Responding to the state’s projected $42-billion budget shortfall, a group of park advocates gathered inside Woodland Hall at Temescal Gateway Park on Monday evening to discuss the future of state parks. Traci Verardo-Torres, the legislative and policy director for California State Parks Foundation (a nonprofit that supports state parks), provided the latest updates on the budget and the challenges ahead. The Topanga Canyon Docents and Temescal Canyon Association hosted the advocacy briefing to educate park supporters and give them an opportunity to become more involved, said Lucinda Mittleman, vice president of Topanga Canyon Docents. ‘I don’t feel our battle is over for securing funding for state parks,’ Mittleman said. Last year, Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park were among 48 parks that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had proposed closing because of the budget deficit. Local advocates collected approximately 17,000 signatures protesting the closure, and Schwarzenegger listened to his constituents. In the budget passed last week, legislators spared the Department of Parks and Recreation, which will receive $141 million from the general fund in 2008-09 and $145 million in 2009-10. The slight increase is to make handicap accessibility improvements and clean up a toxic site in the Sierra Foothills. Verardo-Torres said her foundation recognizes that state parks need a steady revenue stream and supported the State Parks Access Pass, which assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) introduced last fall. The concept is that every Californian who operates a non-commercial vehicle would be assessed a $10 surcharge on their vehicle license fee. This money would be used to maintain and operate state parks and provide residents with an access pass that would give those with a valid state license plate free entry into any park. The day-use fee of $6 to $10 would be abolished. The foundation conducted a poll in April and 74 percent of Californians supported the access pass, Verardo-Torres said. However, the proposal did not make it into the final budget. Additionally, in the budget passed last week, legislators decided to increase the vehicle license fee by a half percent to generate money for the general fund. The foundation is uncertain whether to continue pursuing the access pass, but plans to conduct another poll to determine if there is enough support. ‘We want to keep talking about it, and working on it,’ Verardo-Torres said. In December, legislators temporarily froze all bond-funded projects. This means that several projects in state parks came to a halt, including one in Topanga State Park to restore Trippet Ranch Nature Center. It took about five years to plan for the project, and work had just begun in November, said Lynne Haigh, president of the Topanga Canyon Docents. ‘California bonds are rated the lowest in the nation,’ Verardo-Torres said. ‘The state can’t sell bonds right now, so it can’t keep funding bond projects.’ At the beginning of February, state financial leaders instituted furloughs ‘ unpaid leave for government employees ‘ on the first and third Fridays of the month. The Department of Parks and Recreation has been exempted in order to keep parks open. Verardo-Torres encourages park supporters to become involved by participating in the 7th Annual Park Advocacy Day on March 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Sacramento. Advocates are invited to meet with policymakers throughout the day to discuss parks. Attendees will attend a press conference at the state capital and the foundation’s annual Legacy Awards reception at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts to honor legislators who have been committed to state parks. ‘It’s important for our legislators to see their constituents,’ Verardo-Torres said. Information: www.calparks.org.
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