FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Edder Díaz Martínez, Communications Director, 602-832-6039, [email protected]
FRESNO, California — Pedro Hernández, California State Director for GreenLatinos, issued the following statement following the announcement of “State Parks Forward.”
In a testament to the growing momentum behind the park equity movement, California State Parks and the Natural Resources Agency have announced “State Parks Forward,” the largest expansion of the state park system in decades. This initiative commits to expanding the nation’s largest state park system by more than 30,000 acres, including the creation of three new state parks spanning nearly 330 miles across the headwaters and floor of the San Joaquin Valley:
- San Joaquin River Parkway State Park
- Dust Bowl Camp State Park
- Feather River Parkway State Park
“The San Joaquin Valley is more than flyover country—it is a region that has lost much of its native ecosystem, yet remains an essential pillar of life for both human and wildlife communities across California. These new designations will strengthen protection and stewardship, safeguarding critical ecosystem services such as groundwater recharge and wildlife habitat, while advancing the state’s commitment to closing the “nature gap” in one of the state’s most underserved regions.
As a lifelong resident, I know these three new sites will play a critical role in closing that gap by expanding equitable access to nature, restoring critical habitats, and ensuring that more families can benefit from safe, nearby outdoor spaces. Across the San Joaquin Valley, communities have long faced disproportionate barriers to parks, open space, and environmental investment - all while experiencing some of the highest rates of cumulative pollution burdens.
Together, these parks reflect a more inclusive vision for California’s state park system—one that recognizes both ecological value and lived experience. This historic initiative marks a transformative commitment to conservation, public access, and park equity, ensuring that communities across the San Joaquin Valley and throughout California can experience the many benefits of protected lands and outdoor spaces for generations to come.”
###
About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
