California’s newly approved state budget slashes a total of $14.2 million from the state park system and could result in the closure of more than 100 of its 279 state parks. The number of expected closures has been reduced from the 220 proposed originally by Governor Schwarzenegger. Which parks will close is still uncertain, though state officials have indicated that a list will be finalized by Labor Day.
California State Parks Foundation President Elizabeth Goldstein issued the following statement on July 29:
‘This is a dark day in the history of California’s state park system. At a time when Californians are most in need of their low cost, accessible state parks, the gates are being slammed in their faces. At a time when local businesses, particularly in rural communities, must rely on tourism and park visitation for their own economic stimulus, the doors are being shut to them. In the context of an $85 billion General Fund budget, the $14.2 million in ’savings’ that would come from closing more than 100 state parks is truly a drop in the bucket. But it’s a small drop that will have a ripple effect, then a tsunami, for park visitors and local economies…’
The California State Parks Foundation created the Save Our State Parks (SOS) Campaign as a statewide, grassroots effort to keep California’s state parks open and is partnering with organizations, businesses, local governments, and individuals around the state to generate awareness and action about budget proposals impacting state parks.
Locally, the recent decisions have kicked efforts to fight the closures into high gear, according to Steve Teshara, executive director of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. ‘Our short term strategy is to make sure that none of the (17) parks here are on the closure list. Our long term goal is to get State Parks out of the General Fund completely so we don’t have to deal with this issue again during the budget process,’ Teshara said in a recent phone interview. ‘Only real reform will put an end to this irresponsible and reckless behavior by the governor and the legislature. The whole thing is madness.’
The National Park Service maintains that California state parks which have received funding under the federal Land and Water Conservation Grant program would revert back to federal ownership if closed by the state due to budget cuts. In the Sierra District, seven out of 17 state parks fall into this category, including Bodie State Historic Park, Burton Creek State Park, Donner Memorial, Sugar Pine Point, Ward Creek, and Kings Beach and Tahoe State Recreation areas.
Action alerts on the parks issue are available at calparks.org and budget information is online at www.dof.ca.gov/budget/
~ Beth Ingalls, bingalls@moonshineink.com.
