The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) is seeking comment on draft guidelines for applying for $46.2 million in funding from two new statewide grant programs. State Parks will hold nine public meetings throughout the state in October and November to receive public feedback for the Regional Park Program and the Rural Recreation and Tourism Program created by Proposition 68 of 2018.   

California’s Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) today released recordings from the 2018 Climate Heritage Mobilization. The videos, edited from the original live stream into sections, will help practitioners better understand opportunities for their own climate action and also serve as a way for partners to better understand the intersectionality of cultural and climate action.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks today announced that more than 60 state parks, as well as the Division of Boating and Waterways’ Boat Clean and Green Program (DBW) participate in the 35th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day (The Cleanup) being held on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.,– The Bay Foundation (TBF) and California State Parks just released the Malibu Lagoon Restoration and Enhancement Project Final Comprehensive Monitoring Report (Year 6), indicating that the restoration project has been determined to be wholly successful as assessed against project goals and success criteria. When compared to pre-restoration data, post-restoration results show improved water quality, improved circulation, removal of dead zones and excess sedimentation issues, and a diverse native ecosystem resilient to impacts. The lagoon, located in Malibu Lagoon State Beach, has been on a positive trajectory for the past six years of monitoring, even through recent events such as the Woolsey Fire, which tested its resilience.

The Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is now accepting grant applications for the Clean Vessel Act Education and Outreach (CVAEO) Grant Program. A maximum of $262,000 in federal funding per targeted region is available to organizations for educating coastal and San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary boaters about proper vessel sewage disposal, use of pumpout facilities, and monitoring pumpout stations. The deadline to submit applications is Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 before 10 a.m.

September 7th marks the first official celebration of California Biodiversity Day, an annual event created last year to celebrate the state’s exceptional biodiversity and encourage actions to protect it.

Reservations for guided seal tours at Año Nuevo State Park go on sale October 5 for school groups and October 20 for the public. Guided walks to see the elephant seals will begin this year on December 15, 2019, and continue through March 31, 2020.

California State Parks reminds all visitors to Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) that “Safe Dunes Start With You” – “La Seguridad en las Dunas Comienza con Usted”. The bilingual safety campaign was launched recently to employ safe practices and remind visitors to be aware of their surroundings at this popular outdoor destination. Simple tips such as taking it slow, scouting your route, knowing your limits and treading lightly can improve safety for all visitors. 

El Departamento de Parques Estatales recuerda a todos los visitantes del Área de Recreación Vehicular de Oceano Dunes (SVRA) que “La Seguridad en las Dunas Comienza con Usted” – “Safe Dunes Start With You”. La campaña de seguridad bilingüe se lanzó recientemente para emplear practicas seguras y recordar a los visitantes que deben conocer sus alrededores en este lugar. Consejos de seguridad simples como conducir con calma, revisar su ruta, conocer sus límites y pasar con cuidado pueden mejorar la seguridad de todos los visitantes.

California State Parks has recently become aware of suspected incidents of harmful algal blooms (HABs) within both the Auburn and Folsom Lake State Recreation Areas. As California confronts the realities of climate change, HABs have become increasingly common in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and they can be especially dangerous to children and pets. State Parks is encouraging recreational users of all bodies of fresh water in Auburn and Folsom Lake State Recreation Areas to be aware of the potential for cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (HABs).

The Tahoe Basin is bear country and natural resource and law enforcement agencies are working diligently to remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in or visiting bear country. To help spread our message, we’ve launched a new website, TahoeBears.org, where residents and visitors can go to learn everything they need to know about living, visiting and playing responsibly in bear country. The website was made possible through a generous donation by the Sierra State Park Foundation and features an online reporting tool the public can use to report bear sightings. Collecting information about bear sightings will assist agencies in gathering better data to help Keep Tahoe Bears Wild. Submissions are anonymous and data gathered will not be used to track individual bears. This form is not to be used for emergencies. If you need immediate assistance, please contact 911.