Watch CBS News

2 Land Trust Deals Means New State Park In Santa Cruz Mountains

SAN JOSE (AP) -- Two land trusts have sold a 535-acre tract of redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the state parks system, under a deal that they also provide staff and maintenance to help the cash-strapped department.

Palo Alto-based Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Sempervirens Fund have created a $1.3 million endowment for improvements and maintenance at the park, called Little Basin Redwoods State Park.

Little Basin used to be a retreat for Hewlett Packard employees.

A nonprofit company will take reservations and staff the park, meaning the state will not have to hire new rangers.

There are 36 camp sites, 14 cabins and a fishing lake at the park.

The deal is a new economic model for the state parks system, which has reduced hours and has a $1.2 million maintenance backlog.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.