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Improvements in Recent Years

The San Mateo Coast Sector received allocated funds in California State Parks’ budget to improve the Campfire Center at the Francis Beach Campground in Half Moon Bay State Beach.  The project was completed in 2017.

Not included in the scope of the state-budgeted project was replacing the greatly outdated audio-visual equipment currently in use. CSPA funded new equipment, including a portable, high-definition video projector. This will facility will greatly enhance the interpretive presentations to the beach’s visitors.

Francis Beach Campfire Center as it looked before improvements (Photos: CSPA archive)

(Photo: CSPA archive)
Native Plant Nursery

Francis Beach is home to the Native Plant Nursery, which is run by dedicated volunteers who grow plants for restoration projects throughout the San Mateo Coast Sector. Through CSPA, these volunteers obtained a grant for the nursery, from which funds were used in 2015 to purchase tools, a tool shed, plants and other gardening supplies, material for a watering system, and lumber and hardware for raised planting beds and additional work tables (shown in the photo). The beds and tables were constructed by more volunteers.

(Photo: CSPA archive)
Campground Woodshed

A portion of CSPA’s revenue comes from selling firewood in campgrounds, one of which is at Half Moon Bay SB’s Francis Beach. Previously the wood was stored, inconveniently far from the campground, in an open carport needed by the rangers for other storage. In early 2015, a contractor constructed a new, prefabricated woodshed adjacent to the camp host’s trailer. CSPA paid for the shed and regards it as being funded by the firewood sales.