The Sacramento Bee reported earlier today that 70 state parks will be closed due to the state budget deficit, under plans announced by Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.
Governor Jerry Brown’s budget calls for $22 million in cuts to state park funding. The criteria for choosing which parks would be shuttered were based on attendance rates and historical significance, according to the Bee.
The proposed closures include Fort Humboldt, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Grizzly Creek Redwoods, the Weaverville Joss House, Shasta State Historic Park in Redding and the Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area.
UPDATE: The California State Parks System says the closures will not be completed until July 1, 2012.
This article appears in Queasy Eats.
What does this actually mean for our local parks? That they will simply no longer be staffed or that the land and trails will no longer be accessible at all? And if the latter- will they be guarded? The land sold? I am confused.
They will be closed because our legisLators won’t balance our budget. Insanity is doing the same Thing aGain and exprcting something different. Brown is simply giving us the reality that was ignored for many years from the repubs. No money and we can’t kick the can any more. Thx Jerry for being honest.
It seems like the northcoast is losig a bigger percentage of their parks than in other locales, perhaps due to our lower population numbers?
Closings based on “visitation”… if the local area population numbers were factored into the visitation, that seems a little more fair to me.
I don’t quite understand what a “closed” park is… Will they put a lock on the gate? Will they tear down historically signifigant buildings for strip malls to generate more tax revenue? Tell me.. Can I no longer ride the train in the steam exhibit at Ft. Humboldt? This train just happens to be the one my great grand uncle operated to bring timber from an old logging town named Falk to the coast for transport.. History is one of the most charming facets of northern California.. And anywhere else for that matter.. How can one just “close” history? Tell me, what does closed mean?
My understanding, James, is that the parks will be padlocked until further notice. No state employees will be assigned to operate them, and the public will not be admitted.
They will not be destroyed to make way for strip malls.
Apparently Benbow is on the closure list, too.
There are other articles about this topic. I have read that closures wont happen until summer 2012.
If the parks close, they will be periodically maintained, but there will be no (legal) public access.
This is just going to create havens for outdoor growers and outdoor living.
Can the Feds sue the State for harboring terrorists if a terrorist lives in any of the closed parks?!?
I would hope that the budget situation would improve and the parks will eventually reopen in several years.
Manchester, Point Cabrillo, Russian Gulch and Jug Handle in Mendo too
I know! Let’s elect alot of Democrats who spend much more than they can ever bring in! Oh wait-We already did that!
Will Rogers was a Republican hack? I think not.