California State Park Access Pass
Providing Free Park Access for Californians
The Solution
The State Park Access Program will provide a dedicated, stable funding source to help support the necessary maintenance and operations activities to keep our state parks maintained and available to the public. Californians will pay a $10 surcharge on their annual vehicle license fees, which will raise approximately $282 million annually.
Providing Californians Free Access to State Parks
As a benefit of paying the fee, Californians will receive free day-use access to California's state parks. Given that current day use fees are typically $6-$8 per day, this proposal creates significant benefits to Californians in exchange for their annual $10 support.
Creating General Fund Savings
This proposal recognizes the immediate need to help create savings in the state's General Fund. In the first three years of implementing the Park Access Program, the Department of Parks and Recreation will reduce its General Fund allocation and provide that savings for other state budget uses. In the first year of implementing the Park Access Program and collecting fee revenue, the savings to the General Fund will be $150 million. Savings in year two and three will be $100 million, and $50 million, respectively. After year four, the General Fund commitment to the state park system will be fully restored, as the goal of the program is to increase funding to address the needs of the state park system, not to supplant existing General Fund support to California's state parks.
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