Sparkletts Donates 2,300 Acres of Desert Wetland toThe Nature Conservancy; Sparkletts Gift Will...

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 1997--Sparkletts Drinking Water and McKesson Corp. donated more than 2,300 acres of desert wetlands in Mission Creek, Calif., to The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization.

Mission Creek begins high in the San Bernardino

"We knew that by donating this land to the Conservancy, we would be protecting it from development and keeping it pristine for future generations," said Charles Norris, president of MWPC. "We have a strong and obvious tie with the environment. Helping to protect Mission Creek is one way to give something back to California, a state we've operated in for more than 70 years."

MWPC's donation more than doubles the Conservancy's holdings in the area and is of importance because it serves as a biological crossroads for the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, containing plant species from both regions along with rare desert wetlands.

"The Conservancy has been interested in the property -- valued at $7 million -- for a long time," said Steve McCormick, director of the Conservancy's California Regional Office. "It is a vital link in a matrix of protected areas including the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, the San Bernardino National Forest and the Coachella Valley."

"Biologically, these lands are incredibly diverse," added McCormick. "But they also were ripe for development. Sparkletts' gift helped cement a vast network of protected areas owned by federal and state agencies, other conservation partners and the Nature Conservancy. Together, these lands will provide lasting protection for some of our most imperiled species."

Based in Pasadena, MWPC, a division of McKesson Corp., is the largest American-owned bottled-water company and a member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). MWPC manufactures and distributes drinking water products under the familiar brand names of Sparkletts in Southern California, Nevada, Washington and Texas; Alhambra in Northern California; and Crystal in Arizona. -0- Note to editors: Black and white and color photos available upon request.

CONTACT: McKesson Water Products Co.

Julie Thomas-Lowe, 818/585-1027

or

Nature Conservancy

Scott Ferguson, 714/494-2050

or

Fleishman-Hillard

Richele Craveiro, 213/629-4974