Department of Parks and Recreation.

(1) Existing law places responsibility of the state park system, which includes all parks, public campgrounds, monument sites, landmark sites, and sites of historical interest established or acquired by the state, with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Existing law requires the department to administer, protect, develop, and interpret the property under its jurisdiction for the use and enjoyment of the public. Existing law authorizes the department to expend all moneys of the department for the care, protection, supervision, extension, and improvement or development of the property under its jurisdiction. Existing law requires the State Park and Recreation Commission to evaluate and assess the department's deferred obligations, as specified. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the department, as a means of increasing convenience to the public and overall park visitation, expedite the use of certain technologies, where feasible, for the purchase of park passes and the payment of day use fees or other park fees. The bill would require the department to identify and develop a priority list of deferred state park maintenance projects, as specified. The bill would require the department to apply specified factors when prioritizing and identifying projects for the deferred maintenance list including, among others, projects that are necessary to prevent a state park from closing and, to the extent feasible and practicable, projects that will increase park access to underserved communities. This bill would rename the department's Division of External Affairs as the Division of Community Initiatives and Park Access, and would specify that the purposes and objectives of the division include convening and developing strategic partnerships and coalitions to facilitate, promote, and enhance access to, and relevancy of, state parks for underserved communities. The bill would require, on or before June 30, 2017, the division, in consultation with certain agencies and organizations, to develop a strategic action plan, as specified, for improving park access and relevancy for urban and traditionally underserved populations. (2) Existing law prohibits the department from closing or proposing to close a state park in the 2012–13 or 2013–14 fiscal year. Existing law provides that this prohibition does not limit or affect the department's authority to enter into an operating agreement during those fiscal years, as specified. This bill would extend this prohibition against closing or proposing to close a state park to the 2014–15 fiscal year and would similarly not limit or affect the department's authority to enter into an operating agreement during that fiscal year, as specified.