Good News Notes:

“California is set to establish its first new state park in 13 years.

The 2,500-acre property, known as Dos Rios Ranch, will likely be donated to the California state park system by River Partners, a non-profit that has worked to rehabilitate and rewild the land after years of use as farmland.

“Dos Rios Ranch would be a remarkable addition to California’s natural wonders,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement shared with CNN. “Our state parks system is the largest and most diverse in the country – home to ancient redwoods, over 300 miles of coastline, and thousands of historic and prehistoric archeological sites.

“California needs more state parks – and state parks that all Californians can benefit from.”

California Department of Parks and Recreation Director Armando Quintero explained to CNN that the state is currently in the process of finalizing the acquisition. “California State Parks needs to complete a thorough review of the transaction and obtain approvals from state oversight agencies before it is able to accept this property,” said Quintero.

“We have to go through and make sure all the titles are cleared,” he said. “We’re fairly confident it’s going to be pretty straightforward.”

They expect the new park, which will be named through a participatory process with the public and the California State Parks Commission, will open in 2023.

Quintero said that the government had requested $5 million to be set aside to purchase the park. But because the property was actually donated by River Partners, the state will now be able to use that funding “to start putting in services.”

The land’s unique location at the intersection of two rivers makes it a particularly attractive location for a state park, said Quintero….”

View the whole story here: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/21/us/dos-rios-california-state-park-trnd/index.html