California is in bad shape. The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was elected in a recall election in part to clean up the CA budget mess.
From the SJ Mercury News:
Nearly every state park in the Bay Area — from the towering redwoods at Big Basin to Angel Island, Mount Tamalpais to Mount Diablo and every state beach from Año Nuevo in San Mateo County to Big Sur — would close as part of budget cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In all, 220 of California's 279 state parks, about 80 percent, would be padlocked starting as soon as Labor Day, under details of a historic closing plan released Thursday night by the state parks department.
Bummer. Even worse, it looks like some closures may be permenant for the less popular state parks unless the economy turns around:
On Tuesday, as part of an effort to close the state's $24 billion deficit, Schwarzenegger unveiled a series of proposed cuts. They included a plan to eliminate $70 million in state general fund money to parks in the year that ends in June 2010 and $143 million of that funding by June 2011. The latter number represents 40 percent of the state park system's $387 million operating budget.
In effect, the plan would phase out all general fund support of parks, leaving them funded only by entry fees, camping fees, and various small taxes, such as a tax on fuel for off-road vehicles.
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The 59 that would remain open are parks that raise enough revenue to at least break even, such as Hearst Castle or Asilomar, a conference center in Pacific Grove, or places like San Luis Reservoir, Folsom and Oroville, which are supported by fees such as boating taxes.
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The proposal still must be approved by the state Legislature.
California does have more pressing needs due to the nasty budget situation, and in general the fees at state parks are a good deal. When times are tough, sacrifices must be made, and I wouldn't begrudge park closures in the near term. It looks like some post Labor Day family vacations will need to be re-planned this summer in CA. Here’s hoping the economy will improve soon so that some CA’s natural heritage will not be padlocked forever. It is possible that some closures may become permanent if general fund monies are not restored in the future.
One possible solution was mentioned:
Laird wrote a proposal to increase vehicle registration fees by $10 a year, which would have raised $260 million for state parks. All California residents would have been given free entry. Montana has a similar plan already in place. The idea passed the Assembly, but died when then-Senate President Don Perata killed it in an attempt to find compromise with Republican leaders on wider budget issues.
Laird said environmental groups could put the fee on the 2010 ballot.
"I think that's a very creative idea, and certainly worthy of discussion," Pavley said.
I'm not sure if a general vehicle registration fee would go over well in CA. Other more palatable solutions might include fee increases for actual park users.