On this page:

• Park closure list and status (saved or in negotiation)
• Articles in the series (chronological order)

CALIFORNIA’S STATE PARKS NEED A LIFELINE. The state park system here is the largest in the nation and includes 278 state parks stretching over 1.5 million acres of land valued for recreational, natural, cultural and historical values. In May 2011, the Parks Department announced the closure of 70 California State Parks. Lawmakers and park advocates are seeking short and long term funding and operating solutions to help keep the parks open. Due to a $22 million budget shortfall, you will see more and more service reductions, and eventually full closures, between now and July 2012.

I am following the developments in a series of blog articles on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding, as park systems, in California and across the country, undergo a period of reinvention.

15 of 70 Saved Parks as of May 11, 2012

This table tracks California State Parks saved from closure. For an agreement to be considered final for keeping a park open, it needs signatures from the park’s local district supervisor and the Director of California State Parks. Some agreements, operating and concession agreements, also require final contract review by the Department of General Services. Donor agreements require only the Director’s approval. Source: California State Parks

#	Saved Park	Signed Agreement	Read More
1	Antelope Valley Indian Museum	D - Donation: California State Parks continues to operate
2	Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area	OG – Operating Agreement with government agency: City of Colusa to operate
3	Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park	U.S. National Park Service
4	Henry W. Coe State Park	D – Donation from Coe Preservation Fund for California State Parks to operate
5	McGrath State Beach	Other – Donation/grants to fix failing sewer line and support parks operations
6	Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve	C - Concession Agreement: Bodie Foundation to collect parking fees
7	Samuel P. Taylor State Park	U.S. National Park Service
8	Tomales Bay State Park	U.S. National Park Service
9	South Yuba River State Park	Other – County agreement on no parking signs
10	Jug Handle State Natural Reserve	D- Olmsted donation and California State Parks Foundation matching funds
11	Plumas-Eureka State Park	D-Plumas-Eureka Foundation donation agreement
12	Jack London State Historic Park	ONP- Operating Agreement with a Nonprofit (AB 42): Nonprofit Valley of the Moon Interpretive Association to operate
13	Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement - Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
14	Bothe-Napa Valley State Park	OG - Operating Agreement with government agency: Napa Valley Reg. Parks and Open Space District
15	Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park	OG - Operating Agreement with government agency: Napa Valley Regional Parks and Open Space District

70 California State Parks on the May 2011 Closure List

Many parks on the original closure list are located in Northern California. San Francisco Bay Area Parks are in bold. Parks rescued by donors, public agencies and other sources are noted in green. Be sure to visit The Magnificant 70 to view stunning photos of these parks and learn more.

1. Anderson Marsh SHP – agreement in negotiation
2. Annadel SP – agreement in negotiation
3. Antelope Valley Indian Museum SHP (saved by a donor)
4. Austin Creek SRA – agreement in negotiation
5. Bale Grist Mill SHP – Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District and the nonprofit Napa Valley State Parks Association now operate
6. Benbow Lake SRA – RFP issued for concession
7. Benicia Capitol SHP – agreement in negotiation
8. Benicia SRA – agreement in negotiation
9. Bidwell Mansion SHP – agreement in negotiation
10. Bothe-Napa Valley SP – Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District and the nonprofit Napa Valley State Parks Association now operate
11. Brannan Island SRA – RFP issued for concession
12. California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park Property – agreement in negotiation
13. Candlestick Point SRA
14. Castle Crags SP – RFP issued for concession
15. Castle Rock SP – agreement in negotiation
16. China Camp SP
17. Colusa-Sacramento River SRA (saved by operating agreement with the City of Colusa)
18. Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP (saved by National Park Service)
19. Fort Humboldt SHP
20. Fort Tejon SHP
21. Garrapata SP
22. George J. Hatfield SRA
23. Governor’s Mansion SHP – agreement in negotiation
24. Gray Whale Cove SB
25. Greenwood SB
26. Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
27. Hendy Woods SP
28. Henry W. Coe SP (saved by Coe Park Preservation Fund)
29. Jack London SHP (saved by Valley of the Moon Natural History Association)
30. Jug Handle SNR (saved by a donor agreement)
31. Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
32. Limekiln SP
33. Los Encinos SHP – agreement in negotiation
34. Manchester SP
35. Malakoff Diggins SHP
36. McConnell SRA
37. McGrath SB (saved by donor funds and grant money)
38. Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve (saved by Bodie Foundation and Mono Lake Committee)
39. Morro Strand SB
40. Moss Landing SB
41. Olompali SHP
42. Palomar Mountain SP – agreement in negotiation
43. Petaluma Adobe SHP – agreement in negotiation
44. Picacho SRA
45. Pio Pico SHP – agreement in negotiation
46. Plumas-Eureka SP – Saved with a donor agreement.
47. - agreement in negotiation
48. Portola Redwoods SP – agreement in negotiation
49. Providence Mountains SRA – RFP issued for concession
50. Railtown 1897 SHP – agreement in negotiation
51. Russian Gulch SP – RFP issued for concession
52. Saddleback Butte SP
53. Salton Sea SRA – RFP issued for concession
54. Samuel P. Taylor SP (saved by National Park Service)
55. San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
56. Santa Cruz Mission SHP – (Saved with a donor agreement.)
57. Santa Susana Pass SHP – agreement in negotiation
58. Shasta SHP agreement in negotiation
59. South Yuba River SP (saved with community petition and parking fee agreement)
60. Standish-Hickey SRA – RFP issued for concession
61. Sugarloaf Ridge SP – agreement in negotiation
62. Tomales Bay SP (saved by National Park Service)
63. Tule Elk SNR
64. Turlock Lake SRA – RFP issued for concession
65. Twin Lakes SB – agreement in negotiation
66. Weaverville Joss House SHP
67. Westport-Union Landing SB – RFP issued for concession
68. William B. Ide Adobe SHP
69. Woodson Bridge SRA – RFP issued for concession
70. Zmudowski SB – RFP issued for concession

Articles in blog series:

1. Nonprofits may soon run California State Parks to prevent closures.

   On August 31, The California Senate passed a bill to allow nonprofits to run California State Parks as 70 parks face closure between September 2011 and July 2012. (September 1, 2011)

2. California State Park Crisis featured on KQED Forum.

   Can nonprofits save California State Parks? (September 7, 2011)

3. Reality check: Public parks need philanthropy.

   Philanthropy will be critical for keeping parks open, safe and clean and protecting the ecological integrity of these public lands. (September 16, 2011)

4. Can nonprofit save Jack London’s legacy as historic park faces closure? “Across Sonoma Mountain wisps of sea fog are stealing … I have everything to make me glad I am alive. I am filled with dreams and mysteries. I am all sun and air and sparkle. I am vitalized, organic.” – Jack London (September 23, 2011)

5. Wake up call: California park that immortalizes world-famous legend needs philanthropic lifeline.

   Volunteers are the true heroes in the fight to save our parks, but they need help. (September 25, 2011)

6. Rethinking and reinventing state park financing.

   The state park operations and funding model is broken. Around the state, park advocates are looking for creative solutions to keep the beloved parks in their communities open. (October 4, 2011)

7. National Park Service rescues three Northern California state parks.

   The National Park Service is stepping in to preserve and prevent harm to national parks that overlap boundaries with state parks and has also come up with new ways to raise some additional funding. (October 6, 2011)

8. Short-term funding solutions for state parks emerging, one by one.

   While not final yet, a few nonprofits and public agencies are in various stages of developing proposals to run parks in their communities. (October 14, 2011)

9. What the philanthropic community needs to know to support our state parks.

   Thomas Peters, President of the Marin Community Foundation, offers insights on philanthropy’s response to state park closures. (November 2, 2011)

10. Castle Crag State Park, an iconic landscape crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail, closing.

    Castle Crags State Park is one of 70 that made the notorious closure list announced by California State Parks and Recreation in May 2011. (November 11, 2011)

11. States are trying new ways to raise funds for parks amid nationwide crisis.

    As severe state budget cuts afflict the entire country, California is not alone in this parks funding crisis. Park systems, notably state park systems, are struggling to stay open. Many states are trying new ways to raise public funds. (November 11, 2011)

12. For next generation of Californians, parks legacy is at stake.

    If parks close and stay closed, it would mark the first time the state park system would be left smaller for the next generation of Californians. (November 17, 2011)

13. Park experts and nonprofits gathered in Berkeley on California state parks funding crisis.

    The Bay Area Open Space Council organized a meeting on November 17, 2011, in Berkeley on the California State Parks crisis and live-blogged the event. (November 17, 2011)

14. Nonprofits save Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve from closure.

    After a six-month grassroots public effort, this world-famous reserve is now among four parks to be removed from the infamous May 2011 list of 70 California state parks to be permanently closed by July 1, 2012. (December 2, 2011)

15. California closes Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for first time in park’s 47-year history.

    Unless a deal can be worked out between local nonprofits and the state, closure of this 5,100-acre wildland park in the “Valley of the Moon” will be permanent. (December 4, 2011)

16. Nonprofit launches campaign to save Castle Rock and Portola Redwoods State Parks.

    Among park champions across the state, stepping up to save the parks, are nonprofit groups that have worked side-by-side with state parks in local communities for decades to support education programs and stewardship. (December 6, 2011)

17. The power of local: nonprofits and volunteers hope to rescue state parks.

    The January – March 2012 issue of Bay Nature features the California state parks crisis as the cover story, illuminating the real people behind the hard work of trying to save some of the parks here in the San Francisco Bay Area. (December 29, 2011)

18. Time is running out for endangered California parks. Are state park closures legally defensible? While volunteers and nonprofits continue to raise funds and develop plans in hopes of saving parks from closing in their communities, State Senator Noreen Evans (Democrat-Santa Rosa) says she will introduce legislation halting the closures. (January 8, 2012)

19. Nine state parks saved of 70, others deserted. Six months from now, at least 61 of California’s 278 state parks will close – from historic museums to lands that protect sensitive wildlife habitats and prehistoric Native Californian sites. (January 22, 2012)

20. What is the funding model for nonprofits hoping to save state parks? John Muir’s great, great grandson offers guidance to nonprofits and communities hoping to save their local state park. (February 5, 2012).

21. Sierra Nevada foothills community rallies to save South Yuba River State Park. A state park is saved after a nonprofit rallies the community to gather and hand-deliver 10,000 petition signatures to the governor. (February 8, 2012)

22. Nonprofit coalitions and advocates press on to save state parks. This post highlights the latest news on the California State Parks crisis, six actions steps you can use to save a park and a series to kick off on Monday, March 5, 2012, by KQED’s California Report. (March 1, 2012)

23. Nonprofits raise funds to rescue Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, famous for rare ecological phenomenon On March 16, 2012, the California State Parks Foundation and the Olmsted Park Fund announced an agreement with California State Parks to give Jug Handle State Reserve a reprieve from closure for one year. (March 17, 2012)

24. Donor Agreement saves Plumas-Eureka State Park in the Sierra Nevada (March 24, 2012)

25. How many California state parks have been saved from the budget ax? (March 31, 2012)

26. Regional parks agency and nonprofit partner to save two Napa Valley state parks (April 3, 2012)

27. With help from philanthropists, California State Parks Foundation offers new park operating grants (April 8, 2012)

28. Jack London State Historic Park becomes first park saved under new law, AB 42 (April 10, 2012)

29. California’s first urban state park will close soon without funds (April 25, 2012)

30. Nonprofit signs agreement to fund Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park (May 1, 2012)

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