Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget cuts could close 223 of our California State Parks. Yes, more than 200 parks. That number is equal to about 80 percent of our state-owned parks.
Sonoma Coast - ©ingrid
Among these green spaces are the Bay Area parks listed below, and a separate list for the whole of California.
As Californians, we are inordinately privileged to have the freedom to roam in this vast network of parks each year. And because of my own immersion in these gorgeous spots — many of which are on the Governor’s list — I’m also painfully aware of what these closures would constitute.
This action is simply unfathomable and heartbreaking. Anyone we’ve met on the trails since the news broke has been appalled but, sadly, not surprised by the short-sightedness of these budgetary threats. The proposal is downright ludicrous when you consider that parks actually make money — and that they draw huge visitor revenue, not just to the parks but also to the surrounding communities.
Whether it’s political cynicism and ploy on the part of our Governor, or genuine intent — it is my hope that these cuts are simply unacceptable to the people of California. Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation claims in a San Francisco Chronicle article that the “savings derived from cutting the parks out of the budget would amount to 0.26 percent of the $24.3 billion budget gap.” The cost is obviously far too grand for the comparably paltry pay-off.
- California Parks “hit list”: http://bit.ly/i8ou7
- Bay Area Parks “hit list”:http://bit.ly/muLFn
Check the California State Parks Foundation pages below for more information, to donate funds toward the cause, and for a petition which will be automatically sent to your legislators and to Governor Schwarzenegger.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s Contact Information:
- Email: http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email
- Mailing Address & Telephone:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160
Pigeon Point - ©ingrid
My personal missive to Governor Schwarzenegger:
May 29, 2009
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” – John Muir
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
That particular John Muir quote speaks to the profound connection my husband and I feel with our state land and our stunning, vast system of parks. Even though some of Muir’s beloved trees and rivers may seem remote to our urban-bound lives, I believe we are hitched to our natural resources in such a way that a devastating blow to our land is also a deep cut to us as Californians.
The two of us have visited a majority of California State Parks in the years we’ve lived in this beautiful state. As residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, not only do we frequent our local parks on a weekly basis for hikes and nature photography, we also volunteer at a wildlife hospital. So, consistently, we see the dramatic effects human activity has on our environment and on the other species who inhabit and share this land. As open space gives way to development, our parks become the last vestiges of sustainable nature and existence.
I urge you to reconsider the cuts you’re proposing for our state parks. As with national parks, our state parks are an integral part of our heritage and part of what makes California an example to the rest of the country and the world. I cannot relay to you the number of European travelers who’ve passed through our home and our region, who leave this place awed, emotionally moved and literally changed by virtue of setting foot in our enclaves of wilderness and wildlife. The value of our park lands transcends our own personal attachment, and extends into our state’s inherent value as a desirable destination and as a diverse home to many of the world’s plants and animals. On a purely pragmatic level, parks make money for the state. This proposal is simply counterintuitive.
On any given day when I hike through the wetlands or forested trails with my camera, I see hundreds of species — mammals, birds, trees, wildflowers. I meet a parent with his or her child, whose only viable escape from the urban grind is this swath of green space and forest in which they find connection not only with nature but with each other. I sit on hilltops at sunrise, comb beaches at sunset, and watch the cycles of life manifest in the branches and in the burrows. And I cannot fathom how among the many cuts that could be made to satisfy even a small portion of the California budget, these parks and lands could be of such little consequence to you and to your administration.
Consider spending time in the wild lands as many of us do — to fully grasp the repercussions these actions would have on our lives and our environment. In lieu of your own involvement, hear the testimonials from those of us who do live close to this land and for whom the wilderness and green space of California is the primary draw and benefit of life in this state. Without our parks, many of us literally cannot imagine how the quality of our existence would suffer. This is my home and part of that home is the expanse of nature to which so many of us belong. The parks are a part of us all, and we a part of our land. These wild spaces sustain much more life and bounty than could ever be quantified by a line item on a budget. And a shamefully small number, at that.
Point Reyes - ©ingrid
