Planning Division

California State Parks

California State Parks' Planning Division provides technical support and research for the management and development of California's public park and recreation lands and facilities.

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 What's New --
 
The Planning Milestones is now available! A compendium providing selected information on the classified units and major unclassified properties that are currently or have in the past been associated with the California State Park System. More...

The 06/07 State Park System Statistical Report is updated annually and reflects the State Parks System's scope and scale, including information on acreage, facility statistics and visitation rates for each unit.  For more information on the latest release and on older versions of the Statistical Report click here or on the cover to the left!

Tried and True Public Relations and Promotional Tools
Whether working at the grass-roots or at the highest level of management at a respected, non-profit park and recreation organization--there comes a time when having the skills to serve as spokesperson for your park and recreation organization becomes an absolute necessity.  That is where this publication comes in - to help you fill this role! You can click on the cover to the left to go to that page or click more...

California State Park Partners
California State Parks is fortunate to have so many public, private and non-profit organizations ready and willing to help fulfill our mission of providing for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California. This new publication describes the activities of 120 of the department’s partners.  You can click on the cover to the left to view this publication or click more...

California State Parks' Central Valley Vision 
State Parks has conducted an extensive public outreach effort, holding town-hall style meetings across the Valley, from Redding to Bakersfield, asking residents for recommendations on what kinds of special places they wanted to preserve, protect, and interpret as future parks, recreation areas, and historical and cultural sites. More

The Gift of Time: Effective Volunteer Program Management for Local Park and Recreation Agencies  (73 pages, 324kb .pdf) is a guidebook developed by California State Parks to help local park and recreation agencies establish successful volunteer programs.

Local Needs Assessment Report (102 pages, 1.2 mb .pdf) This report serves as a performance review of the grant programs administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, identifies underserved needs and underserved communities, and provides recommended areas for further study.

Park & Recreation Trends in California See this report showing how changes in population, participation and recreation preferences are affecting the adequacy of park and recreation services.

Health and Social Benefits of Recreation See our report detailing the many ways that recreation benefits individuals and society.

California Recreation Policy The State Park and Recreation Commission approved the 2005 Recreation Policy (1 mb .pdf) at its September 23, 2005 meeting.

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California State Park System Planning
The Division conducts statistical research and comprehensive planning in support of the 278 units and major properties within the California State Park System. This includes the State Park System Plan, Statistical Report, and the Planning Milestones.

Outdoor Recreation Planning
The Division provides research and support on a variety of topics related to outdoor recreation planning in California. This includes the California Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) and the Public Opinions and Attitudes on Outdoor Recreation in California.

Statewide Trails Section
The Planning Division houses the Statewide Trails Section, which provides planning, grants and support for statewide trails.

Technical Assistance and Research
The Planning Division provides technical assistance and research related to current issues and trends affecting all park and recreation providers in California, including publications, workshops, and newsletters.