If you are concerned about the threats to California's state parks, there are many things that you can do. Be sure to check the Save Our State Parks website from time to time to hear about upcoming activities. Their web site also includes an interactive map showing ALL the endangered California State Parks, as well as occasional news stories about the status of the parks. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more current updates.
If a specific park on the park closure list is particularly important to you, there may be a local organization dedicated to helping that park. Local organizations may be very effective and and are also a great way to make friends!
While these ideas are focused on California's parks, unfortunately, the threat to parks is not unique to California. These strategies should apply to other states as well.
California State Parks Foundation
Join the California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support for the parks. They organize volunteer events and fundraisers to support the parks. They are sponsoring a Don't Let Our State Parks Become Just a Memory event during the summer of 2011. You can share your favorite stories and images of California State Parks, which may be used in campaigns to save the parks.
Remember that the parks on the closure list are not the only ones facing hard times. Many parks are operating on a reduced schedule or have some of their resources closed. These parks need our support nearly as much as the parks that are threatened with closure!
Visit Your Favorite Parks
This tactic is both effective and fun! The parks are in a better position to ask for state support, if they have statistics to demonstrate that people actually use them. Of course, this means using the parks in a way that can be counted. So if the park charges a small use fee, please pay it. The money helps, but more importantly, the payment can be used to demonstrate support for the park. Some other things to consider:
- If you feel you can afford it, consider buying one of the annual use passes. If you buy it from your favorite park, it could help their statistics. But if you do use the passes, be sure to check in to the parks you visit so they get credit for your visit.
- If you stay in a hotel, eat in a restaurant or shop in the community near a park you are visiting, you might also mention that you are in the area because you are visiting the park. Community members typically know that parks bring them business, but it can't hurt to reinforce that awareness.
Contact Politicians
Write to California representatives and ask them to restore funding to the California State Park system. Be sure to give some reasons why YOU think the parks are important. Your letters will be more effective if they are unique and personal. If a particular park is specifically meaningful to you, write to the representative of that district. You don't need to be a California resident to write about this issue. If you visit parks in a district and spend money there, let that representative know. If parks are part of your incentive to visit California, then let many representatives know. This is primarily an economic debate, so that reasoning may be persuasive.
Keep Informed and Share Ideas
Many people are unaware of the problems in the parks, so talk to people about it. Here are some resources to spark your conversations: