A commission assigned to help turn around the California Department of Parks and Recreation after years of scandal and mismanagement has released its final recommendations for a long-term plan for state parks. Recommendations from the Parks Forward Commission include expanding park access for California’s underserved communities and urban populations; establishing a reliable, dedicated funding structure for California parks; and creating a statewide nonprofit strategic partner, tentatively dubbed “Parks California.”

We’ll talk with a member of the commission – Dr. Steven Lockhart – about the reaction to the plan and why he thinks big changes need to happen now.