California Department Of Parks And Recreation

Park agencies in the Santa Monica Mountains once were bystanders in the development wars. They bought land when they had money. Otherwise, they watched from the sidelines as housing tracts chewed up ridgelines and valleys, leaving little open space. What the public got in return for project approvals was "goat country"--the nearly vertical lands developers were glad to be rid of.

If your travel plans include a stop at this stretch of San Diego County coast any time soon, watch your step. Rusty nails protrude from the shoreline stairs, and the rickety handrail has snapped in two. Visiting the bathrooms can be perilous too. The toilets--installed about 1965--leak, coating the floors with goo. As for that old state park staple--the evening campfire program--make no promises to the kids.

To celebrate California's 150th anniversary of statehood, the state Department of Parks and Recreation has produced a "passport" that beckons visitors to explore significant historical and cultural sites. Those who visit any of the 90 state parks, 15 national parks, 11 national forests and 34 museums included in the Sesquicentennial Passport California 150 can validate the passport with a specially designed rubber stamp until Dec. 31, 2002.

The U.S. Forest Service, the agency with jurisdiction over Convict Lake, has set no standards for ice thickness, air temperature or other conditions to be met before the public is allowed to venture onto the frozen lake, a spokesman for the Forest Service said Tuesday.

More than $2 million is sitting unused in the state Treasury, earmarked for a hostel and other low-cost lodging in rustic cottages at Crystal Cove State Park, the spot where a luxury resort is now planned. The cheap lodgings were not built, and cottages once intended to house bicyclists, hikers, families and other thrifty travelers are scheduled to become part of a $23-million private project with rooms ranging from $100 to $400 a night.

Angel Island's Mt. Livermore rises 781 feet above San Francisco Bay, rewarding hikers and bicyclists who sweat their way to the top with a panoramic view of miles of sparkling water, three bridges and four counties. But a screen of fast-growing eucalyptus trees on the island's southern slopes may soon block part of that view, hiding neighboring Alcatraz Island and the San Francisco skyline.

A parcel of land between Westlake Village and Malibu described as "environmentally priceless," which was deeded to the state to settle $1.2 million in taxes owed by the estate of the late film director Frank Capra, may be converted to parkland to prevent its sale for private use. The unusual transfer, which requires approval by the state Legislature, is designed to preserve the 160-acre parcel as the key link to completing the Backbone Trail through the Santa Monica Mountains.

Summer will be but a blur of funny home videos and mustard-stained T-shirts. Camping gear will be collecting dust in the garage. The kids will be back in school. And, on Sept. 21, thousands of volunteers will descend on public parks and beaches to pick up summer's litter in the "California Gold'n Cleanup." But, there may be less debris than in seasons past, say keepers of the parks, who point to a new environmental awareness or "ecotourism."

State parks officials, responding to legislative criticism, agreed Wednesday to speed up by eight months the replacement of a questionable contract for the taking of campground and Hearst Castle reservations. Questions were raised about the current contract when an administrative law judge ruled that parks officials abused their discretion in awarding it last year to Mistix, a firm that had no track record, had filed a false financial statement and was the highest bidder.

Donald W. Murphy, the superintendent of the state's Big Sur park district, was named Tuesday by Gov. Pete Wilson to head the financially troubled California Parks and Recreation Department. A 12-year veteran in the department, Murphy becomes chief administrator of the state's vast park system as it faces tough times.