Schwarzenegger plan would close 220 Calif. parks

[villager]

Source: AP

Schwarzenegger plan would close 220 Calif. parks

By SAMANTHA YOUNG, Associated Press Writer Samantha Young, Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget cuts could mean the closing of up to 220 state parks, among them the home of the world's tallest tree and other attractions that draw millions of visitors. Schwarzenegger this week recommended eliminating $70 million in parks spending through June 30, 2010. An additional $143.4 million would be saved in the following fiscal year by keeping the parks closed.

"This is a worst-case scenario," said Roy Sterns, a spokesman at the state parks department. "If we can do less than this, we will try. But under the present proposal, this is it."

Among the parks that could be closed, the parks department said Thursday, are Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay, Will Rogers' Southern California ranch and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which boasts the world's tallest tree, a giant that tops 370 feet. Even the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento is on the list.

The Legislature last year rejected the governor's proposal to close 48 state parks. But lawmakers said that with California's budget deficit now at $24.3 billion, the situation is so dire that it is likely some parks will close.

<snip>

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090529/ap_on_re_us/us_california_parks

[XemaSab]

1. Here's the complete list:

1. Leo Carrillo State Park.

2. Los Angeles State Historic Park.

3. Los Encinos State Historic Park.

4. Malibu Creek State Park.

5. Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

6. Pio Pico State Historic Park.

7. Point Mugu State Park.

8. Rio de Los Angeles State Park.

9. Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach.

10. Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.

11. Topanga State Park.

12. Verdugo Mountains.

13. Will Rogers State Historic Park.

14. California State Capitol Museum.

15. Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park

16. Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park.

17. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.

18. State Indian Museum State Historic Park.

19. Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.

20. Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area.

21. Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

22. California Mining & Mineral Museum.

23. Caswell Memorial State Park.

24. Columbia State Historic Park.

25. George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area.

26. Great Valley Grasslands State Park.

27. Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park.

28. McConnell State Recreation Area.

29. Carpinteria State Beach.

30. Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park.

31. El Capitan State Beach.

32. Emma Wood State Beach.

33. Gaviota State Park.

34. La Purisima Mission State Historic Park.

35. McGrath State Beach.

36. Point Sal State Beach.

37. Refugio State Beach.

38. San Buenaventura State Beach.

39. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

40. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

41. Indio Hills Palms.

42. Palomar Mountain State Park.

43. Picacho State Recreation Area.

44. Salton Sea State Recreation Area.

45. Annadel State Park.

46. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park.

47. Benicia Capitol State Historic Park.

48. Benicia State Recreation Area.

49. Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

50. Candlestick Point State Recreation Area.

51. East Shore State Park State Shoreline.

52. Jack London State Historic Park.

53. John Marsh Home State Historic Park.

54. Mount Diablo State Park.

55. Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park.

56. Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.

57. Sonoma State Historic Park.

58. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

59. Brannan Island State Recreation Area.

60. Delta Meadows.

61. Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park.

62. Franks Tract State Recreation Area.

63. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

64. Stone Lake.

65. California Citrus State Historic Park.

66. Chino Hills State Park.

67. Mount San Jacinto State Park.

68. San Timoteo Canyon.

69. Wildwood Canyon.

70. Angel Island State Park.

71. China Camp State Park.

72. Mount Tamalpais State Park.

73. Olompali State Historic Park.

74. Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

75. Tomales Bay State Park.

76. Caspar Headlands State Beach.

77. Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve.

78. Greenwood State Beach.

79. Hendy Woods State Park.

80. Jug Handle State Natural Reserve.

81. MacKerricher State Park.

82. Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

83. Manchester State Park.

84. Mendocino Headlands State Park.

85. Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve.

86. Navarro River Redwoods State Park.

87. Point Cabrillo Light Station.

88. Russian Gulch State Park.

89. Schooner Gulch State Beach.

90. Van Damme State Park.

91. Westport-Union Landing State Beach.

92. Andrew Molera State Park.

93. Carmel River State Beach.

94. Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

95. Fremont Peak State Park.

96. Garrapata State Park.

97. Hatton Canyon.

98. Henry W. Coe State Park.

99. John Little State Natural Reserve.

100. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

101. Marina State Beach.

102. Monterey State Beach.

103. Monterey State Historic Park.

104. Moss Landing State Beach.

105. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

106. Point Lobos Ranch.

107. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

108. Point Sur State Historic Park.

109. Salinas River State Beach.

110. San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.

111. Zmudowski State Beach.

112. Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area.

113. Azalea State Natural Reserve.

114. Benbow Lake State Recreation Area.

115. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.

116. Fort Humboldt State Historic Park.

117. Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

118. Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area.

119. Humboldt Lagoons State Park.

120. Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

121. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

122. John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

123. Little River State Beach.

124. Patrick’s Point State Park.

125. Pelican State Beach.

126. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

127. Reynolds Wayside Campground.

128. Richardson Grove State Park.

129. Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.

130. Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

131. Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area.

132. Tolowa Dunes State Park.

133. Trinidad State Beach.

134. Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park.

135. Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

136. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park.

137. Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park.

138. Castle Crags State Park.

139. Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area.

140. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

141. Shasta State Historic Park.

142. Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park.

143. William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park.

144. Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area.

145. Pismo State Beach.

146. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

147. Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

148. Fort Ross State Historic Park.

149. Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve.

150. Salt Point State Park.

151. Sonoma Coast State Park.

152. Border Field State Park.

153. Carlsbad State Beach.

154. San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park.

155. Silver Strand State Beach.

156. Torrey Pines State Beach.

157. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.

158. Estero Bluffs State Park.

159. Hearst San Simeon State Park.

160. Limekiln State Park.

161. Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve.

162. Monta–a de Oro State Park.

163. Morro Bay State Park.

164. Morro Strand State Beach.

165. William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach.

166. A–o Nuevo State Natural Reserve.

167. A–o Nuevo State Park.

168. Bean Hollow State Beach.

169. Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

170. Burleigh H. Murray Ranch.

171. Butano State Park.

172. Castle Rock State Park.

173. Castro Adobe (Rancho San Andres).

174. Gray Whale Cove State Beach.

175. Half Moon Bay State Beach.

176. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

177. Lighthouse Field State Beach.

178. Manresa State Beach.

179. Montara State Beach.

180. Natural Bridges State Beach.

181. New Brighton State Beach.

182. Pescadero State Beach.

183. Point Montara Light Station.

184. Pomponio State Beach.

185. Portola Redwoods State Park.

186. San Gregorio State Beach.

187. Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.

188. Seacliff State Beach.

189. Sunset State Beach.

190. The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.

191. Thornton State Beach.

192. Twin Lakes State Beach.

193. Wilder Ranch State Park.

194. Bodie State Historic Park.

195. Burton Creek State Park.

196. D.L. Bliss State Park.

197. Donner Memorial State Park.

198. Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park.

199. Emerald Bay State Park.

200. Empire Mine State Historic Park.

201. Grover Hot Springs State Park.

202. Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

203. Lake Valley State Recreation Area.

204. Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.

205. Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve.

206. Plumas-Eureka State Park.

207. South Yuba River State Park.

208. Tahoe State Recreation Area.

209. Ward Creek.

210. Washoe Meadows State Park.

211. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

212. Antelope Valley Indian Museum.

213. Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park.

214. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.

215. Fort Tejon State Historic Park.

216. Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.

217. Red Rock Canyon State Park.

218. Saddleback Butte State Park.

219. Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park.

220. Tule Elk State Natural Reserve.

[juno jones]

6. Columbia State Historic Park

Is a wonderful few of blocks of historic buildings coupled with functioning restaurants, bars and shops. It was once one of the largest cities in CA, believe it or not.

I used to go to college in Columbia (another thing suffering, I'm sure. Too bad, it was the best school I've ever been to) and the nights hanging with the locals in the St. Charles, an old time bar still sporting it's original back bar, brought around cape horn during the gold rush, and premise still heated by wood stove are priceless in my memory. The local culinary students did internship at the Columbia Hotel, a starred establishment widely recognized as one of the best restaurants in the region.


Arnie and his repub friends just need to go to Nevada or Utah or something and stop messing with a state they obviously don't give two shits about. I mean, isn't that the arguement? That all the richies will go to Nevada if they don't get their way? Let them. CA for Californians and all those who realize the treasures of it's history, land and people.

[XemaSab]

7. The two parks that really brought the gold rush home for me

were Malakoff Diggins and Empire Mine.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.366952,-120.993118&spn=0.079494,0.169601&t=h&z=13

[juno jones]

9. A lot of that in those parts.

Certainly a mute monument to what man will do to the earth from pure greed. I don't see these new-fangled sorts being any different except for method.

Used to live in those parts. Sonora/Columbia, then years later pereginated to Nevada City region.

It's an amazing area.

Too much poison oak for me...I mostly moved because I was so allergic- I itched all the time! :D

[XemaSab]

10. OMG, I went though Yuba county on the 49 the other day

WALLS of poison oak. :scared:

[NV Whino]

12. Here's two in my area

46. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park.

49. Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.



Way to go Arnie--kill the tourist industry.

[NV Whino]

18. At Montana de Oro

and further more:

[slackmaster]

20. It's not physically possible to "close" most of those

For example, Anza-Borrego is the biggest state park in the lower 48 states. None of it is fenced, and it would not be possible to do so.

They could shutter the visitor center, lay off most of the staff, and stop cleaning out the latrines, but there is no way to prevent people from camping, hiking, backpacking, etc.

[XemaSab]

23. Word

There's only one thing that will come of this, and that's LITTER.

LOTS of litter. x(

[xchrom]

25. and man started fires. nt

[Duer 157099]

27. I think I've been to at least half of those

As so many have pointed out, you can't really "close" most of these -- although they can put up no trespassing signs I suppose, and then patrol them and arrest people, to get revenue from the fines.

I hope if they do this that it's temporary - I'd rather they close them for a season or two rather than sell any of them off to private concerns (which I hope they cannot do anyway).

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

2. Well that will be 220 less parks that you have to worry about anyone carring a gun.

:sarcasm: ???

[slackmaster]

21. No rangers means even more reason to carry one

I generally have one when I camp in the desert.

[montanto]

3. Go ahead, its not as though people

come from all around the world and pour billions into those places and their surrounding areas creating jobs and incomes for thousands of Californians allowing them to buy products and cars and food and pay taxes and stuff like that anyway.

[Bigmack]

4. We volunteer at the biggest of those parks...

1,000 square miles... yes.... 1,000 square miles. The anti-government assholes are going wild on the blog at the Sandy Eggo rightwing rag. Want to privatize the whole thing. Goodbye, birds, Bighorn sheep, and flowers. Hello ATVs ripping everything up. Parks are the last thing the average person can use without paying big bucks to a corporation. Closing them is a statement, not just a cost-cutting measure.

[Old Coot]

5. Didn't the people of California vote to do this and eliminate welfare and cut wages?

Aren't they just getting what they bargained for?

Democracy in action.

[Bigmack]

11. "Drown government in a bathtub."...

Yup... Grover Nordquist and the anarchists won. Prop 13 finally comes home to roost.

[lolly]

14. No

The people of Fresno and Bakersfield and Orange County voted in just enough Repubs to keep the state government from passing a workable budget--remember, they only need 1/3 of the legislature to block anything that would effectively balance the budget.

Maybe we should just shut down the schools and the parks and the police forces in the districts of the 1/3 who f'd it up for the rest of us.

[Xolodno]

16. You know what?

Their civic services will be severely hampered. Remember the state is raiding the coffers of the cities as well...that means Bakersfield, Fresno and Orange County are suddenly going to lose a lot of funds.

[NV Whino]

15. NO.

[xchrom]

26. we were voting against the initiative process -- which keeps

giving us bad solutions.

[roody]

29. No, that is not what we voted for. We voted for the

legislature to do its job.

[Xolodno]

17. I prefer they close them...

..Rather than have them "privately managed".

[hvn_nbr_2]

8. Next year's follow-up story: Pot prices tumble.

With no visitors and no (or darn few) rangers in parks such as Humboldt Redwoods, the pot farmers will vastly expand operations on state parkland. Whenever the time comes to re-open parks, I don't want to be the first to hike any remote trails.

[Xolodno]

13. Holy !@#$

WoW!!!!!!!! Going down the list...

All the beaches from Ventura to Solvang will be closed!!!!! Forcing everyone into Santa Barbara.

100. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. <=== This place is a frequent stop for honeymooners, artists, wedding anniversaries, weddings etc.

Redwoods would practically be shut down to nothing but the Federal portion.

145. Pismo State Beach. This one flabergasts me! Very popular with ATV riders.

194. Bodie State Historic Park. Near lake Tahoe....a REAL ghost town.

I live near all of these:

211. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

212. Antelope Valley Indian Museum.

218. Saddleback Butte State Park.

The Poppy Reserve brings in a lot of tourism to the local economy...granted its seasonal...but its gonna hurt next year.

This will hurt a lot of communities that need that tourism.....I should add it will hurt a lot of republican districts. They got what they wanted....now its going to bite them back hard. Makes it easier for me to go hiking in Federal Parks and visit other states.

[XemaSab]

19. I really noticed all the beaches

It would be nice to have a list of which beaches will be OPEN, 'cause it looks like half of the north coast, 3/4 of the central coast, and half of the south coast will be CLOSED. :o

[lynne]

22. Hopefully only temporary and I think it might actually BENEFIT the parks themselves -

- to go without human intervention for a while. Give them some breathing room without people trampling and stomping on native plants and disturbing the wildlife.

Bad for visitors but possibly good for park ecology? :shrug:

[David__77]

24. Lol they can't keep people out of them.

Folsom Powerhouse? Easy to get in, even with fences. Sutter's Fort? It's a whole square block in downtown Sacramento. They're just closing the stupid museum.

[bemildred]

28. You know, after getting his ass kicked again in that election, I think he should STFU. nt