2025-121 Chino Hills State Park
State Parks’ Wildfire Resiliency Efforts Face Few Requirements and Limited Coordination
Published: August 18, 2026
Recommendation to the Legislature
Recommendation 1
To encourage parties who have habitable structures within 130 feet of Chino Hills State Park’s land in the eligible designated wildfire hazard areas to apply for vegetation permits and clear defensible spaces, the Legislature could consider amending state law to do the following:
- Either expand the mitigation program eligibility areas to include all properties that contain a habitable structure within 130 feet of Chino Hills State Park’s land and are within the mitigation program’s eligible designated wildfire hazard areas, or develop a new program that is similar to the mitigation program for these neighboring properties. Upon State Parks’ approval of a vegetation permit in an area that is eligible for the mitigation program or the newly developed program, the approved party may apply for program funding. This funding may be used to fund a contractor to perform the approved defensible space activities for the approved party’s property on State Parks’ land.
- Appropriate the funding necessary to support this expansion to the mitigation program or the newly developed program.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendations to the CA Dept of Parks and Recreation
Recommendation 2
To increase public assurance of wildfire resilience activities in Chino Hills State Park, Inland District staff should do the following by August 2027:
- Systematically document specific wildfire resilience activities that are performed in the park. For example, this documentation could require a supervisor’s signature to validate that the wildfire resilience activities performed around defensible spaces in the park met State Parks’ internal standards.
- Report all relevant wildfire resilience activities annually and make the report publicly accessible.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendation 3
To ensure that Chino Hills State Park addresses changing risks and hazards, Inland District staff should, by August 2027, update the park’s Wildfire Management Plan to reflect relevant practices, including special considerations of the WUI, located in the State Parks’ template and federal best practices.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendation 4
To ensure that State Parks conducts ongoing wildfire resilience activities, Inland District staff should, by August 2027, analyze the maintenance workforce needs of the district and submit a budget change proposal to the Legislature to request needed personnel.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendation 5
To ensure that State Parks informs local fire suppression agencies of key fire control features of Chino Hills State Park, Inland District staff should, by February 2027, organize annual meetings, as prescribed in its Wildfire Management Plan, with local fire suppression agencies surrounding the park. In addition, State Parks should implement a process to ensure that the meetings occur annually.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendation 6
To ensure effective communication between State Parks and Chino Hills State Park’s surrounding communities, Inland District staff should, by February 2027, update the park’s Wildfire Management Plan to require annual meetings with the city staff neighboring the park prior to fire season to identify potential risks and coordinate on mitigating the risks.
Agency response status:
Pending
Recommendation 7
To ensure Chino Hills State Park’s wildfire resilience efforts are discussed, updated, and approved at least annually, Inland District staff should, by August 2027, organize the prescribed annual meeting with CAL FIRE to review the park’s Wildfire Management Plan. In addition, State Parks district staff should draft and finalize a process to ensure that the meeting occurs at least annually.
Agency response status:
Pending
