Cuyamaca and Palomar State Parks - On Closure List

[+Yeshua's Girls]

Calif State Parks are under attack again! This time, both Cuyamaca and Palomar are on the list of park closures. Your help is needed in letting the legislation understand what a bad idea that would be and we don't have much time. They meet on Tuesday the 2nd of June.

 

You can help by sending a letter to the legislation. The California State Park Foundation has made this very easy with a letter all ready for you to sign. Just click on http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

 

Print this out, sign it and send it off in the mail.

 

Thank you all very much, Nedra Martinez, Superintendent II

California State Parks

Colorado Desert District

Montane Sector - Cuyamaca Rancho SP/Palomar Mountain SP

760-765-3019

760-765-3021 - fax

nmart@parks.ca.gov

[+dhsundance]

Calif State Parks are under attack again! This time, both Cuyamaca and Palomar are on the list of park closures. Your help is needed in letting the legislation understand what a bad idea that would be and we don't have much time. They meet on Tuesday the 2nd of June.

 

You can help by sending a letter to the legislation. The California State Park Foundation has made this very easy with a letter all ready for you to sign. Just click on http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

 

Print this out, sign it and send it off in the mail.

 

Thank you all very much, Nedra Martinez, Superintendent II

California State Parks

Colorado Desert District

Montane Sector - Cuyamaca Rancho SP/Palomar Mountain SP

760-765-3019

760-765-3021 - fax

nmart@parks.ca.gov

 

In the event that these (or any other) state parks close, what will happen to the land? Will it be sold, become a county park, remain as is, etc....

 

The state has faced fiscal crisis before and threatened closures. But this time I think it is for real and some places will be closing.

 

Dave

Edited May 29, 2009 by dhsundance

[+LeoGeo]

 

In the event that these (or any other) state parks close, what will happen to the land? Will it be sold, become a county park, remain as is, etc....

 

 

A Union-Tribune article posted at signonsandiego.com said that the closures would be temporary (though of course that could be a long time). Apparently the state would continue to own the land; it's just that the gates would be shut to the public and, presumably, most of the rangers and other staff laid off.

 

Some beaches would be closed, too, including Torrey Pines. In those cases, they said, you can't really fence them off, but the state would no longer provide lifeguards or maintain the toilets and other facilities.

[+The Fat Cats]

Signed and sent. Thanks for the heads up and the link.

[+boysnbarrie]

I really appreciate the notification on this issue ... I hadn't heard a thing about it! Thank you very much.

 

It's in the mail.

[+SD-Weiss]

What address do we send it to? I hope they don't close Torrey Pines beaches.

[+SD-Weiss]

EVERONE NEEDS TO DO THIS. EVERYONE SEND THIS TO OTHER GEOCACHERS YOU KNOW.

[+SD Marc]

Done. Gladly.

[+SKILLET]

Anza Borrego state park is on the list too.

 

Now how the heck are they going to fence that off. Maybe if it's no longer a state park maybe we can put Caches out there.

[+Landbiz]

I signed the Petition and will make calls on Monday!!! Why not cut the Representative's bloated salaries and silly pet projects in favor of our Parks and Tourist resources. Last I checked, these actually bring revenue into the state, especially our prized beaches!!!

[+wxsby]

Signed and sent. I don't know why they couldn't charge a little more and make them profitable. Anza Borrego RV park is one of the cheapest RV parks in the desert. I wouldn't mind it if they raised the price enough to at least make it self sustaining.

[+geodarts]

Almost every state park is on the list. This would really be short sighted because parks take in more in related tax revenue than they cost. And it would increase fire danger, make it more expensive to start the parks up again, and close down just the areas people need to visit in hard times. And besides, they just approved geocaching (at least in some form).

 

As I said in another thread on this issue, I guess the state could get some money by renting out the land to marijuana growers, because they will certainly be going there in any event. And if you have to pay people to patrol the area to keep people out, then that adds to the cost in other ways. Angel Island is probably the only one that could be completely "closed," and they just spent all sorts of money on restoring the old immigration center, which will certainly draw tourists into the area.

 

I appreciate the link to the parks foundation site. At this point there is a lot of posturing to do, and I think the governor is trying to get the legislature to do something about the underlying problem, or the electorate to see the need to revise how the state collects its money. Its always been a boom or bust type of cycle, with neither party all that willing to compromise, and the public (and state employees) stuck in the middle.

 

The governor can unilaterally cut my salary another 5% (on top of the 10% he unilaterally cut this year). But I don't think he can shut down whole branches of government without legislative authority. Or at least I hope not. And since the legislature does not seem to be doing much of anything I can't see them doing this.

 

So in part my hope is based upon the dysfunctional nature of the state government. But it is important to write and to try to keep the parks open. As long as you are at it, don't forget to let the governor know that this is a bad decision.

Edited June 1, 2009 by Erickson

[+wxsby]

Almost every state park is on the list. This would really be short sighted because parks take in more in related tax revenue than they cost. And it would increase fire danger, make it more expensive to start the parks up again, and close down just the areas people need to visit in hard times. And besides, they just approved geocaching (at least in some form).

 

I just read an article (trying to find a link to post it) that the state parks return $2.35 for every $1.00 they spend, and the amount of the gross loss the state would suffer if they were closed. I'll try to document it.

 

And the parks, once closed, would need to provide security to keep everyone out... I can see that costing more than operating costs for honest park users.