Common-sense Measure Provides Needed Funding Strategies to Prevent Closures
SACRAMENTO - In
a strong showing of bipartisan strength, today members of the State
Assembly from both sides of the aisle stood together in support of major
legislation jointly authored by Democrats and Republicans that would
help rescue California state parks from financial paralysis and prevent
park closures.
AB
1589, the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, is jointly
authored by Assemblymembers Jared Huffman, Kevin Jeffries, Wesley
Chesbro, Roger Dickinson and Mike Gatto, and coauthored by
Assemblymembers Kristin Olsen, Diane Harkey and 10 other Democratic and
Republican members.
Authors
and coauthors from both parties gathered on the Capitol grounds for a
news conference, which also featured the great-great grandson of John
Muir, to promote the legislation and talk about the importance of state
parks to California.
“I’m
proud to be joined by my colleagues from both parties in this effort to
preserve our state parks,” said Huffman, D-San Rafael. “The bill we’re
supporting gives the state additional tools it needs to help keep state
parks open and provide for more sustainable management of parks in the
future.”
Building
on last year’s efforts, AB 1589 proposes both long and short-term
strategies for keeping open many of the state parks slated for closure
as a result of funding reductions to the Department of Parks and
Recreation.
“This
proposal is an important and logical next-step in creating a steady
funding source for California’s state parks that is less reliant on
unpredictable state revenue,” said Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore.
“Particularly in my own district, I’m proud that through community
support, we are on the verge of keeping Palomar Mountain State Park off
the closure list. With this bill, we’ll hopefully pave a path to keep
other parks across California open as well.”
AB
1589 calls on the Department of Parks & Recreation to develop a
prioritized action plan to increase revenues and collection of unpaid
user fees at state parks, while maintaining the character and values of
the state park system. It also creates a State Park Enterprise Fund and
states legislative intent regarding the need for a multi-disciplinary
independent assessment of ways to ensure long-term management and
sustainable funding options for state parks.
Additionally,
it includes provisions that authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles
to offer special fee-based state park license plates to support the park
system and allow taxpayers to redirect portions of their tax refunds to
the California State Parks Protection Fund in exchange for an annual
state park day-use access pass.
“The
recent park closures disproportionately impact rural California, and
nowhere is that more true than on the North Coast,” said Chesbro,
D-Arcata. “The economies of many of our small communities depend on
state parks and the millions of visitors they draw every year. We must
find a way to keep them open, safe and accessible. This legislation
creates lasting security for the California State Parks system and saves
the state money in the long-term.”
AB
1589 also revises the factors the Department of Parks and Recreation
considers when selecting state parks for future closure, requiring the
Department to publicly disclose its methodology and rationale when
evaluating them, and requires that park closures be considered only as a
last resort after other options, including public/private partnerships,
have been explored.
“I
am thrilled to see my colleagues in the Assembly engaging in bipartisan
problem-solving to preserve the state parks within my district and the
rest of the state,” said co-author Assemblymember Kristin Olsen,
R-Modesto. “We have already been able to take one park in my district
off the closure list, and we will continue fighting to prevent the
closure of the historic parks of Railtown 1897 State Park in Sonora and
the Mariposa Mining and Mineral Museum. Parks are vital to the economies
of the local communities they serve and closure would be a blow to
their already fragile state.”
Legislators
were joined at the press conference by Robert Hanna, a direct
descendant of renowned naturalist John Muir, who emphasized the cultural
and economic significance of California’s state parks.
“In
every great accomplishment you’ll find togetherness, and I’m proud to
stand in solidarity with California’s elected officials to fight for our
parks. I’ll forever continue my family’s commitment to protect these
treasures and will continue to fight the good fight,” said Hanna.
Since
the Department of Parks and Recreation’s closure list was announced in
May 2011, Hanna has worked successfully to remove state parks from the
list as well as traveled the state to help many cities and organizations
craft proposals to keep their local parks open.
Source Kristen Olsen, Assemblymember.