News Release

Project H.O.P.E. at Point Reyes National Seashore

Date: July 5, 2017
Contact: John A. Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135

Point Reyes Station, Calif. - Point Reyes National Seashore has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Project H.O.P.E. for shared use of the park's Morgan Horse Ranch near park headquarters at Bear Valley. Project H.O.P.E. is a local non-profit that provides equine assisted therapy activities to assist veterans. Through this agreement, Project H.O.P.E. will be authorized to stable horses and conduct therapeutic sessions for veterans at the Morgan Horse Ranch. This collaboration will directly benefit veterans and their families.

Project H.O.P.E. has been a nonprofit for 2½ years providing equine assisted therapy at the following locations: Presidio Riding Club in the Marin Headlands; RJK Ranch in Sonoma County; and Skyline Ranch Equestrian Center and Piedmont Stables, both in Alameda County.

Veterans from this program have come from the following facilities: the HUD-VA supportive housing facility, San Francisco; San Francisco Vet Center; San Francisco VA at Fort Miley; the North Bay Vet Center in Rohnert Park; Homeward Bound's New Beginnings Center in Novato; the Oakland Vet Center; and the Santa Rosa VA.

Project H.O.P.E.'s purpose is to provide a unique therapeutic environment including equine-assisted therapy for our veterans and their families. They provide a place where veterans can learn and grow socially and emotionally to develop valuable life skills in a natural setting with professional support. Learn more at www.projecthope.center.

"I want to thank the Point Reyes National Seashore for recognizing the needs of our veterans by providing the Morgan Horse Ranch for Project H.O.P.E.," stated Kim Mac Lean, co-founder and Executive Director. "This new association will allow Project H.O.P.E. to expand its already existing equine-assisted therapy to include ground based horsemanship classes and all day workshops for veterans."

Steve Mietz, Acting Superintendent at Point Reyes National Seashore, added, "We are honored to play a role in helping our veterans transition back to their communities. There is no more fitting role for public lands than to help those veterans who sacrificed to protect them. The Seashore looks forward to working with Project H.O.P.E. for years to come."

The National Park Service has more than 20,000 National Park Service employees who care for America's 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

-NPS-