Garrapata State Park, Rocky Ridge Trail - Flickr photo by sidstamm. This park does not have a potential partner to help keep it open.

In November 2010, 58 percent of California voters turned down Proposition 21, which would have raised $500 million a year through an $18 vehicle registration fee for California’s 279 state parks. With the failure of that proposition and the major budget cuts that ensued, the next chapter for California’s state park system looks bleak.

We are close to witnessing the closure of state parks for the first time in our state’s history due to a $22 million budget shortfall on July 1, 2012.

Since the announcement of park closures in May 2011, blogger Glenn Brank of NorCal Yak grew concerned for the loss of treasured access points for paddlers in places like China Camp State Park.

“Sad to say, but China Camp and its rich history are on a collision course with a future fixated on the bottom line. … It seems ludicrous to abandon a place with almost 150 years of history and so much to offer kayakers and other outdoors enthusiasts – especially when it’s so close to urban areas.”

NorCal Yak recently asked California State Parks for an update on the park closures. Following NorCal Yak’s lead, I contacted State Parks spokesperson Roy Stearns to check in.

How many parks have been saved? How many are likely to close?

As of May 11, 2012:

• 15 parks hold signed agreements to keep them open. These are short-term fixes, but at least these parks will not completely shut down. Visit my new park status page for the full picture.

• 20 parks are under negotiation with nonprofit partners or public agencies.

• 21 parks are accepting bids for concession agreements (including Castle Rock State Park and Portola Redwoods – two parks that are also on the “under negotiation list” and likely to receive a reprieve). The future for many of these is uncertain.

• 16 parks appear to be doomed for closure. They do not fall on any list, which means they are not in negotiations at the state level (but could be at the local level). Or partners have not stepped up.

State Parks staff visit park doomed for closure

One of the 16 doomed parks without any viable options at this point, William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park, recently received a visit by State Parks staff, reports the Daily News of Tehama County. This historic park lies along the Sacramento River in Red Bluff, about a two-hour drive north from Sacramento.

The visit involved evaluating costs and options to close the park including boarding up windows and putting up chain-link fences. The local nonprofit partner to Ide Adobe since 1979 has been scrambling to raise funds, but so far their grassroots fundraising has only yielded under $3,000. A parks department report estimates that Ide Adobe costs $127,110 per year to operate.

In the meantime, other remote parks in California’s northern reaches are already shutting down. According to the Times-Standard, the North Coast Redwoods District of California State Parks announced service reductions, particularly campground closures, to three state parks. Although the parks were initially scheduled for closure in July, the district can no longer afford to operate them. Residents near the parks are worried about the repercussions on local tourism – and the local economy.

Urgency bill, AB 1589, advances

One piece of good news emerged on Monday when an urgency bill to save state parks, Assembly Bill 1589, advanced in the legislature after gaining unanimous, bipartisan support from the Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) co-authored the legislation that proposes several creative funding opportunities to help prevent state parks from being closed.

The bill, also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, addresses short and long-term needs for California State Parks to achieve substantial budget savings without wide-scale park closures. The bill includes an option for taxpayers to designate all or a portion of their state income tax refund towards purchase of an annual state parks pass. This option has worked well in the state of Maine.

On Thursday at the annual conference of the Bay Area Open Space Council, Huffman said we have to move on from the failure of Proposition 21. In this “new normal” for the system, we need to work creatively.

“We can no longer count on public funding as the only source of funds for state parks.”

Blog series
This article is part of an ongoing series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.

Blog series
This article is part of an ongoing series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding. The removal of Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park from the closure list brings the total number of parks saved to 15 out of 70 parks slated to close by July 1, 2012.

Jackrabbit Cove, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

Today, Bay Nature published a story I wrote on Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, a park slated for closure and recently vandalized.

Despite being at the center of a multi-million dollar wetlands restoration project and one of the largest redevelopment efforts San Francisco has seen since the 1906 earthquake, California’s first urban state park is set to close July 1, 2012 due to state budget cuts.

A rare slice of nature for southeast San Francisco

Candlestick Point State Recreation Area hugs the shoreline of San Francisco Bay offering panoramic views and a slice of serenity in a San Francisco neighborhood that has suffered from environmental contamination and high unemployment.

“Candlestick is a community place where locals can get out in nature and find a safe haven,” said state parks superintendent Danita Rodriguez.

California’s first urban state park

In 1976 the state acquired the land here with a vision of bringing state park access and values to an urban community struggling with high unemployment and a lack of park space.

After a big cleanup, park officials held neighborhood meetings to create the park’s first general plan. The plan prioritized picnic areas, boating facilities, hiking and biking trails, a nature education center and other amenities. People strongly voiced the desire for landscaping the park with California natives.

Locals and nonprofits breathe life into a degraded landscape

Since the parks inception, nonprofits and citizen action groups have worked to help fix the park and offer experiences for youth. Neighbors rent a share of the park’s community garden, where growing vegetables is popular. The park maintains a waiting list for the $10-per-year plots.

Volunteers work in the native plant nursery at Candlestick Point for April 14 Earth Day Event. Photo courtesy of the California State Parks Foundation.

The California State Parks Foundation frequently organizes volunteer events to cleanup the park, improve the landscape and cultivate native plants. They partner with Bay Youth for the Environment, a program of Literacy for Environmental Justice, to operate a native plant nursery here to supply plants for restoration projects including a 34-acre wetlands restoration project at Yosemite Slough.

In the face of the park’s looming closure, Candlestick’s supervising ranger Ann Meneguzzi was impressed by the show of support for the park at a recent Earth Day cleanup event on April 14. “We had a wonderful turnout. Over 160 volunteers came out,” said Meneguzzi. Volunteers worked in the native plant nursery, fixed trails, removed graffiti and pruned trees.

Vandals break into community garden and destroy native plants

The park’s planned closure and recent vandalism are major setbacks for the community.

As reported in a San Francisco Chronicle blog, this past weekend, vandals broke into the garden and damaged thousands of native plants. The damage wiped out much of the work of volunteers who participated in the April 14 Earth Day event.

Barren park lands

Like many other parts of the San Francisco Bay shoreline, the land here is fill and suffered from years of neglect and dumping. The northern section of the park’s 151 acres has not reached its potential as a natural area and recreational destination. Some of those areas are covered in non-native vegetation and vast expanses of weedy asphalt that have served as overflow parking for the adjacent Candlestick Park, a stadium scheduled to be demolished.

Undeveloped parklands in Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. Near the park's border, the tan and green Alice Griffith public housing complex will be rebuilt as part of a major neighborhood redevelopment.

Steve Musillami, Planning Division Chief for California State Parks, is overseeing the creation of a new general plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report for Candlestick in response to the planned construction project that will rise up alongside the park as part of the $8 billion Candlestick Point/Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Redevelopment.

The controversial construction project will dramatically alter the neighborhood surrounding the park, replacing the existing Candlestick Park stadium, vacant lands and deteriorating Alice Griffith public housing complex with thousands of new homes, retail, entertainment venues, plazas and play areas. Planners expect full build-out by 2020.

If everything goes as planned, this project will bring future resources for the park. But those funds are not expected to arrive soon enough to spare the park from state budget cuts. Read more about the promise of funds at BayNature.org.

The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond our reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the only home we shall ever know; the only paradise we ever need – if we only had the eyes to see. – Edward Abbey

Bobcat on ridge above Olema Valley, Golden Gate National Parks

Elephant seal with her pups on beach in Año Nuevo State Park

Great egret, Bothin Marsh Open Space Preserve

In September 2011, California State Parks honored volunteers from Valley of the Moon Natural History Association in the old winery ruins of Jack London State Historic Park

Today, California State Parks approved the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association’s bid to run Jack London State Historic Park near Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. Congratulations to Greg Hayes, Elisa Stancil and their colleagues for working hard to keep this treasure alive.

The ultimate word is I LIKE … The thing I like most of all is personal achievement … The more difficult the feat, the greater the satisfaction of its accomplishment. ~ Jack London

The agreement today represents the first one made possible by Assembly Bill 42, authored by Assembly Member Jared Huffman. The law authorizes California State Parks to enter into operating agreements directly with up to 20 nonprofits to save parks from closure.

Nonprofits and other entities have rescued at least 14 parks around the state that were slated for closure by the California Department of Parks and Recreation by July 1, 2012. Before today, all of the other deals involved one of the following arrangements:

• Public agency takeover (Examples: National Park Service and Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District).

• Nonprofit “donor agreements” to keep state park staff in place (Examples: Jug Handle, Plumas-Eureka and Henry Coe).

• Nonprofit concessionaire agreements to gather parking revenues to keep state park staff in place (Examples: Mono Lake and South Yuba).

The Valley of the Moon Natural History Association is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit founded in 1977. Since then, a group of ardent volunteers have supported educational and interpretive programs for three Valley of the Moon (Sonoma Valley) state parks including: Jack London State Historic Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Annadel State Park.

According to the California State Parks press release, the agreement and proposed operating plan covers a five-year period with a one-year extension. It calls for the park to be open at least 36 hours per week with the Association responsible for daily maintenance, visitor services, volunteer staffing, protection of natural and historic resources and interpretation.

The association will begin operating the park on May 1st. You can make a donation here.

Previous posts on Jack London park:

• Can nonprofit save Jack London’s legacy as historic park faces closure?
• Wake up call: California park that immortalizes world-famous legend needs philanthropic lifeline

View from Jack London's cottage

In addition to grants, the State Parks Foundation is also offering technical assistance to nonprofits such as legal support for negotiating an operating agreement with the parks department and guidance on fundraising, operating plans and budgets. Supporting this effort is Randy Widera, a nonprofit consultant who for 12 years served as the executive director and director of operations for Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, a nonprofit state parks cooperating association.

About the California State Parks Foundation

The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) was founded in 1969 by William Penn Mott, Jr., former director of both California’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service. CSPF is the only statewide independent nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California’s state parks. Since 1969, CSPF has raised more than $186 million to benefit state parks. Today they have 130,000 members. The foundation publishes a blog, e-newsletters and actively posts updates on the state parks crisis on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Bay Nature Special Coverage Continues

The generous support of CSPF and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation to help our state parks extends further. Along with Save the Redwoods League, they are providing funding for Bay Nature magazine’s coverage of the state parks crisis. Be sure to pick up a copy of the April issue at your local newsstand or bookstore. Joan Hamilton, formerly chief editor at High Country News, Climbing and Sierra magazines, roamed the state to write a special section titled “The Parks and The People: Keeping State Parks Alive.”

Ritchey Creek in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Photo by passerine, Create Commons license

In the heart of northern California’s wine country, two Napa Valley state parks faced permanent closure until recently when California State Parks officials signed an agreement to transfer park operations to local groups.

After months of negotiations, on Sunday, April 1, park management of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park swung over to the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District and the nonprofit Napa Valley State Parks Association.

The two groups, one a county government agency and the other a longtime nonprofit partner of the parks, have been negotiating with the state since last year when the two parks were slated for permanent closure by July 1, 2012.

The nonprofit parks association was the first to rally the community to save the parks, and ultimately the county agreed to be the lead “umbrella agency” under contract with the state. The operating agreement for public agencies was much less complicated than the one for nonprofits wishing to operate a park under the new law AB 42. Read more about the fundraising campaign in the Napa Valley Register.

Today I spoke to Sandy Jones, who has been a state park ranger for 24 years and knows the parks here better than anyone else. Jones, who will continue to don the state parks uniform, is now the park manager as part of the county’s initial one-year contract with the state. She told me she is “honored” to have the lead role and will “work hard to live up to expectations.”

“Sunday was the first night we opened, and we had eight campers with no advertising,” said Jones. Bothe-Napa’s campground has been closed since October due to state budget woes.

Revamped Operations and Funding Model

While the county is the primary agency under contract with the state, the Napa Valley State Parks Association holds a subcontract to run tours at the Bale Mill on weekends, some holidays and for Tuesday school tours. The association’s large corps of volunteers will provide greater support to the Bothe-Napa State Park visitor center and campground.

Although the association will also continue to raise private funds to support restoration and interpretation projects at the mill, the parks need to be self-sustaining. To achieve this, the new operations model calls for fewer staff and more volunteers, including camp hosts. Park visitation will be critical to the survival of the parks. The association also hopes to offer annual park passes for frequent visitors. Fees collected for day use and camping will go back to supporting the parks.

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

From a spring-fed canyon to hillsides above the vineyards and wineries of Napa Valley, the 2,000-acre Bothe-Napa Valley State Park offers shady groves of redwoods, Douglas-firs, big leaf maples, madrones and oaks. The spectacular pileated woodpecker (video) is among six kinds of resident woodpeckers.

Pileated Woodpecker, Photo by Noël Lee

Next to the visitor center, a Native American garden showcases the botanical knowledge of the Wappo, the first people to inhabit the area.

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

From Bothe-Napa State Park, a one-mile hike on the History Trail takes you to the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, where you will find a water-powered, “grist” grinding facility built in 1846 by Dr. Edward Turner Bale and restored by California State Parks in 1988 (grist is wheat that is ready for milling). The Napa Valley State Parks Association maintains and restores machines inside the mill, a state and national historic landmark.

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

Historically, farmers in Napa Valley came here to have their corn and wheat ground into meal or flour, making the mill a top social gathering spot. Today, the mill’s antique machinery is the only one of its kind in the state still capable of producing fresh-ground flour. Thanks to the rescue of this park, on weekends docents will continue to offer tours and demonstrations as well as bags of flour in exchange for a donation. (They will restart the mill after some maintenance beginning April 21).

Visitation will be critical for survival

The new operating model for these parks will rely on your visitation. Ranger Jones encourages you to go to Reserve America on April 4, when they begin taking reservations for the Bothe-Napa State Park campground.

Blog series
This article is part of an ongoing series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding. These two parks bring the total number of parks saved, by my count, to 14 out of 70 parks slated for closure.

Jack London's grave in Jack London State Historic Park, slated for closure

For this blog series, I have been keeping a running tally of state parks saved from closure. It’s not an easy job.

Who is counting?

Unfortunately, you will not find a list of saved parks on the California State Parks website at this time. The parks department posts only the list of 70 parks initially identified for closure in May 2011, as a means of saving the state $11 million per year.

I have been keeping track of “saved parks” since October 6, 2011, when California State Parks announced for the first time that they removed three parks from the closure list based on agreements with the National Park Service. Since then nonprofits, park advocates, philanthropists and public agencies around the state have raised funds and struck deals with the state, one by one.

A frenzy of reports on park closure numbers

A big misunderstanding this past Tuesday led followers of this crisis to believe that only 15 of the 70 parks targeted for closure may ultimately close. The confusion followed statements made by Michael Harris, the parks department’s acting chief deputy director. Harris spoke to reporters after testifying at a public hearing of the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency investigating the park system.

California State Parks briskly responded to the misunderstandings surrounding Harris’ comments by issuing a press release of clarification on park closures:

At present, there are 11 parks on the closure list of 70 that will remain open with agreements.

The department’s press release did not identify the names of the 11 parks.

A Los Angeles Times story with the headline “11 state parks temporarily out of the woods” names the 11 parks. My notes follow in parentheses.

1. Antelope Valley Indian Museum SHP (saved by a donor agreement)
2. Colusa-Sacramento River SRA (saved by operating agreement with the City of Colusa)
3. Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP (saved by National Park Service)
4. Henry W. Coe SP (saved by a donor agreement with the Coe Park Preservation Fund)
5. Jug Handle SNR (saved by a donor agreement)
6. McGrath SB (saved by donor funds and grant money)
7. Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve (saved by Bodie Foundation concessionaire agreement to collect parking fees.)
8. Plumas-Eureka SP – (saved by a donor agreement).
9. Samuel P. Taylor SP (saved by National Park Service)
10. South Yuba River SP (saved with community petition and parking fee agreement)
11. Tomales Bay SP (saved by National Park Service)

My running tally of 12 matches the Los Angeles Times list with one exception: Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park on the North Coast. Back in early January 2012, State Parks spokesman Roy Stearns reported to me that they had removed Point Cabrillo Light Station from the closure list because of an “ongoing concession/operating agreement.” Stearns was unable to respond to my inquiries this week and will not be back in the office until Monday.

The California State Parks Foundation adds that Castle Rock, Santa Susana, Los Encinos and Petaluma Adobe state parks have received temporary reprieves from closure with donor support.

Valley of the Moon Natural History Association getting close to saving Jack London park

Any day now, the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association expects to announce a deal on Jack London State Historic Park (read more in their newsletter). They will likely be the first nonprofit to successfully reach a deal with the state under the new law, AB 42, which gave the state authority to allow up to 20 nonprofits to take over operations of state parks on the closure list.

Three months remain to rescue 59 parks

We can feel confident that at least 11 parks have been spared from the budget ax, maybe more, but only three months remain to rescue 59 parks. Many parks are operating with reduced hours and at least one closed park, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area adjacent to Mojave National Preserve was struck by vandals – leading to $100,000 in damage.

At a March 20 public hearing on a bill to address park closures (AB 1589) Margaret Rhyne, President of the Poppy Reserve Mojave Desert Interpretive Association, told lawmakers:

Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is “the poster child for what happens when you close a park.”

Plumas-Eureka State Park. Photo by John Cooper.

In a rugged landscape 60 miles north of Lake Tahoe, Plumas-Eureka State Park faced an uncertain future as one of 70 parks initially slated for closure on July 1, 2012.

Yesterday, California State Parks officially announced that Plumas-Eureka State Park Association donated $70,000 to help cover operational costs and keep the remote Sierra Nevada park open for the next two years.

A Sierra Nevada Park

Established in 1959, Plumas-Eureka State Park undulates over elevations ranging from 4,500 to almost 7,500 feet in the northern reaches of the Sierra, where granite mountains give way to the volcanic Cascades.

Black bears, minks, mountain beavers, goshawks and bald eagles are common inhabitants. The park offers hiking, cross-country skiing, camping, a museum and “living history” tours.

For thousands of years, the Northern Maidu lived in this region and remained relatively isolated until 1851, when miners discovered gold on an exposed quartz ledge high on the slopes of 7,447-foot Eureka Peak. In the decades to follow, stamp mills near the peak processed millions of dollars in gold.

In winter, the nonprofit Plumas Ski Club organizes annual “Longboard Revival” ski races in the historic Plumas-Eureka Ski Bowl. Contestants wear 1860s attire while racing on long wooden planks up to 16-feet long. Miners originally used these “Norway Skates” as a means of winter transportation.

Donor agreements, one of three park-saving models

Nonprofit cooperating associations like the Plumas-Eureka State Park Association have been among the first groups to step up to save parks. Park advocates at Henry Coe State Park in the Bay Area created the first model for “donor agreements” with the Parks Department.

The deal with Plumas-Eureka State Park represents the fifth park saved using the donor agreement model. California State Parks offers three possible partner arrangements (described in detail here).

• 1. Donor Agreement: An interested party donates funds to California State Parks to continue some or all park functions by state personnel. Funding for these agreements can either be through a lump sum or a dedicated revenue stream. Fundraising thresholds vary from park to park.

• 2. Concession Contract: California State Parks negotiates a contract with a concessionaire. The Parks Department has issued Requests for Proposals for some parks at this time.

• 3. Operating Agreement: California State Parks enters into an operating agreement with a governmental entity or a qualified nonprofit organization to assume some or all state park operations (including hiring park personnel). The new law, AB 42, will allow up to 20 nonprofits to enter into operating agreements with the state.

Jack London State Historic Park possibly first AB 42 agreement

According to recent news from the Parks Alliance for Sonoma County, the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association might be the first nonprofit to successfully reach a deal with the state using park partnership model #3 to save Jack London park. (Read more in previous posts here and here).

The nonprofit is awaiting final confirmation of the contract that will allow Valley of the Moon Natural History Association to take on operation May 1, 2012. In preparation, the Association is hiring staff, painting the former Ranger house, working out details of entry fee collection, transitioning volunteers and communicating with state park staff to refine best practices going forward. The nonprofit will raise funds for the park in a variety of ways including events. They created a partnership with Transcendence Theatre Company to run a second summer season of Broadway concerts in the Old Winery Ruins.

Blog series
This is the 24th article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.

Jug Handle State Natural Reserve - photo by Steve Rotman

On the California coast 160 miles north of San Francisco, a rare natural phenomenon rises from the sea. Despite its ecological significance, Jug Handle State Natural Reserve landed on the California State Parks closure list in May 2011.

Without the park advocates, who are putting up a fight, we might not realize what is at stake here.

On March 16, 2012, the California State Parks Foundation and Olmsted Park Fund announced an agreement with California State Parks to give Jug Handle State Reserve a reprieve from closure for one year. The two nonprofits committed $19,000 to the state to allow the park to be kept open with minimal services.

From Sea Stacks to a Pygmy Forest

Visitors to this park will find rocky sea stack formations, a sea arch and a hiking trail that climbs through the Jug Handle Creek watershed on terraces spanning 500,000 years in geological history – an Ecological Staircase. The website Closing California Parks shares stunning images of the reserve in a photo essay.

Sea arch and people on trail at Jughandle beach - Photo by Art Quadraccia. Courtesy of the Mendocino-Tahoe Conservancy.

Few places on earth display a more dramatic transition of ecological succession, from a coastal prairie to towering redwoods to a pygmy forest, where you’ll find 100-year-old trees that are less than five-feet tall. The soils here are 1,000 times more acidic than soil found in the redwood forest.

The ancient marine terraces have attracted the interest of ecologists, botanists, geographers and naturalists, including the late Hans Jenny, a University of California, Berkeley professor and soil scientist, who was instrumental in preserving the famous pygmy forest as part of the Jug Handle State Reserve. His description and interpretation of the pygmy forest can be found here.

Olmsted Park Fund aspires to raise $1 from every California resident

Alden Olmsted, a board member of the Mendocino-Tahoe Conservancy and founder of the Cotati-based Olmsted Park Fund has taken the lead to save Jug Handle. According to Stephen Hein, director of the Mendocino-Tahoe Conservancy, Olmsted issued a check – backed by contributions of hundreds of Californians – to the state as part of an agreement to keep the park open. Through the fund, Olmsted aspires to collect $1 from every California resident and park visitor to save parks.

Alden Olmsted is defending some of the parks that his father, the late naturalist John D. Olmsted, helped to save. His father, who founded the Mendocino-Tahoe Conservancy, helped with efforts to preserve land in Northern California starting with Jug Handle State Natural Reserve in the 1960s. Without activism by Olmsted and others, this land might have been the site of a motel and restaurant.

John D. Olmsted (1938 – 2011) was a distant cousin of the family of famous landscape architects, according to a March 2011 obituary published in the Sacramento Bee. Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) was recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture and the nation’s foremost parkmaker. In the 1920s, the newly formed California State Parks Commission hired Olmsted’s son, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (1870 – 1957), to survey and identify the state’s “iconic landscapes” for protection as parks.

If people don’t stand up, the parks will close

Borrowing the words of fellow blogger Glenn Brank (NorCalYak.com), the “park score” is now 59 to 11. Unfortunately, at 59, California state parks on track for closure remain far ahead of rescued parks. (By the way, if you are a paddling enthusiast, be sure to check out the humorous and thoughtful NorCal Yak blog. Glenn is keeping track of parks on the closure list that also happen to be prime kayaking spots.)

California State Parks agreed to remove 11 parks from the list because of donor commitments (Henry Coe SP), new parking fees (Mono Lake Tufa SNR and South Yuba) and county/city commitments to take over operations (Colusa). A few potential operating agreements are under negotiation with nonprofits using the authority of a new law, AB42. (Jack London State Park). California State Parks is also now accepting proposals for keeping five state parks in the Sacramento Valley, Delta Region and the Central Valley open through concession agreements.

The state has already started to lock the gates on some state parks slated for closure due to budget cutbacks – possibly closing them permanently (Castle Crags and Providence Mountains). California State Parks officials have said that they do not think many on the closure list will make it. Yet, recent news suggests that the department is willing to consider lowering the bar for “donor agreements” by reducing park hours and services – if park advocates are willing to step forward.

Blog series
This is the 23rd article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.

• Many nonprofit conservation and parks groups have demanded information from public officials and have sprung into action.

• Park advocates and the National Park Service have saved 10 of the 70 parks slated for closure. In at least two parks, the introduction of new parking fees helped convince the parks department to keep parks open.

• The California State Parks Foundation launched the Defend What’s Yours campaign. On March 20, park advocates will head to the state Capitol to lobby for state parks as part of the foundation’s 10th Annual Park Advocacy Day.

• State lawmakers have introduced bills (Assembly Bill 1589 and Senate Bill 974) to stop closures and find sustainable long term funding for state parks. While this is encouraging for the long term, it is unlikely that those bills will make it through the legislature in time to stop park closures (read an analysis in this Mendocino County news story).

• Since February 22, California State Parks has presented five public workshops to find possible partners to help save state parks on the closure list. The final workshop wrapped up today in Los Angeles. You can find a partnership workbook for operating agreements, FAQs and other information on the state parks website.

Closed parks vulnerable to vandalism

According to this story in the Record Searchlight of Redding, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has “lowered the bar” for communities seeking to save local state parks by lowering fundraising requirements. The tradeoff is reduced park operating hours and services. After all, a park with reduced hours might be better off than one abandoned and vulnerable to vandalism. The Los Angeles Times recently reported on damage to the visitor center and other structures at Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area near Mojave National Preserve.

Nothing is sacred, not even a 138-year-old Taoist temple

The Record Searchlight story also describes efforts to save the Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park, a Taoist temple built by early Chinese immigrants. The campaign to save this Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds will include “fundraising pleas to Chinese-American communities in the Bay Area via a Chinese language television station.” The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California and became a part of the California State Park System in 1956.

Nonprofit coalition offers six action steps you can take

The Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center, a nonprofit organization based in Mount Shasta, California, is one of the lead organizations taking action to save Castle Crags State Park. Inspired by citizens stepping forward with ideas, plans and action to save other parks around the state, they formed the Castle Crags Community Coalition and designed six steps to mobilize the community to take action. Their fight recognizes that this region is of great importance locally, nationally and internationally. Read more about the Coalition’s ideas to save this park.

• 1. Write a personal letter to Governor Jerry Brown and state legislators.

  The Coalition recommends personal letters. They learned that one original letter carries the same “weight” of 500 form letters. On their website, they offer the community a suggested format for a personalized letter with talking points and addresses. They are also offering to hand deliver all the letters to the governor.
  

• 2. Sign a petition or collect signatures in your community.

  The Coalition describes the success of South Yuba River State Park in the Sierra foothills, where citizens delivered a petition with 10,000 signatures to the governor and a proposal for keeping it open. Park officials removed the park from the closure list.

• 3. Organizations, cities and counties can help.

  Organizations, cities and counties can write letters to public officials and pass a resolution opposing park closures.

• 4. Join, lead or form a committee to support a community campaign.

  The Coalition formed committees to handle all the needed aspects of their campaign including a Planning & Proposal Committee, Education & Training Center subcommittee, Letter Writing Committee, Petition Committee & Petition Drive, Fundraising / Finance Committee and Volunteer/Labor Committee.

• 5. Write letters to the editor of your local news organization.
• 6. Help a local coalition by becoming a member/making a donation.

  Donations to organizations like the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center and Mt. Shasta Trail Association are tax deductible.

Special Reports on State Park Crisis

• In a recent story on KQED’s California Report, the show announced “On the Rocks” a new special series that will follow the state parks crisis starting on Monday, March 5, 2012. The show’s host, Rachael Myrow, described it to me as a six-part, multi-media series that will kick off with an interview of the head of California State Parks. Then reporters will visit threatened parks for a closer look at the issues and talk to park leaders in other states.

• Bay Nature Magazine is running a special feature on state parks in the January – March 2012 issue. Look out for a special statewide feature in the April 2012 issue.

Blog series
This is the 22nd article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.

If you are someone who cares about parks and open spaces you should head over to the Bay Area Open Space Council’s blog, where you can stay connected by subscribing to the RSS feed or email list.

Over the years, the Council’s online presence has grown to complement the real life (yes, in person!) gatherings of members of the conservation community.

Earlier this month, not long after the Council’s most recent gathering titled, “Who cares? And Why Should They? A conversation about land and people,” Annie Burke and her colleagues rounded up links on related topics to keep the conversation going online.

The Council’s blog brought my attention to a new video produced by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) featuring Yosemite National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson, who reminds us: “You shouldn’t have to convince people to go to paradise.”

For several years, Johnson has been on a mission to reach people who have never dreamed of visiting Yosemite National Park, where only 1% of visitors are African American. You might recall Johnson’s appearances in Ken Burns’ six-part documentary series on our national parks, America’s Best Idea.

Connecting through blogs, video and social media

If your organization is using or experimenting with video, blogs and other social media to connect with people and build movements, then you might want to join the next gathering of the Bay Area Open Space Council:

Status Updates, Hashtags, Blogs and other Internet Doohickies

When: March 15, 10am-1pm
Where: David Brower Center, Berkeley
Speakers will include:

• Kathryn Krischer from Goodby Silverstein and Partners and Garrison Frost from California Audubon talking about Birding the Net
• Veda Banerjee and Mike Hsu from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy talking about the whole communications package
• Scott Loarie from iNaturalist and Lisa Micheli of Pepperwood Preserve talking about citizen science and its links to social media

Our vision combines a nonprofit organization dedicated to a deep roster of author events, lectures, and literary gatherings with a community-owned bookstore that preserves the physical space where people browse, discover, and enjoy books.

The project aims to create an innovative hybrid business model that includes two legal entities working in partnership: a for-profit, community-owned-and-operated bookstore, and a nonprofit organization that will feature on-stage author interviews, lectures by leading intellectuals, educational workshops and other literary and cultural events. The nonprofit entity will seek tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships.

Other innovations under consideration for Kepler’s include publishing-on-demand capabilities, an in-store e-book friendly browsing experience, a speaker’s bureau that welcomes emerging authors, a “concierge service” focused on bringing readers together and themed, community-building book swaps.

A literary entrepreneur on a mission to reinvent the independent bookstore model

Praveen Madan leads the Kepler’s 2020 volunteer transition team to develop a comprehensive development, financial and operational plan.

As reported in Palo Alto online, Madan and his wife, Christin Evans, bought the San Francisco bookstore The Booksmith in 2007, where they’ve focused on creating social opportunities around books. In 2009 they launched a Huffington Post blog to write about their experiences with reinventing independent bookselling. Madan and Evans describe how “bookstores have a unique opportunity to bring people together” in “Creating New Literary Experiences: Because Amazon Can’t Help You Make Friends.”

In “Why All the Fuss About ‘Independent’ Bookstores?” they offer three answers:

1. They Provide a Cultural Experience for Readers.
2. They Provide a Nurturing Environment for Lesser Known and Emerging Writers.
3. They Enable Positive Social Change in Local Communities.

South Yuba River State Park waterfall

A patchwork of lands along the South Yuba River, considered among some of the Sierra Nevada’s most pristine, joined the state park system in 1997 after community activists fought to preserve the wild and scenic river for 14 years. In 2002 the South Yuba River Citizens League and the Trust for Public Land, negotiated the purchase of an additional 731 acres along the South Yuba River for $3.4 million and gave the property to the state to expand the 2,261-acre South Yuba River State Park.

Then, in May 2011, state park officials placed the embattled lands on the state park closure list.

Today, California State Parks’ Director Ruth Coleman announced that action by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors and community supporters will help keep South Yuba River State Park open. The park has been taken off the notorious closure list, but significant service reductions will continue due to a funding gap.

At a recent meeting, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors gave their unanimous support to the state park agency’s proposal to collect entrance fees at this park for the first time. The action by the supervisors followed a campaign by county residents, led by the South Yuba River Citizens League, that generated more than 10,000 petition signatures to keep the park open. Elementary school students collected the signatures and delivered them to Sacramento.

At this time, it is not known just how much revenue this new program will generate, since this has never been done for this park before. For that reason, all parties and stakeholders recognize that this is not the final solution and that there must continue to be an effort toward a more sustainable funding source to augment the full operation of the park.

State lawmaker introduces bill to overhaul park system

Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced legislation on February 6, 2012, that proposes several funding strategies to achieve substantial budget savings in the state park system. Unless AB 1589, known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, gets on a fast track in the legislature, it is unlikely that the bill will make it to the governor’s desk before July 1, 2012. On that date 60 parks will close if deals are not made with the state.

Blog series
This is the 21st article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.