Nonprofit celebrates 10 years managing Jack London park

(This is Part One of a two-part story about Jack London State Historic Park. Part Two will focus on the cutting-edge education offerings growing at the park.)

With the future of Jack London State Historic Park in jeopardy due to a statewide budgetary crisis during the recession, a group of Sonoma County residents came together in 2011 with a revolutionary idea to take over management of the park. The following year, it not only succeeded in starting to guide the park through the crisis, but has been efficiently running it ever since — and plans to do so for at least another 10 years.

Jack London Park Partners (JLPP) was the first nonprofit organization to manage a state park on behalf of the people of California. It now welcomes to the Glen Ellen park an average of 100,000 visitors annually from around the world, with the help of nine staff members and some 285 volunteers.

“Ten years is an important milestone,” said Matt Leffert, who has served as executive director of the park since February 2020. “It means this partnership is high functioning and sustainable. We just signed a contract [with California State Parks] for another 10 years, with a provision to renew for an additional 10 years.”

Douglas Johnson, information officer for California State Parks, noted that AB42, written in 2011 by then-Assemblymember Jared Huffman, allows nonprofit organizations such as JLPP to operate park system units.

“It has been a wonderful partnership with Jack London Park Partners,” Johnson said. “Through it, we have worked together to review important projects for natural and cultural resource protection while providing high-quality recreational opportunities to all people in the state and the world.”

While no general funds are contributed to JLPP, California State Parks staff meet regularly with the group to review other funding opportunities. These opportunities have included state propositions that rehabilitated the park’s Vineyard Trail, granted funds that rehabilitated the Jack London Cottage roof and porch, renovated and protected the Winery Ruins and stabilized the Wolf House Ruins.

Among JLPP’s many accomplishments, it completed an award-winning restoration of the cottage where internationally acclaimed writer Jack London and wife Charmian lived after acquiring Beauty Ranch; and reimagined the House of Happy Walls Museum, which brings the couple’s history to life.

An outgrowth of Valley of the Moon Natural History Association (VMNHA), JLPP is a citizens’ group created nearly a half-century ago to support the needs of three parks in Sonoma County — Jack London, Annadel and Sugarloaf. The association has played a major role in recruiting and organizing the volunteers who support all functions at the state park, contributing funds to advance cultural and recreational programs, and creating educational exhibits and displays.

JLPP now acts as the park’s board, succeeding the VMNHA. Charles Levine has served as the park board’s president and in other capacities since 2005. He has contributed in a wide assortment of roles for the park, including head of the marketing committee, head of the advisory council, member of the audit committee, member of the mounted patrol, tour docent, contributor to the trail maintenance staff and even a Jack London impersonator.

Levine said that when the State of California announced plans to close the park, it was not seen to be financially viable.

“A number of us on the VMNHA board believed that abandoning the park would be abandonment of the community and the heritage of Jack London,” he said. “That was unacceptable. We believed we could develop a financially viable solution which would enable us to open the park more than the three days per week that the State was able to operate it and provide joy to our guests.”

JLPP has put the park on solid financial footing through gate receipts, special events — including Transcendence Theatre Company productions, Triple Creek House Outfit riding experiences and weddings — and donations from individuals and foundations.

Roughly 40% of JLPP’s operating budget comes from earned revenue at the park, which includes entrance fees and special events. Fundraising contributions provide the remaining 60% of operational expenses.

“We also have almost 300 volunteers who do much of the work that would otherwise require paid staff or, more likely, would not be done at all,” Levine said. “And we have a remarkable and dedicated staff who have provided focus and leadership for everyone involved.”

Managing the park has been a learning process that has included some difficult challenges, though.

“Especially in the early years, the staff and board had to learn to work with state parks and to run the park efficiently,” Levine said. “Our relationship with the state has improved dramatically over the years, but we had rough patches initially until we were able to prove that our concern for the natural and cultural resources was at least at the same level as the State’s.”

JLPP also needed to learn how to be effective fundraisers, but the community has been “extraordinarily supportive,” he said.

“Our model works,” Levine said. “Guest satisfaction is measured regularly and is remarkably high. We have been able to break even or even generate a surplus every year. And we have been able to initiate capital improvements, including stabilizing the Winery Ruins walls, beginning restoration of the historic SDC [Sonoma Development Center] orchard and renovating the museum. They have improved the guest experience while maintaining the sense of place created by the Londons.”

Leffert says JLPP’s main accomplishments have been providing a $1 million renovation of the museum, offering an environmental education for seventh-graders and implementing a robust schedule of programs that inspire the community to learn more about Jack and Charmian London as well as the importance of protecting nature and wildlife on Sonoma Mountain.

“We also have an amazing relationship with the world-class Transcendence Theatre Company,” he said. “They are continuing the tradition of art and entertainment in Beauty Ranch that was started by the Londons so long ago.”

Levine said that JLPP has several new plans to keep providing a joyful guest experience while maintaining the cultural and environmental elements that Jack London loved. They include additional cultural events, such as the recently inaugurated “Call of the Wild” weekend that included performances by singer-songwriters and a variety of events incorporating the historic “Plowing Play Day,” featuring plowing and harnessing demonstrations as well as free horse-drawn wagon rides.

“We will also continue to expand our hikes and tours, ideally incorporating technology in a way that enhances the guest experience,” Levine said. “And we plan to continue the work on the orchard restoration and would love to initiate work on historic preservation of other buildings in the park. Ideally, that would include restoration of the historic dam at the lake.”

Leffert feels that JLPP’s biggest challenge as a nonprofit organization is to ensure equity and diversity in the park.

“We need to prioritize making the park more accessible and relevant,” he said. “All of the park improvements matter less if they’re not equally accessible to everyone.”

Johnson also emphasizes the importance of accessibility.

“With Jack London Park Partners, California State Parks will continue to support and steward the natural and cultural resources at the park, ensure that we keep the park accessible to as many Californians [as possible] to help them feel welcome and remove barriers such as entrance fees and transportation to the park.”

Jack London State Historic Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cottage hours are noon to 4 p.m.

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com.