Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department
 Guadalupe Reservoir, in Almaden Quicksilver County Park |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1956 |
| Headquarters | 298 Garden Hill Dr. Los Gatos, California 37°14′38″N 121°57′53″W / 37.2439°N 121.9648°WCoordinates: 37°14′38″N 121°57′53″W / 37.2439°N 121.9648°W |
| Website | www |
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, sometimes referred to as Santa Clara County Parks Department or Santa Clara County Parks, is a government department in Santa Clara County, California. The department manages 28 parks with a total area over 52,000 acres (21,000 ha).
Santa Clara County's first parkland was purchased in 1924, a 400-acre (160 ha) parcel near Cupertino which eventually became Stevens Creek County Park. Mount Madonna park was acquired in 1927. The Parks and Recreation Department was founded in 1956. A major expansion with numerous additional parks became possible in the 1970s with the availability of state funds and voter-approved tax setasides. A Master Plan was adopted in 1972 which called for major regional parks throughout the area as well as recreational corridors along creeks. In 1995 the county adopted a Master Plan for trails emphasizing connections between park trails and trails of other agencies.
A separate agency, established in 1993, is the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (SCCOSA). While the jurisdiction of the SCCOSA lies entirely in Santa Clara County, it is not directly a part of county government.
The parks managed by the department are:
County Park Rangers act as the public safety branch for the Santa Clara County Parks, ensuring the safety of park visitors and protection of park resources. County Park Rangers are considered "generalists" and perform the full range of Park Ranger duties including enforcing State laws and Department rules as peace officers, providing information to visitors, checking in campground and picnic reservations, conducting interpretive and public education programs, responding to medical emergencies and accidents to provide medical aid, performing search and rescue activities, fighting wildland fires within County Parks, managing volunteer events, performing resource management work in the areas of habitat conservation & restoration, and performing maintenance work. Park Rangers patrol the parks by truck, foot, boat, bike, and motorcycle. County Park Rangers also serve as boating safety officers and investigate vessel accidents and boating under the influence (BUI) violations on County reservoirs.
Since 1998 the Park Rangers have offered an after school "Junior Ranger program" for children ages 9–11. Jr. Rangers meet in four two-hour sessions and learn about Park Ranger duties, wildlife, habitats, and the Ohlone Native American culture. At the end of the program students are invited to overnight campout with Park staff. Graduates of the program age 12 through 17 may move on to the Jr. Ranger II Program.
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