Over 200 California State Parks on the Chopping Block
Background Information
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park is one of more than 200 threatened parks in California.
Credit: Save Our State Parks
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget would eliminate state funding for California's state park system which will close more than 80% of the 279-unit state park system.
Last year, in response to the Governor's previous proposal to close 48 state parks, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the California state park system to our annual list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Together with the Save Our State Parks (SOS) Campaign and the support of tens of thousands of Californians, we successfully prevented the closure of state parks.
The current budget proposal would have a devastating impact on California state parks and the unique heritage they protect. California's state park system, the largest state park system in the U.S., encompasses a vast array of historic sites that chronicle the state's rich and storied heritage. The system includes 51 designated State Historic Parks, and protects and interprets sites ranging from the Angel Island Immigration Station, just restored and reopened to the public, to the 101-year-old Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, recently saved from a proposed factory farm on its border. In addition, one of the National Trust Historic Sites, the Cooper Molera Adobe (located within the Monterey State Historic Park), would be affected by this action.
Will it save money?
These ill-conceived budget cuts are being proposed as a way to save the state money, but the fact is that closing these parks would actually costs the state far more money than it saves. According to the California State Parks Foundation, each dollar invested in state parks generates $2.35 cents in revenue for the state's general fund.
Closures put buildings at risk
But it's not just dollars and cents that are at stake. Preservationists know from experience that an unused building is a building at risk. Without ongoing maintenance, small leaks become major structural failures. Fewer eyes minding closed parks will lead to increased risk of theft, arson, and vandalism. We already know that historic resources in California State Parks receive about 30% of the annual funding they require; even just a year of closures will make an already bad situation much worse.
Take Action
Contact your state legislators and let them know how closing state parks will affect you, your community, and California’s heritage.
