It is with a certain melancholy joy that I tell you that the fate of California State Parks made the New York Times again the week. As usual the example that the State has set is sweeping the nation, this time in a bad way.
I am, of course, pleased that the nation's paper of record has noticed the wild roller coaster ride that we have been on here. The New York Times article in the May 30th edition was preceded by an editorial, prompted in part I am sure, by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the nation's state parks on their 11 Most Endangered List this year.
You can read the New York Times article here…
As some of you will remember, the National Trust listed California State Parks on their "11 Most List" two years ago at the beginning of what we now know was not just a budgetary blip but a practice run for this year's partial closure of 60 state parks and service reductions to another 90. So many other state park systems have encountered the same budgetary difficulties, or worse, that the National Trust decided that the whole system of state parks across the country is endangered.
Budget difficulties are obviously continuing here in California, leading to further uncertainty about state parks. The Legislature is currently holding budget hearings where they are making important decisions about the FY 2010-11 state budget, including how much funding to provide for state parks. These decisions will determine if the service reductions and closures currently in place will continue, or expand. We'll let you know as soon as possible.
I can only hope that in California we were first in and we will be first out. We await the Secretary of State's final verdict on our signatures for the California State Parks Initiative. We should know any day now. In the meantime, please go here to endorse the Initiative!
Also, the White House's exciting initiative for America's Great Outdoors is proceeding apace. Anyone can post ideas on their website for the future of the outdoors that we collectively are trying to protect at the local, state and federal levels. I hope to do some posting of my own. But, I want you to know about the opportunity sooner rather than later. I will follow soon with some thoughts of my own, but I look forward to reading yours when I get there!
Thanks as always for your support for California State Parks.
A big thanks to everyone who stood up this weekend, went to a state park, and sent us some photos! Check out some of the photos we received (including this one from Carpenteria State Beach where one young park advocate was trying to stand up for state parks). Keep the images coming during the next few weekends and throughout the summer. And, if you want to download one of our posters simply go here!
A number of planned gifts can provide immediate tax benefits to you while supporting CSPF. These gifts can be used to benefit state park programs and improvements, to establish endowments for long-term enhancement of our parks, or to help support the Foundation in its efforts to protect our priceless California State Parks.
Gifts of stocks, cash, or mutual funds can provide an income tax deduction and help you avoid capital gains taxes. Gifts of real estate can be used to fund all types of financial planning instruments to meet your long-term needs.
The Foundation will be happy to work with you to evaluate the financial planning tools that would be right for you.
Please visit our Planned Giving Web Site for more information or email Lee Scott Theisen or Michael Bankert. Thank you for your support!
Above: April's Photo of the Month by Mike Ryan, Salt Point State Park
Odwalla's Help Plant a Tree in a State Park
Helping the environment just got a little easier. You don't have to get down and dirty this summer to help plant trees in a California State Park (although, that’s fun also!). With the ease of a mouse click, the Odwalla Plant a Tree program allows you to donate a tree to our state park system with no cost to you! This is a nation-wide program, and as of this writing, California is third behind Texas and Pennsylvania. Check it out, and help us push the Golden State in to first place!
CSPF's New Park Champions Program
In an effort to support our state parks during this budget crisis, we've launched a new Park Champions Program in order to expand the concept of Earth Day on a year-round basis. We've started pilot programs in 10 state parks across the state (such as San Onofre State Beach, pictured here).
Each one of these parks will host quarterly work days so environmental improvement projects can be completed with the help of volunteers from corporate sponsors and nearby communities. Scheduling has already begun at many of these pilot sites and new partnerships with CSPF have been established as a result. Stay tuned for more coming soon, including new web pages on our website with detailed information, sign-up opportunities and more. If you are interested or have questions, please feel free to contact us: volunteers@calparks.org.
Above: Photo by Julianne Bradford.
Weekend Sherpa for Outdoor Enthusiasts
Weekend Sherpa is a short, free, weekly e-mail and website giving people insiders' recommendations on the greater San Francisco Bay Area's best outdoor pursuits and little-known adventures, many of which take place in our state parks! No matter where you live in the state, if you are planning a trip to the Bay Area, check out Weekend Sherpa's website and their impressive archive of articles and suggestions.
Congratulations to Carol P. Murdock for her stunning image of Torrey Pines State Reserve at sunrise (click here to see a larger version of her photograph). And, remember, anyone can join the contest—it is free, fun, and a great way to share your love of our state parks!
