New Entrance for Castle Rock State Park, California

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Messages 1 - 38 of total 38 in this topic
ahebert

climber
San Francisco
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 12, 2012 - 12:50pm PT
Fellow climbers,

I wanted to let you know Sempervirens Fund, California's oldest land trust, is planning to build a new entrance to Castle Rock State Park in collaboration with State Parks.

We have created a draft concept plan for the entrance, which includes basic amenities like water, flush toilets, and safe parking. You can view this plan here. Or see the attached image I've uploaded.
We are holding a meeting to get input from the public, including climbers like you, on Tuesday, November 20th from 6-8pm at the Saratoga Summit Fire Station. We'd love to have you there.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at ahebert@sempervirens.org

-Aaron Hebert, Stewardship Program Manager
Sempervirens Fund



Adamame

climber
Santa Cruz
Nov 12, 2012 - 02:09pm PT
Is this the only meeting planned for input on this plan? I would love to be there but cannot with such short notice. I have numerous concerns regarding this plan regarding the number of parking spaces, fees, and how this will effect the county parks on the other side of the road. What other forms of input will be accepted in this planning process?
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 12, 2012 - 03:14pm PT
Where is the Castle Rock walk-in campground supposed to be located, the one described in the 2001 CRSP Master Plan? Is it going to be next to or behind this new parking lot? The Sierra Club - Friends of Castle Rock State Park law suit called for two alternative sites for this campground besides the original one at Partridge Farm, construction of which was suddenly aborted in 2003. Has the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) come up with any new carrying capacity limits for CRSP? How are those limits impacted by this new Parking Lot? Plans for this new parking area certainly raise more questions than they answer. For example, once this new parking area is built will CalTrans be closing all the free parking along Skyline Boulevard (CA 35) in front of Castle Rock SP and Sanborn County Park?
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
Nov 12, 2012 - 03:30pm PT
second the question about the proposed parking; will the free parking along the highway be available?



Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 12, 2012 - 03:40pm PT
CalTrans has repeatedly resisted all attempts at closing the free parking strips in front of CRSP and Sanborn County Park (Summit and Indian). It does sound like the free parking in front of Indian Rock (SC County Parks) is a separate issue from free parking in front of Castle Rock (State Parks). But who really knows for sure?

Typical conflicting jurisdictions that thwart all intentions. I know that when the idea of this new parking lot was originally put forward, there was talk about a walk-in campground and even rec v hookups! Rumors. Rumors. But I don't see any indication on this map that anything like that is planned.

Between the idea and the fact falls the shadow.
tornado

climber
lawrence kansas
Nov 12, 2012 - 04:08pm PT
Looks like the new entrance is on the Christmas tree farm which was purchased by Sempervirons. Who owns it now? The state or Sempervirons?
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 12, 2012 - 05:40pm PT
Think the Sempervirens Fund bought the X-mas tree farm from private owners and intend to transfer the property to California State Parks and Castle Rock State Park. No cost to the taxpayer. I recall they purchased the land for a little over $2 million bucks and intend to donate it to State Parks for free. However, I couldn't find anything on their Web site about the purchase or transfer (although I know I did read about it somewhere else). But that's the gig: The new parking lot is going to be donated to State Parks for free.

Anybody got any more information out there?

Bet you'll find out a whole lot more if you attend the meeting.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 12, 2012 - 05:56pm PT
Looks like the new entrance is on the Christmas tree farm which was purchased by Sempervirons. Who owns it now? The state or Sempervirons?

I believe the Sempervirens Trust currently owns the old X-mas tree farm property and intends to transfer it to the State after taking inputs from the public at the meeting at the Firehouse on November 20th announced above. Part of the budget problem at Castle Rock has to do with the fact that the current parking lot is too small. Therefore, it appears to State auditors that Castle Rock is not being visited as much as it really is due to the small size of the current parking lot and the free (no fee) parking on the Cal Trans strips in front of Sanborn County Park and Castle Rock State Park. Making a bigger parking lot will increase revenue at Castle Rock SP because then they won't have to turn away paying visitors on busy weekends like they do now.

No idea what the status of the no fee parking strips and old CRSP parking lot are going to be once the new lot is open. Good questions for the meeting!
ahebert

climber
San Francisco
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 12, 2012 - 06:28pm PT
Hi everyone,

Thanks for all these great questions. I will let these accumulate a bit and when my schedule opens up later in the week I'll try to get to them.

-Aaron
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Nov 12, 2012 - 07:32pm PT
The old Christmas Tree Farm was a single large parcel. It was divided into two pieces, effectively a North and a South piece. The South piece was purchased by Sempervirens Fund so keep in mind that the North piece will remain private property. This is the piece marked Whalen Parcel. This was a voluntary sale by the Whalens, not eminent domain or anything like that.

This project is entirely Sempervirens Fund. They own the property and have the cash in hand to proceed.

The proposed map shows:
the Whalen Parcel will share the entrance road with the Park.
the existing parking lot/kiosk/outhouse will be removed and replaced by new facilities as shown.

I don't know what CalTrans/CHP plan to do about roadside parking. This isn't up to Sempirivens Fund or State Parks although of course they'll have their opinions. Current scuttlebutt is it will remain as it is now.
The existing on-site CRSP parking will almost certainly go away. One good question is will the parking sites increase/decrease?

This entire project is funded by Sempervirens Fund who will donate it to the Park only after/if the Park has the budget to manage it. I've no idea what the contingency plan is if Parks can't step up.

As shown on the map, the main purpose of these improvements is to provide handicapped access as required by State law for new improvements to any public resources.

I haven't heard what the plans are for camping. This is not in the Sempervirens Fund purview.

A political observation: As much as we climbers think CRSP future is directed by the State, there are organized groups with lots of money who have the resources to influence the results.

A related note: Sanborn Park is now building a trail for general use (including mountain bikes) from the Sunnyvale Mountain parking area down to Lake Ranch, in the canyon to the East. Lake Ranch is also easily accessed from either Hwy 9 or Black Rd. There will certainly be an increase in mt bike traffic along Skyline Blvd soon.
This project is being pushed by ROMP who are also providing muscle and sweat for the work.
This new trail will be a needed segment of the BART (Bay Area Ridge Trail) as it is the only public land that goes from Skyline Ridge down and South to Lexington Reservoir and the MROSD trails.
Even this addition will leave a gap in BART where there is private land around Lexington Reservoir.

I have really mixed feelings about mt bike trails in these canyons which are in fact wildernesses.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
Nov 12, 2012 - 07:42pm PT
thanks for the additional information all
briham89

Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
Nov 12, 2012 - 08:41pm PT
Why?
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 12, 2012 - 10:21pm PT
Upgrade and of course to get rid of the old septic tank bathroom. But the subtext, as I read it, is to make sure more people are counted as Park visitors when they park in the new parking lot and pay the day use fees. That way State Parks will send more money down the tube from Sacramento to CRSP too. Then, other new improvements will follow. I notice in the Echo article, incidentally, that the Sempervirens Fund is talking about new "campgrounds" plural too. That walk-in campground idea is a real hornets' nest because there are people around Castle who want to place limits on access to the Park.

Go to the November 20th meeting and ask.
briham89

Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
Nov 12, 2012 - 10:47pm PT
Thanks Bruce!
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 13, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
As High Traverse suggests above, there are a number of players who have influence over the future course of development at Castle Rock SP, one of which is the South Skyline [Property Owners] Association:

http://www.southskyline.org/

And High Traverse is past president of the SSA, so definitely has a personal axe to grind both at Castle Rock and Summit Rock.

Another is the Portola and Castle Rock Foundation:

http://www.portolaandcastlerockfound.org/

The PCRF is listed, incidentally, on the SSA site.

The Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club also wants to have a say in the process:

http://ventana.sierraclub.org/conservation/castle_rock/index.shtml

The California Native Plants Society and the 'Friends of Castle Rock State Park' are also key players as is the mountain biker organization, R.O.M.P.

It would be nice if there were a few climbers there to present our side of the story too.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
Nov 13, 2012 - 10:08pm PT
Aaron,

Two questions:

Is there any additional planning documentation that can be reviewed prior to the meeting? The link only goes to the flickr site.


With there only being one meeting time, do you plan to open the process up to feedback channels that would allow a wider response from those climbers that may come from the North and East Bay that would not be able to attend in person? For example, will you accept feedback thru email? If so, which email should be use? Or written letters? Which address will make sure it reaches the proper planning members?

Thanks much,
M
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 14, 2012 - 04:04pm PT
If you can't manage to make the meeting on the evening of November 20th, it might be a good idea to email your ideas and opinions directly to the Sempervirens Fund:

http://www.sempervirens.org/

Of course, one breathing, living, talking person at the meeting is probably worth a hundred email messages you've got to remember.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Nov 14, 2012 - 04:17pm PT
google maps satellite photo link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Saratoga,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.231499,-122.100785&spn=0.005766,0.013078&sll=37.269174,-119.306607&sspn=11.793333,26.784668&oq=sara&hnear=Saratoga,+Santa+Clara,+California&t=h&z=17
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
Nov 16, 2012 - 12:58pm PT
I was going to say, "Don't fix what ain't broken", but Bruce said;

Upgrade and of course to get rid of the old septic tank bathroom. But the subtext, as I read it, is to make sure more people are counted as Park visitors when they park in the new parking lot and pay the day use fees. That way State Parks will send more money down the tube from Sacramento to CRSP too. Then, other new improvements will follow. I notice in the Echo article, incidentally, that the Sempervirens Fund is talking about new "campgrounds" plural too. That walk-in campground idea is a real hornets' nest because there are people around Castle who want to place limits on access to the Park.

Go to the November 20th meeting and ask.


And that makes more sense.

What don't I know where this Saratoga Fire Station is??? Bruce? Donde esta?
looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Nov 16, 2012 - 02:37pm PT
What don't I know where this Saratoga Fire Station is??? Bruce? Donde esta?

It's the CalFire station on 35 just a bit north of the 35/9 intersection. It is on the left if you're heading north on 35.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 16, 2012 - 04:56pm PT
There's a water spigot at the Saratoga Fire Station. It's the only place to draw water along the Skyline driving south to Castle. About a mile north of the Saratoga Gag intersection of 35 and 9 on the west side of the road.
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
Nov 17, 2012 - 10:38am PT
Oh, okay. On the way to Aquarian Valley!

I'll try to make it.
ahebert

climber
San Francisco
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2012 - 03:27pm PT
Hi all,

Thanks for your comments and questions. If I don't get to them all, my apologies.

We own the parcel in question detailed in the map and have a for a few years. Right now the line between our parcels on the neighbors is not seen on the ground by any kind of fence. But the map shows the boundary.

There are three other public meetings related to this project yet to be scheduled. One has to do with agriculture, one is planning commission, and one is Board of Supervisors. I imagine these will be spaced throughout 2013. I'll try to keep folks in the loop, but email me if you haven't heard. Further, when (and hopefully not if) the property becomes part of Castle Rock, the State will have to chew over the project in the context of its State Parks master plan.

Caltrans owns the right of way along the highway regarding the 'free' parking on the shoulder. It is our expectation that this will be closed, though it is not our right to close or open. It is a safety issue and is directly related to why Castle Rock was slated for closure.

The design of the new entrance is geared to keeping the carrying capacity of Castle Rock as is. So the number of parking spaces is equivalent to the 'free' street parking and the parking within the current entrance. No campgrounds are part of this project.

As one commenter mentioned, State Parks needs all kinds of money and why is this project a priority? We are fortunate to have a generous donation funding a lot of this project and we also believe that Castle Rock does need to increase revenue in order to stay open. Sempervirens and the other groups keeping it open simply cannot afford to pay for it over a long period of time.

Again, feel free to email me at ahebert@sempervirens.org with more comments or questions if you have them.

-Aaron

Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 20, 2012 - 03:06am PT
Echo article:

The entrance will provide safe and convenient access to the park and
enhancements such as off-street parking, restrooms,
campgrounds, and a visitor center.

Sounds as though some of those "enhancements" are still in the planning stages, such as the "campgrounds". Any design yet for the Visitor Center? I guess there'll be more specifics at the meeting Wednesday night.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 20, 2012 - 08:15pm PT
From this email Stuart Langdoc sent to Paul Minault of the Access Fund today, it sounds as though the Portola and Castle Rock Foundation doesn't want the free parking strip to remain open once the new entrance is built:

Hi Paul,
I'll be at that meting [sic], which is ONLY about a new entrance, parking lot, and eventually visitor center. It's Sempervirens Fund's meting [sic] as the property in question is theirs. Main issue is that once the new parking opens, the free road parking will be closed. I also attach SF letter announcing the meeting and, explaining the project as it stands.
Stu
Stuart Langdoc
Secretary, Portola and Castle Rock Foundation
408-395-1167
stulangdoc@verizon.net
http://www.portolaandcastlerockfound.org

Whether this happens or no is very much up to CalTrans. The last time the free parking strip was closed it was quickly reopened due to complaints from those who arrived late and couldn't fit into the main Parking Lot because it was already full. Interesting that the Portola and Castle Rock Foundation is associated with the South Skyline Association (SSA), the local property owners group that has been opposed to the parking strips for many, many years. Stu Langdoc is also one of the two members of the Friends of Castle Rock (Bruce Bettencourt is the other) who sued the State to block the walk-in campground out at Partridge Farm back in 2003.

Are all these people married and/or related?

Boy, this meeting sure is loaded with intentions!


HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Nov 20, 2012 - 09:00pm PT
Portola and Castle Rock Foundation is associated with the South Skyline Association (SSA)
There no relationship between Portola And Castle Rock Foundation and the South Skyline Association. There is also no relationship between either and Sempervirens Fund.

The charters of each of these organizations are different and they do not act in concert. They all have mutual interests in the use AND preservation of CRSP, PCRF specifically to support State Parks and SSA to represent interests of the residents of the SSA area. SSA area is the Skyline Blvd corridor from Hwy 84 (Skylonda) to Bear Creek Road. This is a very diverse population, in politics, in income and in relationship to CRSP.

Because many residents in this area are neighbors of one or both of these parks, many have strong interests in Portola Redwoods State Park and Castle Rock State Park. In the SSA there are certainly people who are also active in PCRF. There are also many who support Sempervirens Fund and just as many who often disagree with what Sempervirens Fund is about.

Sempirvirens Fund and PRCF are non profit fund raising organizations with different charters.
SSA is a non profit which represents the interests of its members.

South Skyline Association (SSA), the local property owners group that has been opposed to the parking strips for many, many years
In the past 10 years, SSA has taken no position on the roadside parking. I can't say before that.
Members of SSA have differing opinions on whether or not they should be closed. There is strong consensus that the roadside parking is a road safety issue.
There is also a consensus that CRSP and the other roadside turnouts attract miscreants to the neighborhood. Including armed men growing pot in the Parks or on adjacent private property, and Friday/Saturday night drunk partying kids.

A Hebert states:
So the number of parking spaces is equivalent to the 'free' street parking and the parking within the current entrance
This needs to be verified.

Fred Glover
ex-President, SSA
(as ex-President, I certainly am not speaking for the SSA at the present time)
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 20, 2012 - 09:34pm PT
Mutually self-interested = incestuous

Don't show your cards before you lay your hand down.
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Nov 20, 2012 - 10:04pm PT
I gotta say I don't see where the animosity and suspicion by climbers towards these non-profits is particularly productive especially when you have Fred posting up here.
Kurt Jensen

Trad climber
Aptos,CA
Nov 21, 2012 - 01:52am PT
I live an easy day trip distance from Castle Rock, a bit South of Santa Cruz.
I typically climb elsewhere,
yet one of the biggest issues to me up there is the lack of parking!

I have made the mistake twice of driving up there to climb during a busy weekend, and have looked up and down for free roadside space, after being turned away at the ranger kiosk due to the (way too small for a busy weekend) parking lot. Both times I was shocked that State Parks were turning the cash carrying public away, while cars circled about relentlessly in search of an opening, many circling and circling the little parking lot and the highway outside repeatedly. The ranger I spoke with told me how frustrated he was, and that a new parking had been talked about for years. There was nothing to do but keep circling, or come up with another plan for the day.

It seems ridiculous to me to not address the real need here for more parking with this new proposal. Sempervirons sounds set on "maintaining" very few parking spaces. Miles of trails and boulders can tolerate only 40 cars or so worth of people near a large population craving connection to Nature? State Parks of California regularly turning people away who desire to pay and experience the park seems like terrible strategy to stay afloat. If the Sempervirons want to help so much, they should be utilizing that land in a way that at least allows some expansion of overall parking spaces. Simply let more people pay to park and experience the park! The rewards of this to the community at large and the parks as well seem obvious!



tornado

climber
lawrence kansas
Nov 21, 2012 - 01:59am PT
There is also a consensus that CRSP and the other roadside turnouts attract miscreants to the neighborhood. Including armed men growing pot in the Parks or on adjacent private property, and Friday/Saturday night drunk partying kids.

What attracts armed men growing pot in the park is not turnouts it is "Nature Preserves" and "Bio Corridors"

There no relationship between Portola And Castle Rock Foundation and the South Skyline Association

There might not be a relationship but there is a common interest which is property values.

Funny how this meeting is scheduled for the night before Thanksgiving when most folks (like myself) leave town.

Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 25, 2012 - 04:08pm PT
Well, did any SuperTopoians attend this shindig or was it a reactionary local property owners-only affair?
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Nov 26, 2012 - 05:20pm PT
reactionary local property owners-only affair
Bruce
As you weren't there to represent "outsiders", this claim might actually be true.
You could however try to move past your stereotypes. Too bad you weren't there, it was rather interesting and there was plenty of good feedback, a lot of it not positive.
Since you took a great interest and an active part in the Castle Rock Park master plan meetings so many years ago, your input would have been useful. No sarcasm intended.

There is in fact NO plan to reduce the total amount of parking, either along the road or in the parking area. There IS an effort to force more cars to pay for parking. That is a public policy discussion.

The assumption that Portola And Castle Rock Parks Foundation members are mostly local property owners is off base. There are many more members of that foundation than there are local property owners. Most I've spoken to live in the "flatlands" of the Bay area. Some are actually (perish the thought) climbers.

tornado
There might not be a relationship but there is a common interest which is property values.
Wrong assumption. There's only a small intersecting set of SSA and PCRF members.

Skyline area residents are rightfully concerned about public safety along Skyline Blvd. The safety of the visitors included. Pedestrians on Skyline in the Castle Rock area have been killed by passing cars. On a busy day cars park outside the marked roadside areas. This results in cars, and worse their occupants, being too close to 50 mph traffic. The current parking situation is unsafe and unsustainable for the amount of weekend users of the park.

The Sempervirens Fund proposal was criticized by many for not providing enough off street parking.
It also doesn't provide for pedestrian traffic across Skyline to Sanborn Park/Indian Rock.

Feel free to send your critiques to Aaron Hebert who put his email address in a post on the previous page.

Having read this thread again carefully, I'm at a loss as to why there is such suspicion of the Sempervirens Fund, CRPF, State Parks and local landowners. We are all interested in preserving AND using one of the few remaining "wilderness" areas near the south Bay Area. Complaining about vague conspiracies and assuming negative motives detracts from the positive value of well thought out criticisms of the planning process.

EDIT: Sempervirens Fund started this thread to let climbers know of this meeting. It was not a meeting for "reactionary local property owners" only.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Nov 26, 2012 - 06:55pm PT
rrider
Excellent critique. Even of the "designer walkways".
I and several others strongly expressed concern along similar lines. That a lot of the plan diminishes the unique (for the Bay area) wilderness aspect of Castle Rock. The planning process is just beginning.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Nov 29, 2012 - 04:55pm PT
So we must assume that nothing at all was settled at the meeting that would impact the content of a rock climbing guide to the Skyline Boulevard area? Whenever the new parking lot is built, we will certainly have to include it in a subsequent edition of the Castle Rock guidebook. But in the meanwhile, there doesn't really seem to be anything to do until some definite plans have been finalized. A walk-in campground would certainly make Castle Rock SP a better venue for visiting national and international rock climbers who might want to spend a couple of days sampling the routes in the area. So far, we haven't heard any word about if and when such a campground is to be built (even though it was authorized in an amendment to the Castle Rock Master Plan ratified in 2001). Now about the RAC (Resource Advisory Committee): Exactly who is sitting on this committee that was supposed to be composed of environmentalists and scientists and what sort of carrying capacity limits have they recommended for Castle Rock State Park? Is it really this shadowy group who stopped construction of the walk-in campground at Partridge Farm back in 2003? Or does the RAC even exist? These are real questions that need to be answered because the directly impact the content of the CR guidebook. One important issue that needs to be acknowledged first is that Castle Rock has now emerged as not only a local but a national and international climbing and bouldering venue.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Dec 6, 2012 - 09:37pm PT
The following document contains minutes of a Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting that records the conflict between the Sempervirens Fund and the "Friends of Castle Rock State Park" (i.e. Stu Langdoc and Bruce Bettencourt) over the proposed walk-in campground at Partridge Farm in Castle Rock State Park:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/843/files/m1000.pdf

It sounds as though Sempervirens Fund wanted to defer addressing the issue of the 20-site walk-in campground at Partridge Farm until after the opening the the new entrance that is the subject of this string. You'll notice that the Black Oak Forest, as one participant was quick to point out, does not need protection because it's already protected.

You'll notice too that there are a coalition of groups that basically will manufacture any excuse to keep people from going to Castle Rock, from climbing at Castle Rock, and, especially, from camping at Castle Rock. But you'll too notice that the Sempervirens Fund is basically pro-camping.

Interesting reading nonetheless.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Dec 7, 2012 - 05:10pm PT
As you can see from the following, Portola Valley and Castle Rock State Park Foundation was founded by Stuart Langdoc back in 1991:

http://businessprofiles.com/details/portola-and-castle-rock-foundation/CA-C1811974

As you can also see from the following, Stuart Langdoc, not only incorporated this non-profit organization, but serves as a board member and its secretary:

http://www.portolaandcastlerockfound.org/

Was this organization really founded to limit public access of CRSP? Again, like the Santa Clara County Park & Recreation Commission, this organization does not have one member engaged in any active form of outdoor recreation. Despite ratification of the Castle Rock Master Plan in 2001, there is still no walk-in camping, no new trails to the Underworld, and no CR climbing management plan for logical and necessary bolt replacement.
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Dec 30, 2012 - 01:26am PT
Look who's back!

Miles Standish joins the Board of Portola Valley and Castle Rock State Park Foundation:

The latest addition to the board of the PV and CRSPF Foundation is none other than retired CRSP Ranger Miles Standish -

"Miles Standish, Board Member was first assigned to Castle Rock State Park in May, 1980, and he officially retired from the California Department of Parks and Recreation at Castle Rock State Park on July 1, 2009. Miles grew up in Oakland and first joined State Parks in the summer of 1967 at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park working as a seasonal interpreter. Since then he has served as a ranger at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park, Samuel Taylor State Park, Mt. Diablo State Park and Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area. Miles has degrees in field biology and law and is presently working to help prepare for the celebration of California’s 150th anniversary in 2014 of California’s first State Park: Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees."
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Jan 8, 2013 - 05:25pm PT
You'll also notice how Judy Grote, the President of the Portola and Castle Rock Foundation, is "also . . . President of the South Skyline Association Board", the local property owners' group that is adamantly opposed to a walk-in campground at Castle Rock, the same campground the Sempervirens Fund supports. They also want to eliminate any free-parking along Skyline Boulevard (CA 35) in front of Castle Rock State Park and Sanborn County Park (Indian Rock).

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive" -

Will Shakespeare

No wonder nothing ever changes or gets done at CRSP.
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