Attend an open house meeting to learn about the plans to rebuild Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which comprises more than 18,000 acres in Boulder Creek and which lost most facilities in the 2020 CZU wildfire.
There are 3 parkwide design alternatives in a 34-page document available for public review and feedback.
The first is the Saddle Mountain Gateway, with a controlled entrance, very limited parking, people taking shuttle buses to get around the park, Visitor Center as a hub and staff housing in a village.
The second is Many Connected Experiences, with multiple entries, parking and Visitor Center at Saddle Mountain, interpretive displays throughout the park, staff housing at Saddle Mountain and throughout the park.
The third is District Sites & Experiences, with a smaller Visitor Center at Saddle Mountain, the most parking of the 3 options but less than historically offered, priority for interpretive programs in overnight area and Little Basin, staff housing scattered throughout park.
All 3 options would provide space for indigenous people.
All 3 would relocate campgrounds for car camping, cabins, and RVs out of the former headquarters area to Wastahi, Huckleberry, Lower Sky Meadow, and Little Basin, with walk-in and bike-in camping
on Lower Lodge Road, which would be closed to vehicles.
All 3 would reduce the development footprint within the former HQ area by 50%, and fire resiliency, energy efficiency, and reverence for history will be priories for building reconstruction.
Options rejected include rebuilding in place as it was, operating the park without a shuttle, and
The Big Basin Redwoods Facilities Management Plan will guide the future rebuilding of recreational facilities at Big Basin Redwoods State Park after the CZU Fire according to the Reimagining Big Basin Vision Summary document completed in 2022.
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Drop by in person on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Simpkins Family Swim Center (979 17th Ave) & Live Oak Community Center (1740 17th Ave).
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If you cannot attend in person you can take the survey and provide feedback before Aug. 16. The survey is at https://tinyurl.com/big-basin-survey-2024.
