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Uploaded: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 1:32 PM
Local state parks lose $1M
Marin parks to close weekdays, end programs
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by Samantha Campos
| Due to California's fiscal turmoil, about $1 million will be cut from Marin state parks' $5 million-plus budget. Elimination of educational programs, weekday and campground closures will result, beginning as soon as Halloween weekend. Angel Island State Park is canceling environmental programs and limiting others; China Camp State Park is closing Back Ranch Meadows Campground on weekdays through the winter, and closing day-use areas on weekdays through June 30, 2010; Mount Tamalpais State Park is closing access to the upper mountain on weekdays through spring, implementing new fees in certain parking lots and closing Alice Eastwood Group Camp and Frank Valley Horse Camp on Sundays for the next few months; Olompali State Historic Park is closing weekdays through June 30, 2010; Samuel P. Taylor State Park is closing Madrone Group Camp and Irving Group Picnic day use areas on Sundays through March 25, 2010; Tomales Bay State Park is eliminating environmental programs for 2009-2010, and closing the main park entrance, as well as Shell Beach and Millerton Point parking lots on weekdays through June 30, 2010. Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by robert, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm Since the Mt Tamalpais Park only owns the road to the peak and most of the remainder of the lands adjacent are MMWD, including access to the Rock Springs Parking Lot, this is just a nasty gratuitous obnoxious closing. At the least, the road should be open to Mt. Theater.
There are never any rangers about anyways so what is the big deal?
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Posted by BikerBoi, a resident of the Mill Valley neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 4:26 pm I was told they are closing it due to lack of money to pay for toilet paper for the toilets at the peak and no one to check on anything. Ranger pppphffft there are rangers there. I do see people cleaning toilets and cutting down trees tho but they don't have guns so they must not be rangers.
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Posted by the GOV is a MORON, a resident of the Stinson Beach neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 4:35 pm This is due to that f$#k Tard of a Governor not being able to sell our heritage so now he's trying to run it into dirt with no money.
The real kicker is that the National Parks Trust is giving the moron an award on 10-28-09 for his leadership and innovation in the protection of public lands in California. FRIGGIN KIDDING ME.
Web Link
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Posted by Marilyn, a resident of the Mill Valley neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2009 at 7:04 am Mt. Tamalpais should not be closed. It is a highly used area, even during weekdays, and in these stressful times we all need to be in nature.
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Posted by Park Supporter, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2009 at 5:29 pm One of the other people honored recently by the National Park Trust was John McCain. His recent ratings from the League of Conservation Voters were zeros. They're probably trying to be bipartisan, but they bent over so far to do that in this case, they broke. So much for credibility.
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Posted by Paul, a resident of the Stinson Beach neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2009 at 5:53 pm Robert, I read that the road will be closed from Pan Toll up to East Peak and West Ridgecrest Blvd. If that is true then they will lock the existing gates at Pan Toll and at the north end at the intersection of the Bolinas-Fairfax Rd. and Ridgecrest. That will cut off access to autos, but not bicyclists or hikers.
I think that you have a very good point about most of that area is MMWD watershed and the state has no right to close Ridgecrest Blvd. The people like myself and many others that use that road should demand that they do not lock the gates. That is an important throughofare for many of us in Marin. Since we the people payed to repave Ridgecrest just last year, the State of California is ripping us off by denying auto access. The State should refund our taxmoney or KEEP RIDGECREST BLVD. OPEN !
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Posted by bch2mtn, a resident of the San Anselmo neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2009 at 9:22 pm Paul, sounds like you've got a legal VS. political beef forsure!!!!
I so agree with Marilyn, this certainly IS NOT the time to be closing our access to nature, stop us from COMMUTING on our BIKES forcing some to add another AUTO in traffic sucking up petrol and polluting our environment, keep us from staying healthy mentally, emotionally, physically and/or spiritually at all...she's absolutely correct!
PEOPLE! if this is taken away from us without a FIGHT, a SMART FIGHT of PROTEST with a solution behind in the offering you can kiss this "Protected Land" goodbye!
You know how fast they will start to sell that land off especially if it is THIS EASY for them to take this FIRST STEP of MANY AWAY from US......to what, FUND MORE WAR?????!!! Line who's pockets????? ALL at the 'protected land & wildlife' & OUR EXPENSE!
Since this is already going in effect.....it is not too late to start your actions!!!!
NOW is the time to go into action and DO something about this!!!!!
I have BEEN involved for the past year and a half with a SAVE Sonoma County Parks group trying to save parks in that area. What groups are trying to save Marin Parks????????? ANYONE???? Please let me know!
Who is doing a MARIN FUNDRAISER to KEEP the trails OPEN??????? Should be all the bike, hike, photographers and nature lover groups, including all the LOCAL SHOPS who support all we LOVE TO DO ON THE TRAIL! and......what about the Mountain Theater People!!!!?? Mountain Home Inn, Muir Woods Pub, STINSON BEACH MERCHANTS!!!!!!?
THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY IN MARIN, you mean to tell me we can't rally and push back and keep this from being taken away from the VERY REASON many of us LIVE IN MARIN!?
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