California BRINGING THE OUTDOORS CLOSER TO HOME IN 2026 AND BEYOND
Connecting Everyone to the Outdoors in California Access to nature is essential; you make it possible for Trust for Public Land to protect and create communitycentered outdoor spaces that improve health and wellness, increase climate resilience, and bolster social connections. You help TPL advance this important work through on-the-ground project delivery and comprehensive systems and policy changes in California and across the country.
C A LIFO RNI A
BY THE NUMBERS
2020–2025
billion 249,166 acres $14.2 Increased public funding
We are working to create, enhance, and protect the outdoor spaces that uplift and connect communities, while building resilience to the ever-growing threats of climate change. In this report, you’ll read about our incredible progress over the last year and see how each effort reflects our shared commitment to support both the people and the places that matter most to them. As we celebrate all we have accomplished, there is more work to be done. With your help, over the next five years, we aim to build on our history, deepen our partnerships with communities across the state, and deliver measurable impact in California by: 1.
Catalyzing communities through neighborhoodscale green space investments that connect more Californians to the benefits of nature.
Preserved land to support the state’s Climate Action Plan
for parks and natural spaces in the state— exceeding our goal by 350%!
Increased park access for
over 1 million people Partnered with 60 community, Tribal, and nonprofit organizations
2.
Targeting our land conservation efforts to protect land that helps reduce wildfire risk, preserves watersheds, and restores biodiversity, all while expanding public access.
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Leveraging TPL’s expertise in conservation, community engagement, and public policy to ensure that every dollar invested in our work generates exponential returns for both people and nature.
The need to protect multi-benefit landscapes and to deliver equitable access to nature continues to grow, and so do the challenges and opportunities facing our health, climate, and communities. With your continued support, we can rise to meet the moment. Thank you for joining us as we connect everyone to the outdoors. With gratitude,
El Sereno Arroyo Playground in East Los Angeles. PHOTO BY JOE SORRENTINO / TPL STAFF
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Guillermo Rodriguez Vice President, Pacific Region California State Director
Advocating for Nature and People
For TPL, people come first. Residents set the vision, and we bring the tools to make it real. We connect neighbors, organizations, and decision-makers who might never otherwise collaborate, cocreating and stewarding parks and green spaces that tackle real challenges and strengthen belonging. When communities lead, public spaces become catalysts for health, safety, and opportunity.
Central Valley California’s Central Valley features an abundance of natural resources. Yet, communities in the region have pressing needs for improved access to quality parks and recreational spaces. As seen in recent ParkScore® data, two cities in the region, Fresno and Stockton, have a fifth of the amount of park space as similarly sized California cities. In smaller cities, as well as rural and unincorporated communities, access to quality outdoor spaces is further limited by lack of funding to build new parks or steward existing spaces. To help address these challenges, TPL is investing nearly $1 million in catalytic grants through our Central Valley Park Equity Strategy. And we hosted park practitioners in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Stockton for a series of funding strategy summits. Attendees gained 4 |
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insights into available funding opportunities, learned from peers, met with state agency leaders, and connected with TPL staff for technical assistance to collaboratively address local needs. The summits are already leading to new opportunities for impact in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Stockton and new partnerships across the Central Valley. TPL signed on as a member of the Mormon Slough Restoration Association (MSRA) in 2025. Led by Restore the Delta, MSRA seeks to transform Mormon Slough from a polluted 6.3-mile urban waterway into safe, green spaces that can improve flood safety for nearby neighbors and restore wildlife habitat. TPL was asked to join the funding subcommittee and support the design and outreach subcommittees. This multidecade project is just getting started, but momentum is building. With vocal support from elected officials, MSRA is well positioned to apply for state and private funding to make this dream a reality. We are also supporting local communities through technical assistance, such as a park equity accelerator for the City of Fresno, park activation workshops in collaboration with Little Manila Rising in Stockton, and a park practitioner webinar series for the entire Central Valley region.
City of Los Angeles Los Angeles, one of the world’s great cities and host of the upcoming 2028 Olympics, has one of the most challenged big-city park systems in America. Each year, TPL ranks the park systems of the 100 most populous U.S. cities in its ParkScore index. Over the past six years, Los Angeles has fallen from the middle of the pack (49th) to the bottom (93rd). The precipitous decline can be traced back to decades of city leadership that failed to prioritize adequate or equitable park investments. With an annual park investment of $92 per person, Los Angeles ranks in the bottom third of the most populous cities. Since a 2009 policy that requires the parks department to reimburse the city for indirect costs was put in place, the parks department has suffered 28 and 60 percent reductions in full- and part-time staff, respectively. The city’s park system currently requires over $2 billion to address deferred maintenance and over $14 billion to meet the level of service that Angelenos want and deserve. TPL mounted a grassroots campaign across Los Angeles, ultimately leading the city council to vote 13–0 to place a charter amendment on the November 2026 ballot. This is a monumental achievement, as parks charter
funding had not changed since 1937. YES on PRK: Angelenos for Clean, Affordable, and Safe Parks, a project of TPL, is a campaign to encourage voters to double the minimum budget allocation for the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks—from 0.0325 to 0.065 percent of assessed property value, implemented over a 10-year transition period.
Look for an update on this ballot measure at tpl.org/2026-ballot-measures.
Statewide We continue to assist communities, elected officials, and other stakeholders in designing, passing, and advocating for state and local ballot and legislative measures that fund parks, trails, natural areas, and other green spaces. With donor support, we are building civic power and empowering communities to create and care for parks and greenways, laying the groundwork for lasting connections and environmental advocacy.
BELOW: Urban Orchard Park in South Gate. PHOTO BY STELL A K ALININA OPPOSITE PAGE: Castellanos Elementary School in Los Angeles. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
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Parks for Health & Wellness When people live near a public park, they spend more time outdoors and are more physically active, which can reduce the risk for chronic conditions, as well as increase lifespan. Time in green spaces helps reduce stress, relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve attention, cognition, and sleep quality.
Greater Los Angeles area. We are also evaluating additional schools through a strategic and equity-focused lens that addresses environmental justice, climate resilience, and community health needs. These future projects have the potential to deliver transformative benefits for students, families, and neighborhoods.
Zamora Park in El Monte
In August 2026, we celebrated the opening of the Esperanza Schoolyard in Pico Union. TPL supported fundraising efforts, and our partners at the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust led design and implementation. The renovation saw the removal of 30,000 square feet of asphalt, replacing the pavement with native plants and 35 shade trees to create new and expanded areas where students can run, play, and learn.
Facing poor air quality, high obesity rates, limited access to healthy food, and inadequate recreational spaces, residents of El Monte were driven to seek improvements to their deteriorating neighborhood park. TPL partnered with the city and residents in a community-centered design process. TPL led participatory design workshops, offered grant writing support, and oversaw design and permitting. In May 2026, Zamora Park reopened to the community with over 100 shade trees, stormwater capture systems, walking paths, fitness equipment, new playgrounds, a refurbished basketball court, a splash pad, and an on-site community center—restoring its role as a safe, welcoming space that strengthens neighborhood pride and quality of life. Today, the park is buzzing with activity—neighbors grilling, gathering, and playing football and basketball, as their children explore their new playground. For nearby elementary schools, a retirement home, and other neighboring health and social service facilities, the park is a vital gateway to the mental and physical health benefits of the outdoors.
Los Angeles Green Schoolyards Asphalt-covered schoolyards aggravate health risks from obesity, diabetes, asthma, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other ailments by deterring physical activity and by amplifying heat and air pollution. TPL’s community schoolyards promote health by increasing access to the outdoors and improving climate resilience in underserved and vulnerable neighborhoods. TPL has transformed seven schoolyards in Los Angeles and Oakland, with eight more currently underway in the
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620 Canal Street in San Rafael Residents of San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood, a majority Latino and low-income community, have long faced limited access to parks, safe routes to schools, and public gathering spaces. With only one road in and out, residents are highly vulnerable during flooding, extreme weather, and other emergencies. In November 2025, TPL helped secure a 1.65-acre former boatyard in partnership with Canal Alliance, Marin County, the City of San Rafael, and local advocates. Long prioritized by local families and community leaders, this waterfront site will be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood park, providing much-needed green space and recreational amenities. The new park might also serve as an anchor for a long-envisioned future pedestrian bridge connecting Canal residents to downtown San Rafael, local schools, jobs, and transit. With the land now protected, TPL will stay involved as a consulting partner through community engagement, design, and park build.
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley. PHOTO BY AECOM; Urban Orchard in South Gate. PHOTO BY STELLA KALININA; Castellanos Elementary Schoolyard in Los Angeles. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SHORELINE PARK The outpouring of public support for the future of Golden Gate Fields has been extraordinary since we announced that TPL is under option to purchase this 161-acre site for $175 million in public and private funding. Residents and civic leaders from Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, and the broader Bay Area have made clear they want to see this remarkable stretch of shoreline protected and opened for public benefit. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform this waterfront site into a landmark park. Securing the site for the East Bay Regional Park District will open new ways to significantly expand public access to the San Francisco Bay, restore shoreline and wetland ecosystems, and strengthen climate resilience. The project will create new avenues to enhance the San Francisco Bay Trail and improve connections and access to surrounding neighborhoods in the East Bay, particularly for communities that have long had limited access to parks, open space, and the bay shoreline.
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Tribal and Indigenous Partnerships TPL partners with Tribal nations and Indigenous communities to protect culturally significant places, support Tribal sovereignty, and expand opportunities for Indigenous stewardship. Together, we work to return ancestral homelands, safeguard cultural resources, improve access to traditional lands, and advance community-led conservation efforts. These partnerships help ensure that Indigenous communities can continue to care for and benefit from the places that have sustained them for generations. Across California, Tribal nations have engaged TPL to help reclaim access to and ownership of more than 16,000 acres of ancestral lands—including forests and grasslands, sacred cultural sites, and critical habitats and wildlife migration corridors.
Rancho Cañada Larga Located just minutes away from Ventura and Ojai, Rancho Cañada Larga is a breathtaking mosaic of California’s natural beauty. Rolling hills stretch out under an expansive sky. Valleys cradle a rich tapestry of meandering streams, vibrant meadows, sprawling oak woodlands, and grasslands teeming with wildlife and native plant species. The 6,500-acre property holds deep cultural significance as the ancestral homeland of the Barbareño-Ventureño Band of Mission Indians (BVBMI), who refer to the land as katšukutšuk. This landscape has remained nearly untouched by development. Since the 1800s, it has only been owned by two families, and for much of its history, has served as a cattle grazing ranch. However, over the years, the land drew attention from investors looking to transform the pristine landscape into homes for the affluent, a golf course retirement community, an oil production site, or even a landfill. In December 2025, TPL protected this incredible land thanks to the generosity of our donors. Now that the property has been acquired, TPL is working closely alongside our partners at Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) and BVBMI to establish a legal agreement that will ensure BVBMI’s access rights to the land for ceremonial use and Tribal education. Discussions about cultural conservation and access easements are complex, shaped by historical injustices, deeply held beliefs, and differing perspectives. Guided by Dr. Ken Lucero, TPL’s Director of Tribal and Indigenous Lands, we are optimistic we can reach an agreement that serves all parties and recognizes the important role BVBMI can play in the long-term stewardship and preservation of the land. While public access to the property remains limited today, we are working alongside partners to envision
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Rancho Cañada Larga in Ventura. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF; OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM PHOTOS BY JUSTIN KATIGBAK; TPL STAFF
the next chapter for Rancho Cañada Larga, including the restoration of vital wildlife corridors and the creek, supporting research, and honoring Indigenous history and culture. The cultural conservation and access easement is a critical next step before Rancho Cañada Larga is conveyed to OVLC for long-term stewardship. And through this easement, TPL, OVLC, and BVBMI are advancing a path that honors the Tribe’s enduring connection to this land and supports cultural access, stewardship, and the continuation of Indigenous traditions for generations to come.
Advocating for Tribal Access to Public Funding Beyond TPL’s on-the-ground park creation, land protection, and community-building efforts, thanks in
part to the advocacy of our supporters, for the first time, Tribes are directly eligible to apply for Land and Water Conservation Fund’s (LWCF) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP). ORLP is a key funding opportunity for creating new parks, improving existing outdoor recreation spaces, and expanding access to the outdoors in low-income communities. But public policy only succeeds when communities can access and use the programs it creates. TPL is bridging the gap between policy and implementation, providing hands-on technical assistance to help communities navigate complex federal funding opportunities. In partnership with National Park Service, TPL is launching a new, no-cost ORLP Technical Assistance Program to help applicants create competitive, compelling grant applications for ORLP funding. TRUST FOR PUBLIC L AND IN CALIFORNIA
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Public Lands for Climate Resilience Every community is experiencing climate change. Extreme heat, wildfires, flooding, and storms are growing more frequent and severe, and the most catastrophic events often happen in areas with the fewest resources. That is why TPL works with landowners, communities, public agencies, and partners to protect the lands that help communities become more resilient. From forests and rivers to working lands and recreation areas, donor support for these conservation efforts helps expand public access, strengthen climate resilience, and protect natural resources that support both people and wildlife. Together, we are ensuring that cherished landscapes remain healthy, accessible, and protected for years to come.
Crooked Palm Residents in Ventura’s Westside neighborhood, a community vulnerable to some of the highest levels of air pollution in the state, have long eyed an abandoned oil refinery for conservation. Located along the Ventura River, the property is ideally situated for floodwater management, improved riparian and upland habitat restoration, and a new connection to the 16-mile Ventura River/Ojai Valley Trail. TPL successfully preserved this property in December 2025 and transferred it into the stewardship of the Ventura Land Trust to be reenvisioned and repurposed 10 |
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Madera Ranch in Madera County. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
to serve the needs of both nature and the community. Protecting this land as a natural firebreak and restoring the ecosystem helps keep fires away from homes, businesses, and essential infrastructure, while improving overall landscape resilience.
Madera Ranch In parts of California’s Central Valley, land is sinking as much as 1 foot per year as groundwater is pumped faster than natural underground aquifers can recover. Sinking land damages roads, houses, and other infrastructure. Here is the good news: if aquifers are able to recharge, the sinking can be slowed or even stopped. Working with our partners at the Madera Irrigation District, TPL has protected the nearly 11,000-acre Madera Ranch. Protecting this land and safeguarding the water rights will help to naturally replenish the aquifer over time. The ranch is also a key habitat for diverse species like kangaroo mice, Fresno foxes, blunt-nosed leopard lizards, and burrowing owls. This space will be an ideal outdoor classroom where schools and other educational groups from surrounding cities like Madera and Fresno can learn about California’s incredible plants and animals.
Thank You to Our Volunteers and Donors CALIFORNIA ADVISORY BOARD We are so grateful for the leadership of our volunteers. Mike Allard, Freestone Capital Marcia Choo, MSC Consulting Services Val Cole, Career 2.0 Lisa Craypo, Ad Lucem Consulting Lucy Finn, The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. Larry Gelb, CareCounsel LLC (Retired) Kathryn Welch Howe,† KWH Associates, Inc. Alex M. Johnson,* The California Wellness Foundation Cindy Polite Kamm, Independent Artist & Naturalist/Environmental Educator Nina Lagpacan, Oceankind Daniel Martin, Amped Solutions Shirley McCrohan, AEW Mandi McKay, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Andy Mercy, Impact Investor Shannon Morrissey, WilmerHale Julie Parish,* Parks Advocate, Community Leader Michael Parish,* Real Estate Investor, Civic Leader Desirée Portillo Rabinov, Board of Trustees, Glendale Community College Daniel Rosenfeld, Community Partners Frances Sawyer, Pleiades Strategy Laura Shell,* Parks Advocate, Community Leader Vanessa Smith, Boeing Bob Valliere,† CSAA Insurance Group Francesca Vietor, San Francisco Foundation, California State Park & Recreation Commissioner Chris Wilmers, UC Santa Cruz Ward Wolff, Upstart Co-Lab Paul Wright, Climb Healthcare Consulting * Also a member of TPL’s National Board of Directors † CAB Co-Chairs
California Advisory Board members on a hike at Ferrini Ranch in Monterey County. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
CORPORATE PARTNERS AEW Capital Management Back to Nature Foods Boeing Edison International Estée Lauder Holdfast Collective Northrop Grumman PG&E Corporation Foundation Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sierra Pacific Foundation
FOUNDATIONS The Adams Legacy Foundation The Bella Vista Foundation Cotyledon Fund Hellman Foundation The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation John S. Kiewit Memorial Foundation The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation Mimi and Peter Haas Fund The Martin Foundation The Molina Family Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation The Rose Hills Foundation Top donors from July 2025 to June 2026.
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Celebrating our partnership with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has supported TPL’s work to protect more than 16,000 acres of California’s Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Since the start of our partnership, Sierra Nevada has contributed nearly $1 million to support TPL’s trail work across the country and even endowed a position on the land protection team in California, helping advance conservation efforts for years to come. Our partnership has a fresh, fun expression: a new, non-alcoholic Trail Pass beer dedicated to our work together. Thank you, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Cheers! Scan the QR code to learn more about our partnership.
THANK YOU for helping create parks, protect special places, and connect more people to the outdoors throughout California and beyond.
23 Geary Street Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA 94108
Join us Your gift ensures everyone has access to the outdoors. Every park we create, schoolyard we transform, trail we extend, and landscape we protect is thanks to supporters like you. tpl.org/donate
Alex Ashworth California Region Director of Philanthropy alex.ashworth@tpl.org 626.734.6433 Guillermo Rodriguez Vice President, Pacific Region California State Director guillermo.rodriguez@tpl.org
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