California State Parks Announces Closures

On Friday the 13th California State Parks annouced a plan to close up to 70 of its 278 parks due to budget cuts. The closures are necessary, the agency says, to achieve an $11 million reduction in the next fiscal year 2011/12, and $22 million in the following fiscal year 2012/13.

“We regret closing any park,” said Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks, said in a prepared statement, “but with the proposed budget reductions over the next two years, we can no longer afford to operate all parks within the system.”

“These cuts are unfortunate, but the state’s current budget crisis demands that tough decisions be made,” said Resources Secretary John Laird. “Hopefully, Republicans in the legislature will agree to allow California voters to decide whether we extend currently existing taxes or make deeper cuts to our parks.”

State Parks explained that the department had three primary goals for developing its closure methodology: (1) protect the most significant natural and cultural resources, (2) maintain public access and revenue generation to the greatest extent possible and (3) protect closed parks so that they remain attractive and usable for potential partners.

Despite the large number of parks identified for closure, at least 92% of today’s attendance will be retained, 94% of existing revenues will be preserved, and 208 parks will remain open, predicts the Department. State Parks believes the methodology developed preserves and protects parks critical to the mission, which provide for the diversity of experiences wanted by visitors across the state. For instance, State Parks has a variety of state historic parks, state beaches, state recreation areas, state nature reserves and state parks and most of the parks in all categories will remain open to serve the diverse preferences of park visitors.

“With this announcement, we can begin to seek additional partnership agreements to keep open as many parks as possible,” added Coleman.