The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Parks and recreation provide opportunities for building strong communities and promote ethnic and cultural harmony.

(b) The state parks system and the network of community and regional parks, along with park professionals, are in a unique position to promote educational, recreational, and community services that foster partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, and other government organizations that serve as a foundation for the healthy development of our communities.

(c) California’s population is growing increasingly diverse and it is incumbent upon state and local governments, working with local education entities, to develop and integrate programs and educational curriculum that take full advantage of the state’s natural environs.

(d) Today, many of our communities are in distress and face increasingly complex problems of poverty, race relations, environmental concerns, crime, and inadequate education facilities. These problems are exacerbated by the lack of communication, collaboration, and services in our inner cities. More and more local agencies, along with nonprofit community-based organizations, are called upon to provide recreation, after school programs, and community services to meet these growing problems.

(e) Most state, community, and regional parks play a role in educating the public about our cultural diversity, historical roots, biological networks, and ecological systems. To do this effectively, these entities need to identify and integrate themes within our state and local parks systems that are relevant to urban communities and, to the extent possible, work with local education agencies to better define those themes and provide increased opportunities for children to access California’s park network as a “living classroom.”

(f) There are numerous examples across the state where collaborative efforts on behalf of state, community, and regional parks working in conjunction with community-based organizations and local education entities have developed programs, providing children with exemplary outdoor educational experiences.

(g) Often, inner city and minority youth populations lack access to recreational opportunities.

(h) Recreational and athletic activities have served to break down color barriers in various communities and allowed individuals such as Tiger Woods and Venus Williams to blaze new cultural and societal trails, serving as positive role models for urbanized youth throughout the nation.

(i) In addition, many urban areas throughout the state lack the financial means or availability of property to acquire and develop parks and recreation areas and facilities, particularly in the neighborhoods that are currently least served in this area.

(j) To promote a greater sense of responsibility toward new parks and recreation areas and facilities, it is vital to encourage community participation in the development of new parks and recreation areas and facilities, which will help keep them clean and safe and enhance community pride and sustain neighborhood vitality.

(k) Recreation, team sports, and games build self-esteem, confidence, social harmony, independent thinking, self-discipline, sportsmanship, and health and help to develop skills in conflict resolution.

(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 877, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2002.)