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Podcasts Take Two
California state parks launch Parks Forward overhaul effort
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Jun 4, 2013
Listen • 4:40
California state parks launch Parks Forward overhaul effort
It's been a rough stretch for California's state park system, between budget woes and the threat of park closures.
Entrance gate to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area, which is the largest urban national park in the United States.
Entrance gate to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area, which is the largest urban national park in the United States.
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Rebecca Hill/KPCC
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It's been a rough stretch for California's state park system, between budget woes and the threat of park closures.

It's been a rough stretch for California's state park system, between budget woes and the threat of park closures. Last year, the state parks director resigned after officials learned the department has been sitting on nearly $20.5 million in surplus money for over a decade.

Now state officials are taking new steps to improve the system by launching a new commission called Parks Forward. 

Anthony Jackson,  state parks director, joins the show with more.  

Correction: In speaking about Parks Forward Commission's Lance Conn, state parks director Anthony Jackson misidentified his former employer as Apple. Conn used to work for AOL.