In This Series:
California's State Parks: On the Rocks Archive
California's state parks are in peril. Habitually underfunded, about one in four state parks are now threatened with closure.
News Fix | May 22, 2013
Will Locals Keep Paying for State Parks They Saved?
Two years ago this month, the California Department of Parks & Recreation announced a list of 70 parks it planned to close. Park lovers rallied, giving their time and money to pick up the parks the state was willing to … Continue reading
News Fix | Apr 11, 2013
Tussle in Tracy: Off-Roaders, Nature Lovers Fight over State Park's Future
Family fun - or environmental threat on wheels? Jun Bato's 5-year-old son is one of many children you'll spot on the trails of Carnegie SVRA. (KQED/Rachael Myrow) We?ve heard a lot over the last couple of years about all the … Continue reading
News Fix | Mar 25, 2013
Report: California Should Give Up Control of Some State Parks
by Tracie Cone, Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? Over the years, California has added more parks to its state system than it can afford and should consider turning over control of some to local entities, a new report says. … Continue reading
News Fix | Feb 15, 2013
Deal Will Keep China Camp, Olompali, Tomales Bay State Parks Running
Nestled along the shore of the San Pablo Bay, China Camp was once home to a Chinese shrimp-fishing village that dates back to the 1880s. (Credit: Marin State Parks Association) China Camp Village lovers will be celebrating Saturday as the … Continue reading
News Fix | Jan 04, 2013
Audit: Parks Officials Hid Budget Surplus Due to Fear of Cuts; 'Useless Reserve' Went Unspent
Released today: The Attorney General?s ?Report of Investigation into Discrepancies in Financial Reports Submitted by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.? Hendy Woods in Mendocino, one of the state parks that were set to close. (Molly Samuels/KQED) The audit … Continue reading
News Fix | Oct 02, 2012
Park Donors Feel Betrayed, Want Money Back
Katharine Mieszkowski, The Bay Citizen Donors in the South Bay, angry over state mismanagement of park funds, are demanding the return of hundreds of thousands of dollars they gave to keep Northern California?s largest state park operating. The Coe Park … Continue reading
News Fix | Sep 04, 2012
Influenced by Scandal, State Parks Legislation Lands on Governor's Desk
Now that we're all back from Labor Day weekend and nursing sunburns, this seems like a good time to review two key bills related to the future of state parks: AB 1589 and AB 1478. Gazing into a beautiful oak … Continue reading
News Fix | Aug 14, 2012
Former Parks Employee Says State Attorneys Told of Budget Stash
by Don Thompson, Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? A former California state parks employee says she told state attorneys her department was hiding about $20 million in a special fund several months before officials announced discovering the surplus money, … Continue reading
News Fix | Aug 06, 2012
Scandal Spurs Plan to Keep Closer Eye on State Parks Budget
By Katharine Mieszkowsk, The Bay Citizen A little-known commission could be empowered to provide more oversight of the California Department of Parks and Recreation after an investigation revealed the department sat on a multimillion-dollar budget surplus for years. This week, state Sen. … Continue reading
News Fix | Aug 03, 2012
Finance Department Finds No Hidden Funds in Calif. State Budget
It sounded outrageous. At a time when the California state government was desperately cutting support for moms on welfare, sick kids and college students, it appeared to have $2.3 billion squirreled away in hidden slush funds. Former State Parks director … Continue reading
NPR | Jun 20, 2012
Saving Calif. State Parks: The End Of Public Funding?
A new class of private donors is chipping in to save California state parks from closure.
Climate Watch | Mar 11, 2012
Life After Wildfire: Studying How Plants Bounce Back
After a fire at a California state park, volunteers used satellite imagery to study the recovery. Continue reading
The California Report | Friday, Mar 29, 2013, 8:50 AM
Commission Suggests Big Changes for State Parks
Earlier this week, the nonpartisan Little Hoover Commission dropped a political bomb in Sacramento with a report suggesting the state should divest itself of the parks it can't afford to run. The California Department of Parks and Recreation is under new management after an accounting scandal last summer, but the Commission is recommending more dramatic changes in the months to come.
The California Report | Friday, Aug 31, 2012, 4:30 PM
'California Forever' Celebrates History of State's Parks
A new documentary airing on PBS stations next week takes up the California park system's history, and the challenges it faces today. The two-part series "California Forever" celebrates the dramatic stories, scenic beauty and sweeping history of California state parks -- the most diverse collection of state parks in the nation.
The California Report | Friday, Jul 20, 2012, 4:30 PM
State Parks Chief Resigns Amid Scandal Over Secret Fund
Longtime State Parks director Ruth Coleman stepped down Friday after revelations that the Parks Department had been sitting on a secret fund of $54 million. The news comes as state budget cuts threatened to close as many as 70 parks. We talk with Coleman -- who denies she knew about the fund -- and with two lawmakers who say they worry the public will lose confidence in state government over the scandal.
The California Report | Friday, Jun 29, 2012, 8:50 AM
Many State Parks Saved But Still Struggling
The list of 70 state parks slated to close July 1 because of budget cuts has dwindled to five. Just yesterday, the governor approved $10 million to give the Department of Parks and Recreation more time and resources to hash out a flurry of last-minute deals. And what happens to the five parks that don't have a deal? As it happens, not much.
The California Report | Tuesday, Mar 27, 2012, 8:50 AM
One Blogger's Quest to Visit 70 State Parks
Back in July, when the Department of Parks & Recreation first announced its list of 70 parks slated to close, one California woman felt prompted to visit them -- all of them.
The California Report | Tuesday, Mar 27, 2012, 8:50 AM
Assembly Bill Aims to Bolster State Parks
Recently, a handful of state lawmakers introduced a bill to address pending state park closures on several fronts. One of the bill's co-authors, Jared Huffman feels California needs to reaffirm its commitment to the state park system if it wants other people to step forward and donate.
The California Report | Monday, Mar 26, 2012, 8:50 AM
Historic and Urban: Seemingly Two Strikes Against a State Park
If a state park closes that hardly anyone goes to, does it matter? Pio Pico State Park in eastern Los Angeles County is a patch of history nearly smothered by the growth of the modern Southern California metropolis, and one of the state's least-visited parks. But the history that reverberates inside its walls still resonates with issues shaping California today.
The California Report | Monday, Mar 19, 2012, 8:50 AM
History Buffs Fight to Save a Frontier Outpost
Fort Tejon State Park is home to one of the best-preserved early California military outposts, but it gets relatively few visitors. Now, a group of re-enactors is planning to try and rescue its treasures from graffiti and vandals.
The California Report | Monday, Mar 12, 2012, 8:50 AM
How Determined Docents Kept One Park Off the Closure List
Local volunteers love their park so much, they raised more than $1 million to keep it open.
The California Report | Tuesday, Mar 06, 2012, 8:50 AM
Northern Calif. Redwoods on the Front Line of Parks Battle
The planned closure of nearly one-in-four state parks leaves California's iconic redwoods especially vulnerable. Ruskin Hartley is Executive Director of the Save the Redwoods League, a San Francisco-based nonprofit founded in 1918 to protect redwoods. The organization helped create the California State Parks, and has given land to many of them. Reporter Molly Samuel spoke with Hartley about the history of the parks and the current threats to them. The conversation has been edited for clarity and style.
The California Report | Tuesday, Mar 06, 2012, 8:50 AM
In the Rural Anderson Valley, Locals Rally to Save Their Park
Our series "State Parks: On the Rocks" continues today in a leafy corner of Mendocino County, known as Hendy Woods. To folks around there, it's far more than just a pleasant spot for a picnic. It's one of about eight state parks in Mendocino County still on the state's list for closure. And locals are worried that will impinge on both their lifestyles and their livelihoods.
The California Report | Monday, Mar 05, 2012, 8:50 AM
What is a Park Worth?
The Department of Parks and Recreation released last year a list of 70 parks slated for closure this summer. Nonprofits, donors and other partnerships have removed nine parks from the closure list. We begin a special month-long series called "California State Parks: On the Rocks" with Ruth Coleman, Director of California's state parks system.
The California Report | Monday, Feb 27, 2012, 8:50 AM
Workshops for Would-Be Park Rescuers
Due to budget cuts, California is pursuing plans to close parks for the first time in history. Last year, the state released a list of 70 slated for closure this June -- but non-profits, local governments and even the federal government have stepped forward to take nine parks off the list. The agency is in negotiations to save a few dozen more, and it's holding public meetings around the state.
What Next?
Seventy parks are slated to close on July 1, 2012, but the fate of the parks on the closure list isn't quite set in stone.
By the Numbers
Six counties are set to lose all their state parks, one-fifth of trails will no longer be supported and other system facts.
Timeline: Building California's State Parks
Explore the rapid evolution of one of America's oldest and largest state park systems.
