Threatening to Close California State Parks?
When I heard the news that our governor is threatening to close most of California’s State Parks by the fall, I got sick to my stomach. Really. This is an issue that hits close to home. Mt. Tamalpais and the serene sanctuary of our breathtaking state parks are my church.
Not everyone in this world has access to rolling hills, fresh air, gangs of wildflowers, not to mention maintained hiking and biking trails accessible from convenient trailhead parking lots. But that’s a bigger issue. I know that my rights to use this land to begin with is a luxury these days. How messed up is that? And now that’s in jeopardy too?
When I cross the Golden Gate Bridge to invest in some me-time outside in Marin, I am also investing in building a bridge to happier, healthier, more centered Amy, and surely that impacts those around me in an infectious way. I like to think so anyway!
And if you are a budgetary pragmatist, consider this: closing the state parks won’t actually save the state any money at all, when you consider the inevitable spike in crime, littering, and forest fire that will have to be dealt with as the result of an unsupervised, unmaintained park system.
Even those of you living outside California still have a vested interest in the fate of its parks. Every year, tens of thousands of out-of-state visitors go to there enjoy its scenic beauty and spend our tourist dollars. California isn’t a prime travel destination because of its governmental structure, let’s put it that way.
Check out this smart LA times op-ed piece about how the closing of our state parks will create calamity. And another good one from SF Gate.
We go to state parks with friends and family to inexpensively escape the craziness of modern life. Especially in these lean times, our state parks are a benefit we shouldn’t have to live without. To me, they are the very foundation of health and happiness, and without them, well, we wouldn’t be living in the same California.
If you are a believer that parks should be protected then take a minute right now, and add your name to this petition to Gov. Schwarzenegger.
Help keep California’s parks open.
Open-space advocate,
Amy
