California marks biggest state park expansion in decades with 3 new parks - BERITAJA

The Central Valley could soon beryllium location to 3 caller authorities parks successful what officials opportunity is the largest description of California’s authorities parkland strategy successful decades.

The projected parks — Feather River Park successful Yuba County, San Joaquin River Parkway adjacent Fresno, and Dust Bowl Camp successful Bakersfield — would service historically park-poor communities pinch recreation and historical preservation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the scheme Wednesday, Earth Day, connected the banks of the San Joaquin River. If approved, the caller parks would bring California’s full to 283, acold much than immoderate different state.

California has besides expanded 3 existing parks, successful Mendocino, Nevada and San Mateo counties, authorities officials said.

Unlike nationalist parks specified arsenic Yosemite, which are managed by the national government, authorities parks are overseen by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, besides known arsenic California State Parks. They see beloved sites specified arsenic Malibu Creek State Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

The largest of the projected parks, Feather River successful Olivehurst, Yuba County, sits connected about 2,000 acres on the Feather River. It would beryllium the first authorities parkland successful Yuba County, complete pinch a vessel motorboat and riverside beach, arsenic good arsenic a floodplain designed to return connected h2o successful high-flow years.

The San Joaquin River Parkway successful Fresno and Madera counties would subordinate various properties into an 874-acre authorities parkland straight upriver from the metropolis of Fresno, pinch parkland connected some sides of the river. Officials said it would complement the adjacent Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, making a “water recreation hub” successful the fast-growing region.

In Bakersfield, Kern County, the projected Dust Bowl Camp would people California history astatine the tract of the Sunset Migratory Labor Camp, 1 of the first camps established by the national Farm Security Administration to location farmworkers who came to California during the Dust Bowl. The migrant workers played a profound domiciled successful shaping the economy, civilization and personality of the Central Valley.

Officials said San Joaquin River Parkway would beryllium portion of a caller “water recreation hub” successful the fast-growing Fresno region.

(California State Parks)

The about two-acre parkland would beryllium the first to straight item the Dust Bowl and migrant farming camps of the Great Depression, authorities officials said. It is location to respective historical structures that are among the past remaining migrant campy buildings from the 1930s and ’40s Dust Bowl era successful California. Also known arsenic Weedpatch Camp, the tract is connected the National Register of Historic Places and inspired portions of John Steinbeck’s caller “The Grapes of Wrath.”

Wednesday’s announcement is portion of a caller inaugural called State Parks Forward, which seeks to quickly grow California’s 1.6-million-acre authorities parkland system. It kicks disconnected a readying and acquisition process for the 3 caller parks, which are publically held and could beryllium acquired astatine small to nary costs to the state, officials said.

The past caller authorities park, the 1,600-acre Dos Rios State Park adjacent Modesto, was the first added successful a decade erstwhile it opened successful 2024. A decade earlier, successful 2012, the parks section was mired successful scandal erstwhile officials threatened to adjacent 70 authorities parks owed to a deficiency of costs until a hidden $54-million stockpile was uncovered.

Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Agency secretary, said Wednesday’s announcement builds connected California’s 30x30 plan, which seeks to conserve 30% of the state’s onshore and coastal waters by the extremity of the decade. The authorities has achieved about 26% of its onshore extremity and 22% of its marine extremity truthful far.

“California’s authorities parks are thing short of iconic — pinch locations for illustration Big Sur, Southern California beaches and the world’s tallest trees — but our authorities has moreover much to offer,” Crowfoot said. “Now done State Parks Forward, we’re bringing much parks to much places — peculiarly successful the Central Valley, a beautiful region that has excessively often been overlooked for caller parks — while astatine the aforesaid clip making captious advancement to conserve 30% of our lands by 2030.”

The inaugural besides includes plans to turn existing authorities parks by 30,000 acres by the extremity of the decade, leaning connected caller legislation, Senate Bill 630 and Assembly Bill 679, to streamline the acquisition process for delicate ecosystems and captious wildlife residence corridors adjacent to existing parks.

Those description s see 453 acres precocious added to Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve successful Mendocino County, 218 acres to South Yuba River State Park successful Nevada County and 133 acres to Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park successful San Mateo County, besides announced Wednesday.

Feather River Park would beryllium the first authorities parkland successful Yuba County.

(California State Parks)

Newsom utilized the opportunity to opposition California’s efforts to the Trump administration, which has worked to constrictive protections for nationalist parks and forests. Last year, the president ordered the U.S. Forest Service to unfastened up immoderate 112 cardinal acres of nationalist forestland to logging — including each 18 nationalist forests successful California — and rescinded the 2001 “Roadless Rule” that established protections for 58.5 cardinal acres of wilderness areas crossed the United States.

The president has besides projected cuts to National Park Service funding and pushed to expand oil, state and mineral development connected national lands, among different efforts.

“As Trump sells retired America’s nationalist parks, California is doubling down connected protecting the Golden State’s earthy beauties,” Newsom said. “Today, done the State Parks Forward initiative, we’re expanding our parks strategy pinch 3 caller authorities parks, creating caller outdoor recreation opportunities for Central Valley communities, and deepening our conservation commitments and preserving our lands for generations of Californians to come.”

The parks section will instantly statesman a nationalist engagement process for each 3 caller parks to perceive straight from the surrounding communities and stakeholders. The timing for each park’s last support has yet to beryllium determined.