|
|
|
Uploaded: Friday, May 29, 2009, 1:28 PM
Updated: Sunday, May 31, 2009, 5:56 PM
Mount Diablo on list of endangered state parks
Public hearing will be held this week in Sacramento
|
Photos
 
| Mount Diablo is on the list of 200 state parks to close in Gov. Schwarzenegger's budget-cutting proposal. Beginning June 1, the governor will cut the parks core funding in half and then eliminate all core funding in the next 12 months, according to the California State Parks Foundation.
The plan calls for eliminating state funding for 80 percent of the 279-unit state park system.
This proposal to cut $143 million from California state parks is 10 times worse than last year's proposal.
The California State Parks Foundation kicked off its Save Our State Parks campaign at this Web site.
"We need your help to take action TODAY and tell the Governor and your state legislators that gutting funding to state parks is unacceptable," it reads. "State park advocates need to make their voices heard RIGHT NOW. Your contact to your legislators is critical."
The Legislature's Budget Conference Committee will consider this proposal Tuesday, June 2.
Last year California State Parks Foundation members sent more than 55,000 citizen petitions to Sacramento and stopped the state from closing 48 parks, according to the foundation.
State parks receive less than 1/10th of 1 percent of the entire state budget, according to the foundation. Last year alone, there were more than 80 million visitors to state parks, according to the foundation.
Other endangered parks at Angel Island, Mount Tamalpais and Half Moon Bay. East Bay parks not included are Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area and Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve.
Public hearing planned to discuss possible closure of California parks
By Bay City News Service
A public hearing will be held this week in Sacramento regarding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to close more than 200 state parks, including several in the Bay Area.
The proposal, part of Schwarzenegger's May revision for the 2009-2010 budget announced Tuesday, would eliminate all $143.4 million of the state's general fund contributions to the state park system.
The parks would lose $70 million in the 2009-2010 budget, and the remaining $73.4 million in the 2010-2011 budget, according to the proposal.
Lawmakers will discuss and take public comments about the proposed cuts in a conference committee on the budget Tuesday in Sacramento.
The loss in funding would cause the closure of up to 223 state parks, or about 80 percent of all state parks in California, according to California State Parks spokesman Roy Stearns.
"Basically that eliminates salaries for people, and if you eliminate people and jobs, you eliminate the people that run the parks, so you must then close them because there's nobody there to operate them," Stearns said Thursday.
Henry W. Coe State Park near Morgan Hill, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco, Tomales Bay State Park and Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park were examples that Stearns said could be vulnerable if the Legislature decides to go through with the cuts.
The elimination of the money for state parks is only .62 percent of California's budget shortfall of $24.3 billion, according to Jerry Emory, spokesman of the California State Parks Foundation. He said the cuts could even end up adding to the deficit.
According to a study by California State Parks and UC Berkeley, every dollar that funds state parks returns $2.35 to the general fund through economic activities in the communities around the parks, as well as purchases made inside the parks.
Stearns said "that argument has been made in the past, but I don't know if that helps battle the argument against how to close the deficit."
Emory said Thursday that the governor also proposed state park cuts last year that were small compared to this year's proposal, yet those cuts were not adopted due to the negative response it received.
"The outcry was so loud, in large part due to our members and advocates, that the word from the governor's office afterward was that they were blown away by how strong Californians feel about their state parks," Emory said.
However, Lisa Page, a spokeswoman for the governor, said that the size of the deficit this year, as well as the rejection of last week's propositions in the state's special election, leaves no good options.
"The scope and severity of the recession has forced us to put =options on the table that would have been unthinkable just a few short months ago, and the governor understands how difficult these cuts are for Californians," Page said.
If parks are closed due to the proposed cuts, Stearns said a small crew will circulate among the various parks to provide minimal maintenance and security, but that visitor centers, restrooms and campsites would be closed.
All state parks will remain open through at least Labor Day to continue the revenue flow to the parks as well as to the local communities, according to Stearns.
— Dolores Fox Ciardelli Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
|
|
| Comments
|
Posted by Community courtesy, a resident of another community, on May 30, 2009 at 8:03 am Dear Dolores,
We have already answered this reality by suggesting our communities surrounding Mt. Diablo buy the state park before Arnold sells it!!
Hal, as a community courtesy
|
|
Posted by Alamo Resident, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Jun 1, 2009 at 8:38 am This is exactly what the Mexican Drug Cartels have been waiting for. With no law enforcement presence on the mountain, they will move in and plant hundreds of acres of marijuana crops using out of work illegal aliens who are now abundant throughout CoCo County. This will happen across the State Park system. And when the time comes to take the land back, it will be to late as it will involve gun battles, destroyed eco systems, and poisonous trash.
|
|
Posted by Uncle Charlie, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Jun 1, 2009 at 9:30 am Now there's a great idea! Legalize Pot, lease out park land for Hemp farming, employ those braceros, turn this negative to a positive! Yea, I am sure that the cartels are waiting with baited breath, machetes and AK47's to tromp through all that poison oak to grow Marijuana. Hundred's of acres in hemp on the devil's mountain, well, maybe in Marin, Mendocino and Arcata, but not likely on Mt. Diablo. You have to have water to grow Canabus and Mt. Diablo doesn't have that much draw on!
|
|
Posted by Uncle Charlie, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Jun 1, 2009 at 9:41 am I just went to the California State Parks Foundation's website and perused the list of parks designated for closure and Mt. Diablo is not listed as a candidate for closure on their site. Where is this information available for substantiation?
|
|
Posted by wee willy, a resident of another community, on Jun 1, 2009 at 12:51 pm so Schwarzarobot is trying to get to us by impressing upon us the reality of his overspending, eh? Rather than shut down unneeded programs in Sacramento, he'll choose the scare tactic by shutting down our precious public parks and campgrounds. Nice try Arnie, we'll just hop the fence and carry on.
|
|
Posted by Judy, a resident of the San Ramon neighborhood, on Jun 2, 2009 at 1:02 pm The parks are something that everyone can enjoy! During these difficult times it is wonderful to have these beautiful getaways from hectic city life that the whole family can enjoy. It seems like the money that can be saved isn't all that great but I do appreciate that we are in very dire straits financially. Perhaps there is a comprise here. 80% of our state parks being on the block seems unreasonable. Please give this more consideration. Thank you on behalf of all of those who love nature and all of its beauty.
|
|
Posted by dciardelli@DanvilleWeekly.com, editor of Danville Express, on Jun 2, 2009 at 3:10 pm Dear Uncle Charlie,
Here is where you can find the list of state parks on the closure list:
Web Link
Mount Diablo is indeed on the list.
|
|
Posted by alamogal, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Jun 3, 2009 at 5:46 pm Mount Diablo State Park if closed, will still be patrolled by rangers to enforce the closure. Just one of the reasons that closing the parks actually saves very little money. But if it is closed, it's highly unlikely that marijuana will be widely planted as rangers will still be on site.
|
|
|
| |
|
Send this story
Print this story
