California officials announced three new state parks are coming to regions of the Central Valley in a press conference on Earth Day. Photo: Visit Yuba Sutter
In celebration of Earth Day, California officials announced plans to create three new state parks — part of the “State Parks Forward” agenda, coined as the biggest expansion to the parks system in decades.
The new parks are all located in the Central Valley: a 2,000-acre swath of land along the Feather River in Yuba County, 874 acres along the San Joaquin River in Fresno, and a historic Dust Bowl-era labor camp near Bakersfield.
When the reserves are completed, it will bring the state park total to 283.
The announcement also included the expansion of three parks in Mendocino, Nevada, and San Mateo counties, and plans to grow the park system by 30,000 acres by the end of the decade, part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s “30 by 30” initiative to protect 30 percent of California land and coastal waters by 2030.
The same initiative incentivized groups to propose a marine protected area in Santa Cruz, which prominent local surfers have opposed.
The addition of California parks comes amid proposed federal cuts to the National Park system, which Governor Newsom has criticized.
“As Trump sells out America’s national parks, California is doubling down on protecting the Golden State’s natural beauties,” Newsom said during a press conference at the location of the new park in Fresno.
State officials didn’t define timelines for when the new parks will open, but they said acquiring the land should be relatively straightforward, given that the new parks are all on public property.
“The bold vision laid out today by Governor Newsom sets California on a path to not just grow the State Park System but also provide more access and instill a greater connection and sense of pride for all Californians in their state parks,” California State Parks Director Armando Quintero said.
