State parks superintendent in Sonoma County dies following scooter crash

California state parks superintendent Liz Burko, who oversaw dozens of coastal and redwood parks on the North Coast, died Saturday after being hospitalized following a crash on her motorized scooter in Duncans Mills about one week earlier.

The CHP said Burko, 55, lost control of her scooter the night of Aug. 14, telling officers she’d swerved on Highway 116 to avoid a raccoon.

Her injuries included a broken pelvis and she was flown by medical helicopter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where she remained in intensive care until her death.

Burko worked almost 30 years for California’s Parks and Recreation Department. She spent about 15 years at the start of her career working as a ranger at a variety of state parks. She then moved into park management.

In 2007 she was promoted to superintendent of the Russian River District, which includes parks in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, filling a position that had previously high turnover. For a time during recent years, her responsibilities spread further north and included state parks up to the Oregon border.

“She was a true believer in the benefits of parks and the mission of parks. She loved parks and people equally,” said Caryl Hart, Sonoma County’s Regional Parks director. A former state parks commissioner, Hart knew and worked with Burko for several years. “Liz comes from that old-style ranger that people love. When people think of a state parks ranger, they think of someone like Liz.”

Hart described Burko as a woman who dedicated her life to the state’s parks and brought great management skills to a job that became more difficult during the recent economic decline. The recession resulted in huge financial cutbacks to the state parks budget and consequent closures and reduced hours - something Burko fought to avoid, Hart said.

“Liz really stuck it out. She was looking for new, innovative ways, new partnerships” to solve some of the hurdles facing parks, Hart said. “The leadership of state parks has long looked to her for guidance with what was going on in the field and dealing with the challenges.”

Burko was a native of Ohio and had a undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, said Dana Jones, the department’s northern division chief. She started at the department as a volunteer. She was known for a can-do attitude and had a familiar refrain - “No problem, I got this” - when confronted by challenges, Jones said. Burko also played a pivotal role in management training for supervisors looking to move up the ranks at the department, Jones said.

In fact, Jones said “there would be a very good likelihood” that Burko’s replacement would have been trained by her. The appointment is likely to be named early next year.

She also was remembered as someone who worked well with local nonprofit groups, such as LandPaths, which has helped manage public access of the Willow Creek Addition to Sonoma Coast State Park since 2005.

While some in state government take a dim view of working with local nonprofits, Burko welcomed their suggestions and wanted their input, said Craig Anderson, executive director of LandPaths.

“She didn’t treat nonprofits as agencies that were trying to complicate her life,” Anderson said. “She realized innovation and partnership were going to be important in this financial climate.”

Anderson said Burko was “the consummate professional” who was almost always seen in her uniform of a tan shirt and green trousers. “I saw Liz once in her off-duty attire at Gleason Beach and almost fell over,” he recalled.

Burko had recently returned from her dream trip to Europe and a cruise on the Danube River. She lived on the coast and had been headed west on Highway 116 when she crashed.

The accident was first reported at 8:50 p.m. by a tow truck driver who spotted a scooter - a 2014 Suzuki - down on the rural highway, about a quarter-mile west of Duncans Mills.

Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman said he and firefighters responded and found the severely injured woman in a ditch on the north side of the highway.

The woman reportedly suffered several broken bones and was flown off in the medical helicopter prior to a CHP officer arriving. The crash report indicated she had reported trying to avoid a raccoon when she lost control. She was thrown and hit a tree. The impact was such that while she landed on one side of the roadway some of her belongings, including a wallet, were found on the south side of the highway.

CHP Officer Kerri Post on Monday said an extensive investigation was conducted into the crash, due to the seriousness of the injuries, but that it is possible further work still needs to be done.

The CHP report indicated there was no indication alcohol was involved.

Burko’s injuries weren’t expected to be life-threatening and her death came as a shock, Hart said.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday. Results were pending a final autopsy report from the pathologist, said Sgt. Greg Stashyn of the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rossmannreport.