California Parks Saved From Closure: Tomales Bay, Samuel P. Taylor and Del Norte Coast Redwoods To Remain Open Though 2013

Thanks to last minute action by the National Parks Service (NPS), three California state parks previously slated for closure due to budget cuts will remain open at least for a couple more years.

Marin County's Tomales Bay State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park along with Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, located just north of Eureka, won't be forced to shutter at the end of the year along with the 67 other state parks also closing their gates. Instead, the NPS will take over the operations and security at the three parks

"It's very exciting news, and it is a continuation of a long-term collaboration between the National Park Service and the California State Parks," Jerry Emory, spokesman for the California State Parks Foundation told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's not a silver bullet, but it keeps some parks open."

These three parks were able to be saved because they sit adjacent to, or entirely within, parks operated by the federal government and, in some cases, are already partially run by the NPS.

The Associated Press reports:

All three are located within the boundaries of national parks: Tomales is within both Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; Samuel P. Taylor is located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; and Del Norte is in Redwood National Park near Crescent City.

The NPS estimates that a combined 250,000 people visit these three parks each year.

While the deal keeps the parks open, at least through the 2013 fiscal year, the NPS won't be investing in new projects in the parks or undertaking any major repairs or improvements.

The closures will affect 25 percent of all California parks and are expected to save the state $33 million.

There is a chance that some of California's other parks could similarly escape being shut down. The Marin independent Journal reports:

Numerous other state parks on the closure list may not be able to be closed. Sixteen received money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a 1964 federal law which provides money from offshore oil drilling royalties to purchase and renovate parks. That law bars states and cities from closing any parks that received the federal funding. Similarly, about a dozen of the parks on the closure list are on the coast, and Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, said that because of public access guarantees under state law, they cannot be closed without approval of the Coastal Commission.

The full list of parks being shuttered is available here.

Comments

[Politidelic]

12:42 PM on 10/10/2011

Hooray! All three of those are great parks. So glad they'll remain open for now.

[pjonesfuller]

05:59 AM on 10/09/2011

Way to go, CA...give illegals access to funds for college, and close your parks. Sure makes sense to me. NOT

[Politidelic]

12:43 PM on 10/10/2011

You sound bitter and disturbed about California do you live here?

[DennisTheMenance]

10:41 PM on 10/08/2011

Well, In our state of Wi., we have to ay a $5 a Day or $25 Per Yr Sticker to use our State Parks.
and apparently that is enough to keep them open and operating..

I cant see why they aren't doing the same in those States as well with Both the State and Fed. parks?

[Politidelic]

12:45 PM on 10/10/2011

They do. There are day use fees and stickers you can buy for the year to go to the parks just like WI.

[jane q public7]

03:35 PM on 10/08/2011

So our state, California, and our American government and our American scientists no longer believe that trees create oxygen that humans require to exist? I read statements where people say some industry is longer sustainable and that our government should stop subsidizing it to keep it alive. The logging industry has been feeding on forrests that can no longer sustain it. For the last 30 years, our governments (plural) should have been promoting the research of other products to use for buildings. And I believe some have, but like other industries who have a chokehold on our government officials, any research and potential products have been bought and kept off the market and/or quashed if they had/have potential. Like the idea of solar power being quashed as far back as the 60s by PG&E and other energy corporations. Ever hear this line: "It's too expensive." It's expensive all right, for the corporations. But it's never too expensive to charge Americans more money for BASIC necessities, i.e.: housing, water, power, sanitary services, etc. Why is that?

[corwin]

01:43 PM on 10/09/2011

Jane,
Even if you are a liberal arts major, I'm sure you serve an important purpose of some sort some time some where
But,it's not commenting on technical subjects. How bout telling us how you feel,instead?

[valley boy]

03:22 PM on 10/08/2011

LISTEN UP CALIFORNIA...........OCCUPY THE PARKS!

[Bridget Guzzi]

03:05 PM on 10/08/2011

Congratulations to the collaborative efforts of the National and State Parks. This is a great thing. THE NPS pulls through. YES!