Giant redwoods, sparkling beaches and desert vistas are just a few reasons to love California's state park system. But that system is in need of an major overhaul.

A couple of years ago, in the midst of the state's severe budget issues, many parks were closed and allegations of mismanagement and sluggish fundraising just made things worse. But a blue-ribbon commission has just issued some recommendations to fix the problems.

Jon Christensen, environmental historian at UCLA and the editor of Boom Magazine, joins the show with more.