NEWS CLIPS

 The opinions and views expressed in the news stories of interest do not always reflect those of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

News Stories of Interest 
California Department of Parks and Recreation 
Week of March 23, 2026

See how fire crews conduct prescribed burns at Montaña de Oro State Park: Prescribed burns are taking place at Montaña de Oro this month and early Thursday morning, fire crews gathered near Sandspit Beach before heading to the burn site.
Valentina Saldaña, KSBY News, March 26, 2026 

Federal government fires back at state over lawsuit linked to Santa Barbara County oil controversy: The Trump administration is blasting the state’s lawsuit against the federal government over its intervention to allow the resumption of oil production from some facilities in Santa Barbara County.
Lance Orozco, KCLU, March 26, 2026 

CA Super Bloom Wilts, Fans Find Spring Blossoms At These State Parks: Summer-like weather in early March has indeed shriveled the Super Bloom of 2026, but the Golden State's stunning florals will remain visible in the weeks to come.
Ashley Ludwig, Patch, March 26, 2026

New growth surrounds Bidwell Mansion (subscription only): As the future of the Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park continues to be evaluated, the building has entered its second spring while in a state of dilapidation.
Michael Weber, Chico Enterprise Record, March 26, 2026

Don’t want to miss the bloom? This L.A. scientist created a poppy forecast: Imagine waking up early, eager to peep dazzling carpets of brilliant orange flowers at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Instagram posts promised a spectacle. You drive to the reserve north of Los Angeles, but the rolling hills aren’t alive with color. Bummer. The bloom is over.
Lila Seidman and Alex Wigglesworth, The Los Angeles Times, March 26, 2026

New Satellite Study Reveals Southern California Beaches Are Both Growing and Shrinking — Will it Have Direct Implications for Harbors and Boaters?: While many coastal communities have sounded alarms about chronic beach erosion, new research from the University of California, Irvine, and the United States Geological Survey suggests the bigger story is more complicated.
The Log, March 26, 2026

Panhe Celebration Returns to San Onofre State Beach, Honoring Native History and Culture: The annual Panhe Native American Gathering and Celebration of Protection and Preservation returns this Sunday, March 29, at San Mateo Campground in San Onofre State Beach, continuing a decades-long effort to honor and protect one of Orange County’s most culturally significant sites.
Angélica Escobar, San Clemente Times, March 26, 2026

DBW Offering $2.5 Million in Grants to Support Boating Safety and Remove Abandoned Vessels: The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is offering up to $2.5 million in grant funding to help local agencies enhance boating safety and address abandoned vessels across California’s waterways.
The Log, March 26, 2026

Trump administration defends offshore oil drilling as California sues to stop it: The Trump administration on Wednesday defended its order to restart offshore drilling at the site of a major oil spill near Santa Barbara, criticizing California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s move to halt the plan as “political.”
Sharon Bernstein, The Sacramento Bee, March 25, 2026

Jelly Bowl cleanup gains ground, more help needed: Efforts to clear invasive Arundo reeds from Jelly Bowl Beach are gaining momentum, as local volunteers and California State Parks crews continue work to restore the shoreline ahead of summer.
CoastalView.com, March 25, 2026

‘California’s Prettiest State Park’ Is One Of The Few Places On Earth With An 80-Foot Waterfall That Hits The Beach: The state has no shortage of jaw-dropping spots, but when it comes to state parks, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur really takes the cake. Travel + Leisure recently named it the prettiest state park in California, and it’s easy to see why.
Sofia Delpueche, Secret Los Angeles, March 25, 2026

San Clemente, which will host surfing at the 2028 Olympics, addresses coastal erosion: Beachgoers may notice that not all of the sand along San Clemente’s coastline is the same general color. Some spans are lighter — or darker — than others. Local concerns aren’t over the aesthetics. The issue is erosion.
John Canalis, The Los Angeles Times, March 25, 2026

Will Rogers Park to Host Free Movie Night for Palisades Community: Will Rogers State Historic Park will reopen to the community with a free outdoor movie night May 9, marking a return to public gatherings following the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Santa Monica Mirror, March 25, 2026

Accused Arsonist Denies Starting Lachman Fire In New Court Filing: An attorney for accused arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has been held without bail since his arrest last November on charges he started the Lachman fire in Topanga State Park in the first few minutes of the New Year in 2025, a blaze that smoldered and exploded into the deadly Palisades fire days later is now blaming an unrelated “loud bang” and “flash of light,” for the incident.
Michelle McPhee, Los Angeles Magazine, March 24, 2026

California sues Trump administration over order to restart Central Coast oil pipelines: California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, alleging federal officials unlawfully authorized the restart of an oil pipeline system along the state’s Central Coast.
Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX, March 24, 2026

Smoke May Be Visible From Prescribed Burn In North Bay: Locals may see smoke emitting from prescribed burns this week in Marin County. California State Parks and Marin Water will manage the prescribed burn on Angel Island and on the Mt. Tam Watershed near West Ridgecrest Boulevard this week.
Albert Gregory, Patch, March 24, 2026

Ocean Water Warning Issued For South Bay Beaches Due To High Bacteria Levels: The LA County Department of Public Health is advising the public to avoid ocean waters at some South Bay beaches due to bacteria levels that exceed state health standards.
Mark Nero, Patch, March 24, 2026

Santa Monica's sand dunes are mounting a low-tech resistance to rising sea levels: Change is coming again to this iconic stretch of beach. For a decade, The Bay Foundation has been figuring out how to bring back pieces of those ancient dunes.
Erin Stone, LAist, March 24, 2026

Where to see one of California’s most spectacular superblooms in years: After heavy winter rain, the state's parks are transforming into vibrant landscapes of gold, pink, and purple flowers.
Colleen Hagerty, National Geographic, March 24, 2026

I've Traveled California for 20+ Years and This Is My Favorite State Park—With Colorful Cliffs and Stunning Desert Views: Best visited in spring or fall, the park offers mild temperatures, wildflowers, and opportunities to spot desert wildlife like tortoises and lizards.
Cu Fleshman, Travel and Leisure, March 24, 2026

One of Lake Tahoe’s Most Beloved State Parks Is Finally Reopening This May After 3 Summers Closed: Good news for Lake Tahoe visitors and regulars: D.L. Bliss State Park, one of the lake's most beloved state parks, will reopen for camping and day use this May after being closed for nearly three full summers.
Cat Huynh, Secret San Francisco, March 23, 2026

Trump administration illegally ordered restart of Central Coast oil pipelines, state lawsuit says: The state attorney general, on behalf of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and State Parks, filed an emergency request last week, calling on a federal judge to enforce the federal consent decree agreed upon after the oil spill and block the Trump administration’s new order.
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2026

Avian Flu Reaches New Northern California Beach, Threatening Marine Life: A deadly avian flu has been spreading among marine life at Northern California beaches. Scientists worry that it could harm elephant seal populations.
Evan Quarnstorm, The Inertia, March 23, 2026

Another heat advisory issued for SLO County. How hot will it get this time?: A second wave of unseasonably high heat is set to roll over parts of San Luis Obispo County this week, coming just days after a slew of extreme temperatures broke several heat records.
Hannah Poukish, The Tribune, March 23, 2026

Bill would create an official designation for California’s iconic surf spots: A Southern California lawmaker hopes to create a new designation for the state’s iconic wave breaks through the creation of “surfing reserves.”
Andrew Graham, The Sacramento Bee, March 23, 2026

Spring wildflowers arrive early across Northern California: The hotter temperatures this year and the timing of rainfall are causing flowers to bloom earlier than usual, leaving less time for people hoping to catch them in the wild.
Andrew Gracia & Laura Fitzgerald, Capradio, March 23, 2026

California's State Park On Lake Tahoe With Camping And Scenic Shoreline Is Re-Opening In The Summer Of 2026: There are several state parks on the shores of Lake Tahoe, one of the biggest lakes in the United States. But one of them, D.L. Bliss State Park, has been closed since June 2023 for a $5 million waterline replacement project.
Bridget Gleeson, Islands, March 23, 2026

CHP helicopter used to rescue overheated hiker at Big Sur: A California Highway Patrol helicopter was brought in to rescue a hiker suffering from heat exhaustion at Big Sur over the weekend.
Tim Fang, CBS News, March 23, 2026

SoCal History: How the CA State Parks came to be (audio recording): For this week’s SoCal History segment, we’ll dig into the inception of the state’s parks with Stephanie Campbell, program manager for California State Parks, and Jim Newland, planning division chief for California State Parks.
Megan Garvey, LAist, March 23, 2026

This 3,000-acre State Park Is One of California's Most Beautiful—With Wildflowers, Few Crowds, and Stunning Ocean Views: California’s legendary Big Sur region draws millions of tourists every year, but just a few miles to the north, there’s a stretch of protected coastline that feels virtually untouched compared to its southern neighbors.
Cu Fleshman, Travel and Leisure, March 22, 2026 

Point Lobos visitors face traffic gridlock, parking woes as calls for help rise: Visitors to Point Lobos State Park are facing significant traffic delays and parking challenges due to increased visitation, prompting concerns from park officials and the California Highway Patrol.
Micheal Rosales, KSBW 8, March 22, 2026

Focal Point | Among the redwoods in Big Basin: Big Basin was established as California’s first state park in 1902 through the work of a groundbreaking environmental movement composed of Santa Cruz and Bay Area women and men who relentlessly campaigned for its protection. 
Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 21, 2026

Bay Area elephant seal deaths round triple digits amid bird flu outbreak: Scientists continue to closely monitor a concentrated outbreak of avian influenza that is killing dozens of elephant seals on the San Francisco Bay Area coast.
Ryan Mense, Kron 4, March 20, 2026

Surfer bitten by shark off Northern California coast recalls fight to survive: A Northern California surfer who was bitten by a shark while riding waves off Mendocino County described a frantic fight for survival, saying he thought of his family as he struggled to break free.
Aldo Toledo & Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, March 20, 2026