As many of you CANPers have no doubt heard, The state of California is proposing to close a significant number of state parks in order to reduce the California state budget gap. The list includes such parks as Bodie SHP, Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, Columbia SHP, Calaveras Big Trees SP, Anza Borego SP and many, many others.
Here is a complete list of the CA State Parks that are on the proposed closure list.
See also, http://www.calparks.org/ "California State Parks Foundation" for actions you can take.
I know many of you have visited our state parks and made photographs or simply vacationed there. We need your help to prevent the closure of these natural and historic recreational resources!
This is a real disaster. Everyone of the parks that I visit on my workshops will be closed. What now?!! Not to mention that now without rangers there to at least patrol, who will stop the trespassers who want to vandalize? This is very screwed.
While it's terrible that these places are being 'closed', for the most part that just means you don't have to pay an entrance fee. In some cases you may have to walk a bit further than normal because of closed gates, but in no way do I see most of these closed parks actually preventing entry.
Of much bigger concern is Youssef's point on vandalizing, and if things get real ugly, Richard's point on actually selling the land.. though I seriously doubt that will happen.
One of the most pleasant times I had in the frontcountry of any park, was in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 1995 (IIRC) when the federal government shut down in the first major budget dispute between President Clinton and the Republican Congress. (Anybody else remember that?) Anyway, I spent a leisurely day wandering the trails and roads from the park lodge (Volcano House) to Thurston Lava Tube and the Devastated Area, through the rain forest and tree ferns and craters. I didn't see another soul in an area of the park which normally sees thousands daily. The quiet and solitude, which I'd normally have to go off the beaten track for, were blissful. However, had I been discovered, I could have been cited and fined at any time.
For the natural parks that most interest people here, Floris is right: closure will mean the visitor center and campgrounds are closed, and the gate across the parking lot or entrance road is shut; but nothing will be able to prevent "civil disobedient" foot traffic from entering into the parks. The main risk will be finding your car cited with an expensive ticket when you return.
That said, I for one would prefer legal entry into a patrolled and protected place, rather than a no-mans-land that might attract vandals, vagrants, and pot growers. And of course I'd prefer to return to my vehicle not having to wonder if I'll find an unpleasant citation waiting for me. Naturally, I've sent off my letters to my legislators and the governor.
Letters a re nice, but remember that CA is same as bankrupt since we refused to increase taxes/debt. This should not be a surprise: Schwartzy needs to do deep cuts to balance his budget. Reaganomics have driven the state into dependence with growth and when it dries out, suddenly there's no budget.
If he has to sell jails and free all prisoners, fire teachers etc, it makes sense he'd cut spending for parks and other discretionary spendings. All we can hope is that parks don't sell ,and at least be maintained by volunteers if all the rangers and forest services get the boot.
I just spent time in one of the parks that is soley run by just 2 volunteers an elderly couple. They said they get aid about once a week from employees of the state parks. Hopefully they can keep the parks and or sell them to any conservancy groups.
This is round two, thankfully they survived round one. I wouldn't put it past them for a round 3 after this second round is done.
They seem to be getting very aggressive with a longer list this time.
Some of these are just a parking lot and an iron ranger.
Wow so many spectacular parks all set to be closed. I was up at the Redwood parks this weekend near Crescent City, and most of them are slated to be closed. Strangely enough, I recently gave myself a project to spend one day a month photographing the same state park for 12 months at Grant SP. Grant is one of the few parks not on the list
FYI, Grant State Park is not on the list because there is no Grant State Park :-) Joseph D. Grant is a Santa Clara County Park.
Make no mistake, the state parks that would appeal to readers here -- the nature parks -- are ALL slated for closure. I don't know of a single nature/open-space/wilderness state park which is not on the list. The only state parks not on the list are reservoirs, offroad vehicle areas, and some museums / tourist attractions like the State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento, and Hearst Castle.
Discussion
10 repliesHere is a complete list of the CA State Parks that are on the proposed closure list.
http://www.calparks.org/takeaction/closurelist.html
See also, http://www.calparks.org/ "California State Parks Foundation" for actions you can take.
I know many of you have visited our state parks and made photographs or simply vacationed there. We need your help to prevent the closure of these natural and historic recreational resources!
Thanks to all!
-Preston
How does this work? can a resident send the petitions or does it have to be a citizen? maybe I can get my wife to send them out...
It is really sad, and from the closure map all I can think is... "are they going to leave any parks open????"
Of much bigger concern is Youssef's point on vandalizing, and if things get real ugly, Richard's point on actually selling the land.. though I seriously doubt that will happen.
For the natural parks that most interest people here, Floris is right: closure will mean the visitor center and campgrounds are closed, and the gate across the parking lot or entrance road is shut; but nothing will be able to prevent "civil disobedient" foot traffic from entering into the parks. The main risk will be finding your car cited with an expensive ticket when you return.
That said, I for one would prefer legal entry into a patrolled and protected place, rather than a no-mans-land that might attract vandals, vagrants, and pot growers. And of course I'd prefer to return to my vehicle not having to wonder if I'll find an unpleasant citation waiting for me. Naturally, I've sent off my letters to my legislators and the governor.
Letters a re nice, but remember that CA is same as bankrupt since we refused to increase taxes/debt. This should not be a surprise: Schwartzy needs to do deep cuts to balance his budget. Reaganomics have driven the state into dependence with growth and when it dries out, suddenly there's no budget.
If he has to sell jails and free all prisoners, fire teachers etc, it makes sense he'd cut spending for parks and other discretionary spendings. All we can hope is that parks don't sell ,and at least be maintained by volunteers if all the rangers and forest services get the boot.
The list is appalling though.
This is round two, thankfully they survived round one. I wouldn't put it past them for a round 3 after this second round is done.
They seem to be getting very aggressive with a longer list this time.
Some of these are just a parking lot and an iron ranger.
Make no mistake, the state parks that would appeal to readers here -- the nature parks -- are ALL slated for closure. I don't know of a single nature/open-space/wilderness state park which is not on the list. The only state parks not on the list are reservoirs, offroad vehicle areas, and some museums / tourist attractions like the State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento, and Hearst Castle.