September 29, 2021
State Budget Includes $1 Million for Garrapata State Park
SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Newsom recently signed budget trailer bill AB 170 that includes $1 million for existing Garrapata State Park trails.
Garrapata State Park is situated on the northern end of the Big Sur coast and features seven miles of scenic rocky shoreline, coves, and the sandy expanse of Garrapata Beach. The park extends along four miles of State Coast Highway 1, encompassing a total of 2,902 acres.
“My request for funding in this year’s budget for Garrapata State Park will improve the park trail system for visitors, restore sensitive habitats, and protect archaeological sites,” noted Laird. “I thank Governor Newsom and my colleagues for their collaboration on this historic budget for Senate District 17 and the California coast.”
The funds will be directed toward the Coastal Habitat Restoration and Trail Improvement Management Plan published by the California Department of Parks and Recreation to address outstanding rehabilitation and restoration projects along the coastal bluffs and shoreline of the west side of Highway 1. Funds will be administered by the State Coastal Conservancy through grants to State Parks who will take the lead in implementing projects.
“Garrapata State Park is one of the most scenic and frequently trafficked regions of our beautiful state. The projects funded by this year’s budget will ensure Californians and visitors from across the world can continue to enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities it offers,” said Laird. “I eagerly await the successful rehabilitation of existing trails that show signs of accelerated erosion, in addition to habitat restoration for the Smith’s Blue Butterfly and the California Red-legged Frogs.”
Further details regarding the distribution of the funds will be released in the coming months.
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Senator John Laird r
Good and wonderful!
Yay!
A lot of the restoration work sounds good, I just hope it doesn’t make it even more of a destination area which will only lead to more parking and congestion issues along highway one. We have all seen the problems at Soberanes Point after the staircases, bridges, overlooks, etc. were installed with no thought of the public safety issues that it created along highway due to lack of parking. The Big Sur Land Use Plan recognized 35 years ago that there should be limited recreation destinations in Big Sur and and that “visual access” should be the priority in order to keep the land in it’s natural state and because of the limited carrying capacity of the highway. I can’t help but worry about the future of Big Sur with it’s increasing popularity and the fact that the LUP, which has protected the coast for decades, seems to get ignored now by so many.
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