Parks California

Our Mission

As California State Parks’ statutory non-profit partner, we have a clear mission – to help strengthen parks and inspire all people to experience these extraordinary places.

We are an independent 501c3 organization that supports California State Parks. What does it mean to be "the statutory partner?" That just means we were created by an act of the Legislature to address a big need identified by Governor Brown's blue-ribbon panel on the future of parks. The Parks Forward Commission concluded in 2016 that State Parks need a non-profit partner, or what they termed "a support entity." So, we were founded in 2019 to full this important need.

Why would a state agency like The Department of Parks and Recreation, need a non-profit partner? Well, the short answer is: the same reason National Parks need the National Parks Foundation. Closer to home, the same reason every public school needs a PTA or parent association. That is, to fund and to implement innovative and critical programs that are not covered by the public funds. Put another way, to be the nimble partner of State Parks, what some have called "the R&D arm" of State Parks.

If we want parks to be strong for the next generations, we need to be thinking now about equitable access (making sure that people from all backgrounds can get to and feel welcome at parks), and about climate resilience. Those are two of the key areas of work for Parks California.

Parks California is helping make parks more welcoming, inclusive, and climate resilient. We want to be sure parks are strong and available for many generations to come. Thanks for helping!