Will California’s state parks really close?
If you are an outdoors person and read the news today … oh boy.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed state park closures and lifeguard reductions at state beaches to balance a proposed $141-billion spending budget for 2008-09 target some of the state’s most beloved and beautiful sites.
The plan targets 48 state parks and would reduce lifeguards at 16 state beaches (and close one, Manchester State Beach north of San Francisco), including many San Diego and Orange county beaches.
On the list for proposed closure are Montaña de Oro State Park in Morro Bay (above), Mount San Jacinto State Park, Salton Sea State Recreational Area, La Purisima Mission State Historic Park near Lompoc and — closer to home — Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park in Los Angeles.
Click here for a complete list of possible park closures and lifeguard reductions.
But does this mean absolutely no admittance to parks? Sheryl Watkins, information officer for the California State Parks, says there could be no access to some parks — no hiking, no camping, etc. — while other sites may have partial closures. “Some of those details are being worked out now,” said Watkins, who also couldn’t say which parks were targeted for full closure and which for partial.
And Watkins, who was juggling nonstop media requests all day, was careful to point out that these closures and staffing cutbacks are merely proposed.
In a statement, the California State Parks Foundation, which champions protection of the 278 state parks, ripped into the governor’s proposal, saying in part that “Californians who visit their parks will not tolerate this and will lead the fight to keep our state parks open.”
— Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
[Photo: Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times]
19 Comments on “Will California’s state parks really close?”
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January 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Thank goodness we will still be able to stay at those $500 a night hotels close to our favorite State Parks.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:01 am
Hummm, I wonder. Would there be funds for this and other things, if billions wasn’t spent on illegal’s health care, education, incarceration, plus giving them food stamps and welfare???
PC and do-gooders are ruining the State, which in turn, will spill over into the other states!
January 11th, 2008 at 9:04 am
What a slimy scare tactic. I just lost whatever small amount of respect I had for the governor.
January 11th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I don’t have a problem with paying a fee to enter the parks. This would be similar to the National Park Service. This would allow the parks to generate some revenue. But honestly, how much money does it take to run a mountain like San Jacinto? I do have an issue with the state denying public access to public land and would have no problems jumping the fences.
January 13th, 2008 at 3:07 am
It sometimes seems that we only sit up to pay attention to State budgets when specific things that are important to us are threatened. To effectively deny access to public lands is a drastic measure but to propose leaving public lands and facilities under maintained and to give existing staff inadequate support and funds to do their jobs well is something that has been going on for quite a while without much public outcry.
If keeping historical sites and wild lands open for all of us is important, we need to be vocal in declaring it a priority and be ready to engage in sensible exploration of other areas where budgets could be cut.
I have always felt happy to pay parking fees and other charges to use the fabulous California State Parks. I have enormous respect for the rangers and other employees of the parks I have met over many years with my family and with many students that I have taken to the parks. Let’s treasure this resource and support it. I also felt that the State parks are an enormous asset for the development of tourism from outside the state and from abroad if they were better promoted and the reservation system for camping was made a little clearer and easier to manage.
Joni Mitchell sang “don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone”. Let’s learn that lesson.
January 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
[...] RED ALERT! Governor Schwarzenegger’s new budget proposal seeks to close 48 California State Parks and reduce lifeguard staffing at every single California State Beach along the San Diego and Orange County coastlines! Some of the parks slated for closure include Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles, Montaña de Oro State Park near San Luis Obispo, Del Norte Redwoods State Park near Crescent City, Mt. San Jacinto State Park near Idyllwild, and Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, birthplace of modern California. To see the entire list of parks set to be closed and read the California State Parks Foundation statement on the emergency, click HERE. [...]
January 14th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
When they talk of “park closures”, do they mean temporarily until the budget crisis is over, or permanently? There is a huge difference.
January 15th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Try to keep us out!
January 15th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
The California State Parks Foundation has recently started a photography contest in conjunction with our online photography community, MyParkPhotos.com, to help promote California’s state parks and other public lands across this country. One of the reasons to display photography of public lands online is to help share with viewers what these properties have to offer everyone. Please visit the CSP Foundation’s site today and view and participate in their gallery of photos by park visitors. http://www.calparks.org/gallery.html
January 16th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Thank God for the Republican Party. They know how to take care of the budget. Look at the wonderful person we have in the White House and now we have a wonderful Gov. to join the ranks of wonderful leaders. Oh how wonderful it all is and how wonderful the republican party is.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:07 am
[...] A post at the Los Angeles Times travel blog has a few quotes from a state parks spokeswoman who mentions an intriguing detail that’s maddeningly incomplete: some parks will have full closures and others will be only partial, but the list isn’t final. Thanks a heap. A few more thoughtful comments ensue, such as: It sometimes seems that we only sit up to pay attention to State budgets when specific things that are important to us are threatened. To effectively deny access to public lands is a drastic measure but to propose leaving public lands and facilities under maintained and to give existing staff inadequate support and funds to do their jobs well is something that has been going on for quite a while without much public outcry. [...]
January 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
i work at one of the parks that is suppose to be closed..Plumas eureka state park..but at least all the illegal mexicans will contine to get health care while hard working americans will lose their jobs…and they say illegals don’t take are jobs!
January 16th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
We need more State Parks, not fewer.
Their benefits are myriad and far-reaching and offer everyone priceless opportunies to enjoy our precious natural treasure.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
i am a state employee with parks and rec. it seems are prioties are out of wack! One of the last and only true experiencial, historical, meaningful things true to the heart and soul are found within the are (california) state parks. i work in forestry managem ent with the parks. i could do the same work with a loggging company (example for twice the pay) but i choose to utilize my skills and knowledge with the state parks because we are involved in an orginization that is inviromentally concered and aware of or land. i take pride in my work regaurdless of the low pay and poor benefits. But i cant believe and worry about what is important and what really mattters in this world. we are headed in the wrong direction. what is more important than our environment, and history of this great state? wellfare? food stamps? criminals? illeagal aliens? dont sacrafice or history and beautiful state for things of lesser importance. yes the other is a big problem financially but dont sacrafice the pure and beautiful history of or state. thats redicuolous!!!!!
January 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Arnold needs to spend quality time with his family at these parks to see the incredible memories they hold for so many people and to see why that is. Does anybody know if/when there will be an actual vote on this, or if there are any outlets to voice our objection of this proposal?
January 21st, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Once again with the proposed park closures we Californians will forget our past and look forward to nothing! Thanks Arnold!
January 28th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Arnold’s flacid attempt at creating a budget depends upon approval by the State Legislature, which ain’t gonna happen in this lifetime. It’s letter-writing time, kids.
Many aspects of the proposed closures relate to other politics (trying to force through a toll road at San Onofre, pushing the Feds to buy Providence Mountain, trying to sell off San Simeon — and the art therein, etc. ad nauseum) And, generally, it’s Arnold throwing his steroid-enhanced weight around, again. Now that the public’s telling his “NO” on this, he’s claiming it was just a “wake-up call.” (Smarmy [deleted]. The last thing I need is more reasons to hate this guy.)
The best place to go to for up-to-date information is the California State Parks Foundation (calparks.org). Membership for first-times is only $25 a year, and includes a) a free subscription to Sunset Magazine — not too shabby, and b) information on how to participate in this year’s Park Advocacy Day (aka. the one that will smash every record in the books.)
Ironically enough, other support Foundations for specific areas are listed on the State Parks site (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=977).
April 5th, 2008 at 6:38 am
They need to charge more admission and at least be somewhat self funded. People who come here can afford it, including me. There should be outreach to the schools, scout groups, boys and girls clubs, the home schooling associations for excursions, either funded by parents who can afford it, or by grants from private foundations. The entertainment community and the Topanga and Malibu neighborhoods have a stake - here’s their chance to give back to the region that made them rich.
I love WRSHP. I will gladly pay for the privilege of keeping it open.
April 5th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Hurray Jeff and Surfer Joe!
Let me expand.
Was it considered to leave the land of these 48 parks open to public pretty much like open space preserves or national forests?
It would give American public a place of being independent adults as their ancestors were, rather than relying on constant supervision and authorities for making decisions for them. My family spends probably 10 days a year camping and is visiting state and other parks every weekend. We are all for having access to nature. But does it need to be supervised and controlled to the extent it is now in California State Parks?
The very first point in the methodology used by California DPR to select the parks for closure (http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/budget%20fact%20sheet%20w-graphics%20-%2001-14-08.pdf) states:
“First, can the unit be effectively closed to the public and will such closure result in
savings? (Not all units can be closed—Sonoma Coast State Park for example, has dozens of ungated entrances along Highway 1. And even units which can be closed
may have significant ongoing caretaking costs necessary to protect both the public and
the resources.)”
I appreciate the pain of eliminating dozens of positions in DPR. But I am affraid that the proposal of closing the parks to public access demonstrates a desire to make others hurt too and a dangerous control mentality of Big Brother.
This kind of mentality may be a major block preventing the DPR to come up with policies, which will both benefit the public and help to resolve the current financial crisis. For example, if there is an honor payment system at the entrance, the parks proposed for closure could continue bringing in revenue too.