URGENT: california state parks
you may have heard that due to the state of california budget crisis, the state has said it will close 220 of the state parks. that’s 80% of them.
this will not solve the problem.
in fact, for every $1 invested in a state park, the state gets $2.35 back in tourist dollars.
it will only make the problem worse.
not to mention all the other issues with this preposterous idea. quality of life, jobs, protecting special places.
the savings derived from cutting the parks out of the budget would amount to 0.26 percent of the $24.3 billion budget gap.
“It’s a very, very tiny portion of the financial need, but the impacts would be draconian to say the least,” Goldstein said. “Not only is this bad for people who are relying on state parks more than they ever have for recreation and vacation, but it is also bad for the communities surrounding these parks.”
Stearns said 79.6 million people visited state parks last year. A huge number of reservations for campgrounds have already been made throughout the summer and into November, he said. Analysts estimate park visitors spend roughly $2.6 billion a year in and around the parks.
Goldstein said for every dollar spent, the state parks generate $2.35 in tax revenue from economic activity in the local communities surrounding the parks. That means the state could potentially see a reduction in revenue by closing the parks.
That’s not even counting the loss of day-use fees and the cost of patrolling the closed parks to make sure arsonists, vandals, transients, hunters and marijuana growers don’t move in, she said.
–SF Gate
this option should not be on the table.
please send a msg to the capital telling them so here or here. you can also donate to the California State Parks Foundation to help them fight the fight.
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