On Monday, June 24th, the California State Legislature unsuccessfully attempted to pass a state budget. Budget negotiations are now in the hands of the "Big 5"- the Republican and Democratic leaders in both the Assembly and the Senate and the Governor. Please help us urge the "Big 5" to seek a creative solution that will provide adequate revenue to keep our state parks open and accessible to all Californians.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a strong supporter of our state parks system, I urge you to take action to avoid the closure of 220 state parks. Cutting the General Fund allocation for state parks will be devastating to local economies, will shut the doors to tens of millions of Californians who rely on state parks for outdoor recreation and vacations, and will weaken much-needed tourism revenue for the state.

This proposal couldn't come at a worse time for Californians. In these economic times, Californians are using state parks more, not less. Camping reservations for 2009 have already logged 25,000 reserved nights, compared to slightly over 20,000 nights in 2008 and over 19,000 in 2007. As more residents of this state choose high-value, low cost options for spending their financial resources, this proposal adds yet another obstacle to California families looking for relief in these difficult times.

Impacts to the state will go far beyond simply a $143 million "savings" to the state's General Fund. Local economies in many areas of the state, particularly rural, rely on state park visitors to generate local economic activity that keeps small businesses alive. A recent report by CSU Sacramento found that park users, on average, spent $57.63 per visit. Across the system, this amounts to a more than $4.2 billion in positive economic impacts - impacts that will be lost if the parks are closed. This is exactly the wrong time to be proposing to eliminate the state's core commitment to state parks.

It is unreasonable to expect that local governments, which are, themselves, already hurting financially, will automatically step in and take the state's place in managing and operating our state parks. Similarly, calls for increased volunteerism or an expectation that volunteer groups or nonprofit organizations will manage state parks also belies the fact that our state park system requires a state-level public investment. There are already many productive, cost-effective partnerships in place that add value to our state parks. However, these partnerships are already stretched as far as local organizations can assist, and they cannot substitute for the need for public funding for critical areas such as law enforcement, lifeguards, skilled staff to maintain on-site electrical and water systems, and more.

California's state parks were set aside precisely to safeguard resources and opportunities that would not otherwise be available without the strong support of the public sector. These 279 state parks are part of the public good, which requires a stable and consistent investment by every generation, to ensure their availability for the next generation. Our state parks system is a legacy with which we have all been entrusted.

I strongly urge you to seek creative solutions that provide adequate revenue to keep our state parks open and accessible to all Californians.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 25, 2009