Brother, Can you Spare $14.2 Million? After two months of intense lobbying by state park advocates and park supporters across the state, the verdict for state parks finally came down in late July: the Legislature passed a revised state budget that contained an $8 million cut to the state parks system. Days later, the Governor signed the budget but extracted an additional $6.2 million. Granted, this is better than the original proposal from late May to take $70 million from the state park system, but it will still have dramatic and severe consequences. As a result of this budget cut—plus the continuing state furloughs and other park-related budget reductions—100 state parks are estimated to close. Like many parts of this year's budget saga, however, this story may not yet be over.
Legislative leaders have questioned the Governor's authority to make reductions in the budget bill that was sent to him on July 24. Just yesterday, they received legal opinions concluding he did exceed his authority. Does this mean state parks will be saved? It's too early to tell. Even if the Governor's action were to be nullified, the $8 million cut instituted by the Legislature would stand, resulting in the closure of between 30-50 state parks. As we sort through this new twist in the budget saga, it's critical that we continue to keep the state parks closures front and center with lawmakers, who may revisit the cuts when they return from summer recess on August 17. Please make your voice heard—contact your legislators and let them know that closing state parks is penny wise and pound foolish and will create long-term damage to our proud state park legacy.
State Park Closures on the Horizon, But Where and How?
We have received many questions about which state parks will be closed, and when. At this time there is not a list of parks slated for closure. State officials have indicated closures are unlikely to happen until after Labor Day, with a list of the parks targeted for closure released sometime around that date. As soon as a public list is available, CSPF will send it to our members and activists. In the meantime, there are many things park supporters can do to help as we continue the fight. Here are the top 5 things you can do to help today…
Top 5 things to Help State Parks NOW
1. Visit a state park. The best way to show our support for state parks is to go out and visit them, and get reminded about why we all care so much for these wonderful resources! (And stay tuned, we'll be sending information out soon about another Save Our State Parks Weekend of Action in late August.)
2. Pay the entrance fees. We know it's sometimes easy to forget to pay those day use fees when it's on the honor system, or to just park outside the park. But our state parks need our help, our support, and our money, please help by paying the posted fees!
3. Write your legislator. If the Legislature is going to revisit some of the Governor's vetoes, we want to make sure state parks are in the mix. Please take a moment and send a letter today.
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5. Stay informed. Visit CSPF's web site and Facebook page regularly for up-to-date information about budget changes and park news.
CSPF is not sitting around waiting for the shoe (or 100-park list) to drop. Without a list, it's fair to assume that all state parks need our creative thinking and support for ways to ensure their continued availability to the public. While officials at the Department of Parks and Recreation are currently amassing detailed information about the "gaps" in services that will be left when parks close, CSPF is helping coordinate offers from entities willing to lend short-term help to our state park system. CSPF is in contact with many non-profit organizations, community groups, businesses, local governments, and potential donors about what they can do to help keep parks open in their communities.
We realize many partners are also strapped in their resources right now, and are reluctant to step in and substitute for what should be a core, state commitment to our state parks. It's CSPF's expectation that these closures will be temporary, and we continue to fight for a long-term funding solution to avoid these draconian closures again. But in the immediate, we're hoping to preserve as much as possible in our state park system, because once parks close, they are vulnerable to risks—environmental and caused by humans—and it will be difficult to fully reopened them in a couple of years. If you are with an organization or entity and interested in exploring how your management, volunteer or other resources could help keep parks open, please contact Traci Verardo-Torres at traci@calparks.org. For offers of corporate financial assistance, please contact Susan Parker at susan@calparks.org.
