I’m a native Californian and am very proud of my homeland. The natural beauty of our state is hard to beat. Soaring mountains, stretches of world-class beaches, ancient redwood and sequoia groves, serene deserts, rolling oak-covered hills, unique wildlife – California seems to have it all. With over 65 million visitors a year, our California State Parks provide access to much needed open space in an increasingly urbanized state.
This past spring I reported on the very real threat of State Park closures. But since then, I’ve come to realize that our parks are suffering from more than possible shutdowns. While traveling across the west this summer, I experienced first hand just how bad of shape our park system is in. And these problems can all point back to funding shortfalls. Here are some examples of neglect and deficiencies:
- User fees aren’t competitive. Camping in Redwood State Park (SP) costs $35 per night, while camping at neighboring Redwood National Park (NP) costs $0. Camping at Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park costs a mere $5 and includes use of hot-water showers.
- Lack of rangers is taking its toll. Redwood SP suffers from high levels of theft and vandalism while Redwood NP provides a safer experience, including secure parking and camping areas.
- Services can’t keep up with high use. Restrooms and porta potties in California State Parks are often filthy and lacking basic sanitary supplies – I can’t recall one park in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, or Wyoming that suffered from the same.
Between the high fees, lack of security, and subpar maintenance, California State Parks obviously have more to worry about than just keeping their gates open. Fortunately, lawmakers have an opportunity to help State Parks better serve the public.
Assembly Bill 42 (Huffman) would allow nonprofits to help the state with the operation, improvement, restoration, maintenance, or administration of a State Park.
California’s State Park system is the largest in the nation and includes 278 state parks covering over 1.5 million acres of land. In hard economic times like this, it is critical that creative opportunities for public/private partnerships be explored and encouraged in order to minimize the impacts to State Parks and, where possible, maintain public access to park resources. Nonprofit organizations can be important partners in meeting those objectives, and should be invited to assist the state with operating State Parks.
AB 42 will help maintain our State Parks. The bill has passed the Assembly and is now in the State Senate. Please ask your Senator to vote yes on AB 42.
