California State Parks Director Anthony L. Jackson announced Wednesday he will retire June 30.

The retired U.S. Marine major general was appointed Nov. 13, 2012, by Gov. Jerry Brown to head a department rocked by a financial scandal — and to the relief of Benicians, he immediately declared that the era of park closures was over.

“I want to thank Gov. Brown and the dedicated group of professionals at State Parks for the opportunity to return to public service and help earn back the public’s trust in one of California’s most valuable assets,” Jackson said Wednesday.

“It has been a challenging, but ultimately fulfilling tenure at California State Parks.”

Jackson, the 19th parks director, was handed the reins to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) 18 months ago in the wake of the discovery that the department had concealed or misreported millions of dollars, even as it prepared to shutter 70 parks statewide.

Fallout came quickly after the scandal broke July 20, 2012, a time when communities throughout the state were spending scant resources to fight the expected closure of their parks.

Director Ruth Coleman quit immediately, as did deputy director Manuel Lopez, and acting deputy director Michael Harris was fired.

The same day, Brown appointed California Natural Resources Agency undersecretary Janelle Beland as interim director, and ordered Attorney General Kamala Harris’s office to conduct investigations of all of California’s departments.

Brown told the Department of Finance to audit the DPR, and ordered Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird to review the department’s management.

The governor also signed several bills designed to help the parks system.

One apportioned $20.5 million to keep parks open, earmarking about half of that money for matching funds from local agencies. The other bill required a new action plan for increasing state parks’ revenues.

In the end, more than $30 million in parks money was determined to have been reported incorrectly.

In prior years, California had considered shutting down the entire parks system. But for Benicia, the threat of closing 70 state parks was bad enough — both of the city’s state parks were on that list.

They are the iconic Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, 115 East G St., that is the symbol of the city, and the Benicia State Recreation Area, acres of trails, sensitive habitat and a popular fishing site on the city’s west side, adjacent to Vallejo.

The two are the only state parks in Solano County.

In an effort to stay the anticipated closures, Benicia City Council authorized the expenditure of city funds and the use of city employees to maintain much of the Capitol’s exterior grounds and public restrooms.

Benicia, Vallejo and Solano County, meanwhile, reached an agreement with DPR in December 2013 that provided for sign and park furniture improvements at the Benicia State Recreation Area in exchange for a $24,000 donation to the park operations, and that keeps the park open daily through June 30.

The California Native Plant Society reached its own agreement with DPR to allow volunteers to tend the 3-acre Forrest Deaner Native Plant Botanic Garden in the Recreation Area.

Local officials and the public breathed a big sigh of relief when Jackson, in one of his first acts as the head of State Parks, stated flatly that the closure list no longer was part of DPR’s policy.

“Director Jackson took the reins at DPR at a truly difficult time,” Mike Dotson, director of Benicia Parks and Community Services, said Thursday.

“His direct manner and extensive outreach to local State Parks partners across the state helped restore a measure of confidence in the future of our State Parks system. His openness with State Parks staff and park partners was an important step toward badly needed transparency,” Dotson said.

“He challenged his staff to focus on quality in basic services provided at State Parks, while working with the Legislature, governor and Parks Forward Commission to chart the course forward.”

While Jackson did much to stabilize the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Dotson said, “there clearly remains much work to do.”

“The governor’s May revised budget proposal restores only $14 million of the $22 million that had been permanently cut from the budget in 2011 as a one-time measure to avoid park closures in 2014-15 while the Parks Forward Commission prepares its recommendations,” he explained.

The funding, Dotson said, “does not sustain the 2013-14 funding level made possible through local donations and partnerships,” warning that “even this reduced funding may not be included in future budgets.”

He said the draft Parks Forward Commission report, which draws on prior reports on the State Parks System by the Park Excellence Project and the Little Hoover Commission, has two key findings:

“First, that the park system is debilitated by an outdated organizational structure, underinvestment in technology and business tools, and a culture that has not rewarded excellence, innovation and leadership.

“Second, only broad-based, fundamental change will transform the system into one that will transform parks and the parks experience to once again lead the nation and the world in meeting the needs of citizens and visitors for decades to come.

“Director Jackson’s replacement will need to address these fundamental issues.”

Dotson said he and other Benicia officials are hoping Jackson’s successor will work with the governor and the Legislature to use at least a small portion of the current budget surplus to restore the $22 million for State Parks in 2014-15.

He said that would assure a level of service equal to that made possible by local donations and partnerships in 2013-14.

“The state needs to take the pressure off of local partners while it sorts out its direction forward,” he said.

On the other hand, Dotson said he hopes the next director will build on the partnerships that have joined the DPR or expanded their relationship with the department during the closures threat.

“Forming these partnerships has taken tremendous private, local and state resources, and should be viewed as a fundamental component of the new organizational structure,” Dotson said.

“The Benicia State Parks Association (BSPA), cities of Benicia and Vallejo, and Solano County have all entered into partnership agreements with State Parks in order to ensure continued operations at the Benicia State Recreation Area.

“The Bay Ridge Trail Council and the Bay Trail Project have also been supportive of efforts to keep the SRA open,” he said.

“BSPA and the city of Benicia have both entered into operations agreements to sustain operations at the Benicia Capitol State Historic Park,” he noted. “The State Parks staff that are currently working with us have embraced these partnerships.”

Dotson said the city is both encouraging California to restore long-term funding for both of Benicia’s state parks and welcoming the chance to continue the partnerships with State Parks in hopes that the two parks “realize their full potential as vital public spaces that serve our community in perpetuity.”

Dotson noted several other recommendations in the draft Parks Forward Commission report, which will be aired for public comment at three upcoming public workshops prior to the commission’s final report this fall.

“We hope the new director will build on the recommendations included in that report to improve the organization’s structure and build a more resilient State Parks system that will meet the needs of California’s growing population,” he said.

The Benicia State Parks Association secured a DPR contract so its docents could continue to keep the buildings of the historic park open.

Bob Berman, BSPA vice president, said Thursday that Jackson provided “strong leadership” to the DPR when such guidance was desperately needed.

“I was impressed by the director’s efforts to understand what was going on at each of the state parks,” Berman said.

He described how Jackson tried to visit each of the 280 state parks to understand each one’s situation. “In 2013, Director Jackson visited both the Benicia State Capitol Historic Park and the State Recreation Area,” Berman said.

“His visit allowed Benicia State Parks Association members to directly speak with him and explain the current situation at the two Benicia state parks. State Parks staff have undertaken efforts to focus on several areas of concern that we spoke to Director Jackson about.”

Echoing Dotson, Berman said the next director will have plenty to accomplish to strengthen the parks system.

“Much work needs to be done to restore the State Parks to a world-class system,” he said. “The Parks Forward commission is developing recommendations as to California parks’ future.” He said the those recommendations should be ready by September or October.

“BSPA is hopeful that the next State Parks director will continue to work with the Parks Forward Commission to make the necessary changes in the operation of the State Parks system,” Berman said.

“For BSPA, this means focusing on providing adequate staffing at the two state parks and working on the many deferred maintenance projects at both the Fischer-Hanlon House and the Benicia State Recreation Area, such as the Dillon Point restroom.”

Of Jackson’s 40 years in public service, he spent 36 in the Marine Corps, from which he had retired when Brown asked him to accept the position of director of State Parks.

Since he was sworn in Nov. 16, 2012, Jackson collaborated with Brown and the state Legislature to address park maintenance that had long been deferred.

In partnership with the Parks Forward Commission, Jackson worked on a long-term plan for the parks system and tried to restore employee morale, according to a statement released by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Anthony Jackson has a master’s degree in history from San Jose State University and is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., and the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.

In 1998, he became the assistant chief of staff G-7, First Marine Expeditionary Force. Two years later, he became the commanding officer, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and in 2003 he was both chief of staff of the Joint Task Force-555 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philppines, and the 3rd Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan.

From 2003-05, he was assistant chief of staff G-5, First Marine Expeditionary Force, which was deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

He was deputy commanding general of the U.S. Marine Forces Central Command in 2005, then was deployed in 2007 to Stuttgart, Germany to become the director of operations and logistics for the U.S. Africa Command. He remained in that position until 2009.

He also was the commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, and supervised bases throughout the Southwest, including California. He retired from military service in 2012.

Jackson is married to the former Susan Gail Steinbach of Lafayette, and the couple has two sons, Brian and Blaine.

“I sincerely appreciate General Jackson’s service to California and the Department of Parks and Recreation,” Laird said.

“He came to the department during its darkest hour, bringing stability and consistency. After almost 40 years of public service, he has more than earned the right to retire to private life.”