On September 25, 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to institute a two-year freeze on closing state parks and to dedicate funds to preserve parks in the short-term and spur innovation for long-term sustainability of the parks system.

Assembly Bill 1478 guarantees that parks will stay open for at least two more years – through June 2014. Assembly Bill 1589 requires California State Parks to develop a prioritized action plan, including new revenue generating opportunities by July 1, 2013. AB 1589 also created the State Parks Protection Fund and requires the Franchise Tax Board to revise state tax return forms to provide individuals the opportunity to purchase a State Park Annual Pass or make a tax deductible donation to support parks, via their tax return.

This news came in the wake of a scandal and after a one and one-half year battle to save the state’s beleaguered park system from closing parks permanently for the first time in the history of the park system.

On May 11, 2011, 70 parks were slated for closure due to state budget cuts by a department that saw no other way than to shutdown parks. Since then, lawmakers and park advocates worked to find short and long term funding and operating solutions to help keep the parks open.

In July 2012, California State Parks revealed a $54 million cache of funds that had not been reported to state auditors.

Up until the time of this news, I tracked efforts by nonprofits and other agencies to keep parks open through donations, volunteerism and other arrangements. You will find a list of those parks that gained signed agreements in the table below.

What will happen to these new park partnerships in the future? Will California find a long-term, sustainable funding solution for the state parks?

#	Park with Partnership	Signed Agreement	Image
44	Picacho State Recreation Area	Other - State Parks decided closing the park would put structures at risk.
43	Gray Whale Cove State Beach	D - San Mateo Coast Natural History Association Donor Agreement
42	China Camp State Park	ONP - Friends of China Camp now operate
41	Saddleback Butte State Park	D - Donor Agreement
40	Tule Elk State Natural Reserve	D – Bella Vista Water District
39	Fort Humboldt SHP	SR-Open with service reductions
38	Russian Gulch State Park	SR-Open with service reductions
37	Twin Lakes State Beach	SR-Open with service reductions
36	McConnell SRA	D-Local donor group
35	George J. Hatfield SRA	D-Local donor group
34	Austin Creek State Park	ONP–Stewards of Coast and Redwoods
33	Pio Pico State Historic Park	D — City of Whittier and Friends of Pio Pico
32	Annadel State Park	OG –Operating Agreement Sonoma Regional Parks
31	Portola Redwoods State Park	D - Donor Agreement with Save the Redwoods League, Portola and Castle Rock Foundation and Peninsula Open Space Trust
30	Turlock Lake SRA	C - Concession Agreement - American Land and Leisure sent notice of intent to award contract
29	Woodson Bridge SRA	C - Concession Agreement - American Land and Leisure sent notice of intent to award contract
28	Brannan Island SRA	C - Concession Agreement - American Land and Leisure sent notice of intent to award contract
27	Governor’s Mansion SHP	D - Donor Agreement
26	Limekiln State Park	C - Concession Agreement - Private park companies
25	Weaverville Joss House	D - Donor Agreement
24	Castle Rock State Park	D-Donor Agreement
23	Shasta State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement
22	Santa Susana State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement
21	Los Encinos State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement
20	Sugarloaf Ridge State Park	ONP - Team Sugarloaf
19	Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement with Sonoma Petaluma State Historic Park Association
18	Palomar Mountain State Park	D-Donor Agreement - Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park
17	Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park	OG – Humboldt County, with fund help from Save the Redwoods
16	Benicia Capitol State Historic Park	OG – Operating Agreement with government agency: City of Benicia and Benicia State Parks Association
15	Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park	OG - Operating Agreement with government agency: Napa Valley Regional Parks and Open Space District
14	Bothe-Napa Valley State Park	OG - Operating Agreement with government agency: Napa Valley Reg. Parks and Open Space District
13	Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park	D-Donor Agreement - Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
12	Jack London State Historic Park	ONP- Operating Agreement with a Nonprofit (AB 42): Nonprofit Valley of the Moon Interpretive Association to operate
11	Plumas-Eureka State Park	D-Plumas-Eureka Foundation donation agreement
10	Jug Handle State Natural Reserve	D- Olmsted donation and California State Parks Foundation matching funds
9	South Yuba River State Park	Other – County agreement on no parking signs
8	Tomales Bay State Park	U.S. National Park Service
7	Samuel P. Taylor State Park	U.S. National Park Service
6	Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve	C - Concession Agreement: Bodie Foundation to collect parking fees
5	McGrath State Beach	Other – Donation/grants to fix failing sewer line and support parks operations
4	Henry W. Coe State Park	D – Donation from Coe Preservation Fund for California State Parks to operate
3	Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park	U.S. National Park Service
2	Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area	OG – Operating Agreement with government agency: City of Colusa to operate
1	Antelope Valley Indian Museum	D - Donation: California State Parks continues to operate

Table Legend

• D-Donation
• OG-Operating Agreement with government agency
• ONP-Operating Agreement with a Nonprofit (authorized by new 2011 law AB42)
• C-Concession Agreement
• Other- Varies

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