Big Basin Redwoods State Park is an iconic landscape that hosts rich natural and cultural resources, recreational opportunities, and cherished memories for many Californians. California State Parks celebrates all the ways in which park neighbors, partners, and the broader public want to get involved in the recovery and reimagination of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
During the Reimagining Big Basin Visioning Process (2021-2022), California State Parks gathered feedback on the vision and guiding principles for future planning at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, including for the BBFMP. These participation activities and their resulting feedback are catalogued in the Compendium of Community Engagement and are incorporated in the Vision Summary.
Throughout the planning process for the Big Basin Redwoods State Park Facilities Management Plan (BBFMP), there will be several opportunities to participate, which are outlined on this page.
The BBFMP has three planning phases between Summer 2023 and 2025. Each of these phases will include a series of public engagement opportunities and consultation with experts and park partners. California State Parks will work intentionally and creatively to reduce barriers to participation for groups that are less likely to be represented in the planning process. The diagram below illustrates a summary of these engagement activities.
Throughout the BBFMP process, public participation opportunities will be presented is this section and will be publicized through social media, e-newsletters, and other channels. If you would like to receive updates about opportunities to participate, please provide your email in the form at the bottom of this page.
As public participation opportunities are completed throughout the Reimagining Big Basin and BBFMP process, they will be presented in this section.
Opportunities to help out on the ground are currently limited due to site conditions. However, we encourage you to complete the Big Basin Recovery Volunteer Application. California State Parks will contact you when opportunities come up that fit your skills and interests.
California State Parks works with docents who interact with the public and share their knowledge of Big Basin at a “staging area” near the park entrance. Docent trainings occur annually. To apply, fill out the interpretive volunteer application.
As a public agency, California State Parks does not receive donations. However, the following four non-profit partners are collecting donations to support recovery efforts at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Click the links below to learn about these organizations.
Donate to MPF’s Big Basin Recovery Fund
Mountain Parks Foundation (MPF) is a nonprofit organization that has been providing resources to enrich visitors’ experiences at Big Basin and Henry Cowell since 1973. MPF funded the Big Basin Nature Museum and Research Center scheduled to open in early 2021 before it was destroyed by the fire. MPF has established a recovery and restoration fund exclusively dedicated to rebuilding Big Basin.
Donate to Sempervirens Fund’s Big Basin’s Future Fund
Sempervirens Fund is California’s first land trust and the only organization dedicated exclusively to protecting the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains. California State Parks is planning for Big Basin’s Future following the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex wildfires, and your support can help Sempervirens Fund participate in the planning, designing, and rebuilding of Big Basin.
Donate to Save the Redwoods League’s Wildfire Fund
Save the Redwoods League is one of the nation’s longest-running conservation organizations that has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918. The League has created a Wildfire Fund to ensure work crews, scientists, and other project team members have the funding needed to help speed the reopening of Big Basin Redwoods State Park and create fire-ready redwood forests.
Donate to the Friends’ Fire Relief Fund
Friends is a vital partner with California State Parks, creatively working to ensure our cherished local parks and beaches are thriving and available to all. They created the Friends Fire Relief Fund for direct, short-term assistance as well as longer-term recovery efforts at Big Basin Redwoods State Park and other parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
Join our mailing list to keep up with changes at Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Join our mailing list to keep up with changes at Big Basin Redwoods State Park.