California Updating Outdoor Recreation Plan

The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) is in the process of updating the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which is a five-year plan that establishes grant priorities to address unmet needs for public outdoor recreation land. The SCORP also provides policy guidance to all outdoor recreation providers, including federal, state, local, and special district agencies, that provide outdoor recreational lands, facilities and services throughout California. Adoption of the SCORP is required for the state to maintain eligibility for federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grants. The SCORP is the primary tool for prioritizing LWCF grant allocations to local governments.

California has an elaborate network of public parkland, beaches, and open space. With about 40 million residents and rising challenges of climate change, the state is taking bold steps to improve park access in underserved communities and make California’s natural areas more resilient for the benefit of future generations. The SCORP is intended to help advance the state’s environmental and outdoor recreation legacy.

To recommend priorities and help shape the vision for California's 2026-2030 SCORP, the public may send ideas and comments to [email protected]. Also, State Parks maintains a webpage with the following helpful resources:

• 2021-2025 SORP Summary: This report sets grant priorities for outdoor recreation access in California for 2021-2025. This SCORP seeks to empower local communities to create, expand, and improve close-to-home parks for all Californians.
• Community-based Planning Guide: This document shares community-based planning methods learned through three competitive funding rounds of the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP). Since 2010, the SPP has funded the creation of 130 new parks and 60 park expansions or renovations throughout California.
• Park Equity Data Guide: This report details the data and analytical approaches State Parks has used to understand and determine where local parks are needed. The most important outcome of the work described in this document is the multi-year use of the Community FactFinder tool across several bond acts and over $7 billion in grant requests.