California State Park Access Pass
Providing Free Park Access for Californians Background
California's state park system is the largest system in the nation. More 1.5 million acres of land are managed for natural, cultural and historical resource values in the 278-unit park system. California's state park system hosts more than 77 million visitors annually and houses over 3,100 historic buildings and more than 14,000 individual and group campsites.
Current Situation
Given the popularity of the state park system, there is a constant challenge to successfully maintain and operate a system that provides world-class recreation and education opportunities and access to unique natural wonders of the state. Growth in the state’s population and need for recreation access, increasing demands to protect open spaces, and a burgeoning backlog of unattended deferred maintenance needs have all created immense pressure on a state park system that has an aging infrastructure. Necessary, critical funding for the regular maintenance and operation of the system as it exists today has been especially lacking. The Department of Parks and Recreation estimates it has an annual shortfall of ongoing maintenance of approximately $117 million. Foregoing such basic annual maintenance and upkeep has resulted in a more than $1.2 billion backlog of deferred maintenance. Over the last several years, funding support for the Department of Parks and Recreation has been significantly unpredictable. In FY 1990-91, per capita spending to support the state parks system was $4.16. In the FY 08-09 budget proposed by the Governor in January, per capita spending was down to $2.80.
|
|
|
