Art in the Park

Almost every year, art projects are proposed for Bidwell Park. There are no written guidelines as to what is or isn’t appropriate so the Park Commission considers each proposal individually. Some are approved for permanent placement within the park, while others are considered to be temporary. In 2004, three projects have been approved–a permanent poetry rock by the CARD Center (installed June 2003), temporary metal wind chimes at Wildwood Park and a permanent mural on the Hwy 99 overpass wall.

Bidwell Park Master Management Plan (MMP) Update

In June of 2003, the City Council allocated $350,000 to update the 1989 plan and produce the associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Most of the initial funding came from previously approved and funded projects in Upper Park. In March 2004 a Request for Proposal (RFP) regarding the MMP update was finally issued to prospective consultants and the update process began in October 2004. A consulting firm, EDAW, managed the project, with input from city staff, the Park Commission and a Citizen’s Action Committee. The MMP and EIR eventually cost the city $625,000 and only one of the four projects studied in the process was deemed to be adequately completed.

Friends of Bidwell Park has submitted recommendations for the update.

Recommendations from the Natural Resource Management Plan Discussion Group to the Bidwell Park Master Management Plan Update process

Bidwell Park Wildfire Management Plan

The wildfire management plan was written in 1991. It was never completed or implemented and didn’t include the subsequent south side acquisitions. No money has been allocated to update the plan and the park’s updated Master Management Plan provided almost no new information.

Historic Preservation

There is no current inventory of twentieth century historic sites and structures in the park, and no policy regarding their preservation. Structures more than fifty years old, such as rock walls and the flume deserve consideration before they are removed or modified.

Prop. 40

Proposition 40 was a state bond passed by California voters in November 2002. Each municipality (e.g., city, county, recreation and park district) received a “per-capita” allotment in the form of reimbursement for projects that met the guidelines specified by the bond act. Here is a page showing how Chico has spent Proposition 40 funds [pdf].