A pilot program that allows Californians to visit many state parks for free — after checking out a pass from their local library — is helping increase access for more people of color and lower-income residents, according to research from the California State Parks Foundation.
“It just is a great program that is having exactly the effect that we would want it to have,” said the nonprofit’s executive director, Rachel Norton.
The California State Library Parks Pass grants free access to more than 200 state parks and beaches around California.
The State Parks Foundation surveyed roughly 3,600 people who checked out a State Parks pass from their library this year. The results showed what Norton’s group had hoped: Many users of the passes were lower-income and had previously not visited parks because of cost.
Nearly 70% of survey respondents said they had an annual income of $60,000 or less. Sixty-three percent indicated they are people of color, she said.
“These are two really important groups of people who have not always felt welcome … or invited to explore state parks,” Norton said. “Those two groups were key targets for this kind of work, so it's very exciting to see that it's having the desired effect.”
The foundation has worked with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s office to expand access to state parks for public school students and lower-income families and individuals.
The program began as a pilot in 2021 with 5,000 passes available for checkout at public libraries. It was so popular it grew to 33,000 passes in library systems across the state this year.
In addition to the library pass, the state provides free park passes for fourth grade students and families that receive government assistance.
The programs began as pilots during the pandemic but the California State Parks Foundation is asking the state for $9 million in annual funding to keep them going into the future.
The state parks passes are one of the most popular items in the Sacramento Public Library system’s catalog and have collectively been checked out 6,500 times since last year, according to community engagement manager Todd Deck.
The program has been so successful that the library received a grant to expand it: Starting next year, residents will be able to sign up to take free bus transportation from a public library to a state park, where they can participate in story walks, art activities and other programs.
Deck said the partnership highlights “that idea of libraries and parks having a lot more in common than people would expect.”
How to check out a parks pass
Sacramento Public Library cardholders can check a pass out at their local branch — if it’s available — or place a hold for one online.
It doesn’t have to stop at the parks pass; Sacramento’s “Library of Things” has outdoor gear available to borrow including bird watching and hiking kits. (It also has cake mixers, power tools, gaming consoles and more.)
Deck said it helps make the outdoors — and other hobbies — more accessible for people who don’t own equipment, which can be expensive.
“Communities are happier and healthier by utilizing our beautiful outdoor spaces,” he said. “Recreational equity is a really important thing to ensure that everyone has access to spaces that belong to all of us.”
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