California State Parks Announces Reduction of Services in Marin DistrictOctober 26, 2009 Danita Rodriguez, Marin District Superintendent In keeping with Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan for keeping parks open, California State Parks is today announcing the implementation of service reductions at parks across the State. The goal is to achieve the required cost savings while minimizing the disruption to park visitors as much as possible. All of the service reductions are consistent with the Governor’s September 25 announcement of the kinds of service reductions the public could anticipate in order to achieve the budget savings necessary to meet severe budget restrictions. The reductions are designed to minimize disruptions for park visitors, while keeping parks open and achieving the $14.2 million in budget savings to help close the State’s budget deficit. To achieve savings as quickly as possible, State Parks will begin implementing these cost saving measures all across the State in the next few days. The service reductions came about through a process wherein each of the State Parks’ District Superintendents designed a plan for specific reductions tailored for each park within their respective district. The plans included all 279 parks within the statewide system. A summary of some of the most common service reductions across the State include: - Reduce days of operation by two or three weekdays at selected parks. Other parks will close a portion of a campground or outlying day-use areas.
- Close and consolidate some park offices and/or reduce hours of operation.
- Reduce off-season lifeguard levels at some beaches.
- Remove some trash cans and fire rings from the beach and close roughly half of the restrooms at some beaches.
- Close many park visitor centers two or more days every week.
- Reduce the numbers of school tours and interpretive programs at many parks.
These service reductions are intended to ensure that California State Parks achieves its required cost savings while maintaining revenues at the highest level possible for the remainder of this fiscal year and while minimizing disruptions to visitors. For the Marin District, the specific service reductions for the parks within the district are as follows:
Mt. Tamalpais State ParkThe upper mountain (from Pantoll to East Peak and W. Ridgecrest) will only be open to vehicular traffic weekends and some holidays November 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Bootjack parking lot will only be open weekends and some holidays November 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. These areas may be open during the weekdays the week before Easter and the week after Easter. Restroom facilities in all closed areas will not be open. Alice Eastwood Group Camp will be closed November 1, 2009 through March 25, 2010. It will go back on the reservation system (though Reserve America) on March 26, 2010. Current reservations will be honored. The Frank Valley Horse Camp will be closed November 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. The Pantoll walk-in campground will continue to stay open on a first come, first served basis. There will be new fees areas at Rock Spring parking lot and the parking lot on Panoramic Highway across from the Mountain Home Inn. Some visitors may be inconvenienced by these service reductions; however, it is hoped that park visitors will understand and appreciate the severe budget reductions that have occurred and help State Parks minimize the cost impacts to the system. The public can assist by hauling out their own trash and helping to keep facilities as clean as possible for the next park visitor.
Olompali State Historic Park This park will be closed to public use Monday through Friday November 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.
China Camp State Park Back Ranch Meadows Campground will be open on weekends and some holidays on a first come, first served basis through March 25, 2010. Current reservations will be honored. Back Ranch Meadows Campground will go back on the reservation system (through Reserve America) starting March 26, 2010. Weber and Buckeye Point Day Use areas and the lower China Camp Village parking lot will be open on weekends and some holidays November 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Restrooms at Weber, Buckeye Point and China Camp Village will only be open when those areas are open.
Angel Island State Park Ayala Cove and United States Immigration Station restroom facilities will remain open during normal operating hours. All remaining restroom facilities will only be open on weekends and some holidays through April 30, 2010. Environmental Living Programs will not be conducted, and other interpretive programs not related to the United States Immigration Station will be conducted on a limited basis, until such time as a State Park staff can be hired and trained to provide these programs. There will be delays in non-emergency responses to inquiries.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park Madrone Group Camp and Irving Group Picnic Day Use areas will be closed November 1, 2009 through March 25, 2010. They will open and go back on the reservation system (through Reserve America) starting March 26, 2010. Devil’s Gulch Group Camp and Redwood Grove Group Picnic Day Use area will remain open. The family campground (Creek and Orchard Sections) will be opened as needed and will be available on a first come, first served basis through March 25, 2010. It will go back on the reservation system starting March 26, 2010. **Restroom facilities in all closed areas will not be open.
Tomales Bay State Park The main park entrance, Shell Beach parking lot, and Millerton Point parking lot will only be open weekends and some holidays through June 30, 2010. These areas may be open the week before and after Easter. Restroom facilities in all closed areas will not be open. Environmental Living Programs will not be conducted during the 2009/2010 academic year.
Past Issues 2002-2005 Background: The Tamalpais Conservation Club filed formal opposition to the California Department of Parks and Recreation's (DPR) plan to decommission and convert Coastal and Lone Tree Fire Roads into narrow four-foot wide multi-use trails. The TCC believes the plan is flawed in numerous aspects and a threat to the long-term environmental health of the facility. The TCC has requested the decommissioning of Lone Tree Fire Road and a more sensible plan for Coastal Fire Road requesting replacement of the few damaged sections with a safe multi-use trail of minimum 72" in width. Below in chronological order are a number of the pertinent documents and articles regarding this issue. June 25, 2005
Coastal View Trail is officially dedicated and open to all users. State Parks has made the decision to remove the deeply eroded Lone Tree Fire Road. It will be decommissioned in July 2005. November 2004
Coastal View Trail construction is completed. The trail is closed to allow it to settle for several months before being opened to the public. August 2004
Settlement Document
The TCC announces the settlement of its lawsuit aimed at protecting Mt. Tamalpais’ trails. The result will be the creation of a nearly 3 mile long multi-use trail on Mt. Tam. The new trail to be named the Coastal View Trail will replace the obsolete and deeply eroded Coastal Fire Road located near Pantoll Ranger Station. Trail work scheduled to begin mid-August 2004. This includes the complete removal of the old fire road. The Club brought its lawsuit in 2003, engaging the services of Mill Valley attorney Dotty LeMieux to prevent what it determined was a plan that would result in damage to the long term health of the mountain. During its pursuit of this action, a coalition of local groups was formed including the Marin Conservation League, the Marin Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Marin Horse Council and the Bay Area Trails Preservation Council, each of whom donated funds in support of the legal effort. Among its concerns, the Club opposed the conversion of parts of the historic Dipsea Trail to multi-use. This proposal in its original form, in effect, would have allowed mountain biking for the first time on parts of a traditional hiking and running trail in the Park and would have opened the door to abuse. The Club also opposed a proposal in the original plan to create narrow single track multi-use trails to replace both the Coastal and Lone Tree Fire Roads which it felt would become by default bikes-only trails. The details of the settlement include DPR’s renewed pledge to involve local groups such as TCC in future decisions through the creation of the Mount Tamalpais State Park Citizen’s Advisory Committee (MTSP CAC). The CAC will consist of members of the environmental community to work with the State and local staff on upcoming projects on Mt. Tam. Among its work, this will ensure the Dipsea’s preservation as a foot path. In addition, the Club will have a role in creating signage at the entrances to the new trail. DPR has also agreed to partial restitution of the TCC’s legal costs. -- May 12, 2003 -- The Tamalpais Conservation Club has filed a Writ of Mandamus against the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation with Marin County Superior Court. Click here to read the Petition. April 10, 2003 -- The final Mitigated Negative Declaration is released. DPR has modified their plan and agreed to increase the planned width of the proposed Lone Tree and Coast trails to 60". Additionally, where steep side slope exists, making it potentially unsafe for passage between users, the trail width will be constructed to 72". The Tamalpais Conservation Club and its sister organizations have been heard! While this is an improvement over the original plan to build narrow multi-use trails on Mt. Tam, there are still several aspects of concern including the change of designation to multi-use, and rerouting of parts of the historic Dipsea Trail. If you would like more information, contact:
Shaelyn Raab Strattan, Statewide Environmental Coordinator
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Acquisition and Development
One Capitol Mall - Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
Locally you may contact: Joseph P Mette III, District Superintendent, Dept. of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 123, 25381 Steelhead Blvd., Duncan Mills, CA 95430, tel: 707 865-3125, email: jmett @ parks.ca.gov. Copies of the final MND may be obtained from DPR. Note: All documents below are part of the public record with exception of the timeline which is provided as a convenience.
Mail your comments and questions to: csecretary @ tamalpais.org. Thank you. TCC Timeline/Contact Information: Mitigated Negative Declaration - Coastal and Lone Tree Fire Roads
This document provides a timeline of events from September 2002 through January 1, 2003. It also includes contact information for those of you that would like to write a letter. Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file
January 29, 2003 Pacific Sun Story "Uneasy riders"
Story on proposal. Reprinted with the permission of the Pacific Sun.
January 2003 Tamalpais Guardian
Background article appearing on pages 3-4 of our Guardian.
*Key documents are highlighted in bold with an asterisk Quad Map
This map shows the proposed rerouting. Please note the four-color legend to the right.
October 12, 2002 DPR Document
Original Dept. of Parks & Recreation Grant Application*
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file November 4, 2002 TCC Document
The TCC Position Statement in response to the DPR Grant Application*
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file December 2, 2002 DPR Document
DPR 30 day announcement of Mitigated Negative Declaration filing
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file December 18, 2002 LeMeiux Extension Request
Attorney Dotty LeMeiux's request for an extension to respond until January 31, 2003. December 20, 2002 DPR Extension Denial
In response to attorney Dotty LeMeiux's request. Received by Club on December 23. It required the TCC to file its opposition within 24 hours. December 23, 2002 LeMeiux Second Extension Request
TCC attorney, Dotty LeMeiux, response to DPR regarding the premature Christmas Eve cutoff date for filing an official response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file December 23, 2002 TCC Extension Request
TCC response to DPR regarding the premature Christmas Eve cutoff date for filing an official response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file December 24, 2002 DPR Grant of Extension
DPR begrudgingly provides the TCC a one-week extension. December 24, 2002 TCC Opposition to the Mitigated Negative Declaration
The first part of TCC's official response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration.*
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file
(Note: The first ten pages are primary. The 33 pages following these are reference materials.) December 31, 2002 LeMeiux Document
TCC attorney official response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration.*
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file January 1, 2003 TCC Opposition to the Mitigated Negative Declaration, part II
Part II of TCC's official response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration.*
Click here for non-pdf, htm version of this file
(Note: Does not include additional reference materials sent to DPR.) May 12, 2003 Writ of Mandamus
The TCC lawsuit filed with the California Secretary of State. April 2004
Discussions with the the State of California are ongoing. Watch this space for the latest news. |
