PD Editorial: State parks threatened

<p>We’re relieved that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger beat a hasty retreat from a plan to padlock at least 100 state parks this fall.</p><p>It appears that public outrage, buttressed by economic data and some sound legal advice, fueled the decision to back away from closures as the names of parks on the hit list began to leak out.</p><p>But there’s still no assurance that Annadel, the Petaluma Adobe or any of the 277 other state parks will stay open for long. </p><p>To get that, the extraordinary public engagement stoked by the closure threat needs to be applied to identifying new ways to pay for the state park system.</p><p>Tuesday’s abrupt change of course had the hallmarks of political damage control — disclosed to reporters by phone after going unmentioned at an Assembly hearing in Sausalito called to assess the ramifications of closing parks.</p><p>The hit list was due out last week, then was delayed until this week. Instead, Jeff Macedo, a spokesman for the governor, said the administration was looking for other savings in the state Department of Parks and Recreation’s budget. He also said that some closures are still likely but offered no time line.</p><p>For now, that should take some of the heat off the governor, whose accounting for the closure plans has verged on incomprehensible.</p><p>The first plan, unveiled in January 2008, was to save $13 million by closing 48 parks. Then this past summer, Schwarzenegger sought to eliminate all $143 million in general fund support for state parks, saying 220 parks would be closed. In the end, spending was cut by $14.2 million, and the governor’s official budget summary said that would “result in the closure of probably more than 100 parks.”</p><p>Arguments against closing parks are familiar by now: They attract 85 million visitors annually, are an inexpensive vacation alternative and generate $4.2 billion in economic activity annually. There also are risks from vandals, squatters and marijuana growers. Add to that a memo by parks department lawyers that warned about significant liability risks, including endangered species issues and potential lawsuits filed by concessionaires, neighbors who sustain fire damage and even other state agencies charged with protecting public access to public land.</p><p>Still unanswered is how to keep parks open.</p><p>Among other things, a private fund-raising effort is under way, a potential initiative would add a $15 fee to license plates and partnership and sponsorship programs are being explored.</p><p>.</p>