CREWS ARE STILL ASSESSING THE DAMAGE AT BIG BASIN STATE PARK IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.... MORE THAN A MONTH AFTER THE CZU LIGHTNING FIRE WAS CONTAINED. TODAY ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ GOT A FIRST HAND LOOK AT THE RECOVERY EFFORTS... AND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER POTENTIAL THREAT THIS WINTER.## THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR RECOVERY OF BIG BASIN REDWOOD STATE PARK COULD TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR. THE SHORT TERM PLAN IS TO GET READY FOR THE UPCOMING RAINS AND POTENTIAL MUDSLIDES." "CURRENTLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO IMMEDIATELY FIX SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE LOST." THIS IS BIG BASIN NOW. AS WE DROVE THROUGH THE PARK WE SAW SCORCHED TREES STACKED ALONG THE PARK SCAPE-- BLACKENED HILLSIDES VOID OF VEGETATION AFTER THE CZU FIRE BURNED FOR 38 STRAIGHT DAY "IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO SEE. IT'S JUST HEARTBREAKING!" TREES CONTINUE TO SMOLDER AS HOT SPOTS POP UP IN THE BURN ZONE. THE CZU FIRE SHOWED NO MERCY--OF THE MORE THAN 86,000 ACRES THAT WERE CONSUMED--- 18,000 ACRES OF IT WAS HERE. MANY TREES ARE UNSTABLE ALONG HIGHWAY 236 WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE PARK. CAL TRANS HAS HIRED A CONSULTANT ALONG WITH A TREE SPECIALIST AND ARBORIST THEY SAID IN A STATEMENT : " A DETERMINATION IS MADE AFTER ANALYSIS AND THE PROBABILITY OF POTENTIAL TO IMPACT THE HIGHWAY, WHETHER THE TREE REQUIRES REMOVAL OR NOT." THIS RUBBLE IS WHERE THE PARKS MAINTENANCE FACILITIES WERE LOCATED. STATE PARK EMPLOYEES ARE GOING THROUGH THE PARK DOCUMENTING THE LOSES. "SO WE CAN START THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SOLICIT SUPPORT FROM FEMA IN THE EFFORT OF REBUILDING BIG BASIN." ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS HAVE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST IN THE RECOVERY EFFORTS. FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS HAVE RAISED EIGHTY- THOUSAND DOLLARS SO FAR. "WE STARTED THE 'FRIENDS FIRE FUND" IN ORDER TO ASIST WITH THE RECOVERY EFFORT AND TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC LOSSES IN THE FIRE" WITHOUT MUCH VEGETATION THE RAIN WILL COME DOWN WITH MUCH MORE FORCE AND THE SOIL WON'T BE ABLE TO SUCK IT UP ---BRINGING WHAT'S CALLED DEBRIS FLOW ----WHICH REMAINS A BIG CONCERN. "IT COULD TAKE UP TO A YEAR OR MAYBE EVEN LONGER TO REOPEN BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK TO THE PUBLIC BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. OUTSIDE BIG BASIN REDWOOD STATE PARK, PHIL GOMEZ, KSBW ACTION NEWS EIGHT"