A Word From Our President

As I write this column, high winds are blowing all over California. I woke to them here in the Bay Area and to news stories of hurricane-force winds in Southern California. As I watched the crowns of trees dance around on my commute to work, I couldn't help but to think what an apt metaphor that is for state parks this year.

It has been a windy year indeed. From the announcement of the state park closure list to the passage of the state budget with a disastrous cut to California State Parks' budget, everyone in the parks community has been on an unprecedented and uncertain journey to a future none of us want.

Yet there are also some positive signs out there. And though they may not amount to a silver lining, they are encouraging nonetheless. As you all know, AB 42 passed and was signed into law. Non profits all over the state are beginning to make proposals to California State Parks to take over management of some parks and keep them open.

Some of the more interesting and promising efforts are happening in Sonoma County with the formation of the new Sonoma Parks Alliance to keep the five Sonoma state parks from closing.

In addition, the National Park Service has stepped up with a one year commitment to help keep Samuel P. Taylor, Tomales Bay and Del Norte Coast Redwoods state parks open. And there are donors all over the state who have expressed interest in keeping parks open.

But the climb will be steep. Capacity to respond will be dependent on a lot of fast, steady learning and a willingness to deal with change. And that is a challenge to all of us, in the best of times. We are already bringing partners to the table to assist in these transitions. For instance, Paul Hastings LLP, a great law firm here in the San Francisco Bay Area, has agreed to represent all of the non profits in their negotiations with California State Parks to develop operating agreements for specific parks. As we speak, we are working to amass a group of needed resources for the whole parks community.

We have also been seeing some fantastic progress on other fronts, as well. The Fresnel lens at the Pigeon Point Light Station has been removed from the lighthouse and reconstructed in the Fog Signal Building for the public to view, marking the exciting beginning of our long-awaited restoration efforts there. And at Yosemite Slough in Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, the first phase of work reached an amazing milestone with the opening of seven restored acres to tidal action that will eventually be wetlands alongside the slough. Water flowed in just like it was supposed to! We couldn't be more thrilled. In both cases, we still have tens of millions of dollars to raise before we can complete all the phases of these projects; but the fact that they are rolling, and the results are showing, is just marvelous.

Like a tree in a heavy wind, we must be flexible to the changes around us or we will break. I am so grateful to all of you for supporting our work as we shift to face the wind. I wish you, your family and friends a wonderful holiday season!

Double Your Impact with a Matching Gift this Holiday Season

Responding to the extraordinary challenges facing the California state parks and the urgent need for increased funding, the Donner Foundation has given CSPF and our members a challenge: any gift you make on or before December 31, 2011 will be matched dollar by dollar up to $50,000. Therefore, your tax deductible year-end gift of $40 will automatically become $80, a $125 gift will increase to $250, $1,000 will become $2,000, and so on.

Please help us meet our challenge by donating by December 31!

For information on making a Californians Leadership Circle gift of $1,000 or more, please contact Davida Hartman, Vice President, Development at (415) 262-4403 or davida@calparks.org.

In addition, did you know that donating shares of stocks to CSPF can be a tax-wise way to support your parks? Stocks that have increased in value can be donated for the current fair market value regardless of what you paid for the stock and you may avoid capital gains tax. For more information, please contact Martha Henderson, Major Gifts Officer, at (415) 262-4404 or martha@calparks.org.

Save the Date for our 10th Annual Park Advocacy Day

Mark your calendars for our 10th Annual Park Advocacy Day on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 in Sacramento. During Park Advocacy Day, state park supporters from throughout California travel to Sacramento to lobby in support of California's magnificent state parks. Learn more about Park Advocacy Day online. Online registration will open later this month - watch for an email with more information.

Get set for CSPF '15 for 15' Earth Day event on April 14, 2012

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 14 for CSPF's 15th Annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Along with Edison International and other program sponsors, CSPF is celebrating this grand milestone by funding 15 parks throughout the state with grants up to $15,000 (in a combination of cash grants and in-kind donations). This will allow participating state parks staff and cooperating associations to complete in-depth environmental improvement projects or facility improvements at their park.

A few of the proposed projects include:

• Angel Island State Park: improving the Ayala Cove pier by adding new safety railings and picnic tables.
• Millerton Lake State Recreation Area: Renovating the Campfire Center by installing new benches, walkway lighting, and a drip-irrigation system.
• San Onofre State Beach: Improving the San Mateo Trail by building culverts and grading the trail, and replacing old interpretive signage.
• Malibu Creek State Park: Renovating the Visitor Center by painting, replanting native plants around it, and cleaning up fire debris from a nearby building.

Volunteers are needed; online volunteer sign-ups begin in March.  For more information about CSPF's Earth Day program, or if you would like to become a sponsor or donate in-kind items, please contact Marygrace Lopez, Program Manager, at (213) 542-2450 or by e-mail at marygrace@calparks.org.

Give the Gift of Your State Parks

This holiday season you can support state parks while giving thoughtful gifts to your loved ones by shopping in our secure online store. You'll find something for every member of your family, from shirts and vests to hiking and camping gear.

Plus, as a thank you to our members, we've extended our Thanksgiving sale. Get a 15% savings through December 16, the last day to order to guarantee delivery by Christmas! All you have to do is enter the code "THANKS" when you checkout to get 15% off your order.

Also, don't forget our other perfect gift; A gift certificate for membership with CSPF! Starting at only $25, you can give the gift that keeps giving all year round with passes to state parks, discounts on camping and much more. All of our membership levels can be purchased as a gift certificate here.

Closing Parks is Bad for Business

Last month CSPF launched a new business-oriented campaign to send a powerful message to Gov. Brown and the Legislature: 'Closing Parks is Bad for Business.' The goal of this campaign is to draw attention to the negative impacts that park closures will have on California's travel and tourism industry including hotels, locally-owned bed and breakfast establishments, restaurants, retail shops, tour operations and many more businesses that rely on parks for visitation and economic activity.

So far we have had hundreds of businesses participate by posting placards, displaying petitions and endorsing the campaign. But we need your help to do more!

Here's what you can do:

1. Endorse CSPF’s Save Our State Park Campaign. Many organizations and over 25,000 individuals have already endorsed the SOS Campaign. Freshpark LLC, Central Coast Outdoors, Range of Light, Sports Leisure Vacations and Way Out There Press are just a few of the businesses who endorsed the campaign last month.
2. Share with us how park closures will impact your community and help us identify local business leaders we can interview by emailing us at advocacy@calparks.org.
3. Help us distribute placards to businesses in your community. Placards can be posted at cash registers, store windows, or any other place where they will be seen by customers. To request some placards send us an email at advocacy@calparks.org.

You can learn more about CSPF's efforts to Save Our State Parks online.

Solid Progress for CSPF Capital Projects

Two of CSPF's biggest capital projects made huge progress over the last month.

Yosemite Slough Wetlands Restoration at Candlestick Point
After 10 years of dreaming, planning and rolling up our sleeves, the wetlands restoration of Yosemite Slough at Candlestick Point has come to fruition. Gone are the dilapidated buildings, rubble and industrial debris that were so much a part of the landscape for decades. Crews have been working hard on phase one of the project, which included the first breaching of tidal waters into the wetlands last week.

The $14.2 million project has been supported by the California Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, BCDC, the City of San Francisco, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9/ San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund/San Francisco Estuary Partnership, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the Barkley Fund, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation. We still have a long way to go but it is clear the site will be a REAL park soon.

Pigeon Point Light Station Restoration
The restoration of the Fresnel Lens at Pigeon Point Light Station is well under way. The crew, which includes nationally renowned lampists and restoration specialists, worked hard to remove the Fresnel lens piece by piece and reconstruct it in the Fog Signal Building. Now visitors can view the lens over the next year while the structure of the light station itself is fixed and reinforced. You can see the lens up close (and on the ground!) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Monday.

For fun, check out the time lapse video of the lens coming down, and the lens going back together!

Volunteer in a State Park Near You

CSPF's Park Champions Program has plenty of new volunteer opportunities available in December. Scan the projects from across the state and sign up for one near you. We need your help volunteers!

Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Montaña de Oro State Park, near Morro Bay
This work day will focus on trail and park maintenance work, including drain clearance, winterizing, and trail repair.

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Candlestick Point SRA, San Francisco
This work day will focus on improvements to the Plover Picnic Area.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Silver Strand State Beach, Coronado Island, near San Diego
For this work day volunteers will have the opportunity to map, or geotag, invasive ice plant with their smart phones, in addition to helping remove ice plant volunteers will be making more room for native plant and bird species.

Thursday, Dec. 15, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Los Angeles
This work day will focus on improvements in the stair area, including planting California native plants for erosion control.

If you are interested in joining us at a workday, please register online. By clicking on the date/time details, you will access an online registration page. Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with other details. Registration is important so we can accurately plan for the day. Volunteers are much needed and appreciated.

CSPF Photo Contest

Congratulations to photo contestant Benjamin Glatt for winning the Photo of the Month for November! His image “Sunset in Silence” shows a unique perspective in China Camp State Park. Click here to see a larger version of Benjamin's photograph.

Join our photo contest today and compete for the honor of the next Photo of the Month as well as great prizes like a Lowepro backpack and CSPF membership.

Travel Tips from Weekend Sherpa

Tour de Fall

Some landscapes just look better from the seat of a mountain bike. Here's a fulsome fall spin to get your gears turning. Time to ride!

Topanga State Park is home to miles of dirt trails in a spectacular setting, beckoning a fat-tire adventure. For the wheel deal with a panoramic vista that's sure to inspire a yee haw, steer toward the Eagle Rock Loop Trail, a 6-mile ride into the wild with an 850-foot elevation gain. The namesake highlight is a porous sandstone peak with 360-degree views over the Santa Monica Mountains. But you'll be riding high even before you reach this perch. Starting from the Trippet Ranch trailhead—more than 1,000 feet above sea level—the path quickly connects to the Eagle Springs fire road. Take in ridge-top views of Santa Ynez Canyon to the south and Temescal and Saddle peaks in the background almost the entire way. Turning up Eagle Rock fire road, the stones get bigger and the rolling gets tougher—as in, thigh burns. Inspired yet? This loop is also almost completely sun-exposed, so a crisp fall day and a dose of sunscreen are helpful in this test of mettle. At Eagle Rock, hop off your bike and wander the barren outcropping, exploring its gaps and archways while soaking in the soaring views, including the San Fernando Valley, Topanga Canyon, Santa Monica Bay, and a swatch of the Pacific. It's a speedy descent back to Trippet Ranch. Oh yeah, we'll say it: Fly like an eagle!

From Topanga Canyon Blvd., 4.6 miles inland from PCH and 7.7 miles south of the 101, turn east onto Entrada Rd. Drive up the hill for 1 mile, following signs for Topanga State Park. There is a $10 day-use fee to park at Trippet Ranch, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Bike a quarter-mile up the main trail until you reach a T at Eagle Springs fire road. Turn left and pedal 1.5 miles to Eagle Rock fire road. Turn left and climb 0.4-mile to Eagle Rock before continuing northeast toward Hub Junction. Turn right onto Eagle Springs fire road and return to the trailhead, passing Eagle Rock fire road after 1.5 miles. All junctions are well-marked. No dogs.

Bonus Tip for Members: Camping reservations opened today for June 2012. Don’t forget to get up to 10% off your camping reservation by booking your campsite through CSPF.