Santa Cruz County Parks & Recreation Digest

Sporting goods co-op REI is opening a new location in Live Oak with 51 employees. But some in town are skeptical about a new big-box store.

At a special joint study session with the City Council and the Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Commission, the idea of contracting out some of the programs took center stage.

At its most recent meeting, the Scotts Valley City Council deliberated on issues related to the Glenwood Open Space Preserve, strengthening its contract amount with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and increasing access to this large recreation outlet.

The city of Watsonville plans to pump $22 million in local, state and federal funding into its largest park to fund the construction of facilities for multiple uses and a rebuild of the Watsonville Nature Center.

After 16 years of drawing birders from around the globe to Watsonville, the Monterey Bay Birding Festival has reached its end—another casualty of the pandemic.

After 10 years of research and interviews, retired professor Traci Bliss has published “Big Basin Redwood Forest: California’s Oldest State Park,” a book that focuses on the efforts of women in the early 1900s to preserve the redwoods.

With fires roaring across California, the USDA Forest Service is closing all 20 million acres of the state’s national forests to public access for two weeks. The Forest Service said the closure will extend through at least Sept. 17.

The first phase of the work at Ramsay Park has begun, with construction expected to run through the end of November. The project will add trails, more shade trees and a new picnic area.

Twelve months after a massive fire burned 97 percent of California’s oldest state park, the work of clearing and rebuilding has just begun at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Ancient redwoods survived, but facilities were a total loss.

Some county residents are excited about plans for the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument, but others fear that the plan inadequately addresses visitors’ impacts. Appeals were filed with the Bureau of Land Management by its late July deadline.

Designated as a national monument by Barack Obama in 2017, Cotoni-Coast Dairies—located on the north end of Santa Cruz County—could be open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders by the summer of 2022.

Skypark, the community green space that hosted first responders during the CZU Lightning Complex fires, will get a facelift thanks to American Rescue Plan Act funds approved for Scotts Valley,

Watsonville city leaders moved toward a city budget that nearly doubles money for parks and rec but also funds an 8 percent increase in the police budget. Final approval will come at the council’s June 22 meeting.

A new series of murals are on view at Pinto Lake County Park, encouraging visitors to the park and showcasing local art.

New concessionaire Jesus Madrigal talks about his plans for the park, which include bringing in new offerings such as a farmers market, food truck festivals, and family-friendly activities.

The National Recreation Association standard for park space in a city is 10 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. But Watsonville has only 2.25 acres of parkland per 1,000 inhabitants.

The Ramsey Park Pumptrack opened in Watsonville. At over 20,000 square feet, the asphalt paved rollers, banked turns and jumps is the newest, and largest, pumptrack in the county.

“Every bit of California is going to be impacted by climate change. It’s going to affect every person in the state and every acre of land in the state,” said Jay Chamberlin, chief of the state parks’ natural resources division.

Local surfer Liza Monroy introduces us to custom surfboard shaper Carl Gooding, and his efforts to make the waves more accessible and surfing more accepting.

Because the Santa Cruz County COVID rate is currently below the levels stipulated under recently updated State health guidelines, full contact practice and play may resume.

The CZU Complex Fire wiped out much of the water and sanitation infrastructure, and the park road system was badly impacted. It will take time for Highway 236 and the beloved park to reopen.