Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc.


To: All USHPA Members
From: Brad Hall, Region 3 Director, USHPA
Date: June 2, 2009
Subject: Take Action: State Park Closures in California

To All USHPA Members,

The Governor of California has proposed closing nearly 80% of the State Parks. This will affect all flying sites located in State Parks throughout the state. I have talked with the Director of several State Parks about what we can do to show our support in opposing this action. I have been directed to a web page that has a letter we can all sign and send electronically. I am asking all Regional Directors to pass this information along to all clubs in your region and to ask for support of all pilots on this issue.

The link is http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/caparks05_09

Although this is a California issue, it is not limited to just California. Dennis Pagen is attending a meeting in Pennsylvania today that has exactly the same implications for Hyner View. As the economy keeps looking grim for most state governments, ways to cut costs are moving to the front of the lines. Cutting services like park staff will result in locked gates and denied access to flying sites everywhere. Most of the sites we fly were opened through the hard work of local groups. I am certain all of the pilots who worked on our behalf would agree that once lost, getting a site back is next to impossible. None of us know how long the current financial crisis will last. Most sites on State Park lands are on a yearly permit of some kind. Without the park staff, no one will be there to approve our yearly permits and they will expire. We need to let the powers that be know we care what happens and we are solidly against any actions that will result in the closure of any State Parks.

Please take a minute or two to send the letter from the web site listed above. Many thousands of our voices added to the others working to save the Parks may make the difference we need to make.

Thank you for helping,

Brad Hall
Region 3 Director
United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

BH/pdm/rab

List of Proposed Park Closures:
http://www.calparks.org/takeaction/closurelist.html

Including:
Torrey Pines
Palomar
...

It should be noted that the last time they tried to close the State Parks due to budget constraints the analysts in the State Government showed that for each dollar spent on the State Parks, more than two dollars flowed back into the State's coffers. (I don't remember the exact amount, but it was more than two and less than three dollars.)

Thus closing the parks is a false economy. It will not save money over the long run, it will cost money. Use this argument when you write or call.

With the current budge shortfall, why would we close something that is making the state money without higher taxes? It is abysmal shortsightedness: like quitting your job to save on gas money.

Letter here:

http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

Edit as you see fit…

Find your State Senator here:

http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/senplan/senate.htp

Find your State Assemblymember here:

http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp

Governor Schwarzenegger here:

http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Yes you are absolutely right the parks do make money for the state it's $2.35 for every dollar spent it would be a costly mistake to close the parks.I can't believe they are even entertaining the thought .If They need money they should go after all these illegal businesses that are springing up in residential areas in the city and due to their low over head by not paying taxes or getting the proper permits , licenses , properly zoned place of business .That 's how they can afford to have the lowest prices in town they cheat the state of the much needed revenue under cutting legitimate city licensed businesses that have to play by the rules.meaning state permits,city permits ,B.O.E sellers permits city licenses,etc and in turn destroying the area businesses by driving prices so low you can't make a profit.This won't fix everything but it's a start.

JBBenson wrote:Letter here:

http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

Edit as you see fit…

Find your State Senator here:

http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/senplan/senate.htp

Find your State Assemblymember here:

http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp

Governor Schwarzenegger here:

http://gov.ca.gov/interact

By the way, if your Assemblymember is Buck McKeon, he's in favor of shutting down the State Parks. He thinks it will save money. He said so in a letter to me. OK, his staff said so.

So, send him a letter, yes. But emphasize the fact that the parks make money for the state. Reference the $2.35 figure. Tell him that closing the parks will make the situation worse, not better. Do that early in the letter. He claims that his main thrust is to save money through cuts. If he's being honest with us about that, as I hope, then this argument stands the best chance of changing his mind.

Oh yea, and argue forcefully, but remain polite. I'm sure I don't have to say that, but just in case...

I'd love to send a letter to my Assemblymember about this situation. However if I'm going to cite that every dollar spent makes $2.35. I need to point to them where I got that information so I can say that it's their people who came up with those numbers.

So where is that information from?

You can find it here http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Schwarzen ... .html?.v=1

Feds could seize (6)Calif. parks if closed by budget

"...The sites are Angel Island, a former federal military and immigration facility in San Francisco Bay; the top of Mount Diablo east of San Francisco, where the Navy once operated a microwave relay station; Point Sur State Historic Park in coastal Big Sur; and three beaches — Fort Ord Dunes near Monterey, Point Mugu State Park near Malibu, and Border Fields along the Mexican border."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD995RTAO1

That's great news I'm glad to hear that the feds aren't going to let Arnold close these parks.

That's great news I'm glad to hear that the feds aren't going to let Arnold close these parks.

If these parks do close we could get together a group and train them on powered harnesses and volunteer to over fly these parks on a regular basis with radio, cell phone, camera, and gps. Report any suspicious activity and keep things in order. It might be a way to thank them for all the years of flying they helped allow. It could be a good public relations news item too. Just don't land out and start a fire. I don't think the electric motors are ready yet.

dhmartens wrote:If these parks do close we could get together a group and train them on powered harnesses and volunteer to over fly these parks on a regular basis with radio, cell phone, camera, and gps. Report any suspicious activity and keep things in order. It might be a way to thank them for all the years of flying they helped allow. It could be a good public relations news item too. Just don't land out and start a fire. I don't think the electric motors are ready yet.

That's not a bad idea, sound like a lot of fun too ,

As you may have heard, last night the Big 5 (Governor Schwarzenegger plus the Democratic and Republican leaders in the State Senate and Assembly) announced they have reached a deal on the state budget. The details are not yet in print, but several sources are confirming that $70 million of the park system's General Fund allocation will be eliminated, with $62 million backfilled by other funding sources on what appears to be a one-time basis.

This leaves the state park system with an $8 million gap, and is expected to result in park closures. At this time, there is not a list of certain closures, we do not know how many or which parks may be closed as a result of the budget deal.

Considering where we started just 8 weeks ago, this outcome is better for state parks than most people could have imagined. We are not finished – the Legislature still needs to approve the budget deal by the end of the week and more details need to come out regarding the parks that will close – but the fact that we're looking at a much more scaled-down version of park cuts than we started with is welcome news. It is certainly a testament to the Save Our State Parks Campaign, the tens of thousands of Californians – like you! – who stood up for their parks, and the efforts of all of us that we've stared down such a draconian proposal.

In terms of next steps, the deal must be agreed to by 2/3 of the Legislature, and they're expected to vote on it on Thursday or Friday. As you can imagine, there are plenty of pieces in this agreement for all sides to hate, but let's hope there is the will to at least get this passed now, to keep the state moving forward.

Thank you for your efforts to help Save Our State Parks, and we will update you once a final state budget is in place.


Traci Verardo-Torres
Vice President, Government Affairs

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Yesterday the Governor signed a revised Fiscal Year 2009-2010 state budget, based on the package of bills sent to him by the Legislature on July 24. In using his blue-pencil veto authority the Governor exacted an additional $6.2 million cut to the state park system, bringing the total General Fund cut to $14.2 million. It is expected that this will result in the closure of more than 100 of California's 279 state parks, more than 1/3 of the state park system!

Take action now to help stop these closures!

The Department of Parks and Recreation has not yet released a list of which parks will be included on this closure list or when exactly park closures will start taking place. We will provide you with updates as details are released.

The news of park closures is not only devastating to park users, but also to local economies. Please take a moment to send a message to your legislators urging them to take action to stop these closures. Our state parks need your support now more than ever before!

Thank you for your efforts to help us Save Our State Parks!

Sincerely,

Traci Verardo-Torres
Vice President, Government Affairs

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