Tag: State Parks Sat, March 20, 2010
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Local Parks Suffer from Budget Cuts
Nov 23, 2009, by Staff NewsWith winter ahead, fewer people will be heading to Santa Cruz’s state parks to hike and camp, and that’s a relief for the local rangers. Faced with a 10 percent budget cut, parks such as Big Basin and Henry Cowell will have to trim their budgets by $14 million and deal with less staff because of a state-enforced three-day-per-month furlough.
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Local Parks Closed Because of Storm
Oct 14, 2009, by Staff NewsFearing strong currents, mudslides, flooding, and falling branches, authorities closed 14 state parks in Central California yesterday, seven of them in Santa Cruz County. The parks are: Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Lighthouse Field State Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach, New Brighton State Beach, Seacliff State Beach and Sunset State Beach. The parks are expected to reopen today, pending local conditions.
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County Parks Wait for Closure Notices
Sep 03, 2009, by Staff News
Santa Cruz residents are waiting to hear which of their favorite parks will be closed due to budget cuts. While no specific parks have been named yet, it is all but certain that at least some of the county’s parks will be among those closed to the public shortly after Labor Day. About 100 of the states 278 parks are scheduled to be closed, and the state has already stopped accepting camping reservations for all but 20 parks.
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Visit A State Park, Cough Up A Ten Spot
Aug 13, 2009, by Traci Hukill NewsIt looks like $10 is the new $8 at most state parks in Santa Cruz County.
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Parks Department Not Out of the Woods Yet
Jul 29, 2009, by Kat Lynch News
The California budget crisis dealt the state parks system a new blow today when the governor vetoed an addition $6.2 million in funding, which will probably lead to the closure of at least 100 parks. According to the new budget, the state is cutting a total of $22.2 million from the parks budget. “It’s frustrating that the governor chose to make these additional cuts, despite the fact that our state parks are economic generators for Santa Cruz County and the state,” says Bonny Hawley, executive director of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, “an important fact as we continue to plumb the bottom of the Great Recession.
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Parks Supporters Breathe Sigh of Relief
Jul 21, 2009, by Kat Lynch News
California’s belated state budget agreement brings good news to parks lovers: barring any unforeseen circumstances, California will cut $8 million from its state parks rather than $70 million, and just a few parks might close rather than 220. Over the next couple of weeks the California State Parks Department will look closely at each park. “Those with high attendance and revenue will likely be safe. At the moment we’re not sure which ones will have to close,” says Roy Stearns, Deputy Director of Communications of California State Parks. “Santa Cruz County has a lot of state parks that have high revenue and attendance.
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Reports: Revenue from State Parks Exceeds Cost
Jul 16, 2009, by Alastair Bland News
The governor’s proposal to close 220 of the state’s 279 state parks as a cost-cutting measure could shoot California’s economy in the foot. Results of two university studies have concluded that California’s state parks generate more money than they cost to operate, and local park advocates assure that tourism in Santa Cruz County will suffer if the parks go off-limits. (With slide show)
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Ditch The Plastic Forks!
Jul 08, 2009, by Laura Kasa Opinion
Exultant over the reduced garbage haul off Santa Cruz County beaches following the Fourth of July weekend, Save Our Shores Executive Director Laura Kasa turns to the next frontier: eliminating plastics. “We need a grassroots effort to say that we don’t want plastics in our ocean,” she writes.
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Video Records State Parks Fans’ Sentiments
Jun 30, 2009, by Kat Lynch News
Last Saturday, over the course of 12 hours, Dusty Nelson visited New Brighton, Wilder Ranch, Twin Lakes, Waddell Creek, Natural Bridges and Henry Cowell state parks. But it wasn’t a day of play; Nelson was on a mission. Camera in hand, working on behalf of the Friends of Satna Cruz State Parks, he interviewed parkgoers at the six state parks for their thoughts on the California State Parks crisis. The responses he got were much the same.
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Breakdown: State Park Access Pass
Jun 24, 2009, by Traci Hukill NewsHow the proposed $15 State Park Access Pass, scheduled for a vote today as part of California Democrats’ answer to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget, would work.
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We Can Save Our Parks As Part of Budget Solution
Jun 23, 2009, by Assemblymember Bill Monning OpinionDistrict 27 Assemblymember Bill Monning makes the case for the $15 State Parks Access Pass fee, which would fully fund the state parks system. “Although deep cuts are necessary to balance the budget, how we make those cuts and how we advance alternatives will reflect our values as a state,” he writes.
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Seacliff Beachgoers Just Say No to Parks Closures
Jun 21, 2009, by Kat Lynch News
A red electric wheelchair flies down the road to the beach at a whole two miles an hour. There, groups of children dig the classic tunnel to Australia or sculpt mermaid bodies on friends buried up to their necks in sand. At the end of the pier, families stare in awe of the cement World War I tanker. All this could change if Gov. Schwarzenegger and the state legislature close 80 percent of California state parks to help balance the budget deficit. The immense closure would include all of the 19 state parks in Santa Cruz County.
