The Foundation also provides a full time staff support position for the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board's Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program (CCAMP), at no cost to the Regional Board.

 The Bay Foundation of Morro Bay was founded in 1989 by members of the Morro Bay Task Force, an organization of more than 60 agencies and organizations with interest in the health of the Morro Bay Estuary. The importance of the water and habit quality of the Central Coast of California and the Morro Bay Estuary was evident to the organizations involved in creating the Foundation and is also evidenced by those who chose to lend their support through founding membership in the Foundation's Honorary Board of Directors:

  • Dr. Warren Baker, President, Cal Poly State University
  • Dr. Grace Mitchell, President, Cuesta College
  • Patricia Dilbeck, Publisher, Morro Bay Sun Bulletin
  • Julie Packard, Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • The Honorable Leon Panetta, Congressmen, 15th District
  • The Honorable Peter Behr, State Senator
  • The Honorable Andrea Seastrand, Assemblywoman, 29th District
  • The Honorable Lawrence Laurent, County Supervisor, District 2

    • The Foundation carries out its mission through establishing strategic partnerships with organizations and agencies that share a common interest in the water and habitat quality of the Central Coast.  The Foundation provides organizational, planning, financial, and technical services to its partners and to other organizations with interests in the well being of our coastal areas.