Join our campaign to legalize mushroom foraging in all California State parks

We ask the California Parks Department to trust the science:

Legalize mushroom foraging for personal use- without costly permits - in all State Parks.

Join us in decriminalizing our love of nature.

Together we make a difference. Together our voices are heard.

Why now?

I was motivated to launch this campaign after reading the results of a three-decade study proving conclusively that mushroom foraging does not damage the mushroom ecosystem. This study, conducted in Europe from 1975-2005, proves what we all know: foraging does no harm.

Results from the study which ran from 1975-2005:

• Long-term harvesting does not reduce future yields or species variety

• This is true regardless of whether mushrooms are cut or picked

• Humans walking in the forest do not damage underground mycelia (mushrooms)

There's been a lot of press lately about the negative effect of mushroom foragers, particularly in Salt Point State Park. The biggest concern has been the surge of interest in foraging has lead to overcrowding in the park. I agree. It is overrun. But why? Because it’s one of the few places in the state where mushroom foraging is allowed.

Salt Point State Park, a tiny 6,000 acres of the 1.4 million acres of California park land, can't handle the pressure. The overcrowding at Salt Point is a clear result of current park policies, not the foragers. If there was only one restaurant in San Francisco, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they ran out of food. The same principle applies to Salt Point. We've created artificial pressure that reveals people's desire to use their parks in this way. The answer isn't more permits and more fees, but more space. We have the space, millions of acres of it, we just need to be allowed to use it.

We've been made to feel like interlopers and criminals in our own parks. We've been told that the thing we love is causing harm rather than helping. That's not true! It’s high time the parks department trusted the science, and this petition will show them that the time has come to listen to the people. The citizens of California should be able to decide how to use their own parks in a sustainable way. It's time we show them they can’t keep us from what we love.

Sustainable mushroom foraging is one of the best ways I know to connect with nature. To understand and pay attention to the seasons, the trees, and to really get to know a place. It's only after I discovered foraging that I started to develop a real relationship with nature. It was like looking at the world with new eyes. Not just trees and grass, but mushrooms, miner's lettuce, seaweed, and sea beans. Food was everywhere, growing out of the ground wherever I looked.

Our parks department policies are robbing generations from having their eyes opened to the wonders of nature. This change is long past due. Let’s take this chance to come together and change what should have been changed long ago.

Join me in our fight for sustainable foraging. Sign the petition, share this message with your friends, and let's make a change. Together, we can show the Parks Department that it's time to trust the science and give Californians the freedom to connect with nature in a meaningful, sustainable way.

Let's legalize foragers!

Iso Rabins

Founder: forageSF