The voices of state park supporters across the state have been heard! Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger announced he reversed course on his draconian proposal to close state parks. He released a revision to his January budget and is now proposing to restore funding to keep all of California’s state parks open and keep lifeguards on our state beaches.

This is welcome news, and is a real testament to the activism of tens of thousands of state park advocates who kept this issue alive in their communities. Congratulations to all of us for working as part of the Save Our State Parks Campaign and making this a top priority for the Governor and Legislature to hear!

But our work is far from over, and the Save Our State Parks Campaign will continue. It’s important to remember that the Governor’s proposal is just that, a proposal, and must be approved by the Legislature. We will be working with legislative leaders to ensure they share the goal of keeping all state parks open and accessible and secure their approval of funding to do so.

At the same time, the proposal to close 48 state parks and take lifeguards off 16 state beaches illustrated how underfunded the state park system truly is, and how precarious its long-term fiscal picture appears. While we may have averted an immediate crisis, our challenge is clear – as park supporters, we must identify and advocate for sustainable funding for our state park system. Otherwise, we will simply be fighting, year after year, over another list of 48 parks to be closed.

As the Governor’s budget proposal advances, we will keep you updated on its progress and opportunities to communicate with your legislators on this issue. You can go to our website to read the Foundation’s official statement on the Governor’s May Revise. As always, thank you for your support of state parks and the California State Parks Foundation!