For immediate release: 08/22/2022
California State Parks awards $46 million in grants to increase recreational opportunities
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks today announced a $46.2 million investment to build healthier communities by creating and improving recreation facilities at 25 local parks. Founded by Proposition 68 through the Recreational Tourism and Rural Programs and Regional Parks, the grants awarded will be used to improve outdoor recreational facilities such as trails, campgrounds, multi-sport fields, skate and bike parks and of picnic.
“Congratulations to the 25 communities receiving the grant,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “I can’t wait to see the projects come to fruition and for Californians to start enjoying them. Spending time 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 has assessed $235.8 million in Regional Parks Program funding applications for the $23.1 million available in this application round. For the Rural Recreational Tourism Program, the department assessed $182.3 million in funding requests for the $23.1 million available.
Grant recipient, Kern County, will receive nearly $2.7 million from the Regional Parks Program to improve the Buena Vista Water Recreation Area near the town of Bakersfield by constructing a new multi-use trail, wading pool , a shaded and lighted picnic pavilion, dog park and flour float docks and implementing erosion control measures. The Town 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 multi-purpose grass field with lighting and walking track; a playground; lighted ball diamonds, including a softball diamond, a baseball diamond, a little league diamond and two T-ball diamonds; two picnic areas; and a sanitary 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 Parks Program (ca.gov).
“These park improvements are an exciting development as we invest in communities across our diverse state,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “All Californians deserve access to recreational opportunities, so they can enjoy the outdoors and the cultural, historical and natural resources that California has to offer.”
Programs such as the Regional Parks Program help advance Outdoor access for all initiative championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Natural Resources Agency Outdoors for all initiative. This effort expands outdoor access to all Californians through targeted investments in open space infrastructure, outdoor programming and improvements for 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 fund projects by local, state, and nonprofit organizations. Since 1964, more than 7,400 local parks across California have been created or improved through OGALS grants. Since 2000, OGALS has administered approximately $3 billion in grants across California. For more information, please visit parks.ca.gov/grants or follow the program on Facebook at Facebook.com/caparkgrants.
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California State Parks provides health, inspiration and education to the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most precious natural and cultural resources and creating recreational opportunities for high quality outdoors.
