California officials announce closure of 70 state parks

[The Straight Story]

California officials announce closure of 70 state parks

State parks officials today announced the closure of 70 parks because of the state budget deficit, including the governor's mansion and the Stanford mansion in Sacramento.

Gov. Jerry Brown's January budget plan proposed reducing the state parks budget by $22 million. The Legislature in March approved $11 million in cuts to state parks and $10 million in cuts to off highway vehicle parks in the next fiscal year, with $22 million in cuts to state parks in future years.

The California State Parks System was directed to identify which parks would close based on attendance rates and historical significance. The department operates more than 270 state park units covering more than 1.4 million acres.

"We regret closing any park," Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks, said in a statement. "But with the proposed budget reductions over the next two years, we can no longer afford to operate all parks within the system."

Here's a full list of the closures from the parks department:

Anderson Marsh SHP

Annadel SP

Antelope Valley Indian Museum

Austin Creek SRA

Bale Grist Mill SHP

Benbow Lake SRA

Benicia Capitol SHP

Benicia SRA

Bidwell Mansion SHP

Bothe-Napa Valley SP

Brannan Island SRA

California Mining & Mineral Museum

Candlestick Point SRA

Castle Crags SP

Castle Rock SP

China Camp SP

Colusa-Sacramento River SRA

Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP

Fort Humboldt SHP

Fort Tejon SHP

Garrapata SP

George J. Hatfield SRA

Governor's Mansion SHP

Gray Whale Cove SB

Greenwood SB

Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP

Hendy Woods SP

Henry W. Coe SP

Jack London SHP

Jug Handle SNR

Leland Stanford Mansion SHP

Limekiln SP

Los Encinos SHP

Malakoff Diggins SHP

Manchester SP

McConnell SRA

McGrath SB

Mono Lake Tufa SNR

Morro Strand SB

Moss Landing SB

Olompali SHP

Palomar Mountain SP

Petaluma Adobe SHP

Picacho SRA

Pio Pico SHP

Plumas-Eureka SP

Point Cabrillo Light Station

Portola Redwoods SP

Providence Mountains SRA

Railtown 1897 SHP

Russian Gulch SP

Saddleback Butte SP

Salton Sea SRA

Samuel P. Taylor SP

San Pasqual Battlefield SHP

Santa Cruz Mission SHP

Santa Susana Pass SHP

Shasta SHP

South Yuba River SP

Standish-Hickey SRA

Sugarloaf Ridge SP

Tomales Bay SP

Tule Elk SNR

Turlock Lake SRA

Twin Lakes SB

Weaverville Joss House SHP

Westport-Union Landing SB

William B. Ide Adobe SHP

Woodson Bridge SRA

Zmudowski SB

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/california-officials-70-state-parks.html

[FiveGoodMen]

1. But the rich keep getting richer. That's what matters.

[fascisthunter]

2. sad

[Hannah Bell]

3. soon to be sold to developers

[villager]

4. *that's* what we really have to watch out for...

"getting rid" of those "unused assets" because we "happen" to be in a "budget crisis..."

[abelenkpe]

5. What? Really?

That would be horrible!

[Hannah Bell]

7. i don't know, but i would expect moves in that direction. happening in chicago & elsewhere,

public property being sold off.

[slackmaster]

10. State law doesn't allow it, with a few exceptions for slant-drilling for oil and gas in some areas

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=prc&group=05001-06000&file=5001-5019.5

[Sirveri]

25. No, not really. Jerry won't allow it and already stopped what Ahnold tried to sell.

Brown will not allow the state to sell property for a one time gain to anyone for any reason, and he's right. But he will shut the system down to get the budget under control if that's what he thinks he needs to do. Thanks to the GOP we couldn't even bring a tax extension to a vote in the summer election. Arnold was trying to sell off state lands but Brown got to office before those sales completed and squashed it, so I trust him to continue that good tradition.

[slackmaster]

6. Standard scare tactic they've been using for decades when they can't agree on a budget

School kids will go hungry. Old people will die alone. Your community will burn to the ground. All the parks will be closed.

[Hannah Bell]

8. yeah, no worries. all is well, quit paying attention.

[slackmaster]

11. Most of the parks won't actually be closed. They may cut staff, but people will still be able to go.

Don't succumb to the fear.

Or go ahead and wallow in it, if that makes you feel better.

The attention we SHOULD be giving this situation IMO, is who to vote for in place of the recalcitrant incumbents who have been running the state for so long.

[Luminous Animal]

15. Where did you get this info?

"All parks on the list are to be padlocked by July 1, 2012 under the current budget proposal."

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/california-officials-70-state-parks.html#ixzz1MGaepYCX
'

[slackmaster]

24. This is the SAME SHIT they've pulled almost every year for a long, long time

They threaten to padlock state parks, then somehow a MIRACLE occurs and they figure out a budget.

[Luminous Animal]

27. Actually, many parks have reduced their seasons significantly. Armstrong Woods

campground which used to be year round, now doesn't open until June 1st. (It's an easy park to close, too. Just a one lane road going up to the top of the mountain.)

[Luminous Animal]

30. I found a better article and these closures are based on the budget already in effect.

Even more parks may close if the tax extensions don't pass.

"Laird made clear, however that even more parks could be closed in an effort to balance the state’s $15.2 billion deficit. He noted that the list is based on votes the state Legislature already took in March, which cut the parks budget by $11 million this year and $22 million next year.

The cuts list, he said, assumes that lawmakers will put tax extensions that the governor is seeking on the ballot, and that voters will approve them. If either of those assumptions doesn’t come to pass, the cuts will be larger."

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_18058387?source=rss

[slackmaster]

42. "...(State Parks Director Ruth) Coleman said she expects to retain about 92 percent of current...

...annual visitors and 94 percent of existing revenue. The parks system reports about 65 million visits a year and is a major component of the state’s tourism industry."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/13/palomar-san-pasqual-parks-axed-state/

Revenue? Yes, park facilities that charge fees for service (e.g. parking or overnight camping) are self-sustaining. Closing them would make no economic sense. The Golden Poppy annual pass costs $90 and covers day-use parking at any state park for a passenger car or motorcycle. That's revenue for the state.

From the same article, here's a tidbit regarding how Palomar Mountain State Park would be "closed":

...Exactly how officials will limit access to the property is unclear. The main road through the park would have to remain open because it provides access to a Christian conference center and a sixth-grade camp.

In many cases it's not possible to close parks in a way that prevents the public from having access to them. They can padlock bathrooms, reduce hours that visitor centers are open, lay off lifeguards, cut back on ranger patrols, they can even close parking lots, but they can't keep people off the beaches or out of the forests. Some facilities can be actually padlocked, but in most cases "closing" a park simply means cutting back on services.

The state park areas that I personally prefer to use are primitive camps and trail heads. There's simply no way to close them or reduce services in a meaningful way, as they have practically no services as it is.

[Hannah Bell]

36. According to the news, it's a done deal on July 2.

CHATSWORTH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As the summer vacation season approaches, some bad news from state officials: The Brown administration plans to close a quarter of all state parks because of California's budget crisis. The closures will impact everything from North Coast redwood groves to the Salton Sea.

Friday, officials revealed 70 of California's 278 state parks would be closed due to the state's current budget crisis. Services for the park system will be cut. The 70 parks will be closed as of July 1, 2012, according to Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=8130535

[slackmaster]

43. "Despite 70 closures, 94 percent of existing revenue will be preserved."

If closing parks is going to cut revenue by 6%, how can they justify that as a budget-cutting measure?

:crazy:

(I'll tell you why - Cutting parks is purely political.)

[Brother Buzz]

20. Maybe standard scare tactic two years ago, but....

unless there is a tectonic change in the economy, close to 25% of California state parks will be closing.

That's a fact.

[RT Atlanta]

9. Ignorant questions

from a non-CA person: is the state seeking any type of tax increase (even if just a penny tax on gas) to make up for the budget shortfall.

It's really sad to see state parks threatened as your state has some of the most gorgeous and diverse geography in the USA. The state's citizens need and deserve to have these parks open.

Are library's on the chopping block too?

[Codeine]

12. Hopefully extra apostrophes are on the chopping block. nt

[RebelOne]

16. Hopefully, libraries are not on the chopping block. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

31. Hopefully, commas are safe.

[Luminous Animal]

14. Unfortunately, our state requires 2/3rds vote to raise taxes. The Republicans have blocked

tax increases for decades.

There are many parks on that list that I have visited regularly. There are many parks on that list that families visit regularly for low cost vacations. It is really sad on so many levels that they are going to be closed.

[4_TN_TITANS]

18. The parks are about the only vacation / recreation people can

afford right now. Our parks in TN have been jam-packed the last several years, but they are somewhat sacred because of the Great Smokies.

[Sirveri]

29. It's not a tax increase, it's an extension of existing taxes.

That's basically all he's been asking for.

[Luminous Animal]

32. While that is true to the letter of the law... Jerry and the Dems want that 2/3rds

vote in the legislature anyway. Something about "political cover". The Dems are trying to get some Reps on board so that the tax extensions look like a bipartisan effort.

[Sirveri]

28. Brown wanted to put a tax extension on the ballot and the GOP blocked it.

That's basically what is going on here. The GOP wants to starve the beast, so Jerry is saying, all right, you want to see what that's like, here you go.

Canceled plans for a new death row, closing state parks, canceling the special January election, some other stuff. Basically if he can't get those tax extension votes onto the November ballot, the state is fucked, because then he's going to start hammering the school system. The only thing standing in his way are Grover Norquist style Republican assholes.

This isn't even for new taxes, it's to continue EXISTING taxes. Repukes of course say no, and do everything possible to sabotage it. Lets see how much their constituents like it when he starts to shut down their schools.

[cally]

34. The state Republicans are blocking any tax increase

and library's are taking a huge hit.

[lolly]

38. Not without a 2/3 vote

California has a "minority rule" system when it comes to taxes.

Legislators can't raise taxes without a 2/3 majority vote.

So, even though well over 1/2 the legislators will vote for it, and polls indicate over half the state is willing to support various tax increases, it won't happen as long as 1/3 +1 of the legislators oppose it.

[Luminous Animal]

13. Most of those parks are in Northern California. Many are near small towns that

depend on the revenue from park visitors and campers.

Thanks a lot, assholes.

[MineralMan]

17. I've been to a few of those parks.

Most are smaller ones and not used a lot or by many people.

The California Mineral & Mining Museum, for example, is a very nice place, but is very poorly attended and requires a large staff to operate. It's actually pretty convenient to go to, being not far from the North Entrance of Yosemite NP, but the time I went was on a Summer Sunday afternoon, and there may have been six people in the place. The staff on duty was at least twice that.

Parks that were not closed include Morro Bay SP, which is full year round and requires not that much staff, since it's just a campground. Same with Montana de Oro SP, which is a fairly primitive camping site that is also full most of the year. I believe there are just a couple of people on its staff, so it more than pays for itself.

One that is closed is Lime Kiln SP, where I camped once. Again, it's a very small, rather primitive campground and was about 80% empty on the summer weekend I camped there. It's very nice, and is on CA's Hwy 1 a bit south of Big Sur. It's just not a destination, despite having many trails, and a nice cove across the highway that offers some great fishing. Few staff, but few visitors, too. There's also a private campground adjacent to it, which does have lots of visitors, since it's more improved and offers amenities. It was full the time I camped at the SP.

Most of the popular SPs are still open.

[Codeine]

19. I was surprised to see McGrath Sb closed.

It's just a beachside (well, a few hundred yards from the water) campground next to a bird sanctuary. Fairly low-key.

[MineralMan]

22. I imagine you can still use the beach. Camping may be

out, though. I know the place.

[Luminous Animal]

23. Most of the proposed closures are in Northern California which has far less

population than Southern Cal. Many of the parks are near rural towns which are going to take a big hit.

I've been to more than half of those parks and it is a crying shame to close any on that list.

And, what are you talking about in re Lime Kiln? I've been there several times and it's a lot less "primitive" than many other campsites. It has both flush toilets and showers. There is no private campground adjacent to it that I can recall. There's a private campground about 5 miles south but it is no more fancy than Lime Kiln but, given that it accesses a beautiful stretch of beach, it is more popular.

[MineralMan]

41. Could be. It's been many years since I camped there.

[Hannah Bell]

37. yeah, no big deal, thanks for the apologetics.

[MineralMan]

40. No apologetics. Just information.

Sorry you misunderstood. Many on DU don't know the CA state parks, so I posted something about some of them

[madrchsod]

21. what is the percentage of savings?

22 million on a 22 billion debt

[liberal N proud]

26. They could always do what Ohio Governor proposes - Drill for OIL

Too bad they are closed for the summer, hope they will open again soon, there are so many cool state parks in California.

But here is what is going to happen to state parks in Ohio:

New bill proposal on drilling in state parks
COLUMBUS -- Ohio House Bill 133, Ohio Senate Bill 108 and Gov. John Kasich's proposed state operating budget propose to open state owned land, including state parks and wildlife areas, to oil and gas leasing.

Although the measures are trying to obtain the same thing, it is still uncertain which, if any, will be seen all the way through and what the final outcome will mean for Ohio's state park system.

HB 133 was introduced by Rep. John Adams, a Republican from Sidney, in March. Since then, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee has held several forums.

On Thursday, the committee plans to release substitute House Bill 133 that illustrates the changes that have been considered by lawmakers.

During recent hearings, the opponent testimony hearing began at 7 p.m. and did not conclude until 2:15 a.m. according to Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Dave Hall.

"I wanted to make sure everyone was heard and we had standing room only in the hallways and in the committee rooms," Hall said. "After all of those hearings, I decided the bill needed to be changed and I went to the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Adams, and we started reworking the bill."

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5032748

[cally]

33. The two state parks near me will be closed

Both are great places to ride my bike. I use them frequently and they are packed on weekends but the campgrounds are less used. I suspect bike riders and hikers will continue to use them and use the woods instead of restrooms. Both support endangered species. I hope the parks are not too damaged and that the plants and animals thrive. We have a problem here with mountain bikers creating their own paths. I suspect the problem will get worse.

I would prefer they close San Quentin and sell off the land there and keep the parks. That's extremely valuable bayside property.

[defendandprotect]

35. Love Jerry Brown -- but the rightwing has forced us into a downward spriral and . . .

and we can't figure a way out of it -- ???

Tax the rich and corporations!!

[NV Whino]

39. 2 of those parks are in the Napa Valley

And they get used a lot in the summer. We locals use them in the off season (when they are closed) as well.

[WillyT]

44. K & R !!!

:mad:

:kick: