MAPA Submits Proposal to Operate
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
Friday,
April 20, 2012, MAPA, with the collaboration of Team Standish, submitted a proposal to operate Standish-Hickey
State Recreation Area. Standish-Hickey is located off Highway 101, north of Leggett. At the "gateway to the tall trees
country," the area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and swimming on the South Fork of the Eel River which
winds through the park for almost two miles. One of the few virgin redwood-stands remaining in this area can be seen on the
Grove Trail, which is ADA compliant, as are several of the campsites.
Encompassing
1,012 acres of parklands with two miles of river frontage, Standish-Hickey offers to the visitor when driving north on 101
the first chance to walk and sleep in old growth groves and swim in a wild and scenic river.
Proposal: The proposal is now in the hands of the State Parks staff in Humboldt
District who will review the document, contact MAPA if they have any questions or suggestions, then once satisfied, will send
the proposal to staff in Sacramento for their review. If they consider the proposal viable then Sacramento might request a
Conference call with MAPA for further discussion. If all goes well, then negotiations will commence in working out a final
agreement.
Timeline: Exact timing of the results are uncertain, but MAPA is eager
to know as soon as feasible so that we may hire staff and prepare for the transition from parks to MAPA for the balance of
2012.
Camping Season: Currently, Reserve America has a notice on their website, and
also on the Parks website that the park will be closed as of July 1, 2012. MAPA would like a final agreement signed as soon
as possible so that we can notify the public that the campground will continue to remain open for camping, swimming, fishing
and day-use.
Team Standish and the surrounding communities, nonprofits and tribal
citizenry are vital to the success of the park. Team Standish, along with their passion for the Park, are contributing admirable
expertise and time, and have worked hard to put all this together. They are a guiding inspiration for movement to save the
Park and are the ones who contacted MAPA requesting a collaboration. But there are other groups as well, such as the Native
American tribes who we hope will continue to be as enmeshed with the use of the park and of the Interpretive programs as they
would like. MAPA looks forward to meeting and visiting with them about what their hopes and goals are for Standish-Hickey.
We will keep you apprised of the progress. Thanks for caring for these parks that belong to all of us.
Carolyne Cathey
MAPA Executive Director
