Newsom adds parks

California says it will create three new state parks in the Central Valley, a move announced on Earth Day as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “State Parks Forward” plan. (gov.ca.gov) The April 22 announcement would raise California’s total to 283 state parks and add 30,000 acres to existing parks by the end of the decade, according to Newsom’s office and California State Parks. (gov.ca.gov) (parks.ca.gov) The three planned parks are Feather River Park in Olivehurst in Yuba County, San Joaquin River Parkway in Fresno and Madera counties, and Dust Bowl Camp near Bakersfield in Kern County. State officials said the sites were chosen to expand access in Central Valley communities that have long had fewer nearby state parks. (gov.ca.gov) (parks.ca.gov) Feather River Park would give Yuba County its first state park. County officials said the Feather River Levee Setback area had been managed for flood control and habitat, and the state will take public input this summer before sending a recommendation to the governor in the fall. (yuba.gov) The San Joaquin River Parkway proposal would turn part of a long-running river greenway effort into a state park. The San Joaquin River Conservancy says it was created to build the parkway through land acquisition, habitat restoration and public recreation along the river corridor. (sjrc.ca.gov) (yahoo.com) The Dust Bowl Camp site would preserve a piece of Depression-era migration history, not just open space. The National Park Service says Weedpatch Camp, officially the Arvin Farm Labor Supply Center, housed migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and later inspired writers including John Steinbeck and Sanora Babb. (nps.gov) (parks.ca.gov) State officials tied the park push to two broader policies: “Outdoors for All,” which aims to expand park access, and California’s “30x30” goal to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the Central Valley had been “overlooked for new parks” even as the state built its national reputation on places like Big Sur and the redwoods. (gov.ca.gov) The plan also leans on two 2025 laws, Senate Bill 630 by Sen. Ben Allen and Assembly Bill 679 by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin. Newsom’s office said those measures speed up acquisitions of high-value properties for park expansion at little to no cost to the state. (gov.ca.gov) (parks.ca.gov) Newsom made the announcement near Fresno on the San Joaquin River, exactly two years after dedicating Dos Rios, which California State Parks called the first new state park in a decade. The new proposal now goes from Earth Day rollout to planning, land work and public input before any ribbon cuttings. (parks.ca.gov) (yuba.gov)