As the brisk winter season gets into full force, California State Parks will use the off-peak time to pinch pennies anywhere and everywhere — all in the effort to cut at least $14 million from its budget this fiscal year.
Parks in Santa Cruz County, including Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, have been hit by a 10 percent funding reduction this year, in addition to the three-day-a-month statewide furlough.
“We’re saving everywhere we can think of,” said Chet Bardo, state parks district superintendent. “We’re only offering the essentials.”
California’s wide-reaching budget debacle is the catalyst for state park cutbacks this fiscal year. In Santa Cruz County, the effort began earlier this fall, as local park administrators scrambled to save. Park officials have locked restrooms and set out fewer trash cans to reduce maintenance and patrol costs.
But this month, the cuts went deeper than usual for the winter season.
The campgrounds at Henry Cowell will be closed two months longer this winter.
Big Basin has campsites open for now, but it has closed some hiking loops and may reduce seasonal help and facility maintenance.
Almost all parks will have fewer services and less upkeep, Bardo said.
Henry Cowell ranger Gary Brennan said park coverage already has suffered because of the furlough.
“We may only have one ranger on duty, when normally we should have two,” Brennan said. “If one person is taking a furlough day, we try to schedule it so at least one ranger is in the park.”
Usually, there are four rangers in a park, Brennan explained.
“We don’t know the outlook for next year yet,” he said. “But the additional two-month closure at the campgrounds could mean that the park will be closed for spring break.”
Brennan also said he’s noticed a lot of day-use visitors leaving their cars outside the park’s borders to avoid paying fees.
“That does not help the parks right now,” he said grimly.
Originally, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called to close 100 of California’s 270-plus state parks because of the financial crisis.
After much public resistance to the plan, however, the state government proposed smaller but more pervasive reductions throughout the park system.
“I only have seven months to make all these cuts,” Bardo said.
Bardo said he was working with draft numbers until last week, when he received the actual allocation numbers.
“We’re hoping that next fiscal year, we’re not going to be in the same boat,” he said.
In an effort to cushion the reductions, Friends of Santa Cruz Parks has boosted its fundraising efforts. And the California State Parks Foundation is looking to sponsor a state ballot initiative that would raise more money for state parks via a $15 increase in vehicle registration fees. The initiative would not take effect until next year, though.
“State parks have always looked toward the day for a more stable funding source to find a way off the general fund,” Bardo said.
The park system receives about $143 million annually, which is roughly one-tenth of 1 percent of state’s general fund budget.
“It’s been called budget dust,” Bardo said.
In the meantime, local administrators are trying to target their cuts so that the fewest people are affected, which Bardo said is during the cold and wet winter months.
“What I can save during the fall and winter, I can apply to the busier May and June months,” he said.
While more crowded spring and summer park seasons provide more revenue, the parks’ costs for maintenance, public safety and upkeep also increase, Bardo said.
However, he does not plan to hire seasonal staff during the busy season.
“We normally start to taper services during the slower winter season,” he said. “But we’ve never had to do this before at these levels.”
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