Expanding state parks in California is now easier thanks to a new law
At a glance:
- Atkins Place officially joins Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
- Save the Redwoods transferred the property to California State Parks
- 453 acres added—a 16% expansion of the reserve
- New legislation—SB 630—streamlined the transfer, clearing years of red tape
- Part of a statewide push to grow California’s existing parks
One of the finest views in Mendocino County is from a trail high above Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. The path rises through a mixed forest of young, healthy coast redwoods and Douglas‑firs. It then breaks into the open on a ridgeline overlooking endless rolling green hills capped with conifer forests. The hiker’s eye is drawn below and to the east, where immense old-growth redwoods rise from the nearby heart of Montgomery Woods.
This ridge—and its world-class view—is part of Atkins Place, a 453-acre property 13 miles west of the town of Ukiah. Save the Redwoods League successfully acquired this land in 2022. And now Atkins Place itself is officially part of Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, following our recent transfer of the property to California State Parks.
On Earth Day, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the transfer of Atkins Place as part of a new campaign called State Parks Forward. Atkins Place is one of three additions to existing state park units across California. Together, these additions support the state’s goal of expanding existing parks by 30,000 acres by the end of the decade. All with the aim of protecting sensitive ecosystems while increasing public open space throughout the state.
Adding these 453 acres to Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve boosts the park’s size by an impressive 16%.
These transfers are thanks to SB 630, a recently passed law that streamlines how state parks in California can expand. For state parks officials, conservation groups, nature lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts—pretty much anyone who wants to see state parks expand—the new legislation was greeted with a sigh of relief.
“It’s encouraging to see California State Parks and the Newsom Administration move quickly to protect special places like Atkins Place,” says Ben Friedman, director of government affairs and public funding at Save the Redwoods. “With record visitation to California’s public lands in recent years, expanding existing state parks can also help ease pressure on popular destinations—especially at a time when Californians need easy access to nature more than ever.”
Fast-tracking the handoff
For years, the process of transferring land to California State Parks slowed to a crawl. Each proposed addition had to wind its way through multiple state agencies, creating a growing backlog of stalled acquisitions. Although Save the Redwoods acquired Atkins Place in 2022 with the clear intent to transfer it to state parks, it still took four years for the property to become part of the park system.
But with passage of the new law, if a park unit wants to add a piece of property valued at $1 million or less, it doesn’t have to navigate a byzantine system of agency reviews for approval. California State Parks says that most of the pending land transfers stalled by bureaucracy will qualify for this faster approval process.
“The new legislation gives state parks a smarter, more proportional way to complete small, but important acquisitions that strengthen existing park units,” says Darla Guenzler, chief of acquisition and real property at California State Parks. “State parks can now more nimbly act on opportunities to protect habitat, build climate resilience, and help California advance its 30×30 conservation goals.”
A healthier forest, by design
Atkins Place is a thriving second‑growth forest, with a mix of coast redwoods, oak woodlands, and 1.25 miles of high-quality streams that support fish like coho salmon and steelhead trout. Adding these 453 acres to Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve boosts the park’s size by an impressive 16%.
It also adds more acres of healthy, resilient forests. For decades Atkins Place was harvested for timber, but beginning in 2002, the previous landowners turned to a Non‑Industrial Timber Management Plan designed to help the forest recover from past heavy logging. Instead of cutting the biggest trees, careful harvests focused on removing smaller, unhealthy ones, giving the strongest trees room to grow. The result? A forest with a wider mix of tree sizes and ages—exactly what you’d expect from a diverse and thriving redwood ecosystem.
This healthy, managed forest forms a critical line of defense for the ancient old-growth trees at the heart of Montgomery Woods. Atkins Place helps buffer the reserve against wildfire, damaging winds, and the steady pressure of development. Now in the care of California State Parks, these forests will be stewarded with a focus on long-term resilience.
Atkins Place is part of a greenbelt spanning 11,500 protected acres in Mendocino County’s Big River watershed. This includes Rocky Ridge—part of our Montgomery Woods Initiative—a property we transferred to the reserve in 2024, and one of the few additions to a state park unit prior to the new legislation. Altogether, Save the Redwoods has now helped protect more than 37,500 acres across Mendocino County.
A place with room to grow
While there are no immediate plans to expand trails within Atkins Place, the existing ridgeline trail—with its sweeping views of forested hillsides—offers the potential for a future access point on the reserve’s northern edge. Adding the property to the reserve also leaves room for possible trail connections, camping, and parking, creating opportunities over time for more people to experience the beauty and quiet of Montgomery Woods.
