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Some state parks to close

February 1, 2011

Plans are currently underway to close some California state parks due to budget problems. [San Francisco Chronicle]

California Natural Resources chief John Laird told reporters Monday night that a number of state parks are currently being considered for closure.

“An actual list will roll out in the next couple of weeks,” said Laird, who has been one of the biggest park advocates in the state during his time in the Assembly and after his term. Laird’s idea to add a surcharge on the vehicle license fee to fund state parks was turned down by voters in November.

Laird declined to indicate a specific number for how many parks will be closed, but he expects the closures to represent all areas of the state. The former state Assemblyman said he loves state parks, but that it was time to fix the budget.


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Be careful of trying to help by volunteering at the parks. I am very disappointed in the process of the volunteers within California State Parks.


My father a retired police office injured in the line of duty drove accross county to volunteer at Ventura River Group Camp. Since his RV broke down on the way, he called to make sure everything would be ok and to double check when he should arrive since he would miss his originally scheduled date. After rescheduling and showing up at the time Ranger Jill Bazemore requested, she told him he had the wrong day, and he was “stupid” additionally she then told him since he was so stupid he would be unable to perform his duties and was not needed. When I called her supervisor on my father’s behalf the supervising officer insinuated my father was a liar. Bottom line after incurring the costs to drive cross country to volunteer he’s on his way back to NJ.


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I didn’t vote for Brown BUT I say give the man a c hance. I like his thinking so far. He is being balanced in his approach of both taxes and cutting. He is RIGHT when he says, we are going to have to take some tough years ahead for a time if we are ever going to get out of this folks. Taxes won’t fix it by themselves, nor will cutting but combining a mix just might be the answer.


Second I am TIRED of hearing the worn out arguement that every time someone goes to cut a program they WHINE, “it is only $11 mil or $20 mil etc. HEY PEOPLE you are NOT going to find one program to cut (without eliminating all together, which then you will whine more) that is going to probably add up to even a $1 billion in a $13 billion dollar hole but if you cut $20 mil here, $11 mil. there etc.. pretty soon ALL these numbers start to add up. If WE the taxpayers of Califonria don’t get off this one note beat that it’s only this amount of money etc. I will GURANTEE you we will NEVER fix this budget. THAT’S A FACT!!!


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Locally, are we still being shaken upside down to find the final pennies for the purchase of Wild Cherry Canyon, so we can have a local state park that we can’t even open?


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Well put, slo, here comes another round of scare tactics aiming at the dust bunnies under the couch instead of the real problem. How is this going to balance the budget? Will we see more land being bought by the state in the name of new parks?

And as bob says, the parks and state owned properties have been falling apart for decades. They buy new ones yet can’t take care of the oldest ones thgey already own and have been their cash cows. And just sub contracting out to private management has not done it either.

As a long time state and federal parks user and payer of the ever increasing fees, it is long over due to cut admin and management first.


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The parks have been felling apart from over 20 years of deferred maintenance. There are over 20 state parks that have been created by land donations or grants that have never been opened and are closed to the public because of a lack of funding to open these parks to public use. Our state parks is our greatest asset and the most poorly treated by our elected officials.


State Parks needs a source of dedicated funding outside of the general fund. Some type of trust fund outside of the reach of politicians and their special interests and their practice of robbing one source of funding to pay for another unrelated and often unwanted use.


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>>”Some type of trust fund outside of the reach of politicians”


It’s so sad, but that is hilariously laughable. The politicians have stolen (oops, I mean “borrowed”) millions from state park trust fund monies over and over again. If we include the debt the state owes to US in the form of all the funds that have been robbed, then the deficit is even more billions.


We don’t need to close parks or libraries. These are relatively low cost niceties for all. The problem needs to be solved by cutting the long held strongholds–one’s that can’t be mentioned without a fight.


Laird, get yourself straight and don’t threaten us with this transparent hostility.


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Here come the FAKE threats from Sac trying to get us to believe that an $11 million park budget cut will close the $25 BILLION state budget gap. And all the parks will be closed unless you vote for higher taxes in June.


Really, are we going to fall for this? Really, did YOU vote for Laird???


And, Laird is the guy that Brown put IN CHARGE of the Resources Agency??


NO IN JUNE. ON EVERYTHING. Tell Laird to GO TO HELL for even vaguely inferring he is a “park advocate”! He’s a bitter backstabber over losing his proposition, and is now holding park closures over our heads? Why do we tolerate this type of corrupt thief?


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