Collection Guide
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Small Wilderness Area Preservation records
BANC MSS 81/38 c
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Small Wilderness Area Preservation records
Creator:
Small Wilderness Area Preservation
Source:
Polk, Emily
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 81/38 c
Physical Description:
8 Linear Feet
(5 cartons, 2 document boxes, 3 card file boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1963-1980
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.
Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.
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.
Collection is open for research.
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.
[Identification of item], Small Wilderness Area Preservation records, BANC MSS 81/38 c, The Bancroft Library, University of
California, Berkeley.
There are no alternate forms for this collection.
The Bancroft Library holds several collections related to the conservation and environmental movements in California and the
United States. These include the records of Sierra Club, its chapters and members, the Trustees for Conservation, and environmentalists
such as David Ross Brower, Thomas J. Graff, and the correspondence of Ansel Adams. The Bancroft also holds the records of
the Friends of the River Foundation, Friends of the Earth, and the Save the Redwoods League.
Gift of Emily Polk on September 9-12, 1980.
No additions are expected.
Arranged to the folder level.
Processed by Lori Dedeyan in 2017, with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Wilderness areas--California.
Environmental protection--California
Open spaces--California--San Francisco Bay Area
Open spaces--California.
Conservation of natural resources--California.
Parks -- California
Small Wilderness Area Preservation
Polk, Emily