Results tagged “stateparks”

It's really happening. After two years of threats to close state parks, groups, including the California State Parks Foundation, have gotten together to put their own measure on the ballot. "We're done trying to convince them," the Foundation said in a e-mail newsletter this morning referencing politicians. "We're taking our case to the people."

Yesterday, state park officials began announcing plans for budget-saving reductions that begin Sunday. Some parks, including ones in the L.A. area, would lose lifeguards and see fewer hours or days of operation. However, Angeles District Superintendent Ron Schafer is mum on the details of said cuts. "We're working on plans that might help us avoid service reductions all together," he said over the phone, noting details should come next week. Local parks will operate as normal until then and hopefully after.

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger saved state parks from closing, it didn't mean he saved them from service cuts. Today, state park officials announced how they would deal with a $14.2 million budget cut: Superintendents for each district (for example, many of L.A.'s nearby parks are in the Angeles District, beaches in the OC and Ventura County are in the Orange Coast and Channel Coast districts, respectively) had to share the sacrifice and find cuts on a park-by-park basis.

Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation, is calling bullshit on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement that state parks are saved. No details beyond the announcement have been released since last Friday, but Goldstein says read between the lines:

A surprise announcement from state officials came this afternoon in the form of no state park closures. Wow. A big improvement from the original proposal to close 80 percent of parks last Spring, which eventually was weeded down to 100 park closures in the summer. As state park officials worked on a closure list, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped in with renewed interest this week, offering assistance in the form of experts from the Department of Finance.

Among the many bills approved by the legislature and sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk for approval are two state parks bills. They have nothing to do with the possible closures and in fact, they were introduced long before any one would have thought that hundreds would be threatened during the budget process.

Good news comes today as Governor Arnold Schwarzegger's office announced that that plans to close state parks have changed. Fewer parks will close and plans to release a list of those parks has been dropped. Although the Governor's office is downplaying the shift in direction, the Mercury News juxtaposes it with this point:

Not only was the federal government concerned about the pending closure of state parks earlier this summer, but a memo obtained by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says there are a handful of more problems if closures happen. A list of those closures is is expected to be released sometime next week. The memo from state attorneys says the potential problems could cost the state money, including lawsuits from private companies involved in contracts with state parks and lawsuits from parkgoers trespassing into closed parks who get hurt, according to the Mercury News. Additionally, a Americans with Disabilities Act settlement from 1999 may be broken if parks close, prompting yet another lawsuit from disability groups. And lastly, closing state beaches may be in violation of the California Coastal Act.

It's about 18 square miles in size, has more than 60 entrances, contains 36 miles of trails and is surrounded by eight communities, but the last time any plan was set in motion about Topanga State Park was in 1977 (.pdf). This year, state officials are revisiting the parks' general plan, which in essence revisions the park's future development and programming.

A spokesman for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said today that the list of parks slated for closure will not be released this week as officials continue to work to save more money, therefore keeping more open, according to John Myers of KQED.

California State Park officials last week said the list of parks to close could be announced sometime this week. "Possibly by the end of the week, but nothing is for sure," said Sheryl Watson, a state parks spokesperson, over the phone today. Word on the street among parks activists concur, but some speculate next week will hold D-Day. And with state offices furloughed this Friday, it's anybody's guess.

On Tuesday, the State Assembly passed Senate Bill 679, meant to protect the state park system and ensure that lands used as state parks cannot be used for non-park purposes without providing substitute lands. "The least we can do is not dismantle the system," explained Traci Verardo-Torres with the California State Parks Foundation, a sponsor of the bill.

State Park officials said today that a closure list will not be released today and will likely come next week. "There is a list and it's being reviewed," explained Sheryl Watson, an Information Officer with California State Parks, over the phone. Amid a mass budget crunch this summer, the legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed the department's budget so much, that it will potentially close around 100 parks.

No one knows which state parks will close this week and that's a pretty scary reality if you're particularly fond of them. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's fat $39 million cut to parks earlier this summer meant that around 100 parks would close. Earlier this summer, state park officials said they needed time to tinker with the budget to see how many could be saved and how they could save even more by raising fees and partnering with local cities, nonprofits and businesses.

Although no closure list has been handed out, this is the last weekend before many State Parks are expected to close. Faced with nearly $39 million cuts to its budget, State Park officials wanted to hold off until the last minute, hoping cities, nonprofits and corporations would step up and partner to save state parks. For every park saved by one entity could mean the another park saved with the department's dwindling budget.

If an amazing lineup, a great cause, and a kissing booth weren’t enough incentive, the organizers of the FYF Fest announced late yesterday that they are running a special discount ticket offer. Up until 5pm today, tickets to the event are a mere $8! To quote the ad: “That’s insane!” To borrow a phrase from the full name of the festival: “Fuck Yeah!”

Dan Deacon, Dillinger Escape Plan and Torche have been added to the FYF Fest line-up, which benefits California State Parks this year. For the $20 that will will go towards helping keep state parks open in California, audiences can see over 20 bands including the Black Lips, No Age, Mika Miko, Crystal Antlers, Peanut Butter Wolf, Avi Buffalo and many more. "That is 60 cents a band!!!!" organizers exclaimed in an e-mail today. Check out the full line up here, a schedule will be announced next week. The festival, scheduled for September 5th, will also include a kissing booth, taco eating contest, dance offs, a record fair, face painting and a 'missed connections' center. "This will be the best day of summer and it's all for a good cause, to build awareness about the possible closure of our beautiful state parks," they say.

Now that officials have been forced to raise fees at state parks in order to save some of them, a thrifty blogger at the Orange County Register's OC Deals blog makes a good observation. Looking into beachfront family campsites with hookups at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Doheny and San Clemente is running $60 to $65. "I recently bought a new tent and cot to go back to nature, and save money on vacations by camping, instead of staying in hotels. But the world’s gone topsy-turvy, folks. You can rent a room this week in the fancy Wyndham hotel in New Orleans for $58 a night, but you can’t camp in a state campground on the beach for that! Incredible." Still, we rather camp.

To once again bring attention to the massive budget cuts of state parks, the California State Parks Foundation has declared the next two weekends to be those of advocacy. "The Save Our State Parks (SOS) Campaign is holding 'I ♥ State Parks' weekends of action from now through Labor Day to unite state parks supporters," the nonprofit announced. "Events will take place in many state parks throughout California and online. The 'I ♥ State Parks' weekends of action provide an opportunity for park advocates to come together, express support for California’s 279 state park system, and voice strong opposition to park closures." Over 100 parks could close next month. Two events are being held locally next week. One is the FYFest we spoke about yesterday and another will take place at the Baldwin Hills Overlook. You can also host your own event at a state park.

A Killer Music Festival: On Saturday, September 5th, FYF Fest will host a Save Our State Pars festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown. For $20 that will will go towards helping keep state parks open in California, audiences can see over 20 bands including the Black Lips, No Age, Mika Miko, Crystal Antlers, Peanut Butter Wolf, Avi Buffalo and many more. Check out the full line up here. Meet the Politician: State Senator Fran Pavley, Committee Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, will be hosting an informational meeting on the budget of state parks and mitigating closures. It's on Friday, August 28th from 9 to 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. Pavley represents portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

It used to be $7, then it was $10 and as of yesterday, parking at Malibu Creek State Park is $12. The same price adjustment can be found at Malibu Lagoon and Leo Carillo thanks to nearly $39 million in state budget cuts that are forcing state park officials to look at every avenue for revenue. Some parks are expected to close, though many could be saved through partnerships with communities and businesses.

No official list of state parks to close had been published yet, but at least five in the Los Angeles area face the real possibility of closing if partnerships are not formed to save them after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $39 million from the department's budget. Los Encinos in Encino, Santa Susana Pass in Chatsworth, Rio de Los Angeles in Chinatown, Point Dume in Malibu and Pio Pico in Whittier are all being considered for closure, the LA Times finds.

In order to keep some--not all--state parks open, California State Parks will be increasing fees beginning next Monday. The move comes after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed nearly $39 million from parks last month in the state budget. Officials say that it is likely some parks will close, but are seeking to partner with communities and corporations to keep some open.

California State Parks director Ruth Coleman said that the agency faces a total of about $39 million in cuts after the new budget, which directly states a $14.2 million cut, was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today. Additionally, $2.4 million was siphoned from a cigarette tax fund because less people are smoking. Furloughs and salary cuts round out the large number (Note: a full budget fact sheet is embedded below).

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally signed California's budget today, making additional cuts to fill a $1.1 billion gap left by legislators in their approved package. An additional $6.2 million was cut from state parks after an $8 million cut was proposed last week. That makes a total of $14.2 million, a number the Schwarzenegger's office predicts "will result in the closure of probably more than 100 parks."

California's budget has passed both houses and now awaits Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature. Until then, nothing is set in stone and parks and open space advocates await the final verdict on state parks. As it stands now, $8 million will be sliced off for this year, which could translates to the closure of 30 to 50 parks. Schwarzenegger's original proposal included a two-year cut that would close 80% of parks.

The deal to solve our state budget deficit has basically come to a conclusion, but it's not final yet and we still don't know what parks will close with at least $8 still million proposed to be cut. The California Parks Foundation, in an e-mail this afternoon, explains the latest: "The details are not yet in print, but several sources are confirming that $70 million of the park system's General Fund allocation will be eliminated, with $62 million backfilled by other funding sources on what appears to be a one-time basis. This leaves the state park system with an $8 million gap, and is expected to result in park closures. At this time, there is not a list of certain closures, we do not know how many or which parks may be closed as a result of the budget deal. Considering where we started just 8 weeks ago, this outcome is better for state parks than most people could have imagined. We are not finished - the Legislature still needs to approve the budget deal by the end of the week and more details need to come out regarding the parks that will close - but the fact that we're looking at a much more scaled-down version of park cuts than we started with is welcome news."

A budget deal was agreed on last night between top legislators and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Part of that deal was cutting $8 million from the state parks system, saving the majority of parks from the original proposal to cut around $70 million forcing the closure of 80% of them.

The behind doors budget deficit talks have been quite hush-hush leaving a big question mark on the latest for the survival of California's state parks. "There's not a lot of information coming out now about the parks issue," said Traci Verardo-Torres of the California State Parks Foundation who said environmental issues are rumored to be the subject of discussions today in the private budget meetings. What Verado-Torres does know is that 60,000 people have sent 128,000 letters to the Governor and legislators through their online advocacy system. Word on the street is that an additional 12,000 letters have been sent via other organizations to the Governor's office, too. Also, around 41,000 people have signed a the foundation's petition to keep the parks open. Since 80% of state parks were threatened to be closed, the foundation's Facebook page has ballooned from only a few hundred to over 40,000 fans.

The National Park Service does not want to take control of state parks, but will take six of them, including the nearby Point Mugu State Park, if Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal to close 80%, or 220, of them goes through under a Federal land transfer agreement. If parks do close, they will stay open through at least labor day. "It's important to note that nobody is proposing to close these parks permanently. This is a temporary suspension until budget times are better," a State Parks spokesman told the LA Times. "We have no intention of giving them away or selling them. There's an interest in finding a way to preserve and protect them. It could be temporary federal control. We would hope they can come back to state parks." A proposal to pay for state parks via an annual $15 fee on vehicle registrations will be vetoed by Schwarzenegger if it hits his desk. Last month, LAist exposed a letter--currently making the media rounds--from the National Park Service to the Governor alerting him to the legal consequences.