Parks Archives • Page 2 of 8 • The Mendocino Voice

Two people stand beside a pickup truck as orange buckets filled with purple sea urchins spill into the truck bed, alongside abalone shells and harvesting gear, in a paved coastal area.

Woman ticketed on suspicion of abalone poaching at Van Damme State Park

by Sarah Stierch February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

Wildlife officers say the woman allegedly hid red abalone in her pants while harvesting urchin along the rocky shoreline south of Mendocino.

A wooden roadside sign marks the entrance to Jackson Demonstration State Forest, set against tall redwood trees. The sign reads “Entering Jackson Demonstration State Forest,” with the Cal Fire emblem and “Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, State of California,” mounted on a stone base amid grass and forest understory.

Environment & Natural Resources

Jackson Demonstration State Forest road closed due to illegal trash dumping

by Sarah Stierch December 25, 2025December 24, 2025

Forest Road 500 near Fort Bragg is closed to motorized vehicles as Cal Fire responds to ongoing illegal dumping along a major access route into Jackson Demonstration State Forest.

Wide view of a quiet coastal beach with dark sand, gentle waves rolling in from the left, seabirds gathered near the shoreline, and forested hills and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.

Police & Courts

Sheriff’s Office seeks help identifying woman who died after ocean rescue

by Sarah Stierch December 23, 2025December 23, 2025

The woman was swept into the ocean by a wave and rescued by bystanders at a Mendocino Coast beach, authorities said.

A herd of tule elk with large, velvety antlers stands alert on a grassy bluff overlooking the ocean, with blue water stretching into the horizon behind them.

Politics & Government

National Park Service drops free admission on MLK Day, Juneteenth while adding Trump’s birthday

by David Klepper December 9, 2025December 9, 2025

It’s the latest example of the Trump administration downplaying America’s history of slavery and the fight for civil rights as well as the president using his position for self-promotion.