SACRAMENTO – On Thursday the state Senate approved AB 1478, a trailer bill on state park operations that will direct funding to parks previously slated for closure, provide a moratorium on park closures and strengthen the oversight of the department through the Parks and Recreation Commission.  

The bill is co-authored by Sens. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) and Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), and Assemblymen Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and goes next to the Assembly Floor for concurrence before being presented to the governor.

The bill passed the Senate 25-12.

Leno said Evans’ effort “led the drum beat” on protecting California State Parks.

“The public cherishes our state parks and wants a funding commitment and management structure that keeps them open,” said Evans. “This bill amounts to a renewed social contract with the people of California and the parks we are obligated and impassioned to protect.”

Evans’ Second District – which covers Lake as well as all or portions of Humboldt, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties – includes 20 parks that where slated for closure, including Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

That park, located in Lower Lake, will stay open thanks to the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, which is finalizing negotiations with the state to operate the park, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary.

AB 1478  provides assurances that money intended for parks goes to keep parks open, that parks will not face closures for at least two years and that the citizen-led Parks and Recreation Commission will be empowered to provide needed oversight to guide parks decisions and regain public trust.  

Through this bill, the commission, in an amendment sponsored by Evans, would be provided the authority to review all issues relating to parks, with specific authority to review the departments’ budget and infrastructure projects.

The bill provides for $30 million to keep all parks open and operating; $20 million of that amount comes from the more than $50 million “found” in the Parks and Recreation Fund, which will allocate $10 million to keeping parks open and $10 million to match private and nonprofit donations.  

Another $10 million will come from the Proposition 84 fund to be allocated towards the $1.2 billion in differed maintenance projects that have stymied the operations of parks throughout the state for decades.

“This is a plan to ‘right’ a ‘wrong,’” said Evans. “As a representative of this government, it’s my job to find a solution to the problems that have plagued parks. The issues that have surrounded parks for the last few months have hurt a lot of people and broken a lot of promises. This is our opportunity to begin to rectify a bad situation and prevent any future reoccurrence.”