January 21, 2011 > Calif. state parks buy new 535-acre redwood tract Calif. state parks buy new 535-acre redwood tract Submitted By AP Wire Service SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Two land trusts have sold a 535-acre tract of redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the state parks system, under a deal that they also provide staff and maintenance to help the cash-strapped department. Palo Alto-based Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Sempervirens Fund have created a $1.3 million endowment for improvements and maintenance at the park, called Little Basin Redwoods State Park. Little Basin used to be a retreat for Hewlett Packard employees. A nonprofit company will take reservations and staff the park, meaning the state will not have to hire new rangers. There are 36 camp sites, 14 cabins and a fishing lake at the park. The deal is a new economic model for the state parks system, which has reduced hours and has a $1.2 million maintenance backlog. --- Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com