Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is an agency of the County of Los Angeles which oversees parks and recreational facilities. It was created in 1944.[2] It operates and maintains over 63,000 acres (250 km2) of parks, gardens, lakes, trails, natural gardens, and golfing greens.[2]

Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
Department overview
FormedJuly 1, 1903 (1903-07-01)
Preceding agencies
  • Forester and Fire Warden's Office
  • Department of Recreation, Camps and Playgrounds
JurisdictionLos Angeles County
Headquarters433 South Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles, California 90020
34.066536°N 118.291960°W / 34.066536; -118.291960
Employees1,477 (2010)[1]
Annual budgetUS$149,369,000 (2010)[1]
Department executive
  • Norma Garcia, Director
Websiteparks.lacounty.gov

It maintains 180 parks and operates the world’s largest municipal golf course system with 20 courses. It owns the Hollywood Bowl and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.[3]

Weddings can be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia, Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge and South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.[4]

It operates nature centers at:[4]

  • Deane Dana Friendship Park and Nature Center
  • Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area
  • Eaton Canyon Park & Nature Center
  • Placerita Canyon Nature Center
  • San Dimas Canyon Nature Center
  • Santa Catalina Island Interpretive Center
  • Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area
  • Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park
  • Whittier Narrows Nature Center

It has fishing lakes at:[4]

  • Alondra Community Regional Park
  • Apollo Community Regional Park
  • Belvedere Community Regional Park
  • Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park
  • Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
  • Cerritos Community Regional Park
  • Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
  • Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park
  • La Mirada Community Regional Park
  • Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area
  • Whittier Narrows Recreation Area

The Department hosts approximately 300 film projects a year, including feature films, television series, television commercials, and still photography shoots for various magazines and publications.[5]

Safety and law enforcement services are provided on a contract basis from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Parks Bureau. Prior to 2010, the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety (County Police) and its predecessor agencies were responsible for law enforcement in the county parks.

Management and Commission

The director is John Wicker.[6]

The department is governed by a five-member Park and Recreation Commission. Current members are Ed Reyes, Mayisha Akbar, I. Melissa Centeno, Sylia Obagi, and William J Korek.

References
  1. "Assessor" (PDF). County of Los Angeles Annual Report 2009-2010. Public Affairs, Chief Executive Office. p. 23. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Discover Los Angeles,
  3. "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Website - Parks". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  4. "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Website". Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  5. "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation - Filming and Photography". Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  6. "Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Director's Message". Archived from the original on 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
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