Posted on 07/01/2009 12:28:38 PM PDT by John Jorsett
The federal government is threatening to take possession of several of California's most prominent state parks — including Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, the top of Mount Diablo and four miles of beaches at Fort Ord Dunes near Monterey — if Sacramento lawmakers close them to balance the budget.
National Park Service ... has told Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that California will be blocked from receiving future money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund ...
[snip]
In May, the governor proposed closing 220 state parks to save an estimated $143 million. The state is facing is $24 billion deficit.
With the warnings, the National Park Service has now waded into Sacramento's budget stalemate, arguing that California has more to lose if it closes state parks than it will gain in savings.
[snip]
National park leaders contend that California would be violating the terms of two laws if it closes state parks.
First, the state has received $286 million since 1965 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Created by President Lyndon Johnson, the fund collects royalties from offshore oil drilling and uses them to buy land for national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. The fund also issues grants to state and local parks to pay for everything from land acquisition to new trails, visitor centers and restrooms.
Parks that receive the funds are required to remain open to the public. California has received Land and Water Conservation Fund money for 69 of the 220 state parks that Schwarzenegger has proposed to close.
State parks that have received the federal funding include Henry Coe, Fremont Peak, Big Basin Redwoods, Castle Rock, Año Nuevo, Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake, Andrew Molera, Humboldt Redwoods, Point Lobos, Hearst San Simeon State Park, Anza-Borrego Desert, Sutter's Fort and Mount Tamalpais.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
They have no authority to do this. This is nothing but pure tyranny, plain and simple.
All land belongs to the King.
There’s a lot of stuff gone on lately that I’d have said there was no authority for.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens up at Tahoe with no one at the parks because of funding cuts. The Nevada side is all up in arms as no one from Cali will be looking after the forest brush and keeping areas clear. People will ignore signs and camp in areas they should not be etc. Talk about fire hazard.....
Neverjobs Ranch
What the hell gives the federal government the right to grab any land in any state? Would they stop the state from selling it to investors as well?
How did people ever manage to camp or enjoy the outdoors before government-run parks?
Leave BIG BASIN alone!!!
Sounds as though they bought the rights to the property with money grants, agreed to by the state. Cali can argue with the feds - that's actually a good way to spend taxpayer money (but it doesn't put any fruit on the table).
What exactly is this $143 mil being spent on in the state parks? The salaries of rangers?? Keeping the public restrooms clean?? I worked for the State of CA back in 1982-83, I don't recall a whole lot of things going on in these particular parks, at least not enough that they need to have this kind of dough spent. These parks belong to the PEOPLE of the state, it is unconscionable that the governor would use them to extort in the first place, worse, allow the situation to evolve to where the Feds are threatening to seize them this way.
If the Governator closes our local State Park, (Columbia),it will further ruin our economy, and who will be caretaker to the old buildings? Shall we just let them rot? I think it’s horrible!
Soon you’ll need a permit to look at a squirrel.
These parks belong to California, not the Federal Government. If the state wants to close them temporarily, that’s their business.
You’ve been reading my
“their goal is feudalism”
posts, haven’t you!
“aure interpretation centers”and the staff to run them. One of the biggest boondoggles to hit state and federal parks in generations.
good ones
So if no rangers are there, how do they keep out the public from hiking?
I know there’s a lot of fences, but the gubmint can’t seem to find enough fence for our southern border.
Can CA actually fence in thousands of acres to keep citizens out? If so, why can’t they keep out illegals?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.