Facilities Management Plan

Beginning in Summer 2023, the Big Basin Redwoods State Park Facilities Management Plan (BBFMP) process will build upon the Reimagining Big Basin Visioning Process and will set the stage for the reestablishment of facilities to support visitor experiences and protect sensitive resources at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The BBFMP planning process will be a multi-year effort concluding in 2025.

What is the BBFMP?

When planning for new or improved facilities, California State Parks can develop a Facilities Management Plan (FMP) to assess site opportunities and constraints, environmental considerations, and visitor experiences. An FMP document serves as a handbook and reference tool that makes recommendations about proposed facilities. It also helps streamline final design and environmental review for infrastructure and facility construction.

The BBFMP will include technical studies (utilities, engineering considerations, architectural concepts, natural and cultural resources protection, etc.) alongside a set of goals that are consistent with the Big Basin Redwoods State Park General Plan (2013), the Reimagining Big Basin Vision Summary (2022), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The BBFMP is intended to be utilized by California State Parks management, staff, park partners, and stakeholders. Restoration of public use areas will be explored in a series of Opportunity Sites and conceptually and graphically represented in the BBFMP. These concepts and accompanying recommendations will be based on principles defined in the aforementioned planning documents, consultation with California State Parks Santa Cruz District staff, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Non-profit partners and agencies that manage nearby properties, representatives from Tribal Nations and other indigenous group representatives, as well as feedback from the public. Additional information about feedback opportunities for the development of this plan can be found on the Get Involved page.

What are the draft planning objectives of the BBFMP?

The BBFMP has drafted a set of Planning Objectives that emerge from the Guiding Principles that were developed during the Reimagining Big Basin Visioning Process :

Prioritize Forest Health

Structures and facilities will be sited and designed to allow forest stewardship projects to occur in priority areas and to increase forest resiliency in a changing climate.
Structures and utilities will be sited and designed to minimize development within old growth redwood forest areas, to minimize fuel contributions from structures, and to minimize the need to remove hazard trees within old growth areas.
Structures, parking, developed areas and trails will be sited and designed to minimize paving and soil compaction and to allow natural ecological processes to occur.

Provide Equitable, Diverse, and Evocative Visitor Experiences

Park facilities will strive to support pre-fire visitation for day-use, trail access, and overnight use while managing visitor use for other project goals.
The park will provide diverse camping and overnight experiences, as well as a variety of day-use facilities and will have quality support amenities, programs and activities that support day-use and overnight experiences.
Park facilities will be inviting and inclusive to diverse future California communities and educational and interpretive materials will include a variety of languages and perspectives.

Diversify Transportation and Access Opportunities

Maximize the efficiency of use, experience quality, and access equity to Big Basin by travel modes that are alternatives to low-occupancy private vehicles.
Maximize park access opportunities for lower income and underrepresented communities, and park visitors without access to a vehicle.
Minimize vehicle congestion getting to the park, and pedestrian congestion and crowding within the park.

Practice Land Stewardship

Facilities will be sited and designed to allow effective long-term maintenance to create sustainable park recreational access for future generations.
Park facilities will be sited and designed to consider future stewardship activities and to enable active forest management including Indigenous practices in the context of changing climatic conditions.
The park will include adequate facilities needed for active stewardship activities including spike camps for stewardship corps, stewardship training facilities, operation and maintenance facilities and permanent and seasonal staff housing.

Include Indigenous Perspectives

Facilities and recreational amenities will be sited and designed with input and consultation with Indigenous leaders and representatives.
The siting and design of facilities will include considerations that ensure that all interpretive and educational materials incorporate an Indigenous perspective.
Park facilities will provide ceremonial space for cultural use by Indigenous groups and individuals.

Promote Landscape Connectivity

Park facilities will allow future connections to surrounding parks and recreation areas to provide regional recreational opportunities.
Developed park areas will be sited and designed to promote continuous and connected areas of important habitats and to avoid fragmentation.
Planning of facilities will incorporate considerations for a collaborative and regional approach to forest management that engages landowners and land management agencies of nearby properties.

Design with Reverence and Resilience

Structures and facilities will be sited and constructed to be resilient to hazards that will become more frequent and intense with climate change including severe winter storms, drought, and high-severity fire.
All developed park amenities are aesthetically designed to create experiences that reference the historic character of Big Basin with reverence to the park’s natural landscape and history.
Developed park facilities are planned to minimize carbon emissions associated with park visitation and operation and maintenance, are designed with sustainable materials, and incorporate renewable energy production when feasible.

Engage the Park Community and Build Partnerships

Park plans reflect public values and feedback, and the priorities expressed by the community and stakeholders during the facilities planning process, particularly reflecting the voices of under-represented communities.
Park plans can be implemented with strong support from partners.
Park facilities can be constructed in phases to provide the envisioned recreational experiences with available funds.

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Supporting Objectives

Park plans reflect public values and feedback, and the priorities expressed by the community and stakeholders during the facilities planning process, particularly reflecting the voices of under-represented communities.
Park plans can be implemented with strong support from partners.
Park facilities can be constructed in phases to provide the envisioned recreational experiences with available funds.

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Structures and facilities will be sited and designed to allow forest stewardship projects to occur in priority areas and to increase forest resiliency in a changing climate.
Structures and utilities will be sited and designed to minimize development within old growth redwood forest areas, to minimize fuel contributions from structures, and to minimize the need to remove hazard trees within old growth areas.
Structures, parking, developed areas and trails will be sited and designed to minimize paving and soil compaction and to allow natural ecological processes to occur.

What are the Facilities Sites for the BBFMP?

BBFMP Opportunity Sites are in core park areas and were identified based on environmental suitability and their ability to restore public access to important recreational experiences, while protecting sensitive ecosystems. Many of the Opportunity Sites include areas that hosted facilities prior to the 2020 CZU Fire, but some areas have been reimagined to align with the Vision and Guiding Principles outlined in the Vision Summary Document and outlined in the graphic below.

What is the Timeline for the BBFMP?

The BBFMP planning process is a multi-year (2023-2025) effort that includes three phases.

The first phase is the development of the of the Basis for Design Document, which will catalog existing conditions for a defined set of Opportunities Sites alongside a list of programming needs and high-level considerations from stakeholder and community input.
- The Basis of Design Document is complete, and can be read and downloaded here.
- Development of the Basis of Design Document included several engagement activities, which are summarized here.
The second phase will be the development of potential site design scenarios for each of the Opportunities Sites. Those design scenarios will be analyzed in the context of additional technical analysis and further stakeholder and community input.
Finally, a Preferred Alternative will be developed for each Opportunity Site and presented in the final Facilities Management Plan. The Preferred Alternative and BBFMP document will also be consistent with a parallel environmental analysis.

The diagram below summarizes these planning phases:

How can I participate in the BBFMP Process?

Each of the three planning phases for the BBFMP will include community and stakeholder input opportunities. Information about these opportunities to participate are located on the Get Involved page. Additionally you can sign up to receive planning process updates, including participation opportunities, by entering your email on the form at the bottom of this page.

Are There Other Planning Projects Happening at Big Basin?

While the BBFMP is an important planning process that includes comprehensive analysis and planning for specific sites, there are several other planning processes that together will help shape the future of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Other planning processes and ongoing recovery efforts including a Road and Trails Management Plan and Forest Forest Management Plan are described on the Visit Big Basin page.