Cali Parks: Terminated
Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 7:08 PM by Lonely Planet
With California facing a $16 billion budget shortfall for 2008-2009, thanks in no small part to a cratering real estate market, Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar has mandated 10% across-the-board cuts to all state agencies.
Among the impacted? The California State Parks system, which will be forced to close or restict access to 48 state parks. Closures span the state and include such popular places as Tomales Bay State Park in the San Francisco Bay Area, Del Norte Redwoods State Park on the North Coast and Topanga State Park outside Los Angeles.
In total, 17% of California's state parks will be closed for the immediate future; 230 units will remain open. An additional 16 state beaches will see lifeguard reductions as well.
Hopefully, though, once Sacramento gets the budget in order, they'll be back.
-Jay Cooke, Commissioning Editor, USA East
Labels: The Americas
Join the Discussion:
1 Comments:
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 can feel 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.
Post a Comment
« Read more on the blog homepage