Take Action: Support a Solution to Keep Our State Parks Open, Now and Forever!

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Support a Solution to Keep Our State Parks Open, Now and Forever!

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With the state budget still being negotiated, state park supporters still have an opportunity to urge legislative leaders to include the State Park Access Pass in the final budget. As CSPF has reported, the State Park Access Pass proposal would generate more than $280 million a year for state parks, through a $10 surcharge on annual vehicle registrations. In return for that annual support for the state park system, Californians will receive free day-use access to California's state parks.

This is a solution that is long overdue, and one that could help resolve the decades of underfunding that have plagued our state park system. Paying $10 annually for virtually unlimited access to the state park system is a bargain for Californians. And in addition to getting personal benefits, Californians will be making an important and necessary investment in the health of the system – for now and forever.

Please send a message to your state legislators TODAY to let them know you support the State Park Access Pass, and you are counting on them to approve this measure to save our state parks.

*Note: Your message will automatically be sent to your Assemblymember and Senator based on your address.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

I'm writing to express my strong support for the California State Park Access Pass and to urge your support for the proposal as part of the final FY 08-09 state budget.
As the negotiations on the state budget continue, the State Park Access Pass provides an opportunity to return great value to your constituents and all Californians in exchange for a modest investment in our state parks.
Earlier this year, Californians faced the threat of closing 48 state parks and taking lifeguards off 16 popular state beaches. That's an acceptable future for California residents and our state parks - not knowing, year to year, if these places of recreation, education and exploration will be open and available.
It's time to support realistic, sustainable solutions to our state parks funding crisis. The California State Park Access Pass will help remedy an unacceptable situation that has been allowed to happen in our state park system for too long. By asking Californians to make a modest, $10 annual investment in our state park system, the State Park Annual Pass gives state residents two-fold benefits: (1) they receive free access to our state parks, and (2) they contribute to the improvement and betterment of California's world-class state park system.

(Edit Letter Below)

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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Talking Points

The California State Park Access Pass is a proposal to provide critical funding for the state park system, while offering Californians free day-use access to their state parks. It creates a new funding stream for supporting California's state parks by instituting a $10 surcharge on vehicle license fees of all non-commercial vehicles in California and some light commercial vehicles.

Spurred by a January proposal from Governor Schwarzenegger to shut down 48 state parks and remove lifeguards from some of the most popular state beaches, tens of thousands of Californians responded swiftly and strongly in defense of their parks. But simply keeping the doors open to state parks isn't enough to meet the expectations and demands that Californians have for our world-class state park system. In addition to highlighting what would be lost if the parks actually closed, the Governor's proposal to close 48 state parks and reduce lifeguards on some of the most popular state beaches revealed the truly precarious fiscal health of California's state parks.

The California State Park Access Pass is a solution to the decades-long fiscal crisis facing our state park system. Foregoing basic annual maintenance and upkeep has resulted in a $1.2 billion backlog of deferred maintenance. As visitors to state parks know, inadequate staffing levels means that many units of the park system have no dedicated full-time staff, decreased visitor support, a lack of regular staffing to collect needed entrance fees, and few or no educational programs available to visitors.

This proposal must be approved by the Legislature and included in the final Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget. Please take a moment TODAY to contact your legislators and urge their support for the State Park Access Pass.

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