The latest state budget has proponents of state parks emphasizing the need for the passage of Proposition 21, the November ballot initiative that attempts to create an annual fee to keep the park system afloat.
The proposition seeks to counteract this year’s $7 million cut in state park funding by creating a new, stable source of funding: an $18 annual surcharge on California vehicles, in exchange for free year-round day-use vehicle access to state parks and beaches.
The new surcharge will be added to motor vehicle registration fees. Commercial vehicles, mobile homes, and trailers would be exempt. Proposition 21 would establish a trust fund for the deposit of these surcharges, which would be designated specifically for state parks and wildlife conservation.
State parks are facing unprecedented staff reductions, including rangers, lifeguards, and maintenance staff. Further cuts to public restroom maintenance, park hours, and educational programs are expected in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
Currently, partial closures are expected at the McGrath, Carpinteria, Refugio, and El Capitan state beaches. The group campground at Emma Woods State Beach in Ventura is slated for complete closure. The budget provides no funds for road repairs and vehicle or equipment replacement at these sites, and lifeguard coverage will be reduced during the off-season.
According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the measure would generate a net increase of $250 million in annual revenues for state parks and conservation programs.
According to Jarrell Jackman, executive director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Proposition 21 would cover more than 30 years of dwindling funding, which has amassed more than $1.3 billion in needed maintenance and repairs.
“At this moment, we’re looking for a way to catch up on our backlog,” Jackman said. “Our state parks get 85 million visitors annually, and if you raise fees at the gate, that will eliminate people who are lower-income from enjoying our parks.
“It’s one of those things where everybody in the state puts in and everybody with a California license plate gets free access, and that will help everyone out in these tough
economic times,” he added.
The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation protects and restores numerous historic sites throughout the county, including El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park and the Casa de la Guerra, and is currently developing the Santa Inés Mission Mills near Solvang as a future state park.
The measure has been endorsed by organizations such as the California State Firefighters Association, the California State Park Rangers Association, the California State Lifeguards Association, Audubon California, and the Nature Conservancy.
A vote against Proposition 21 means a vote to continue funding state park and wildlife conservation programs through existing state and local sources, and admission and parking fees would remain the same.
Opponents of the measure, such as the California Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, argue the surcharge is a wasteful Sacramento tax that holds no guarantee funds will go to state parks. Opponents allege hundreds of millions of dollars would be diverted to fund other government programs.
“Ballot-box budgeting is not a good way to fix the state’s problems,” said David Kline, vice president of communications and research for the California Taxpayers Association. “We oppose a car tax that everybody will have to pay when many people will never use the parks, especially when so many are having trouble paying bills as it is.
“Additionally,” Kline said, “we already pay taxes to fund the state parks programs, and the money has not been getting to it.”
This article appears in Oct 21-28, 2010.