Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Explained

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District
Headquarters:	Carmel, California, United States
Area Served:	California Central Coast
Method:	Mello-Roos Community Facilities District
Revenue:	US$7.1 million (2022)
Endowment:	US$19,9 million (2022)
Num Employees:	19

The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District is an independent special recreation district with offices in Carmel, Monterey County, California. It was formed in 1972 and serves much of northern Monterey County. For the benefit of the general public, it serves to safeguard and preserve parks and open space. The District has preserved more than of park and open space on the Monterey Peninsula.^[1] It is not an agency of Monterey County or of any of the local municipalities.

Funding

The district collects % of the property tax collected within the District. For every $100,000 of property value, the District receives approximately $5.00 for open space acquisition and operations. It also formed in 2004 a Community Facilities District under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982. In 2016, voters renewed the district and approved a Special Tax Lien of $25.26 per single family dwelling equivalent each year.^[2] In 2022, expenses are projected to be $9,729,259 based on revenue of $7,143,200. The district has a balance of $19,986,224.^[3]

Governance

It is governed by a five-member Board of Directors elected in even years. There are five wards from which board members are elected that generally include Marina; Seaside; Del Ray Oaks and portions of Sand City and Monterey; Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Monterey; Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley, Cachagua, Carmel Highlands, and Big Sur.^[4]

Programs

It offers a variety of programs at its various parks, including environmental education and outdoor related programs such as geocaching, stargazing, hiking, geology, wildlife watching, art and writing, gardening, and fire safety.^[5]

Parks

It owns ten parks within Monterey County.

• Garland Ranch Regional Park is a 3464acres park^[6] in Carmel Valley that was the district's first land acquisition. It was purchased in 1975 from William Garland II for $1.1 million along with a $250,000 gift from Garland. After Garland died on May 10, 1975, the park district named the park after him.^{[7] [8]}
• Cachagua Community Park is a 14acres park located in the Cachagua area of Carmel Valley.^[9]
• Eolian Dunes Preserve is a 26acres property in Seaside acquired in 1995.^[10]
• Frog Pond Wetland Preserve is a 17acres refuge for resident and migratory wildlife alongside Highway 218 in Del Rey Oaks, California.^[11]
• Joyce Stevens Monterey Pine Preserve is a 851acres park east of the City of Monterey and adjacent to and north of Monterey County's Jacks Peak Park. It was purchased from the Pebble Beach Company for $7.45 million on December 4, 2014.^{[12] [13]}
• Locke-Paddon Wetland Community Park is a 12acres parcel in Marina that was acquired by the district in 1986. It is located off Reservation Road and Highway 1, near the Marina Library.^[14]
• Marina Dunes Preserve is a 62acres park that was purchased by the district in 1988.^[15]
• Mill Creek Redwood Preserve is a 1386acres parcel including a Big Sur coastal redwood canyon land. It was purchased by the Big Sur Land Trust for $2 million which sold it to the district in 1988.^{[16] [17]}
• Palo Corona Regional Park is a 4300acres park that was purchased in 2004 from the Whisler and Wilson Family Trust by the Big Sur Land Trust for $4.25 million.^{[18] [19]} It is located east of Point Lobos.^{[20] [21]}
• Laguna Grande Regional Park is a 35acres park on the border of Monterey and Seaside, California. The District is a member of the Laguna Grande Regional Park Joint Powers Agency organized in 1976 that is responsible for managing Laguna Grande Park with those two cities. The heavily wooded park contains Laguna Del Rey, a fresh water lake and marsh, and is located on the south side of Canyon Del Rey Boulevard and between Del Monte Avenue and Fremont St. The park is one of the top birding destinations on the Central Coast and has been plagued by ongoing issues of homeless encampments. In 2014, three dead bodies were found within the park in less than a year.^{[22] [23]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: MPRPD . mprpd-tigeo.hub.arcgis.com . 15 February 2022 . en-us.
2. Web site: Special Tax Lien . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
3. Web site: Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Adopted Budget Fiscal Year 2021-2022 . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022.
4. Web site: Board Members . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
5. Web site: Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD) . InPlay . 15 February 2022 . en.
6. Web site: Garland Ranch Regional Park . Roadside Secrets . 15 February 2022.
7. Web site: Garland Ranch Park delights hikers . Dugdale. Don. 1976-06-19 . www.newspapers.com . The Californian . 2020-05-03.
8. Web site: Garland Ranch Regional Park . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
9. Web site: Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . Cachagua Community Park . 15 February 2022.
10. Web site: Eolian Dunes Preserve . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
11. Web site: Frog Pond Wetland Preserve . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
12. Web site: Joyce Stevens Monterey Pine Preserve . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
13. Web site: Jacks Peak Park donors could get trails recognition . Monterey Herald . 24 February 2022 . 5 August 2020.
14. Web site: Locke-Paddon Wetland Community Park . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
15. Web site: Marina Dunes Preserve . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
16. Web site: Mill Creek Redwood Preserve . October 26, 2016 . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . September 19, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160919145905/http://www.mprpd.org/mill-creek-redwood-preserve/ . live .
17. Web site: Mill Creek Redwood Preserve . December 5, 2016 . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Mill Creek Purchase . September 19, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160919145905/http://www.mprpd.org/mill-creek-redwood-preserve/ . live .
18. Web site: Whisler-Wilson Ranch Acquisition . Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . 15 February 2022 . en.
19. Web site: January 15, 2013 . Big Sur Land Trust Sells Whisler-Wilson Ranch to Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161202170030/http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/press-release-big-sur-land-trust-sells-whisler-wilson-ranch-1.htm . December 2, 2016 . October 26, 2016 . Big Sur Land Trust.
20. Web site: Trust. Big Sur Land. Landscapes (Big Sur Land Trust). Big Sur Land Trust. December 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107010707/http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/landscapes.htm. November 7, 2017. dead.
21. Web site: Whisler-Wilson Ranch Acquisition – Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030744/http://www.mprpd.org/planning-conservation/whisler-wilson-ranch-acquisition/ . November 7, 2017 . 2017-10-31 . www.mprpd.org . en-US . mdy-all.
22. Web site: Schmalz . David . Agencies tasked with managing Laguna Grande Park finally get serious. . Monterey County Weekly . 24 February 2022 . en.
23. Web site: Schmalz . David . Despite a persistent problem of encampments at Laguna Grande Park, the years go by, and nothing seems to change. . Monterey County Weekly . 24 February 2022 . en.