Support the California State Park
Access Pass

The California State Parks Foundation and the Save Our State Parks Campaign strongly supports the California State Park Access Pass program announced on May 28 by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz).  The new program will bring over $280 million annually in new funding to support the state park system, while providing free day-use access to California state parks. 

The State Park Access Pass is a solution to the decades-long fiscal crisis facing our state park system.  Foregoing basic annual maintenance and upkeep has resulted in a $1.2 billion backlog of deferred maintenance. As visitors to state parks know, inadequate staffing levels means that many units of the park system have no dedicated full-time staff, decreased visitor support, and few or no educational programs available to visitors.

Please send a message to your state legislators TODAY to let them know you support the State Park Access Pass, and you are counting on them to approve this measure to save our state parks. 

Statewide Support Mounts for Park Access Pass Proposal

A number of news outlets around the state have lent editorial support to the State Parks Access Pass.  Highlights from the various outlets include:

“[i]t's time for California to end its neglectful relationship with its beloved state parks...
Laird's proposal would end the prospect of park closures and ever-higher park entrance fees, and give us well-maintained parks and beaches that are open and accessible. That's a deal that both Republicans and Democrats should rally behind."  - Sacramento Bee 6/17/08

"With entry fees costing between $4 and $14 a visit, and a season pass costing $125, we think the $10 fee is a bargain." -  Santa Cruz Sentinel 6/8/08

"Paying an extra $10 a year for free entry to any and all state parks and beaches instead of the current $6 to $10 entry looks like a good deal to us. It certainly is better than closing parks, which the governor once suggested, and should be acceptable even to those who abhor general tax rate increases."  - Contra Costa Times 6/2/08

"The longer parks, streets and other public facilities are allowed to deteriorate, the more costly they are to fix. It's folly to think the money will materialize from nowhere. Laird's idea for parks deserves a good, hard look." – San Bernardino Sun 5/30/08

"Imagine a seemingly intractable problem simply wiped off the books. What a psychological boost that would be. And while other priorities - health care, education - are extremely important, parks and protected open space are not only a benefit for today's Californians but a tangible legacy to future generations."  - San Jose Mercury News 5/28/08

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