January 2012 Parklands E-Newsletter

We have had a few surprises even before we hit week two of the New Year. The governor last Thursday added insult to injury by including not only the expected second $11 million cut to state parks in his new state budget, but also new trigger cuts. These trigger cuts will go into effect if the voters don't pass his revenue package in November, thereby eliminating all the seasonal lifeguards and 20% of the park rangers. The elimination of seasonal lifeguards would essentially remove all the lifeguards from the state beaches of California. Perhaps the governor doesn't know these folks make 10,000 rescues a year? Clearly there needs to be an even bigger groundswell of opposition to this than we have ever experienced before. We are working hard shoulder to shoulder with you to make that happen.

This week we launched a tool to create greater awareness about the park closures, a suite of three public service announcements informing Californians about the impending park closures and encouraging them to take action to Defend What's Yours. More on this below.

Speaking of impending closures, we are beginning to hear that some park closures may happen before July 2012, based on the earlier relocation of parks staff. That will definitely make it even more challenging to get partners in place to help keep these parks open. An unpredictable and shortened timeline will make it harder to plan effectively. Please let us know if you see any early closures. We are tracking this information as closely as possible.

Amongst this bad news I do have some fun business planned this weekend. I am going to Nevada City to the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. This is an environmental activist film festival and I can't wait to see what that is like! The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is focusing on state parks this year, amongst all the other important causes. I am speaking on a panel with film maker David Vassar, who is just completing a two part film on California State Parks entitled California Forever, and Caryl Hart, the chairperson of the California State Parks and Recreation Commission. The panel will be moderated by Caleb Dardick, the executive director of the South Yuba River Citizens League and the sponsor of the Film Festival. The panel will be followed by screening of California Forever and a short from the team work on another parks film, The First 70. Look for more information (and perhaps some early reviews) soon about both these films!

I wish you the best New Year possible for you, your family and your friends. Thanks for all you do for state parks.

It's a very exciting week at CSPF as we launch our brand new Defend What's Yours campaign! This new public awareness effort aims to stop the closure of state parks by helping citizens to be aware, informed and engaged.

Visit our website to learn more about the Defend What's Yours campaign.

As part of the big launch, we unveiled a new series of television public service announcements (PSAs) that will soon air on television stations statewide.

To kick start Defend What's Yours, we are asking you to first watch the PSAs on calparks.org/defend, then get involved by following these simple steps:

Be a Defender
Sign the petition to Gov. Brown
Spread the word on Facebook or Twitter
... and more

Visit the Defend What's Yours page now to get started. Together we can spread this important message and build a movement to save our state parks.

Registration is now open for our 10th Annual Park Advocacy Day taking place on March 20! We hope you'll consider joining us so we can send a powerful message of support for California's 278 state parks.

Given all the challenges and closures facing our state parks, there has never been a more important time to make your voice heard. Participating in Park Advocacy Day is a fun and meaningful way to make a positive impact on the policies and legislative changes that affect parks. Over the past 9 years, park supporters from throughout California have traveled to the state Capitol to participate in Park Advocacy Day and lobby and influence policymakers as they make important decisions about California's state park system.

Park Advocacy Day Participants:

Urge policymakers to keep state parks open, protected and well-funded
Share their own experiences in state parks with legislators and their staff
Network with other participants from throughout California
Learn about legislation impacting state parks and more about the legislative process

To learn more about Park Advocacy Day or to register, please visit our website or call our Sacramento office at 916-442-2119.

Volunteers are needed at state parks on Saturday, April 14 for the 15th Annual CSPF Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

This year, in celebration of our 15th Annual Earth Day, CSPF is providing grants up to $15,000 (a combination of cash grants and in-kind donations) to parks, allowing for larger renovation and repair projects to be made that have been on maintenance backlog. California state parks need this annual cleanup, especially at a time when continued budget cuts significantly delay or eliminate environmental improvement and maintenance projects. Businesses and individuals of all ages are sought to actively participate with their communities and to help restore the beauty of California's treasured state parks.

Since its inception in 1998, CSPF's Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup program has resulted in 76,401 participants contributing more than 318,606 volunteer hours worth nearly $6.1 million in park maintenance and improvements. Additionally, more than $4 million has been raised for the Earth Day program. Major sponsors this year include PG&E and Southern California Edison.

Earth Day projects start on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. Visit our website for a complete list of volunteer sites and times. Individuals, groups or businesses interested in volunteering on Earth Day should register online or call 1-888-98-PARKS.

CSPF was honored to be invited to apply to the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing California's 22nd Annual Crystal Vision grant program several months ago. Each year the ECF invites select nonprofit organizations to apply for grants in specific program areas; for 2011, the ECF Board decided to focus on environmental education, and asked CSPF to participate.

With a lot of help from dedicated California State Parks staff, CSPF put together an exciting proposal. We decided to focus on the Parks Online Resources for Teachers & Students, or the PORTS program. PORTS is a videoconferencing program that represents a new frontier in K-12 education and state parks interpretation. The program was started in response to the ongoing budget challenges faced by California’s K-12 schools and the need to provide diverse urban students with greater access to California's state parks, real-world science, and environmental education opportunities.

We found a pressing need at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, where the existing PORTS program was being reduced by 50% due to budget cuts. The grant request was designed to not merely restore the full program at Anza-Borrego, but even better yet, to expand it to include Cuyamaca State Park. The 2011-12 PORTS Desert to Peaks Science Works Expansion Project ensured that Southern California students would continue to have the opportunity to participate in PORTS, while simultaneously launching one of the most innovative PORTS units to date, the 2011-12 Desert Rover expedition experience. Using a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with satellite and videoconferencing technology, the new mobile PORTS unit would give students the opportunity to interact with park scientists and to discover the practical application of science as they get a bird's eye view of real-life studies and experiments being conducted in unique desert parks such as Anza-Borrego and Cuyamaca.

ECF responded by granting our request in full! Their extremely generous grant was awarded to CSPF on December 1, 2011, at a ceremony held in Manhattan Beach. CSPF's Sara Feldman, vice president of programs, and Davida Hartman, vice president of development, were on-hand to gratefully accept with ECF Board Member Felie Beaty (pictured above left to right). We thank the generous Boeing employees and ECF of Boeing California for their support.

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

Jan 25, 9am-2pm, Candlestick Point SRA, San Francisco
This work day will include planting over 1000 seedlings in pots in the community garden for future planting in the new wetland area.

Jan 31, 9am-1:30pm, 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 would like to join the efforts of Park Champions, 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.

We're looking for a few farsighted people, and we're hoping that you're one of them.

If you believe that our state parks are worth preserving, we invite you to join the William Penn Mott, Jr. Legacy Society. Members are those who have planned a legacy gift to CSPF.

If you have already planned a legacy gift to CSPF, we want to include you in the Mott Society. If you have… designated a gift through your will or living trust, named CSPF as the beneficiary of any portion of your retirement plan assets, or arranged a gift that will provide income to you and/or another person for life... we would appreciate the opportunity to recognize your gift and thank you.

We show our heartfelt appreciation to Mott Society members with invitations to insider briefings, special events and tours, and, with your permission, recognition in CSPF's annual report.

To discuss planning the gift that works best for you, or if you have already arranged a legacy gift to the parks, contact Davida Hartman, vice president, development, at 415-262-4403 or Davida@calparks.org.

Congratulations to photo contestant Mike Shoys for winning the Photo of the Month for December (top)! Though his photo has a funny name, “Alien Spacecraft Landing in Willow Creek,” the beauty of the stars he captured is no joke. Click here to see a larger version of Mike’s photograph.

And a big congratulations to Benjamin Glatt for winning the Photo of the Year for 2011 (bottom)! His lovely image, “Sunset in Silence,” shot in China Camp State Park was a favorite among our judges for its play on perspective. Click here to see a larger version of Benjamin’s photograph.

If you would like to win a Lowepro backpack and CSPF membership like Mike and Benjamin did, join our free photo contest today and compete for the honor of the next Photo of the Month!

Angelic View

The top of Angel Island's Mount Livermore is a great spot to get a heavenly view fit for an angel. Hike the 2-mile (one-way) trail from Ayala Cove up to the peak. The trail is gradually graded and provides plenty of Bay-mazing scenery, including a rare five-bridge view. At the peak—788 feet—grab a picnic table near the festive mountain topper and stay awhile.

During winter weekends there are four round-trip ferries from Tiburon to Angel Island (complete schedule). A round-trip ticket is $13.50. Take the Sunset Trail to the top of Mount Livermore. (Find the Sunset Trail behind the picnic tables and up the fire road from Ayala Cove.) From the top, return to Ayala Cove via the North Ridge Trail to the Perimeter Road. No dogs.

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