Peninsula Open Space Trust receives $3 million bequest Estate of Fred J. Kamphoefner to benefit campaign to save endangered San Mateo Coast
December 10, 2003
The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced today that it will receive $3 million from the estate of Fred J. Kamphoefner, formerly of Atherton.
A Bay Area native, Mr. Kamphoefner was a longtime POST'supporter and ardent conservationist. He gifted the majority of his estate to POST to ensure the open lands he loved on the San Francisco Peninsula are protected.
"POST is deeply grateful to Fred for his generous bequest," said POST President Audrey Rust. "His contribution will leave an important legacy of natural beauty for future generations to enjoy."
In 1991, Mr. Kamphoefner retired from the Stanford Research Institute after 42 years. After retirement, he continued leading an active life enjoying the outdoors, spending many hours hiking local trails, gardening, bee keeping, and taming wild jays.
"He was an extraordinary person, so interesting and intelligent. I never met anyone like him," said his niece, Barbara Burnett of Marin County. "I'm so delighted his bequest to POST will help to secure land for all of us to enjoy."
The bequest will benefit POST's $200 million campaign to save 20,000 acres on the San Mateo Coast — the last remaining rural coast next to a major metropolitan area in the entire world. The Coast has been named by scientists among the earth's 25 conservation hot spots because of its rich diversity of species and habitat and because these resources face extreme threat from urban development.