11 Most Endangered Historic Places
California's State Parks
Year Listed: 2008
Location: California
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Deterioration, Neglect, Poor Public Policy
California's State Parks
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, northwest of Santa Barbara. Photo by Frank Balthis.
California's State Parks
Sutter's Fort State Park in Sacramento, California. Photo by Robert English.
California's State Parks
Sutter's Fort State Park in Sacramento, California. Photo by Robert English.
Latest News
May 2010: Learn more about a bold new plan to save California's State Parks.
Significance
California's state park system, the largest state park system in the U.S., encompasses a vast array of historic and cultural resources that chronicle the state's rich and storied heritage. The system includes 278 parks, including 51 designated State Historic Parks, covers 1.5 million acres and protects 295 miles of ocean front. Among its many gems are the 1820's era Franciscan La Purisima Mission complex near Lompoc, completely restored during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); the 1853 Benicia Capitol, the only state capitol building predating today's capitol in Sacramento still standing; and, the historic mission plaza at San Juan Bautista, a rural community recently named a Dozen Distinctive Destination in 2008.
Updates
2009: As part of a plan to curb California's growing budget deficit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a proposal to eliminate $70 million in state funding from the California State Parks budget in 2009 and to cut the entire $143 million budget in 2010. As a result, 80 percent of California's 279 state parks, historic sites, beaches and recreation areas would have closed after Labor Day 2009 with a devastating effect on the system's historic and cultural treasures and related local economies. California's state parks attract more than 75 million visitor days every year, making them a critical piece of the state's travel and tourism industry.
The California budget that passed in July cut $14.2 million from the parks system, far less than the originally proposed figure, but enough to have lasting effects. Instead of mass closure, parks faced "soft closures" of reduced hours and services in an already strapped system. The Cooper Molera Adobe, a National Trust Historic Site at Monterey State Historic Park, was one of the affected sites. System-wide, more than 20 state historic parks—and many more historic sites in the park system—faced service reductions.
In searching for a more permanent solution to the parks funding crisis, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has joined the California State Parks Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and other groups to campaign for a state park access pass, which would add an $18 surcharge to vehicle registration fees and send the proceeds to a parks trust fund.
2008: The California State Park system has suffered greatly from years of chronic underfunding and deferred maintenance. The magnitude of the problem became even more acute in 2008 when Governor Schwarzenegger, prompted by the state budget crisis, required 10 percent across-the-board budget reductions that would have led to closure of 48 state parks and reduce lifeguard staffing at 16 state beaches. The severity of the proposed budget cuts galvanized tens of thousands of Californians to take action. The California State Parks Foundation, in partnership with organizations, businesses, local governments and individuals throughout the state, led the Save Our State Parks (SOS) Campaign, mobilizing supporters to press the legislature to reject the budget proposals. Although the governor reinstated the bulk of the park system funding in a revised budget, the underlying problem remains and irreplaceable historic and cultural resources are still at risk. The budget for the Department of Parks and Recreation is woefully inadequate to support day-to-day parks operations, much less to address the $1.2 billion deferred maintenance bill that has accumulated through years of chronic underinvestment.
Submitted by mskim907 at: November 29, 2010
coolcoolcool
Submitted by GeoJoe at: October 15, 2009
Contact at wabloech@cabrillo.edu - coast ranges national park
Submitted by GeoJoe at: October 15, 2009
Anyone ever think about a Coast Ranges National Park?