Park Closings

[pcbueg]

Across the country, states with problems are closing parks. If these parks are closed we all lose and the likelihood of them reopening diminishes. Is the Airstream community interest, willing, and able to step forward to save a few from closure?

[eubank]

It would take a whole lot of money! Essentially, the problem is that when faced with budget shortfalls, states look to cuts, starting with least essential. Then it becomes very political. How do these governments define what is least essential? What is fluff in the budget? As you can imagine, answers vary over the political spectrum.

It is not the intent here to discuss politics, and I warn against it.

However, a good topic would be whether and how Airstreamers in particular and RVers in general might organize to support lobbying efforts to save state parks in particularly vulnerable states from drastic cuts.


Lynn

[fmr.capt.evi]

The short answer is: probably not.

[Airtandem]

In most states, the monies collected from the sale of hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor recreation ventures is "ear marked" for just that. Are our elected officials now robbing that as they have done Social Security?

[pcbueg]

This post was started as question. Not to place blame, we all know who is to be blamed!

Is the Airstream community interest, willing, and able to step forward to save a few parks from closure?

[pcbueg]

Originally Posted by eubank

It would take a whole lot of money! Essentially, the problem is that when faced with budget shortfalls, states look to cuts, starting with least essential. Then it becomes very political. How do these governments define what is least essential? What is fluff in the budget? As you can imagine, answers vary over the political spectrum.

It is not the intent here to discuss politics, and I warn against it.

However, a good topic would be whether and how Airstreamers in particular and RVers in general might organize to support lobbying efforts to save state parks in particularly vulnerable states from drastic cuts.


Lynn

In the very long term I would prefer the government out of the park business, the question is if the citizen express enough interest to step forward. Especially the special interest organization, Sierra Club, Duck Unlimited, NRA, WBCCI, Escapees, and others.

[azflycaster]

We had the same issue in Arizona with many of the State parks closing due to lack of funding from the state. The communities where the parks are located realized that the parks were bringing in revenue for them and provided funding to open the parks again.

[pcbueg]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

We had the same issue in Arizona with many of the State parks closing due to lack of funding from the state. The communities where the parks are located realized that the parks were bringing in revenue for them and provided funding to open the parks again.

Can you provide more details?

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by Rv-Voyager

Can you provide more details?

A reprieve for Picacho state park - The Explorer: Pima Pinal: explorer, news, picacho peak state park, eloy, arizona state park

Home Page

[eubank]

Yes, those parks that have associated communities have seen those communities step up, or at least consider it. AZ state parks like Homolovi Ruins State Park aren't as lucky: They have sparce communities in the area. Nonetheless, the state has managed to keep that one open (or, more accurately, re-opened).


Lynn

[Hueytownalss]

It is hard to talk about funding for State Parks or anything else funded by the government without being political. Everyone has their own special interest that they want funded. Its a never ending battle. I don't know if I have the answer, but ideas to allow ALL parks to be self sufficient would be a start. Everything can't be subsidized, and last.

[eubank]

I'm not sure self-suffience is an option that those who visit state parks would be willing to fund. For example, our most recent state park has cost well over twenty million in the last six or eight years, excluding the high on-going costs of maintenance and repair. Camping and visitors fees are not going fund that amount any time soon.

Lynn

Originally Posted by Hueytownalss

It is hard to talk about funding for State Parks or anything else funded by the government without being political. Everyone has their own special interest that they want funded. Its a never ending battle. I don't know if I have the answer, but ideas to allow ALL parks to be self sufficient would be a start. Everything can't be subsidized, and last.

[Hueytownalss]

You are right, eubank... "willing to fund". What is the public "willing to fund" through fees to keep the parks open?

I know nothing about the operational cost of any park. But it seems to me there are thousands of parks across the country that are "privately owned", and they stay open for years, and eveidently make a profit.

However, I think that where most of the state and federal parks are, (with their sights, i.e. Yellowstone, grand canyon, etc.) make things different, if nothing else by sheer scale. I do realize that the "park" may include the "sights" as well as the campgrounds.

Again I don't have the answer, unless we "start talking politics".
I could cut a few things the government spends money on and give it to the parks. Ha! Ha!

Either way, I am for the parks.

[eubank]

Yes, if you take the broad view, it takes the collective money power of millions (including those who do not visit) rather than the non-collective money power of the few (those who do visit) to handle the budgets of state parks. That's where governments, using the collective money power of millions, are in a position to handle this -- if and only if they want to. That's where the lobbying efforts of ordinary people come in handy.


Lynn

[azflycaster]

Supporting your state parks is one of the best ways to keep them open. When Arizona was closing parks, it looked at the revenue that was being generated.

The FCU Dead Horse Rally generates around $1K every year for Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, AZ which was not affected by any of the park closures.

[Hueytownalss]

As with anything, it takes effort. Any parks that we know know of in near danger?

[pcbueg]

The California State Parks System was directed to identify which parks would close based on attendance rates and historical significance. The department operates more than 270 state park units.

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

The department said service reductions will begin over the summer and closures will begin in September. All parks on the list are to be padlocked by July 1, 2012 under the current budget proposal. The cuts have not yet been signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, so a final list could grow or shrink based on the actions the legislature takes to close the budget deficit.



Parks officials said they tried to protect the most significant cultural and natural resources, while maintaining the parks that provided the most public access and state revenue. In addition, the department intends to seek partnership agreements with local governments and non-profits in attempt to keep some of the parks open. They said 92 percent of total park attendance will be retained and 94 percent of existing revenues even with the closures.

Besides the recently renovated Stanford Mansion and the Governor's Mansion state historic parks, both in downtown Sacramento, the list includes Brannan Island State Recreation Area in Sacramento County and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park and South Yuba River State Park in Nevada County.

Here's a complete list of the closures:
Anderson Marsh SHP
Annadel SP
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Austin Creek SRA
Bale Grist Mill SHP
Benbow Lake SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bothe-Napa Valley SP
Brannan Island SRA
California Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Castle Crags SP
Castle Rock SP
China Camp SP
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Fort Humboldt SHP
Fort Tejon SHP
Garrapata SP
George J. Hatfield SRA
Governor's Mansion SHP
Gray Whale Cove SB
Greenwood SB
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Hendy Woods SP
Henry W. Coe SP
Jack London SHP
Jug Handle SNR
Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
Limekiln SP
Los Encinos SHP
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SP
McConnell SRA
McGrath SB
Mono Lake Tufa SNR
Morro Strand SB
Moss Landing SB
Olompali SHP
Palomar Mountain SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Point Cabrillo Light Station
Portola Redwoods SP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Russian Gulch SP
Saddleback Butte SP
Salton Sea SRA
Samuel P. Taylor SP
San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
Shasta SHP
South Yuba River SP
Standish-Hickey SRA
Sugarloaf Ridge SP
Tomales Bay SP
Tule Elk SNR
Turlock Lake SRA
Twin Lakes SB
Weaverville Joss House SHP
Westport-Union Landing SB
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA
Zmudowski SB

Source: Sacramento Bee and others.

[SilverCottage]

I sure hope the government stays in the park business. Every privately owned campground we have stayed in has sites that are way too narrow, are overcrowded and usually in the poorest locations in an area.

We love to boondock if it means backing onto a stream (Smoky Mtns) or getting a great vista at sunrise (Shenandoah), or backing onto the ocean Cavendish (PEI). We have not found a private campground that comes close to providing this environment.

[mojo]

I'm afraid that the money required to fund, manage and run a state park is too excessive for the small portion of the public that uses it. The Bureau of Reclamation has just finished building Lake Nighthorse in Durango which is supposed to have boating, fishing, swimming, and a campground. However no one can afford to run it. Not the state, the county, the city or the Feds. So this big beautiful lake, just 3 miles from town, sits unused and fenced off to the public. Estimated budget to develop recreation is around $20,000,000. Any one want to step up?

[OB Bambi]

Re: California State Parks Closing.

Apparently, the latest is that if the state parks get federal funding, the state can't close them all (70 of them) without forfeiting the federal funds. According to the San Jose Mercury, because of a clause in the Land and Water Conservation Fund that collects royalities from offshore oil drilling to buy parklands and wildlife refuges, the state can't close some of them. There are 16 that are affected. Now, California will spend 33 million dollars on lawyers to see if they can get around the clause. (that's my editorial). Coincidentally, 33 million dollars is how much it would cost to keep them all open.

Randy Bowman