Even as Napans flock to hike in local parks, the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District faces deep financial problems that could potentially threaten its existence.
The Open Space District owns more than 5,000 acres and manages another 8,000 acres for other public agencies. It operates such parks as Bothe-Napa Valley and Robert Louis Stevenson state parks, Moore Creek Park and Suscol Headwaters.
Use of its parks and trails has more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the district reports. But the pandemic and Glass and Hennessey fires have dealt a huge economic blow.
âWithout significant changes, the district is facing a slow-moving financial train wreck that can only end in insolvency,â district General Manager John Woodbury wrote to his board of directors.