Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Thanks to a $498,040 grant from the California Energy Commission awarded to Mendocino Land Trust in 2014, the Mendocino Land Trust coordinated the installation of thirteen electric vehicle charging stations throughout Mendocino County,

To bring these charging stations to the public, Mendocino Land Trust worked under the grant from the Energy Commission in partnership with California State Parks and Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG).  MCOG contributed $34,500 in supplemental funds and ongoing staff support throughout. In-kind matching assistance was provided by Visit Mendocino County, and matching funds were provided by the City of Fort Bragg, the Tarbell Family Foundation, Clipper Creek, Group II Commercial Real Estate and Harvest Market.  The project culminated in an electric byway that provides incentive for visitors and locals alike to use plug-in hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicles.

Every year, thousands of tourists hit the road in search of adventure in the sweeping landscapes of Mendocino County.  Many drive for hundreds of miles in hope of reconnecting with the wild places of Northern California. That is why Mendocino Land Trust and its partners decided to build this series of electric vehicle charging stations, most of which are placed within or very close to State Parks.

Chargers were installed at these park locations:

• Westport Union Landing State Beach
• MacKerricher State Park
• Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
• Russian Gulch State Park
• Van Damme State Park
• Greenwood State Beach
• Hendy Woods State Park

Chargers were also installed in these locations:

• City of Fort Bragg’s City Hall parking lot
• City of Fort Bragg’s Laurel Street parking lot
• Fort Bragg’s Boatyard Shopping Center
• Caspar Community Center
• City of Point Arena’s downtown public parking lot
• City of Willits’ downtown parking at School Street and West Mendocino Avenue

 “We are proud to be providing a part of the solution to climate change in Mendocino County,” said Doug Kern, then Director of Conservation at Mendocino Land Trust. “Building the infrastructure to reduce fossil fuels usage is an important step in keeping our water and air free of pollutants.”

“It’s been a pleasure working with the Land Trust’s dedicated staff on this vital project,” added Janet Orth, MCOG Deputy Director. “These installations are fulfilling several recommended public charging sites in our Mendocino County Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Regional Readiness Plan along with the park locations.”

California State Parks is responding to the increasing challenges of climate change with the installation of EV charging stations as part of its “Cool Parks” initiative. Facilitating the expansion and use of plug-in cars not only encourages their use by environmentally-conscious visitors, but also allows the general public to see this new technology in action. 

“This is a fantastic program for visitors to our coast to charge their electric vehicles while they adventure in our beautiful parks,” says Loren Rex, Mendocino Sector Superintendent. “We’re thrilled the charging stations are all in and excited to see them being used regularly.  Thanks to Doug Kern at Mendocino Land Trust and all the partners for completing this cutting-edge project.”