State parks: Elephant Hill: City of Los Angeles.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jessica Caloza

AB1252 authorizes DPR to lease Elephant Hill (El Sereno) to LA and MRCA; after lease, Elephant Hill becomes a California state park unit and DPR draws up a general plan.

Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

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AB 1252 — State parks: Elephant Hill: City of Los Angeles (Overview)

What it would do

Authorizes the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to enter into a lease agreement with the City of Los Angeles and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) for the property known as Elephant Hill in the El Sereno area of Los Angeles.

After the lease is executed, the California State Park and Recreation Commission would classify Elephant Hill as a unit of the state park system.

Following classification, DPR would prepare a general plan for the new state park unit.

Key provisions

Section 5015.9 added to the Public Resources Code:

(a) Defines “property” as Elephant Hill in El Sereno, LA.
(b) Allows DPR to enter into lease agreements with the City of LA and MRCA for leasing the property (pursuant to Article 5 of the Public Resources Code, commencing with Section 5060).
(c) Requires the Commission to classify the property as a unit of the state park system after the lease.
(d) Requires DPR to prepare a general plan for the unit under Section 5002.2 after classification.

Section 2 provides legislative findings that a special statute is necessary to address Elephant Hill’s protection and conservation.

Who is affected

City of Los Angeles: party to the lease and local management considerations.

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA): co-lessee and partner in management/restoration/conservation efforts.

California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR): authorizer of the lease, responsible for later classification and general plan.

California State Park and Recreation Commission: tasked with classifying Elephant Hill as a state park unit after the lease.

Public and local communities: potential public access, recreation, and conservation benefits associated with a formal state park unit.

Procedural/timeline aspects

Introduced: February 21, 2025.

Read first time: February 24, 2025.

Referred to Committee: March 10, 2025 (Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife).

The bill contemplates a two-step process (lease → state-park unit classification → general plan) with no general statute—just a specialized statute for Elephant Hill.

Fiscal and policy context

Fiscal Committee: Yes (bill includes no state appropriation requirement).

Local program: No.

The measure emphasizes conservation and public access through a state-park unit while leveraging a local government and MRCA partnership, rather than creating a new general statute applicable broadly to all properties.