CSPF Launches 'Defend What's Yours' PSAs to Help Stop State Park Closures

Stunning videos inform Californians of park closures, encourage them to defend their parks

SAN FRANCISCO -- ‘California state parks belong to you, but not for long. Six months from now 25 percent of your parks will be closed unless you step up to defend them.’

The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) is taking this message to the public by launching a series of television public service announcements (PSAs) that will air statewide with the tagline Defend What’s Yours. The new public awareness effort aims to empower citizen action and mobilize grassroots support to save the nation’s biggest and best state park system.

Click the thumbnails to watch the videos and get embed codes

 

The ads will reach the public at a critical time as the state of California prepares to close one of every four state parks just six months from now. Moreover, Gov. Brown’s Fiscal Year 2012-13 state budget, released Jan. 5, also calls for potentially eliminating all seasonal lifeguards and 20 percent of ranger positions in state parks.  This is the first time such closures and reductions have occurred in California. As the largest nonprofit dedicated to state parks in California, CSPF is fighting to keep them open and available to the public. Through the Defend What’s Yours effort, CSPF has developed a full online campaign, including the launch of a new crowd-funded campaign with IndieGoGo.

The Defend What’s Yours PSAs were shot in three state parks on the closure list: Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, Hendy Woods State Park, and Garrapata State Park. The spots are the creative brainchild of the team at Nice Advertising and feature stunning cinematography from filmmaker Josh Murphy of Unparalleled Productions, both based in San Francisco. The Spanish version PSAs feature the recognized voice of David Cruz, former television anchor of KNBC-TV in Los Angeles and current syndicated news talk anchor of the David Cruz Show on Clear Channel Radio Network.  

“Park closures aren’t just a possibility, they’re a reality,” said CSPF President Elizabeth Goldstein. “The state has already closed some parks and is planning to close more. It has taken citizens over 100 years to build this world class system of parks, yet budget cuts are quickly eroding that legacy. The people of California must be informed about this crisis before it’s too late.”  

Defend What’s Yours is asking Californians to watch the videos and then get involved by visiting calparks.org/defend and following these simple steps:

•  Be a Defender 
• Spread the word 
• Volunteer in parks
• Join CSPF to support solutions to keep parks open

“These parks belong to each and every one of us and we need all Californians to take this fight on as their own,” said Goldstein.

More information about the Defend What’s Yours public awareness outreach movement can be found on CSPF’s website, calparks.org.

About State Park Closures
Years of budget reductions to California state parks have forced partial closures and severe service reductions across the 278-unit park system. Cuts enacted in the Fiscal Year 2011-12 state budget include an $11 million cut that was increased to a $22 million cut starting in Fiscal Year 2012-13 and will continue through future budget years. These cuts enacted by Gov. Brown and the Legislature are forcing the state to close 70 out of 278 California state parks by July 1, 2012, at the height of the summer season. Additionally, his 2012-13 state budget could eliminate all seasonal lifeguards and 20 percent of ranger positions in state parks, if Californians don’t pass the governor’s proposed revenue package slated for the November ballot. 

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