National Parks Service Explores Proposal to Designate Los Angeles Beaches as National Parks, Seeks Public Input

The National Park Service (NPS) is inviting public feedback on the potential designation of Los Angeles County’s famed coastline as a national park.

Following a Congressional approval in 2022, the “Los Angeles Coastal Area Special Resource Study” is set to explore a significant stretch of the Pacific Coast. This area extends from Will Rogers State Beach, near Santa Monica Bay, to Torrance Beach.

This comprehensive study also encompasses the San Pedro coastline within Los Angeles city limits. Four critical aspects will be assessed: the area’s significance, its suitability, the feasibility of the designation, and the necessity for management by the NPS.

The NPS has clarified that the study aims to “collect information about select sites along the Los Angeles coast through research and public input, and then to report these findings to Congress,” according to Fox Los Angeles.

In a related image, a lifeguard tower stands at Will Rogers State Beach, located just north of Santa Monica, California. This area, along with the coastline stretching down to San Pedro in Los Angeles, is under consideration for national park designation. (Getty Images)

The public comment period closes on April 6, after which the NPS will analyze the feedback alongside their internal research. 

The study will produce a report in 2027, which will provide answers on whether the targeted areas are feasible for either a national park or an NPS unit. 

“New national park units are typically added to the National Park Service (NPS) by an Act of Congress,” the NPS website states. “However, before Congress decides to create a new park or add land to an existing park, it needs to know whether the area meets established criteria for designation as a national park unit. This evaluation is conducted through a special resource study.”

A distressed seal rests on shore at Will Rogers State Beach. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes the San Pedro coastline, told Fox News Digital that she will wait for the report on the study.

“Los Angeles County’s beaches are among our greatest shared treasures and public assets, and any conversation about their future deserves a thoughtful, fact-based approach,” Hahn said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to seeing the pros and cons that come out of this study and what making our beaches a national park could mean for public access, local decision-making, and our responsibility to protect our beaches for generations to come.”

The NPS manages 433 individual units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, according to the NPS website. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the NPS and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors for comment, as well as local environmental groups.