The vast and varied California state parks system boasts abundant natural beauty, but is extremely light on cash and has been beset with problems for years.
Now under new management, and guided by a report from the Legislature-created Parks Forward Commission, a potential reversal looms after years of neglect caused by gross mismanagement and revenue far exceeded by annual expenditures, leading to more than $1 billion in deferred maintenance.
The Parks Forward report attempts to approach those issues from a number of angles and, while perhaps too light on concrete solutions, certainly charts a reasonable path forward.