GRAYSON – As state leaders, leading conservationists and proud Valley residents gather beside the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers to celebrate the imminent opening of a new state park, Congressional candidate Adam Gray is among the proudest.

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“This is more than just another pretty place,” said Gray, a leading proponent of floodplain restoration and parks creation in the Valley. “This is a template for what our parks can be and should be.”

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The 1,600-acre refuge is on the verge of becoming California’s newest park – and first new park in a decade. It will be open to the public Wednesday at 9 a.m.

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Among those celebrating the public opening will be River Partners President Julie Rentner, who was in on the ground floor of creating the Dos Rios Ranch Wildlife Preserve nearly 20 years ago. She will be joined by Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot, State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Diana Avalos of the First Partner’s office among others.

“I learn and see something new every time I visit,” said Gray, who represented the area surrounding the park during his 10 years in the State Assembly. “Three years ago, when it was so dry, Julie was pointing out deer track in the dust. And Austin (Stevenot, River Partners field manager) was showing me that even in drought some plants were thriving -- the same plants that are essential for Native American baskets.”

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Last year, Gray recalled seeing water standing on hundreds of acres, noting the park was doing what it was designed to do -- flood. Because Dos Rios flooded, nearby communities like Grayson and Newman did not. Instead, those floodwaters provided salmon habitat and replenished the region’s aquifers.

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Gray has been instrumental in helping River Partners -- the state’s leading floodplain restoration organization – find and fund restoration projects throughout the Valley. As a candidate to represent California’s 13th Congressional District, Gray promises to be an advocate for flood protection, floodplain restoration, enhanced groundwater storage and more recreational opportunities – just as he has been for the past decade.

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Gray’s opponent, John Duarte, was fined $1.1 million for despoiling wetlands in Tehama County.

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For identification and background purposes:

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Adam Gray was born and raised in Merced, the heart of the 13th Congressional District. He worked at his family’s dairy supply while attending Merced College and then UC Santa Barbara. He worked in the State Legislature where he fought to secure water for farming, create a medical school at UC Merced and establish career training throughout the region.