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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks today announced a $46.2 million investment to build healthier communities by creating and improving recreational facilities in 25 local parks. Funded by Proposition 68 through the Rural Recreation and Tourism and Regional Park Programs, the grants awarded will be used to enhance outdoor recreational facilities such as trails, campgrounds, multisports fields, skate and bike parks, and picnic areas.
“Congratulations to the 25 communities receiving the grant funding,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “I look forward to seeing the projects come to fruition and for Californians to start enjoying them. Spending time in the outdoors not only helps us connect with our communities, but it can also support our mental and physical health. A healthier California is good for all of us.”
State Parks evaluated $235.8 million in Regional Park Program funding requests for the available $23.1 million in this application cycle. For the Rural Recreation and Tourism Program, the department evaluated $182.3 million in funding requests for the available $23.1 million.
One grant recipient, Kern County, will receive nearly $2.7 million from the Regional Park Program to improve Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area near the city of Bakersfield by constructing a new multiuse trail, splash pad, shaded and lighted picnic pavilion, dog park and flour floating docks, and by implementing erosion-control measures. The city of Clearlake will receive $3 million from the Rural Recreation and Tourism Program to create the new Burns Valley Sports Complex by constructing a new multipurpose turf field with lighting and a walking track; a playground; ballfields with lighting -- including one softball field, one baseball field, one little league field and two T-ball fields; two picnic areas; and a restroom building. A list of all grant recipients is available online at: Rural Recreation and Tourism: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28439 or Regional Parks Program: Regional Park Program (ca.gov).
“These park improvements are an exciting development as we invest in communities across our diverse state,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. “All Californians deserve access to recreational opportunities, so that they can enjoy the outdoors and the cultural, historic, and natural resources California offers.”
Programs such as the Regional Park Program help advance the Outdoor Access for All initiative championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Natural Resources Agency’s Outdoors for All initiative. This effort expands outdoor access to all Californians through focused investments in open space infrastructure, outdoor programming and improvements to permit applications, with a priority of expanding access in underserved communities.
State Park’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) develops grant programs to provide funding for local, state and nonprofit organization projects. Since 1964, more than 7,400 local parks throughout California have been created or improved from OGALS' grant funding. Since 2000, OGALS has administered approximately $3 billion in grant funding throughout California. For more information, please visit parks.ca.gov/grants or follow the program on Facebook at Facebook.com/caparkgrants.
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