Sacramento County Parks & Recreation Digest

Learn how hundreds of volunteers spent November 16 planting hundreds of trees in a Del Paso Heights Park.

On October 4, the Sacramento Zoo announced the resignation of Executive Director Jason Jacobs and named a new team as the zoo prepares to move to Elk Grove.

Applications are open to fill a vacancy on the Rio Linda Elverta Recreation and Park District Board of Directors for a term ending in December 2026.

Two Citrus Heights neighborhoods participated in the first city National Night Out on August 6.

A list of National Night Out Events in Citrus Heights.

Nearly every major environmental group in California opposes a bill that would modify the state’s signature environmental law to speed up upgrades to power lines. Supporters say it would help free the state from fossil fuels and make the grid more reliable, but opponents fear it would damage state parks.

On June 19, California YIMBY announced support for the California Forever project going to the Solano County ballot in November.

Set to be reopened in April, repairs on the restrooms in Citrus Height's Rusch Community Park are delayed due to setbacks in the bidding process.

Federal funds have been requested to study the feasibility of the Sacramento Stitch Park Riverfront Reconnection Project, a 4 acre park spanning Highway 5.

The Elk Grove City Council voted to approve the move of the Sacramento Zoo to a 100 acre lot at Kammerer Road and Lotz Parkway.

A new disc golf course is proposed for an area area southwest of the Cherry Island golf course in Rio Linda.

The City of Elk Grove has released information about the financing for the $400M multi-phase project to move the Sacramento Zoo to Elk Grove, but questions remain.

California State Parks has recommended $6.7 million for seven local nonmotorized trail projects in various cities, including Galt and Gilroy.

Jack N. Sheldon Park in Sacramento’s Florin neighborhood is one of eight locations to receive funds from the California Statewide Park Program.

Renovation work at the 150,000-square-foot Sunrise Village shopping center continues, with the coming addition of a new fitness club.

Disneyland’s plan to reimagine the theme park into a more “immersive” experience may require up to $2.5 billion and a plan to privatize some Anaheim streets.

California’s projected budget deficit of close to $38 billion likely means some cuts are coming. Among them, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed ending the California State Park Adventure Pass, which offers free access to some state parks for fourth graders.

Some say the state is not developing and maintaining community recreational facilities equally. They point out that green spaces in neighborhoods where Black Californians live remain underfunded.

Last year, environmental groups and tribes rallied behind a proposed expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Expansion was tried through congressional legislation, but it stalled.

An estimated 100,000 pizza boxes have been removed from Yosemite’s waste stream. This is because the famed park now serves pizza on trays and puts to-go portions in compostable bags, part of a move to reduce food-related waste.

The 40 Acre Conservation League has recently acquired hundreds of acres of land in Placer County, 70 miles northeast of Sacramento—a significant step toward making outdoor experiences more inclusive.

Utility giant PG&E is set to raise its rates an average of 13% on Jan. 1. That equals an extra $32.50 a month, or $390 for the year.

State and local leaders gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate a new plan that will increase access to the outdoors for all Californians, regardless of who they are or where they live.

A pilot program that allows Californians to visit many state parks for free—after checking out a pass from their local library—is helping increase access for more people of color and lower-income residents, according to research from the California State Parks Foundation.

A beachside trail connecting the communities of Morro Bay and Cayucos could finally be built after 20 years. This happened after Chevron decided to sell land needed for the trail to be built.

Two theme park giants, Six Flags and Cedar Fair, announced they are merging. It could have potential impacts on California theme parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Camille Dixon, the announcer for Disney California Adventure, and her husband, Bill Rogers, the voice of Disneyland, are moving on from this work. They have been at the parks for more than 40 years combined.

​​The Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks is laying the groundwork for its Dry Creek Parkway Trail project.

Through this new program, artists, culture bearers, and California Native American tribes will be eligible to receive funding to create artwork throughout state and local parks.

Harvesting your own Christmas tree is a holiday tradition—and in the next couple weeks, permits to do so are opening up in forests throughout the state. Among them is the El Dorado National Forest.

As part of the city’s effort to enhance infrastructure in underserved areas, Sacramento announced the completion of the South Sacramento River Parkway Trail West, which connects Meadowview to the soon-to-be-finished Del Rio Trail.

The Rio Linda Elverta Recreation and Parks District unveiled the latest improvements to Westside Park, which include a sun shelter structure, a new restroom structure, new planting and walkways, and a cornhole court.