Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Small Wilderness Area Preservation and Polk, Emily
- Abstract:
- This collection contains the organizational records of Small Wilderness Area Preservation, a conservation organization founded by Los Osos resident Emily Polk for the purpose of buying up small parcels of land for preservation as nature parks and reserves. It is includes correspondence, financial records and tax documents, incorporation documents, meeting minutes and membership rosters, newsletters and publicity materials, press and clippings, and program files. The program files include correspondence, proposals, permits, and other working documents related to the various projects undertaken by S.W.A.P. for purchasing and setting aside parkland in California.
- Extent:
- 8 Linear Feet (5 cartons, 2 document boxes, 3 card file boxes)
- Language:
- English and Collection materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Small Wilderness Area Preservation records, BANC MSS 81/38 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains the organizational records of Small Wilderness Area Preservation, a conservation organization founded by Los Osos resident Emily Polk for the purpose of buying up small parcels of land for preservation as nature parks and reserves. It is includes correspondence, financial records and tax documents, incorporation documents, meeting minutes and membership rosters, newsletters and publicity materials, press and clippings, and program files. The program files include correspondence, proposals, permits, and other working documents related to the various projects undertaken by S.W.A.P. for purchasing and setting aside parkland in California.
The collection is arranged into four series:
Series 1 (Correspondence) contains professional and personal correspondence.
Series 2 (Administrative materials) includes financial records, bylaws, board meeting minutes, contributor and membership lists, and other documents.
Series 3 (Program files) contains correspondence, proposals, publicity, financial, and other working documents related to the various acquisition projects undertaken by S.W.A.P.
Series 4 (Publicity material and press) includes mailers and newsletters, promotional material, clippings, and material by other conservation organizations.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Small Wilderness Area Preservation (SWAP) was a conservation organization founded in 1971 by Emily Polk, a resident of Los Osos, CA, to purchase and set aside small parcels of land as parks, reserves, and open spaces. SWAP was incorporated in 1971 and solicited tax- deductible contributions from individuals in order to purchase land that would be “either saved from being destroyed, or returned from misuse to a natural wild state.” (1) It worked with and was supported by the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club, to which it deeded parcels. It approached landowners in order to persuade them to sell or donate their properties, which it could then lease, sell, or grant to landholding agencies or other foundations or corporations.
Its original advisory board included leaders of other conservation organizations, such as Ansel Adams, Edgar Wayburn (both of the Sierra Club and Trustees for Conservation), and Margaret Owings. The state advisory board oversaw county committees across nearly a dozen California counties in which the organization had projects. SWAP worked with individuals, planning and development agencies, realtors, and local and state governments. One of its early successes was the establishment of the Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve in 1972.
1. “The Small Wilderness Area Preserves Program.” Program document, 1970.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Emily Polk on September 9-12, 1980.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Lori Dedeyan in 2017, with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged to the folder level.
- Accruals:
-
No additions are expected.
- Physical location:
- Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Small Wilderness Area Preservation records, BANC MSS 81/38 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481