On Sept. 24, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a plan designed to keep all state parks open without increasing cuts to the California Department of Parks and Recreation budget.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, Schwarzenegger, in July, assigned the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Finance to develop a plan that would create $14.2 million in budget savings while minimizing the number of park closures.
“Working closely with my departments of Finance and Parks and Recreation, we have successfully found a way to avoid closing parks this year,” Schwarzenegger said in the release. “This is fantastic news for all Californians.”
The alternative solution proposes reducing ongoing maintenance for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2009-10 and eliminating all major equipment purchases, such as vehicle replacements, for a total estimated savings of $12.1 million.
The plan also proposes reducing hours and/or days of operation at most state parks, limiting expenditures on seasonal staff, and reducing staffing and operations at department headquarters, for a total estimated savings of $2.1 million.
The release said the administration will be looking closely at additional savings methods for the January 2010 budget.
For more information, visit parks.ca.gov.
This article appears in Oct 1-8, 2009.
