A Word From Our President
State Parks Still in Budget Limbo
Good News! CSPF’s Park Protection Bills Advance
Californians Support Their State Parks!
Knudsen and State Parks Launch “Pure Partnership For Our Parks”
40th Anniversary Celebrations: A Birthday Party Bash and Film Festivals

A Word From Our President

Many of you are long-time readers of the CSPF E-newsletter. However, many of you are first-time readers. Welcome! We know that all of you who are reading these words are concerned about the fate of California's amazing state parks. This fate hangs in the balance, caught between the fiscal crisis and the deep blue sea. (That seems a much more appropriate metaphor than a fiscal crisis and a rock!) This precarious balance is in the hands of our elected leadership. They are taking their 4th run at a budget in the last 18 months. Each resolution has been followed by revised and increasingly dire financial projections. Just this morning the Governor announced that the budget gap of $24.3 billion has just risen again.

There is lots of debate in Sacramento about whether some park closures can be averted. This debate and discussion is possible because of everything that you have done to remind the Governor and your Legislators that closing state parks must be avoided (see some of the impressive advocacy statistics below). We would not be at the table without your efforts. Thank you. 

And in addition to the enormous grassroots and lobbying effort we've organized with your help and the help of our partners, the Federal Government has also stepped in. Jon Jarvis, the Western Director of the National Park Service, recently sent a letter to the Governor stating that if parks close in California, the Feds are taking back the ones that came from them, such as Angel Island, Point Mugu and four others.

This is hardly the only situation where we may be inadvertently losing particular state parks by closing them. There are a number of parks that were donated to the state, with clauses stating they would revert to the donor if closed. These parks, if closed, may no longer be available to the citizens of California.

It is hard to close state parks for a million reasons, 76 million reasons, in fact. That is the number of visits to state parks last year. The last four weeks have been very hard work for everyone at CSPF. However, there have been an amazing number of inspirational moments to keep us going. The fun and heartfelt photos that you sent in for SOS Weekend are just one example. The bittersweet videos that Josh Murphy, a filmmaker in Lake Tahoe made one weekend are another. Josh's videos just appeared on CSPF's Facebook page one day and caused us to laugh and cheer! And watching the number of letters to our elected officials climb day after day, higher than we thought possible. You are all inspiring! Thanks for everything you are doing to keep state parks on the radar. Time will tell if our messages are getting thorough. For now, we are blown away by your thoughtfulness, your creativity and your tirelessness.   

State Parks Still in Budget Limbo

The Save Our State Parks campaign continued in full force throughout the month of June. Kicking off a very active month, more than 100 park advocates travelled to Sacramento on June 2 to testify to the legislature's Budget Conference Committee to keep state parks open. To date, more than 60,000 people have taken action through the CSPF web site to send a message to their legislator, opposing massive cuts and park closures.  Add to that more than 31,000 people who have signed petitions, postcards and letters that have been circulated across the state from various SOS campaign partners and organizations. We've been making a difference!

A few legislators’ fax machines have broken under the weight of the public outcry on this issue, but more importantly, CSPF has heard from legislators of both parties, in both houses, and from virtually every corner of the state, that they do not want parks to close and will help look for a solution. We’re holding them to that promise. In late June, both houses of the Legislature attempted to pass a stand-alone bill enacting the State Park Access Pass (SPAP), an idea CSPF had pursued last year. The idea did not make it out as its own legislation, but in the last days of June, members of the legislative leadership included the SPAP in another budget bill which attempts to raise revenues from various sources. Unfortunately, the Governor has indicated he would veto such an attempt to raise new revenue, which may mean the SPAP remains elusive for another year. At the time of writing this article, the Legislature remains deadlocked about a state budget, which means the status of our state park system is still in limbo. CSPF continues to fight, with your help, to reverse the cuts to state parks and to find funding to keep our state parks open. Please continue to help by contacting the Governor and legislative leaders (known as the “Big 5”) and keep the pressure on them for a budget solution. Given the recent data that came out from CSU Sacramento that showed our state park system contributes over $4 billion in economic benefits to the state each year, California cannot afford to close the doors to our state parks. 

Good News! CSPF's Park Protection Bills Advance

On June 30, the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee approved two bills that will increase protections for California's state park system, Senate Bill 372 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) and Senate Bill 679 by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Linden). Both bills set up a clear and necessary process for protecting California's investment in our state park system.

The principle for both bills is clear – Californians have invested heavily in our state park system through support of bond measures, through General Fund support for parks, through fees when camping or visiting state parks, and through charitable donations of time and talent. Once a state park is in use, it has economic value to the community in which it is located, social and recreational value to its users, and natural resource value to all Californians. Those values and investments must be preserved. The bills will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, before heading to the Assembly Floor.  For more information about the bills, visit our Legislative Update page.

Californians Support Their State Parks!

Since the proposal to close 220 state parks was announced 100 park supporters testified during a June 2 Budget Conference Committee hearing; 60,000 people contacted their legislators opposing the closure of state parks; 156,000 letters from park supporters have been written and sent to Sacramento; More than 31,000 signatures from Californians and other park supporters, as well as 2,400 postcards, were delivered to the Big 5 in Sacramento; Building up to, during, and after the SOS Weekend (June 20 and 21), an estimated 5,000 people visited 140 state parks (more than half of them!) and submitted over 1,000 photos and several great videos to CSPF’s Facebook page (now with 39,000 fans!) and our website.

Visit our website to view slideshows highlighting SOS Weekend images!

Knudsen and State Parks Launch "Pure Partnership For Our Parks"

From majestic redwood forests to sandy surfing beaches, we know that California has the largest and most diverse collection of state parks in the nation. Now Knudsen—California's favorite sour cream and cottage cheese—is partnering with California State Parks and CSPF to create the Knudsen Pure Partnership for Our Parks. For every Knudsen product sold June 14 through September 6 in California, Knudsen will donate a portion of the proceeds to the CSPF (up to $100,000). "Knudsen is purely California, made and sold here for 90 years," said Noel Talluto, Knudsen senior brand manager.  "We're thrilled to support one of California's purest treasures, its state parks."

Californians interested in lending their time and skills to a local state park can also find year-round family-friendly volunteer opportunities at Knudsen.com. Be sure to pick up some Knudsen at your local supermarket this summer, and help support this terrific partnership!