California State Parks to give $4.1 million to local park projects, including Santa Cruz County

California State Parks announced that it selected 26 local park projects around the state to receive grants totaling $4.1 million.

The grants come from the California Habitat Conservation Fund Grant Program. That program is funded by the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, and it gives assistance to local agencies with the goal of protecting, restoring and enhancing wildlife habitats.

Some of the projects chosen by California State Parks are in Santa Cruz County:

The Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge Interpretive Trail in the city of Santa Cruz will receive $200,000 to replace about 480 feet of boardwalk trail and interpretive signage. The Riparian Restoration at Soquel Creek in Santa Cruz County will receive $205,750 to restore around 40,000 square feet of riparian habitat. That will include removing and replacing non-native plants with native plants, fencing and interpretive signage. The Upper Struve Slough Habitat Restoration in the city of Watsonville will receive $52,600 to restore and enhance about one acre of wetlands.

The California State Park’s Office of Grants and Local Services develops grant programs to give funding to projects, and since 1964, more than 7,400 local parks in California have been created or improved with grant funding.