California State Parks is honored to announce that Donner Memorial State Park and Sacramento State University Creative Services are the recipients of three Telly Awards for short films in the new visitor center at Donner Memorial. A celebration is planned for Saturday, August 24 at the park. The evening will include screening four short films, including the three award winners, a panel discussion of each film, snacks and adult beverages. Screening begins at 5:30 p.m.; parking and entrance are free.

Over the spring and into the summer months, California State Parks collaborated with Imperial County’s and Napa County’s Offices of Education in a pilot program to provide grade-school students with fields trips to state parks. These trips were part of the California State Parks Interpretation Digital Engagement and Access (IDEA) Project.

Los Angeles State Historic Park is holding its Agents of Discovery Program, a free augmented-reality educational app, on Saturday, August 10, from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks today announced the selection of 26 local park projects that will receive grants totaling $4.1 million from the California Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) Grant Program. This competitive program, funded by the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 (Proposition 117), provides assistance to local agencies for the protection, restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat to maintain California’s quality of life.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California State Historical Resources Commission (Commission) will consider ten nominations for federal historic designation and one nomination for state historic designation on Thursday, August 1. The Commission meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the Auditorium at the State Resources Building, located at 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento (95814).

California State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation invite the public to attend its upcoming open house to get the latest update on the future of Auburn State Recreation Area (Auburn SRA). The public will be able to study exhibits, ask questions and leave written comments on the joint Auburn SRA Preliminary General Plan/Auburn Project Lands Resource Management Plan (Plan) and a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).

Two weeks after unveiling a new lifeguard tower at Monastery Beach, California State Parks is reminding visitors to remain vigilant around the ocean. The tower stationed at Carmel River State Beach (Monastery) began staffing on June 29, 2019 as part of a pilot program this summer. Currently, it is staffed seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks will be part of the more than 40 California marine law enforcement agencies joining hundreds of enforcement agencies across the United States to increase patrols and/or carry out Boating Under the Influence (BUI) checkpoints on July 5-7 over the Independence Day holiday weekend. Dubbed Operation Dry Water (ODW), the enforcement program’s goal is to help reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and fatalities and foster a stronger, more visible deterrent to boating under the influence.

California State Parks today announced the addition of 28 new peace officers that will “Live the Parks Life” as rangers and lifeguards in the nation’s largest state park system. Yesterday, family members, friends and department staff applauded the class of cadets as they received their badges. As peace officers, they will serve, protect and educate visitors to California’s 280 state parks, while protecting the state’s most significant natural and cultural resources.

The Division of Boating and Waterways is now accepting applications through July 31, 2019 from public and private marina owners for Federal Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG). For 2020, a total of $14 million is available for BIG projects nationally.