(a) The State Park and Recreation Commission shall hold at least two public hearings, one in the northern portion of the state and one in the southern portion of the state, to seek proposals from individuals, winter recreation user groups, the department, and other public agencies for parking areas to be designated under this chapter.
(b) The director shall appoint a committee, which shall be known as the “Winter Recreation Committee,” to advise the director on the location of designated parking areas.
(c) The department shall, after consultation with the State Park and Recreation Commission, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the appropriate boards of supervisors, and any local public or private persons owning lands adjacent to each site, designate winter recreation parking locations throughout the state and include the sites as an element of the California outdoor recreation plan. The department may enter into long-range agreements for the utilization of private and public lands for the programs. The location and design of any proposed site adjacent to, or directly impacting on, a state highway shall be reviewed and approved by the Department of Transportation. The location and design of any proposed site adjacent to, or directly impacting on, a county road shall be reviewed and approved by the appropriate board of supervisors.
(d) Using funds appropriated from the Winter Recreation Fund and allocated pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 5091.25, the Department of Transportation shall provide for the removal of snow accumulating on designated parking areas according to priorities established by the Department of Transportation in consultation with the department. The removal of snow from the roadway of state highways shall always take precedence over the removal of snow from designated parking areas.
(e) Using funds appropriated from the Winter Recreation Fund and allocated pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 5091.25, the department may make grants to counties for the removal of snow accumulating on designated parking areas. The department may contract with the appropriate public and private entities for snow removal, provision of sanitary facilities, signage, trash removal, parking lot repairs, and other services. In no event shall the removal of snow on designated parking areas become a county responsibility, except by agreement with the appropriate board of supervisors.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 278, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2002.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018