SBTHP enjoys a unique partnership with the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation. Preservation activist and leading citizen Pearl Chase, founder of SBTHP, recognized early on that harnessing the power of State Parks would speed the reconstruction of El Presidio, and would provide the kinds of resources the fledgling SBTHP needed in its efforts to restore and rebuild the birthplace of Santa Barbara. In 1966 El Presidio became a State Historic Park and a series of multi-year agreements between the two parties led to the passage in 1988 by the California State Legislature of formal enabling legislation authorizing the Department to enter into an operating agreement with SBTHP. During this time period, in addition to staffing and maintaining the Park, SBTHP has raised funds for and carried out numerous projects—including major archaeological excavations, historical reconstructions, museum installations and ongoing education programs for the benefit of the citizens of California and visitors to the Park from throughout the world. SBTHP and State Parks look forward to many more years of symbiotic association.