Category Archives: State Parks

Activities, Hiking - General, National Forests, National Parks, State Parks

Hiking the Sierras

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Dick Hagerty, an Oakdale real estate developer active in community nonprofits, has written an excellent community column in the Modesto Bee about getting outdoors and hiking the Sierras.

I truly love getting outdoors, and I encourage everyone to visit the cathedrals of nature and see what something beyond your TV screen and computer monitor.  The world is a wide and wonderous place!

From the column:

It is not too late in the summer season to take a short drive up to the mountains and enjoy a day hiking through the woods and the wilderness. We just did the Panorama Trail in Yosemite this week, and despite the very strenuous ups and downs it was one of the all time greatest view treks I have ever experienced.

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Activities, State Parks

CSPF Park Champion volunteer day at Mt. San Jacinto – FREE TRAM & CAMPING!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The California State Parks Foundation is hosting a Park Champion event this August at the top of Mount San Jacinto.

If you’ve got the time, volunteer to help clear the hiking trails of debris left by the recent rainstorms so we can make the the trails more accessible to all!

The event takes place Saturday, August 3, 8:30am to 1:30pm

FREE TRAMWAY TICKETS AND BACKPACK CAMPING on Fri & Sat.

Kids over 10 welcome with a legal guardian.

The California State Parks Foundation’s Park Champions Program hosts volunteer days in state parks throughout California to help make a difference in how our parks are maintained.  From the website:

CSPF’s Park Champions Program holds volunteer work days in state parks across California. This program was created in response to the unprecedented budget cuts and closures that California State Parks face right now. In partnership with California State Parks, Park Champions provide consistent, sustainable volunteer support in the areas of park maintenance and beautification.

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Conservation, National Forests, National Parks, News, State Parks

Our Forest Place

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

If you are interested in land management in California, I encourage you to visit (and join!) OurForestPlace.com.  From the website:

The idea for OurForestPlace came about when a group of Forest Service planners were brought together to create a regional assessment for California that embraces the intent of the Proposed 2011 Planning Rule and the groundswell of collaborative efforts throughout the region.  This group of planners realized early on that the traditional assessment product – a static document informed by public and stakeholder involvement only at limited, predefined points – restricts its very usefulness and success. We needed to shift the focus from the product to the process. Through consultation with federal, state, local government and non-government groups it became clear that a successful assessment is the by-product of a robust, collaborative process.

Get involved in YOUR California!

You can visit the OurForestPlace.com website HERE.

News, State Parks

California state parks officials plan to install ATMs for park admission

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

California park officials are planning to speed up the park entrance process by installing ATMs that will allow visitors to pay fees by debit or credit cart. Funding for the new equipment was set aside by legislation which provided $750,000 to “modernize the system in hopes of increasing revenue.”

From the article:

Plans call for the automation to be installed soon at about a dozen locations, including Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe, Point Mugu in the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area near Pacheco Pass. The machines are equipped with encryption devices to deter ID theft, Stearns said.

The new machines will allow park visitors to pay for admission hourly or part days.

You can read the whole article HERE.

News, State Parks

California State Parks launches Parks Forward Commission

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Press release from the California State Parks:

California Natural Resources Agency, California State Park Officials Announce Sweeping New “Parks Forward” Initiative

New Commission Created to Transform California’s State Parks System 

SACRAMENTO , CA (Mon. June 3, 2013).–California Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird and California State Parks Director Major General Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret.), today unveiled “Parks Forward,” a collaborative initiative to undertake a top-to-bottom evaluation to improve and sustain California’s underfunded State Parks System. A distinguished volunteer panel, known as the Parks Forward Commission, will lead the new Parks Forward initiative, designed to implement the directives of the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012 and to revive and improve California’s State Parks.

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