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Valley Public Radio Staff

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Tagged: parks

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State Parks Crisis
9:00 am
Tue July 24, 2012

Future of Mariposa Museum Still In Doubt

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Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
Randy Bolt is one of three remaining employees at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa. The museum may close later this year.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
A sign announces the pending closure of the museum to visitors.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
The world famous Fricot Nugget sits in a secure vault at the museum.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
A "hands-on" display at the museum is designed to teach children about geology.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
The California State Mining and Mineral Museum is located on Highway 49 in Mariposa.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
Closing Parks Is Bad for Business reads a sign in the lobby of the California State Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
A scale replica of a stamp mill sits inside one of the galleries at the Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa.
Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
An exhibit of rare minerals is located inside a secure vault at the Mining and Mineral Museum
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By

Randy Bolt has a passion for rocks. Well, not just rocks, but gems and minerals too. He's a historic guide at California's Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa. 

He can tell you about the state's official gemstone, "which most people have never even heard of, which is actually one of the rarest  gems in the world, it's called Benitoite, named after San Benito Creek."

Or he can tell you about the history of the world-famous nugget from the California Gold Rush that is nearly the size of a basketball.

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Government & Politics
3:32 pm
Fri July 20, 2012

California Parks Director Resigns Admid Scandal

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By Amy Quinton

California Governor Jerry Brown has accepted the resignation of state Parks Director Ruth Coleman after learning the department underreported tens of millions of dollars for at least 12 years.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the State Parks and Recreation Fund and the Off Highway Vehicle Fund held a total of 54 million dollars more than what was reported.

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Special Report: State Parks
2:31 pm
Thu July 19, 2012

Community Rallies as State Park Faces Threat of Closure

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By Amy Quinton

Many of California’s state parks were saved from closing this year thanks to operating agreements with nonprofits and private organizations.  Others are on the rocks – or narrowly avoided closure, like Benicia State Recreation Area, which we heard about yesterday.  But one state park in Nevada County offers quite a different story. As Amy Quinton reports in the second of our two-part series, the entire community pulled together to save South Yuba River State Park.

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