Gov. Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 42 (Huffman), the bill sponsored by the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) to help keep California’s state parks open on October 5th. AB 42 is the only legislation advanced in this legislative session that provides a new tool to help try to keep California’s state parks open

“In the more than 40-year history of CSPF, we’ve never seen our state parks system at as much risk as it is today,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of California State Parks Foundation. “Even with the success of AB 42, there may still be parks for which there is no easy solution, nor available community ‘safety net’ to keep them open. That is a difficult future to contemplate. In the coming months, we will be working to encourage qualified nonprofit organizations to pursue agreements under the provisions of AB 42, and we remain committed to helping organizations, businesses, agencies, and Californians identify ways they can help work to save our state parks.”

MORE INFORMATION

Since 2008, the state park system has been threatened with park closures in every budget year. More than half of the 278 units of the state park system have already seen some combination of partial, seasonal or intermittent closures over the last two years. The need for AB 42 has become even more necessary with the announcement that 70 parks are planned for permanent closure.

Many nonprofit organizations are already close partners with the state in providing visitor services, resource protection, educational and interpretive programs, land management expertise and/or financial assistance. Although it is not possible that a nonprofit partner will step forward for every park that will be proposed for closure, in some cases, such nonprofits may have capacity and interest to take on operational roles. AB 42 provides an option to the state to try to alleviate those financial and resource burdens for parks that may otherwise close.

AB 42 is closely modeled on existing Public Resources Code 5080.36, which allows DPR to enter into an operating agreement with a qualified nonprofit for the operation of one specific state park. This bill provides broader authority to DPR to enter into operating agreements for multiple state parks. AB 42 contains language identical to PRC 5080.36, which includes provisions that ensure transparency and public accountability, including an annual report that includes a full accounting and summary of the prior year’s operations, an annual public meeting requirement, and the requirement that all revenues received from the park remain dedicated to park purposes.

Having a state park in an operating agreement with a nonprofit organization will enable DPR to redirect precious public resources to parks that will remain directly managed by the state. The benefit of allowing agreements with nonprofits is that all revenues generated in that park will stay in the park and be directed toward the maintenance, operation, administration, improvement, or development of the unit. A nonprofit may also have the ability to attract additional philanthropic support, donations or in-kind support that will augment fee-based revenue generated in the park.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Read CSPF's Press Release about the signing of AB 42
• Read the Full text of AB 42
• Download the Fact Sheet
• Have additional questions about AB 42? Contact: Advocacy@calparks.org